Southtrap

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Captain Jacobsen's letter lay on the cabin desk between Linn and myself like a testimony from the other side of the grave.

I had discovered the long envelope in my uniform pocket shortly after Wegger had left. I had removed my jacket at Linn's insistence in order to try and get my bruised shoulder comfortable and for her to examine it. The letter was the one I had picked up on my way to the Mayday call.

The big scrawling handwriting read:

Dear Captain Shotton, You were right in suspecting my story about the torpedo which Prestrud, Torgersen and I towed away under the Germans' noses. After our conversation today I realized that I am now the only one left who knows the truth and why we did what we did. I am writing this before tonight's celebration dinner in the hope that you will see me in a somewhat different light, and believe that what we did was right at the time. You were also Captain Prestrud's good friend — there is no need for me to repeat how happy I am about Linn and you. It is part of the reason for this letter.

Our torpedo contained ten million dollars' worth of gold bars which were in transit from the Free City of Danzig to the United States via Narvik. That is what made that torpedo so precious to us! After our escape, we hid the gold in the great cave on Prince Edward Island. We also left the quisling, Rolf Solberg, behind on the island. I still say — but no matter, it all happened long ago. Solberg was rescued by a British cruiser — you know how he returned to murder our companion Torgersen. Solberg did not mention the gold at his trial. I also want to confess that it was the intention of the three of us, Torgersen, Prestrud and I, to recover the gold after the war. However, when we learned that the island had been visited by a British cruiser we suspected that the gold might have been found and that our private expedition would be a waste of time. So it proved.

Prestrud approached the Tripartite Commission consisting of official representatives of Britain, France and the United States which handled wartime property seized by the Western Allies and was informed that ten million dollars' worth of Danzig gold was indeed in its safe keeping. The Commission also informed us that the Royal Navy had retrieved the gold, but gave no details, and refused to do so when we enquired subsequently. The Commission also informed us that the gold had been in transit via the port of Bergen; this was obviously a mistake since we knew that it was Narvik. But what does all this matter now? Of course the information put a stop to our expedition to Prince Edward Island, and the tragedy of Torgersen cast a lifelong shadow over us.

Now that I have told you the true story, I will enjoy tonight's occasion with an easy mind for the first time in many years.

Your good friend, Axel Jacobsen 'I was sure there was nothing underhand about this cruise!' Linn exclaimed. /.This proves it.'

'Linn,' I said. 'Wegger's out of his senses. His long stay on Prince Edward must have unhinged his mind. We're in the hands of a madman and a killer who will stop at nothing to get back to where he believes the gold hoard is still hidden.'

'It terrifies me to think what will happen when he finds the cave empty, John.'

'He obviously suffered hallucinations,' I added. 'Look at his story of the girl on Prince Edward he wanted to make love to. That isn't the product of a sane mind.'

'Sort of wish projection until it became real, you mean?'

'More or less.'

'What are you going to do now, John?'

'My first concern is for Botany Bay. I don't want to do anything which may make Wegger abandon them. In fact, I'm at a complete loss to understand why he's still carrying on. It only complicates his position.'

Those two thugs with their automatics wouldn't stop at anything,' Linn shuddered. 'John,' please be careful, for my sake!'

'I will, Linn, I promise you.'

The key rattled in the lock and the door was thrown open. Wegger stood well back, Luger at the ready. With him was Ullmann. There was enough hardware between the two of them to strafe a destroyer.

Wegger nodded to the huge man. 'Okay. I want to talk to them. Shut that door and keep guard, see? If you hear anything odd, come in at the double.'

'That I'll do,' Ullmann replied in a voice that was surprisingly light, considering his size.

Wegger shut the door. 'The ship is completely in our hands. There is no resistance.'

'That sounds like a stock terrorist bulletin,' I scoffed.

'Don't try and be funny, Shotton. It doesn't pay, in your position.'

'Does the bridge know what has happened?' I asked.

'Not yet. That's what I've come about. I'm giving you a last chance to reconsider, Shotton. You can make it very easy for yourself if you don't obstruct me. You can run the ship as if nothing had happened. Go along with me — and you pick up a million dollars.'

'Wegger,' I replied, 'the boot's on the other foot. It is I who am giving you a chance to reconsider.'

His eyes blanked and two thin, savage, white lines leapt into the furrows of his face, from jaw to cheekbone.

'What are you trying to say?'

'See here,' I answered. 'New information has come into my hands. If you think there's gold on Prince Edward, you're chasing shadows.'

His voice sounded like ice grating. 'You're lying, Shotton. How could you get any new information, locked in here without a phone?'

I pulled out Jacobsen's letter and read: '… Prestrud approached the Tripartite Commission consisting of official representatives of Britain, France and the United States which handled war-time property seized by the Western Allies and was informed that ten million dollars' worth of Danzig gold was indeed in its safe keeping. The Commission also informed us that the Royal Navy had retrieved the gold…'

He snatched the letter from me and shouted, 'You liar! You've concocted this! You're trying to con me!'

The door burst open and Ullmann poured in. He smelt of bilges and of Ullmann. He trained the Scorpion on Linn and myself. As far as his whale-like face could register any emotion at all, it was surprise.

'Get out, you stupid fool!' ordered Wegger.

'You called 'Get out!'

Ullmann retreated, bewildered, with the machine-pistol at the ready.

'Jacobsen wrote that, letter a few hours before you killed him,' I stated. 'Read it all for yourself. There's no gold on Prince Edward. You were out of your mind at the time, Wegger. The Royal Navy found it and turned it over to where it rightly belonged.'

He plucked at the letter, turning it round and round. 'Jacobsen never wrote this — why should he?' he demanded. 'You — you and the girl — you made it up. You're trying to put me off and lift the gold for yourselves!'

'Pull yourself together, Wegger. Or Solberg, whatever your name is. If you hadn't half-killed Jacobsen's wife you could get her to confirm his handwriting. Jacobsen and I had a discussion this morning. He realized I didn't believe his story. Subsequently he wrote me that. I found it at the door when the Mayday signal came in.'

The gold is there!' Wegger's voice rattled like an engine running at plus-maximum revs. 'I've seen it! I've lived with it! It's in Credit Danzig ingots — small bars, like slabs of chocolate. It is there, I tell you! The cruiser never sent anyone ashore! They took me aboard. When I told them the island was deserted they sailed away! They sailed away, I tell you!'

'Wegger,' I interrupted his outburst, 'you weren't in your right mind. You had a nervous breakdown, a mental black-out. You don't remember. There's a proper medical term for it…'

'Goddammit, I remember every smallest detail!' He thumped the desk and kicked the smashed telephone aside. 'I know! I was there!'

'Wegger,' I persisted, 'you've killed four men. You spent a life sentence in prison for one murder. Do you want to spend the rest of it inside too?'

He leaned with one hand on the desk and raised his pistol.