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advanced state of intoxication。 They were Otto and Neal Divine。 Isn't that so； Otto？〃
〃There's nothing of this rubbish that can be proved。〃
〃Not yet。 Now； Otto was driving the car but when Divine recovered from the effects of the crash he was convinced…no doubt by Otto…that he had been at the wheel。 So for years now Divine has been under the impression that he owes his immunity from manslaughter charges purely to Otto's silence。 The salary lists show…'
〃Where did you get the salary lists from？〃 Goin asked。 〃From your cubicle…where I also found this splendid bankbook of yours。 The lists show that Divine has been receiving only a pittance in salary for years。 How admirable is our Otto。 He not only makes a man take the responsibility for deaths which he himself has caused but in the process reduces that man to the level of a serf and a pauper。 The blackmailed doing some blackmailing on his own account。 Makes for a very pretty picture all round； does it not？ 〃But the Strykers knew who had really caused the crash for Otto had been driving when they left the house。 So they sold their silence in return for jobs on the board of Olympus Productions and vastly inflated salaries。 You are a lovable； lovable lot； aren't you？ Do you know that this fat monster here actually tried to have Lonnie murdered tonight？ Why？ Because Judith Haynes； very shortly before she died； had told Lonnie the truth of what had happened in the car crash： so； of course； Lonnie would have been a danger to Otto as long as he had lived。 〃I don't know who suggested this film expedition as a cover for getting the bullion。 Heissman； I suppose。 Not that it matters。 What matters is that Otto saw in this proposed trip a unique and probably never to be repeated opportunity to solve all his troubles at one stroke。 The solution was simple …eliminate all his five partners； including his daughter whom he hated as much as she hated him。 So he gets himself two guns for hire； Heyter and Jungbeck…no question about the hire aspect； I found two thousand pounds in five…pound notes in Jungbeck's case this afternoon： two alleged actors of whom no one but Otto had ever heard。
〃In effect； Otto would clear his board in one fell sweep。 He'd get rid of the people he hated and who hated him。 He'd buy enough time by their deaths to conceal his embezzlement。 He'd collect very considerable insurance money and get back in the black with the help of acmodating accountants who can be as venal as the next lot。 He would get all that lovely gold for himself。 And； above all； he'd be forever free of the continuous blackmail that had dominated his life and warped his mind until it drove him over the edge of insanity。〃 I looked at Goin。 〃Do you understand now what I mean by saying that without me you'd have been dead by the end of the week？〃
〃Yes。 Yes； I think so。 I have no option other than to believe you are right。〃 He looked at Otto in a kind of wonder。 〃But if he was only after the board of directors…〃
〃Why should others die？ III luck； ill management； or someone just got in his way。 The first intended victim was the Count and this was where the ill luck came in。 Not the Count's…Antonio's。 Otto； as I think digging into his past will show； is a man of many parts。 Among some of the more esoteric skills acquired were some relating to either chemistry or medicine： Otto is at home with poisons。 He is also； as so many very fat men are； extremely gifted at palming articles。 At the table on the night when Antonio died the food； as usual； was served from the side table at the top of the main table where Otto sat。 Otto introduced some aconite…only a pinch was necessary…into the horse…radish on the plate intended for the Count。 Unfortunately for poor Antonio； the Count has a profound dislike of horseradish and passed his on to the vegetarian Antonio。 And so Antonio died。 〃He tried to poison Heissman at the same time。 But Heissman wasn't feeling in the best of form that evening； were you； Heissman…you will recall that you left the table in a great hurry； your plate untouched。 The economical Haggerty； instead of consigning this clearly untouched plate to the gash bucket； put it back in the casserole from which the two stewards； Scott and Moxen； were served later that night…and from which the Duke stole a few surreptitious mouthfuls。 Three became very ill； two died …all through ill luck。〃
〃Aren't you overlooking the fact that Otto himself was poisoned？〃 the Count said。 〃Sure he was。 By his own band。 To obviate any suspicion that might fall on him。 He didn't use aconite though…all that was required was some relatively harmless emetic and some acting。 This； incidentally； was why Otto sent me off。 on a tour of the Morning Rose…not to check on seasickness but to see who else he might have poisoned by accident。 His reaction when he heard of Antonio's death was unnaturally violent…though I didn't get the significance at the time。 〃Matters took another tragic turn later that evening。 Two people came to check my cabin in my absence…one was either Jungbeck or Heyter and the other was Halliday。〃 I looked at Heissman。 〃He was your man； wasn't he？〃 Heissman nodded silently。 〃Heissman was suspicious of me。 He wanted to check on my bona fides and examined my cases…had them examined； rather； by Halliday。 Otto was suspicious and one of his hired men discovered that I'd been reading an article about aconite。 One death more or less wasn't going to mean much to Otto now； so he planned to eliminate me； using his favourite eliminator poison。 In a bottle of Scotch。 Unfortunately for Halliday； who had e to see if he could lay hands on the medical case that I'd taken up to the saloon； he drank the nightcap intended for me。 〃The other deaths are easy to explain。 When the party was searching for Smithy； Jungbeck and Heyter clobbered Allen and killed Stryker in this clumsy attempt to frame Allen。 And； during the night； Otto arranged for the execution of his own daughter。 He was on watch with Jungbeck and the murder could only have occurred during that time。〃 I looked at Otto。 〃You should have checked on your daughter's window…I'd screwed it shut so that it was impossible for anyone to have entered from the outside。 I'd also found that a hypodermic and a phial of morphine had been stolen。 You don't have to admit any of this…both Jungbeck and Heyter will sing like canaries。〃
〃I admit everything。〃 Otto spoke with a massive calm。 〃You are correct in every detail。 Not that I see that any Of it is going to do you any good。〃 I'd said that he was an artist in palming things and he proceeded to prove it。 The very unpleasant…looking little black automatic that he held in his hand just seemed to have materialised there。 〃I don't see that that's going to do you any good either；〃 I said。 〃After all； you've just admitted that you're guilty of everything I claimed you were。〃
I was standing directly under the conning tower hatchway； where I'd deliberately and advisedly positioned myself as soon as we'd arrived； and I could see things that Otto couldn't。 〃Where do you think the Morning Rose is now？〃
〃What was that？〃 I didn't much like the way his pudgy little hand tightened round the butt of his gun。 〃She never went farther than Tunbeim where there have been people up there waiting to hear from me。 True； they couldn't hear by direct radio contact； because you'd had one of your hard men smash the trawler's transceiver； hadn't you？ But before the Morning Rose left here I'd left aboard a radio device that tunes into a radio homer。 They bad clear instructions as to what to do the moment that device was actuated by the homer transmitter。 It's been transmitting for almost ninety minutes now。 There are armed soldiers and police officers of both Norway and Britain aboard that trawler。 Rather； they were。 They're aboard this vessel now。 Please take my word for it。 Otherwise we have useless bloodshed。〃
Otto didn't take my word for it。 He stepped forward quickly； raising his gun as he peered up towards the conning tower。 Unfortunately for Otto； he was standing in a brightly lit spot while peering up into the darkness。 The sound of a shot； hurtful to the ears in that enclosed space； came at the same instant as his scream of pain followed by a metallic clunk as the gun falling from his bloodied hand struck a bar of bullion。 〃I'm sorry；〃 I said。 〃You didn't give me time to tell you that they were specially picked soldiers。〃
Four men descended into the body of the vessel。 Two were in civilian clothes； two in Norwegian army uniforms。 One of the civilians said to me： 〃Dr。 Marlowe？〃 I nodded； and he went on： 〃Inspector Matthewson。 This is Inspector Nielsen。 It looks as if we were on time？〃
〃Yes； thank you。〃 They weren't in time to save Antonio and Halliday the two stewards； Judith Haynes and her husband。 But that was entirely my fault。 〃You were very prompt indeed。〃
〃We've been here for some time。 We actually saw you go below。 We came ashore by rubber dinghy from the outside； north of Makehl。 Captain Imrie didn't much fancy ing up the Sor…Hamna at night。 I don't think he sees too well。〃
'But I do。〃 The harsh voice came from above。 〃Drop that gun！ Drop it or I'll kill you。〃 Heyter's voice carried utter conviction。 There was only one person carrying a gun； the soldier who had shot Otto； and he dropped it without hesitation at a sharp word from the Norwegian inspector。 Heyter climbed down into the hull； his eyes watchful； his gun moving in a slight arc。 〃Well done； Heyter； well done；〃 Otto moaned from the pain of his shattered hand。 〃Well done？〃 I said。 〃You want to be responsible for another death？ You want this to be the last thing Heyter ever does； well or not？〃
〃Too late for words。〃 Otto's puce face had turned grey； the blood was dripping steadily on to the gold。 〃Too late。〃
〃Too late？ You fool； I knew that Heyter was mobile。 You'd forgotten I was a doctor； even if not much of a one。 He'd a badly cut ankle inside a thick leather boot。 That could only have been caused by a pound fracture。 There was no such fracture。 A sprained ankle doesn't cut the skin open。 A self…inflicted injury。 As in killing Stryker； so in killing Smith …a crude and total lack of imagination。 You did kill him； didn't you； Heyter？〃
〃Yes。〃 He turned his gun on me。 〃I like killing people。〃
〃Put that gun down or you're a dead man。〃
He swore at me； viciously and in contempt； and was still swearing when the red rose bloomed in the centre of his forehead。 The Count lowered his Beretta； dark smoke still wisping from its muzzle and said apologetically： 〃Well； I was a Polish count。 But we do get out of practice； you know。〃
〃I can see that；〃 I said。 〃A rotten shot but I guess it's worth a royal pardon at that。〃
On the jetty； the police inspectors insisted on handcuffing Goin； Heissman； and even the wounded Otto。 I persuaded them that the Count was not a danger and further persuaded them to let me have a word with Heissman while they made their way up to the cabin。 When we were alone I said： 〃The water in the harbour there is below the normally accepted freezing point。 With those heavy clothes and your wrists handcuffed behind your back you'll be dead in thirty seconds。 That's the advantage of being a doctor； one can be fairly definite about those things。〃 I took him by the arm and pushed him towards the edge of the jetty。
He said in a big…strained voice： 〃You had Heyter deliberately killed； didn't you？〃
〃Of course。 Didn't you know…there's no death penalty in England now。 Up here； there's no problem。 Goodbye； Heissman。〃
〃I swear it！ I swear it！〃 His voice was now close to a scream。 〃I'll have Mary Stuart's parents released and safely reunited。 I swear it！ I swear it！〃
It's your life； Heissman。〃
〃Yes。〃 He shivered violently and it wasn't because of the bitter wind。
〃Yes； I know that。〃
The atmosphere in the cabin was extraordinarily quiet and subdued。 It stemmed； I suppose； from that reaction which is the inevitable conitant of profound and still as yet unbelieving relief。
Matthewson； clearly； had been explaining things。
Jungbeck was lying on the floor； his right hand clutching his left shoulder and moaning as in great pain。 I looked at Conrad who looked at the fallen man and then pointed to the broken shards of glass on the floor。 〃I did as you as