but there was none . only silence . I staggered to my feet , went over to the packing-cases , rummaged among them . they had been held together , bound , with galvanized wire . I began to twist and turn , feeling the wire heat up between my fingers , begin to burn my flesh , but I ignored it and kept twisting until a piece of about six inches in length came free . I limped back to the door , knelt again . the lock was massive but ancient and simple . there was no key in it . I could look straight through into the dimming light in the corridor . I probed with the wire , got to the tumbler and lifted . but the wire bent . I cursed , pulled it clear , straightened it , tried again , but again it bent . here , Seona &apos;s voice from behind me . she had a nail in her hand , a long nail , stronger than the wire . I snatched it from her , probed again , lifted and this time the tumbler rose a little way before it slipped back into place . I paused , wiped sweat from my brow and listened at the door . if the guard was still outside he must have heard the attempts at picking the lock . but all was still . with trembling fingers I thrust with the nail , the tumbler rose the whole way and the lock snapped open . my nerves were jangling . I stood for a second with my back against the door , breathing heavily , then I turned and slowly , stealthily I eased it open . it creaked . my heart missed a beat . I waited . still no sound from outside . I opened the door wide . carefully I looked out into the passageway . the chair was empty , cigarette-ends littered the floor beside it and in the gloomy light of evening I could look straight along to the hallway . it , too , was empty . I grasped Seona &apos;s arm , pulled her with me as I went silently along the passage keeping close to the wall . my groin was paining : it was swollen but somehow it did n&apos;t seem so bad now . we came to the hallway . still the silence , an eerie silence . I did n&apos;t know what to make of it . stay here , I said to the girl , and then on my toes I went over to the main door , looked out into the courtyard . it was empty . the truck had gone . I beckoned . Seona came to join me . my lips were against her ear , her hair brushing my face . you know the road to the coast . you know of Farrel . ask for him . go to him or De Sotto . her face turned . I looked into her eyes . and you ? I will follow , , I said hastily . I have to find out if he is still here . I will not be far behind you . no , she said , her voice little more than a whisper . we have come this far together . I will not leave you now . you may need my help . besides , the little man has said that Jeronimo &apos;s men are between us and the coast . do as you &apos;re told . my voice was harsh , impatient . no . we go together . there was n&apos;t time to argue . I took her by the hand , went quickly over to the stairs , began to climb , placing my feet carefully on each step , keeping close in the deep shadow of the balustrade and at the top of the stairs I stopped , bent double and looked each way along the length of the landing , along the dim empty silence of it . on to the landing then , padding softly , making for the far end . double doors stood open . I looked inside to a bare empty room . the evening breeze blew gently in through windows from which most of the glazing had gone . on to the next room . the doors were shut . slowly I opened them a fraction , looked in . it showed signs of recent occupation . papers scattered over the floor . cigarette-ends too . a couple of what seemed to be pin-up pictures stuck to one wall . then on to the next room , and the next , working my way along , seeing signs of some of them having been in use until at last I came to the room where I had met Jeronimo . I was more careful here . I used the keyhole first . but it too was deserted , most of the furniture covered by dust sheets , and I stood for a moment or so , frowning , puzzled , not knowing what to make of it . next to it was a bedroom , fully furnished , a great canopied bed occupying most of it . the bed was still made up . I left it , went on and two doors farther on , and almost at the end of a landing , I turned a handle , went in to a horrible sickening stench . I staggered back . behind me Seona retreated hurriedly . I went forward again into darkness . I still had the matches . I struck one and in the light from the tiny flame I saw shuttered windows , saw a low truckle-bed , a small table beside it , and on the bed a form , the form of someone covered by a blanket . on the table stood a small oil lamp . I held my breath , went over to it , raised the glass , lighted it and the room filled with a warm mellow light . gingerly I raised the edge of the blanket . a dead face looked up at me , the eyes closed , dark-ringed , the face waxen and showing still the lines of pain and suffering . hurriedly I ripped away the blanket from the body . it was naked , the body of a man , well built and young : one arm was still bandaged , an arm which was swollen to enormous proportions and stinking , gangrenous . his other arm lay across his chest , unnaturally , as if placed there deliberately , for a purpose . I bent closer , saw the pinprick of the hole made by a hypodermic syringe . someone had been merciful . I threw the blanket back on him . his clothing lay piled over a chair , trousers , shoes , socks , underclothing , a shirt , but no jacket . I picked up the shirt . the right sleeve had been ripped open . it was heavily bloodstained . the right sleeve . I went cold . it had been that same sleeve of Baker &apos;s raincoat which had been torn , ripped open . but this was n&apos;t Baker . Baker was on the short side , past middle age and sandy-haired , balding . the room seemed to whirl around me . I could n&apos;t think . this was beyond me . I went back to the clothing , rummaged through the pockets of the trousers . they held nothing . I looked around for the jacket . there was no sign of it . I flung the clothing back on to the chair and as I did so I noticed the shoulder holster . it hung by the side of the chair , partly concealed from me . I picked it up , drew out the automatic . a P.38 . a full clip in the butt , a spare clip attached to the holster . quickly I slipped off my jacket , hung the holster from my shoulder and shrugged into the jacket again . then I went over to the lamp , bent to blow it out . the sooner I made contact now with Farrel the better . from behind me in the doorway I heard the slither of footsteps . I had forgotten Seona . I turned to see what she was doing and I froze . standing in the doorway , her nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell in the room , was the woman Jeronimo had called Elsa . behind her , peering round her , were Ginetti and one of the boys , surprise on their faces , and in her hand pointing straight at me was a long-barrelled Luger . 9 . take your hand away from the lamp . her voice was high and thin and sharp . she stayed in the doorway , perhaps because of the stench from the body , perhaps because even though she had the gun in her hand she felt safer with distance between us . Ginetti was by her side and slightly behind her , her shoulder blocking him from the room while the boy peered in between them . slowly I straightened , let my hands drop away from the lamp . come away from it . I moved a couple of steps nearer her . that &apos;s enough . I stopped , tense , every muscle in my body taut , my mind reeling , trying to find a way to cope with the situation . how did you get out ? I did n&apos;t answer . my eyes were fixed on the pistol she held , on the finger which was crooked around the trigger and which showed white with the pressure she was exerting . I was close , very close to death . how did you get out ? still I was silent . her voice had risen still higher . she was nervous , uncertain , and I gauged the distance between us judging whether I could get to her before she could pull the trigger . but eight feet or more separated us : and Ginetti too had his pistol in his hand , as always held loosely by his side but nevertheless ready for action . then the boy : it was obvious that he too would be armed . answer me . the voice was a danger signal , a sign of nerves reaching a pitch when anything could happen . through the door , I mumbled , my mouth dry . how else ? she seemed to relax a little , but only a little . and the girl ? gone , I said . Christ ! Ginetti &apos;s voice broke in . he looked frightened . Jeronimo &apos;s got to be told . and now . do n&apos;t play with him , Contessa . shoot him . get him out of the way . nervously she licked her lips . yes , she said , and her voice was uncertain . but all the same she set herself more firmly on her feet and the barrel of the pistol quivered as an extra pressure was put on the trigger . and inside me my nerves seemed to shiver , to jar . now . it was coming now . and I gathered myself to leap at her , to try and get the pistol before it went off . but nothing happened . it is no easy matter to kill in cold blood if you have n&apos;t the mentality for that sort of thing . very few women have . vicious though she looked the Contessa was no exception . get out of my way . Ginetti &apos;s voice had risen . he seemed to be panicking a little , to be losing control . move . let me do it . he edged forward , began to shoulder her aside , to get freedom for the arm and the hand which held the pistol . the boy had closed in upon the two in front of him so that they were now grouped tightly together in the doorway . and then my heart lurched . a shadowy figure appeared behind them , a figure who could only be Seona , who moved up to them , into them . she must have jumped at them , her arms outstretched , and she caught the Contessa full in the back , sending her staggering in at me and barging Ginetti violently to one side as she did so . and at the same time I leaped to one side , the Luger going off almost in my face , the bullet missing me by inches as I swayed back at her and chopped in a blow with the edge of my palm alongside her jaw . her head snapped violently around and sideways , her eyes rolled to show the whites as she slumped to the ground . and then Ginetti . he had n&apos;t a chance . he was down on one knee and I was on to him before he had time to do anything . again that chopping blow , a blow that could kill if aimed at the right spot , but this time on the wrist of the hand which held his pistol , and hard , really hard . I heard his gasp of pain , heard too the clatter of the gun hitting the floor as I brought my knee up violently into his face to send him flying backwards on to the landing . I staggered with the effort , then gathered myself ready to deal with the boy . he had slipped back . he had a shotgun , the shortened barrels swinging as he wrestled with Seona : a Seona whose teeth showed in a tigerish fury as she pushed and pulled , the knuckles of her hands white as she gripped on those barrels , fighting to keep them away from me . 