He found a hole in a row of cars and parked. We looked at each other.
“Give me ten minutes start,” I said, “then come after me.”
There were a lot of people wandering up and down the boulevard. In that crowd we had a good chance to get lost, but Raimundo had the tricky job. He was carrying the golf bag. You don’t walk along a boulevard at 22.00 carrying a bag of golf clubs. He could attract the attention of an inquisitive cop. We had discussed this. Raimundo said it would be all right. If he saw a cop he would go up to him and ask him for a cheap hotel. He would have the suitcase with him. If questioned, he would say he had hitched into town and was on vacation. That would explain the golf bag.
“Don’t forget the rucksack,” I said as I got out of the car. “I could be up there some time. I don’t reckon to starve.”
“You look after your end of it, soldier. I’ll look after mine.”
I paused, looking at him.
“It’s going to work out,” I said.
He shrugged.
“I’m beginning to think it might.”
I set off, moving through the crowds. I moved steadily, not fast, because everyone on the promenade, under the coloured lights, was strolling and enjoying themselves. I kept a look out for anyone who might be a button man.
It took me ten minutes, weaving through the crowds, to get within sight of the Imperial Hotel. I paused, finding a space between a boy and a girl and a girl on her own who were leaning on the rails, watching the guys and dolls in the sea.
I saw lights were on in Savanto’s suite. I was too far away to be able to see if he was on the balcony.
The lone girl said softly, “Do you want some fun?”
I didn’t even look at her. I moved on.
It took me another ten minutes to reach the back of the building lot. I was now away from the crowds. If I met anyone it was almost sure to be one of Savanto’s men. I had the Levison knife in my hand as I slid into the darkness enveloping the building lot.
I paused for some moments, listening and looking, but there was no one around. I dropped into the long grass and the high weeds. My Army training had taught me to slide over this kind of ground like a snake. After a while I got within sight of the steel feet of the crane. I lay still, listening and watching. It took me several minutes to convince myself there was no one guarding the crane. I looked up at its great height and at the overhanging arm faintly outlined against the night sky. Savanto’s men were not doing their job, but the crane must have seemed to them to be no risk. Even to me, looking up at that height, the thought of climbing that structure made me flinch. They had probably surveyed the crane and had decided no one could climb it so why waste a man, sitting in the weeds, when he could be doing something more useful?
I got to my feet and walked back to the dirt road leading to the building lot. I, sat down in the shadows and waited for Raimundo. I wanted to smoke, but that would be too dangerous. So I sat and waited.
I saw him before he saw me and I called softly to him. He came out of the darkness, the golf bag on his shoulder, the rucksack on his back.
“There’s no one here,” I said.
He stood beside me and looked up at the arm of the crane.
“What did you expect? No one’s going up there, soldier, and that includes you.”
“Give me the rucksack,” I said,
“You’re really going to try?”
“Give me the rucksack.”
I took it from him, then found the leather gloves, which I put on. I slid my arms through the straps of the rucksack and got it on my back.
Then a thought dropped into my mind. I had checked and loaded the rifle. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. I unzipped the hood of the golf bag and lifted the rifle out. It took me only a few seconds to assure myself the rifle was still loaded and ready to fire.
“I’m not blaming you, soldier,” Raimundo said as I put the rifle back.
“I’m killing this old animal,” I said. “I’m not making any more mistakes. Go back to your wife and kids. You have a future. Enjoy it.”
We looked at each other in the faint moonlight for a long moment.
“So long, soldier,” he said. “I hope you make the climb.”
Then he melted away into the darkness and I was on my own.
CHAPTER NINE
I checked my watch before I began to climb. The time was 22.40. I looked across at the distant Imperial Hotel. It was ablaze with lights. Savanto’s suite, on the top floor, also showed lights. It was a hot night. The chances were he would be on the balcony, but if he was in his bedroom or his sitting-room, I was sure I could still nail him with the telescopic sight to help me. But luck had to fall my way. He might not be in the suite, but if he wasn’t, why the lights?
I hauled myself up into the steel structure of the crane. I found it was an easy climb. It was now a matter of endurance. I told myself I had to pace myself like a runner in a marathon. The golf bag didn’t help. Every so often it got caught between the cross bars and pulled me up short. I had to pause while I disentangled it. When I was level with the fifth floor of the building, I stopped to look down into the darkness.
Storm clouds were rolling across the sky. Sometime during the night it would rain. I knew the signs and welcomed them. With the clouds moving before the gentle wind, the moon was being continually obscured. I was sure anyone looking up the crane wouldn’t see me.
I wedged myself between the cross bars to rest. If I rushed this climb and reached the roof exhausted and ran into one of Savanto’s killers, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
I sat there, relaxing, looking across at the Imperial Hotel. There were a number of people on the five balconies on Savanto’s floor. From this level and from this distance I became uncertain which was his suite. Each balcony had a frosted glass partition, giving privacy. I counted from the far end and decided the third balcony suite must be Savanto’s. Lights showed there, but there was no one on the balcony.
After resting for five minutes or so, I began to climb again. When I reached the tenth floor, I rested. Far below, I could see headlights as cars crawled along the traffic-congested boulevard. Away to my right I had an uninterrupted view of the beach and the sea. There were a lot of people swimming. Most of the beach was floodlit. Night bathing is one of the main attractions of Paradise City.
I went up to the fifteenth floor. I was glad I was wearing gloves. Even with gloves, my hands were getting sore. The con stant gripping on the steel girders as I pulled myself up was turning into hard work. By taking it slowly, although sweating in the heat, I was still breathing easily and that was the important thing. I rested again. I saw the lights go out in two of the top suites of the hotel, but the suite I was now sure belonged to Savanto remained lit.
The next stage of the climb took me to the overhanging arm of the crane which brought me level with the penthouse and its flat roof. Black clouds now crawled across the face of the moon and blotted out the penthouse just below me.
When I reached the arm of the crane I rested again. I saw a streak of distant lightning break the darkness of the clouds. There came a faint rumble of thunder. I had lived long enough in this district to know that it wouldn’t be for another hour before the storm broke.
I looked down into the darkness. Very faintly, I could make out the roof of the penthouse. I wedged the golf bag securely between two girders. My next move was to get rid of the guards if they were up on the roof. I waited for some moments, watching and listening, but I heard nothing and saw no movement on the roof just below me. Leaving the golf bag, I climbed along the arm of the crane until I reached the hanging hook. Here, I remained for some minutes. I looked across at the Imperial Hotel. The suite I was sure belonged to Savanto still showed lights, but the other suites were now in darkness. I couldn’t see anyone on the balcony. Maybe, I thought, my luck was beginning to run out.