Read Online Passage by Night (v5) by Jack Higgins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jack Higgins
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the trip. We all did. They paid top price for tuna down there, but things have changed since the crisis. You can't tell which way those people might jump; could even impound my boat.' Papa Melos shook his head. 'I'd like to help you, Mr Manning, but not this time.'
Manning reached for his jacket and took out his wallet. He opened it and produced a wad of banknotes. 'Five hundred dollars - a thousand. Name your price.'
The girl's breath hissed sharply between her teeth. 'Papa, with money like that you could pay Mikali what we owe him. Our worries would be over.'
The old man stared down at the money as if hypnotized and then shook his head slowly. 'If I go to San Juan, I'd probably lose the boat anyway. At least I've got till the end of the month to pay Mikali what I owe him.'
Manning schooled his face to a pleasant smile. 'Not to worry. There must be somebody in Harmon Springs who wants to earn that kind of money.'
He was up on deck and stood at the rail, looking out towards the island, wondering what the hell he was going to do next. A moment later, the girl joined him.
'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I feel that we owe you so much, but the boat is my father's whole life. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her.'
'Do you really think he can raise the money to pay off this man Mikali?' Manning said.
She shook her head and turned to the rail, her slim shoulders hunched in defeat. For a brief moment he was conscious of an irrational tenderness. It was as if she were a young child faced with something she couldn't handle, that he must comfort at all costs.
He became aware of the sound of an engine and a speedboat roared round the tip of Blair Cay and come towards them. The girl raised her head, looked at it for a moment, then hurried below.
When she returned, her father was with her. He leaned against the rail, a frown on his face. 'Looks like Mikali's boat. I wonder what he wants?'
The speedboat was being driven by Dimitri, the youth Manning had handled so roughly at the bar. Mikali was a large thickset individual. In his day, he must have been a powerful man, but now he was running to fat and the armpits of his linen jacket were badly stained with sweat. He clambered up the ladder and Dimitri stayed at the wheel.
'And what the hell do you want?' Papa Melos said in Greek.
Mikali wiped his balding head with a handkerchief. 'Don't take that tone with me, you old vulture. Three days I've been trying to catch you. Always, you stay out of my way.'
'I've got nothing to say to you. Not till the end of the month.'
'Now that's where you're wrong,' Mikali said. 'The extension I gave you was purely out of the goodness of my heart.' He glanced at Anna. 'I'd hoped that we might have been able to come to a sensible arrangement about things in general, but that doesn't seem to have worked out.'
The old man flushed angrily. 'Say what you have to say and get off my boat.'
'My boat, you mean.' Mikali produced a document and held it out. 'This is a writ of attachment. You've got until noon on Friday to pay me my money. Twelve hundred dollars.'
The old man gave a roar of anger. He tore the writ from Mikali's hand and swung hard with his right fist. The years were against him. Mikali blocked the punch with ease, grabbed him by the shirtfront and slapped him heavily across the face.
The girl screamed and ran forward, tearing at him with her fingers. He pushed her away with such force that she staggered across the deck and lost her balance. As he raised his hand to strike the old man again, Manning grabbed him by the shoulder and swung him round so that they faced each other.
'How about trying me?' he said. 'I'm a bit nearer your size.'
Mikali opened his mouth to speak and Manning smashed a fist into it. As he staggered backwards, Manning hit him again, the force of the blow lifting him over the rail. The Greek hit the water with a tremendous splash and went under. He came up a couple of feet away from the speedboat and Dimitri grabbed
Manning reached for his jacket and took out his wallet. He opened it and produced a wad of banknotes. 'Five hundred dollars - a thousand. Name your price.'
The girl's breath hissed sharply between her teeth. 'Papa, with money like that you could pay Mikali what we owe him. Our worries would be over.'
The old man stared down at the money as if hypnotized and then shook his head slowly. 'If I go to San Juan, I'd probably lose the boat anyway. At least I've got till the end of the month to pay Mikali what I owe him.'
Manning schooled his face to a pleasant smile. 'Not to worry. There must be somebody in Harmon Springs who wants to earn that kind of money.'
He was up on deck and stood at the rail, looking out towards the island, wondering what the hell he was going to do next. A moment later, the girl joined him.
'I'm sorry,' she said. 'I feel that we owe you so much, but the boat is my father's whole life. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her.'
'Do you really think he can raise the money to pay off this man Mikali?' Manning said.
She shook her head and turned to the rail, her slim shoulders hunched in defeat. For a brief moment he was conscious of an irrational tenderness. It was as if she were a young child faced with something she couldn't handle, that he must comfort at all costs.
He became aware of the sound of an engine and a speedboat roared round the tip of Blair Cay and come towards them. The girl raised her head, looked at it for a moment, then hurried below.
When she returned, her father was with her. He leaned against the rail, a frown on his face. 'Looks like Mikali's boat. I wonder what he wants?'
The speedboat was being driven by Dimitri, the youth Manning had handled so roughly at the bar. Mikali was a large thickset individual. In his day, he must have been a powerful man, but now he was running to fat and the armpits of his linen jacket were badly stained with sweat. He clambered up the ladder and Dimitri stayed at the wheel.
'And what the hell do you want?' Papa Melos said in Greek.
Mikali wiped his balding head with a handkerchief. 'Don't take that tone with me, you old vulture. Three days I've been trying to catch you. Always, you stay out of my way.'
'I've got nothing to say to you. Not till the end of the month.'
'Now that's where you're wrong,' Mikali said. 'The extension I gave you was purely out of the goodness of my heart.' He glanced at Anna. 'I'd hoped that we might have been able to come to a sensible arrangement about things in general, but that doesn't seem to have worked out.'
The old man flushed angrily. 'Say what you have to say and get off my boat.'
'My boat, you mean.' Mikali produced a document and held it out. 'This is a writ of attachment. You've got until noon on Friday to pay me my money. Twelve hundred dollars.'
The old man gave a roar of anger. He tore the writ from Mikali's hand and swung hard with his right fist. The years were against him. Mikali blocked the punch with ease, grabbed him by the shirtfront and slapped him heavily across the face.
The girl screamed and ran forward, tearing at him with her fingers. He pushed her away with such force that she staggered across the deck and lost her balance. As he raised his hand to strike the old man again, Manning grabbed him by the shoulder and swung him round so that they faced each other.
'How about trying me?' he said. 'I'm a bit nearer your size.'
Mikali opened his mouth to speak and Manning smashed a fist into it. As he staggered backwards, Manning hit him again, the force of the blow lifting him over the rail. The Greek hit the water with a tremendous splash and went under. He came up a couple of feet away from the speedboat and Dimitri grabbed
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