Tears of the Moon - Di Morrissey [146]
She didn’t totally trust Gunther, but she knew he could lead her into a world of richer pickings than Broome could offer. A shady world, possibly a dangerous one, and if it came to a choice, Gunther would save himself before Amy. But then she would do the same. If a better opportunity presented itself, Amy would take it. They were using each other as long as it suited them both. She did pause for a moment to wonder about this unlikely alliance and the fascination the rogue skipper held for her. Putting this to one side, she began to think over the details of Gunther’s plan. It sounded good. And very profitable.
Amy sent word to Gunther to meet her at The White Lotus. Over jasmine tea she was all business.
‘If we agree on matters, how soon before we could leave here?’
‘I’m flexible. You seem anxious. We might have to wait in Darwin till the shipment arrives.’
‘Be safer than waiting here. Once I have, er, retrieved my investment I think it best if I were not around. I wish to leave before Tyndall returns and discovers the loss.’
‘You’ve figured out how to extricate the pearls?’
She gave him a flirtatious smile. ‘I have the keys to the office, but not to the safe. I need a professional hand to get in there.’
‘You’re asking me? What makes you think I know how to crack a safe?’ There was an amused glint in his eye.
‘If you don’t, you’ll know someone, I imagine.’
‘It will cost you.’ He continued to smile.
Immediately Amy knew Gunther had the nimble fingers and tools that could pick a lock. He looked too confident and relaxed about her request. ‘I imagine the cost could be negotiable?’
‘Indeed.’ He became serious. ‘I’ll need a day or so. How about Wednesday night?’
Dressed in a dark dress, Amy walked down to the waterfront just before midnight and went quietly into the Star of the Sea building, tiptoeing up the flight of stairs even though the building was empty. She unlocked the door to Tyndall’s office and sat behind his desk and waited.
After a while she walked to the window and looked across the moonlit bay. It was an absolutely beautiful evening, the full tide flooding the mangroves and slapping against the old jetty. She became entranced, almost hypnotised by the scene. It was all so peaceful, so beautiful. But suddenly, she felt uncomfortable because the emotions evoked by the view were so at odds with the purpose of her midnight visit to the office. How strange, she thought, that I have come to the other side of the world and in such a short time find myself about to rob a safe and sail off to do deals with pirates. It was not the prospect of the deeds that disturbed her but rather the mystery of the process that led to her easy acceptance of them. How did it happen? What forces had come into play that had led her from a village in Ireland to this place at this time? It was a rare moment of introspection for the streetwise and sharp-minded Amy who held there was no profit in analyses of life’s mysteries. She did not consider that when some people make a choice, they are capable of great good, or great evil. Amy didn’t bother to reflect on choices in life. Amy looked out for Amy.
A hand suddenly clamped on her hair, tipping her head back and causing her to gasp. Gunther leaned down and bit her ear. ‘You didn’t hear me, did you?’
‘No.’ Her heart was beating rapidly and, looking at him, she suddenly wondered if he’d open the safe, take the pearls and be gone from her life. But such doubts were fleeting, disappearing totally in the flood of excitement that surged through her body as he pulled her to him and kissed her roughly. He then went to work on the safe.
He looked at it for some time, using a candle shaded by the palm of his hand to illuminate the lock.
‘An easy one,’ he finally announced in a whisper. ‘They put a lot of money into the steel, not enough into the lock.’ He chuckled and unwrapped a small