“You’re not going anywhere.” He put his hands on her shoulders.
Her eyes seemed to burn in that pale face and she
cried out, “Don’t put your hands on me, you Taig bastard.” She pulled the Browning from her right-hand pocket, jammed the muzzle against his side, and fired.
He gave a terrible groan and staggered back.
“Damn you, you’ve done for me.”
She shot him again and he fell against the table and dropped to the floor. “Good riddance,” she said.
“If I had my way I’d shoot the lot of you.”
She put the Browning back in her pocket and went out. A few moments later she drove away in the station wagon. DILLON’ EASED THE AVENGER INTO THE SIDE OF the jetty and Hannah scrambled over with a line. He cut the engines, went over the rail to join her,.and tied up.
“Right, let’s get moving.”
He took Hannah’s hand and they ran across the street in the rain going round the side the yard at the back. Hannah peered cautiously in through the kitchen window.
“There doesn’t seem to be anyone there,” she said, “and I see the station wagon has gone.”
“All right, in we go,” Dillon told her and took out his Walther.
There was the immediate pungent smell o cordite and then, of course, Stringer’s body. Hannah dropped to one knee and searched for a pulse. She looked up and shook her head.
“He’s quite dead.” She stood. “She doesn’t take prisoners, that girl. I wonder where she’s gone?” “Look, she gave her uncle those pills to get him away from Barry and Co. to a hospital from where they thought they’d be able to do a runner. He died and she blames herself, but she is running and on her own now,” Dillon said.
“To the Lake District in England?” “Where else, but how to get there?” “Fly to Manchester and hire a car.” “A possibility or maybe a private flight. Several old airstrips on that coast from the Second World War. You only have to look in Pooley’s Flight Guide.” “It’s a possibility.” Hannah nodded. “And there was that strange remark she made back there on the boat. It’s there waiting for me…” “And I’ll fly in out of the sea to, get it,” Dillon said.
“She’s mad, Dillon, you do realize that? Did you notice she didn’t sound American anymore?” “I know. She was talking pure BElfast just like the sixteen-year-old gift I saved on a dark street ten years ago, but never mind that now. We’ll go in ‘the office and call Ferguson.” ‘
FERGUSON AT HIS FLAT IN CAVENDISH SQUARE had only just awakened and he sat up in bed and listened calmly to what Hannah had to say.
When she finished he said, “Give me your telephone number.” She did so and he scribbled it down.
“I’ll call back. Give me fifteen minutes.” He put the
phone down, picked it up, and rang his office at the Ministry of Defence. When the duty officer answered he said, “Ferguson here. Put me on to Flight Information.”
WHEN THE TELEPHONE RANG IN THE OFFICE AT the Loyalist Hannah answered at once. “Brigadier?” “There is a Royal Navy Air-Sea Rescue base at Crossgar on the Down coast only ten miles from you.
You’re expected. From there you will be flown in a Sea King helicopter to the Air-Sea Rescue base at Whitefire. That’s on the Lake District coast near St Bees.” “what then, sir?” “I’m leaving the office now for Farley RAF base.
I’ll be there in thi’ty minutes. They’ll have a Ministry of Defence Lear jet waiting for immediate departure.
They tell me we’ll make Whitefire in forty-five minutes. We’ll helicopter to this Folys End place from there.”.
“Fine, sir, looking forward to seeing you.” “Stop being sentimental, Chief Inspector,” Ferguson told her. “Just move your arse,” and he put the phone down.
“Now what?” Dillon asked.
She filled him in quickly. When she was finished, she said, “what about Stringer?” , “Let the staff find him. Ferguson will handle the RUC later. Let’s get moving, girl dear,” and he opened the door and led the way out. KATHLEEN RYAN FOUND LADYTOWN WITH NO difficulty and she pulled over in the village square, got out and spoke to an old woman who was walking by with a poodle on a lead.