The Dark Side of the Island - Jack Higgins [57]
"I don't understand," Lomax said.
"In the first place, Dimitri Paros had been dead for longer than we supposed. The fact that his body was so close to the fire had delayed rigor mortis."
"And the second point?"
"The dead man had smashed his wrist-watch when falling. It had stopped at exactly nine o'clock." Kytros sighed. "You must forgive a simple island policeman for failing to notice the fact sooner."
"And at nine o'clock I was at sea with the Samos brothers."
"And Alexias was playing chess with Father John."
"But what put you on to Van Horn?"
"In the first place, simple logic," Kytros said. "Riki Samos admitted that Dimitri had been tipped off that you were going to the farm, but he didn't know by whom. From what you had told me earlier, it seemed that only one person could be responsible. I then discovered that Dimitri had left The Little Ship after receiving a telephone call and there are very few on the island."
"And the operator remembered who'd called him?"
Kytros nodded. "I stopped to pick up Alexias and heard you were on the loose. Then Yanni turned up at the police station considerably distressed because he thought you were going to be torn to pieces on the mountain."
"And you didn't?" Lomax said.
Kytros permitted himself a slight smile. "I considered it unlikely in view of your past history in these islands."
"Something else to thank Yanni for," Katina said.
Kytros nodded. "A good boy. A pity there is no one to educate him."
"I think that could be arranged," Lomax said.
A shot echoed flatly through the rain outside and Alexias moved in from the terrace. "He's in the garden," he said harshly.
Kytros unbuckled his holster and took out his automatic. "I think it would be better if you remained here."
He crossed to the window and Lomax moved after him. Outside, the rain lanced down through the light that spilled across the terrace to the bushes and beyond was darkness.
There was another revolver shot followed by the dry, ominous rattle of a machine pistol. "Stavrou!" Kytros said, and he ran across the terrace and plunged into the garden.
Faintly through the rain came the sound of many voices and the barking of dogs and Katina touched Lomax's aim and pointed. In the darkness on the other side of the road, men moved down the slope towards the villa, their lanterns like eyes in the night.
In the garden all was silent and obeying a sudden impulse Lomax ran across the terrace clutching his shoulder and plunged into the undergrowth. He crouched beside a bush, the rain falling on him, and Katina arrived a moment later. "This is madness," she protested.
He moved forward cautiously between the dripping olive trees without replying, and above them on the mountainside the noise grew louder and more ominous.
Kytros stepped from behind a tree to join them. Before he could speak there was a movement in the bushes on the other side of the garden and the machine pistol rattled again. Stavrou shouted something unintelligible and Van Horn ran headlong out of the undergrowth, left arm raised to protect his face.
He lurched against a tree and stood there staring at them, his breath a white mist in the damp air. In the vellow lamplight, his skin had turned to parchment and he looked old and tired and defeated.
He turned and staggered along the drive towards the main gate. As he reached it, the mob poured down from the mountain and flooded across the road.
Lomax and Katina paused and Alexias came up behind them and there was a strange silence. It was as if, somehow, the people outside the gate realised that something extraordinary was taking place.
Stavrou emerged from the trees and waited, the barrel of his machine pistol pointed towards the gate. Kytros nodded to him and moved forward on his own. When he paused, legs slightly apart, he was holding the automatic against his right thigh.
"Throw down your gun, Mr. Van Horn," he said. "Let no one else suffer in this business."
Van Horn started to raise the revolver, almost in slow motion, his finger tightening on the trigger.