The black house by Patricia Highsmith

Author:Patricia Highsmith [Highsmith, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Detective and mystery stories, American
Publisher: New York : Penzler Books
Published: 1988-11-22T05:00:00+00:00

Sam wanted to go to Bif and say, "Let's put in for food and fuel and take off again!" But he couldn't give such an order. Instead, he poured two mugs of coffee and brought them on a tray to Chuck. "One for Natalie," Sam said.

Chuck stood up, folded his blanket, and fortified himself with a swallow of coffee. Then he rapped on the cabin hatch.

Sam lingered, not trying to look into the cabin, but listening for the girl's voice. She said, "Good morning, Chuck. Where are we now?" Sam walked on toward the galley.

A few minutes later, a Coast Guard launch slid near enough to hail them. "Emma C\ — What's the matter with your radio}"

"Conked out!" Johnny replied before anyone else could.

"You got the Anderson girl?"

This time Bif replied. "Yep . . . Didn't know her name when we radioed you."

The man with the loud-hailer said: "Heading for Well-fleet?"

"Yep!" Bif replied. "All's well."

The Emma C ploughed on. Towards ten o'clock they were rounding the sandy spit that protected Wellfleet Harbour, and the wharves came into view. The girl was on deck in Chuck's dungarees, socks and shirt, and some five men on the dock stared and smiled and commented.

"... swimming and we picked her up!" Bif replied curtly to a question.

"That the Anderson girl? . . . Why didn't you radio?"

Bif didn't reply. He was going to ignore or stave off the queries. The girl was safe, wasn't she? Unhurt.

Sam had a second-hand car on shore. So had Chuck, who did not live in Wellfleet. Sam was about to ask Natalie if he could drive her anywhere, even to Cambridge, when he heard the wharf fellows saying,"... police . . . Coast Guard . . ." and someone ran off to the wharf telephone booth, no doubt to notify these groups.

"Didn't you have your radio on, Bif, you — "

Bif didn't answer. But on the wharf he spoke with a

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