First Fix Your Alibi by Bill James

Author:Bill James
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780107424
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2015-11-04T05:00:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

Ralph Ember heard about an up-coming rave the next day, or rather night, at the one-time chic coastal hotel and restaurant, the Binnacle, closed and empty for a long while now and well on its way to dereliction. Ralph always received a tip-off when this kind of event was planned, so he could send some pushers with a range of quality gear. Manse Shale’s firm got an invitation, too. It wasn’t the type of party Ember would usually manage on the spot himself, but he did think he might take a discreet look on this one-off occasion.

He decided he’d shoulder-holster his 8-round Walther pistol for the trip. It was a gun with no history, except for the original purchase. It had never been used other than in target practice. He’d thought his gun-carrying days had gone. He kept the Walther as a safeguard only. He liked its feeling of balance and solidity, and hadn’t bothered with any of the pistols offered by Shale. There were weapons by Smith and Wesson and Heckler and Koch that he admired almost as much, but lately he had gone for the Walther. Naturally, he’d get rid of it immediately afterwards if he killed with the Walther at the rave. Getting rid of a pistol was not all that easy, but a couple of headlands always had a good water depth even at low tide, and the Walther might end up on the sea bottom there. Possibly he’d give an S. and W. or an H. and K. a turn as replacement. Although Ralph had a definite fondness for Walthers he didn’t award them exclusive status and behave as if he had to have a Walther or nothing. Ralph would regard that as absurd.

He found the hotel on his ordnance survey map and saw it could be approached from the rear over a couple of fields. It would be dark, but he’d take a torch as well as the Walther and an approach shouldn’t be difficult. He’d leave his car a fair distance from the Binnacle and walk, then lie low somewhere and watch. The rave organizers would have brought a lighting system, and Ralph thought he might get some luck and spot Waverton clear of the crowd. He would need a piss, or he might have picked up a girl.

Ember felt confused at the way his attitude to the Waverton assassination programme had swung about recently. He could present himself with a list of the arguments against the ‘strangers’ plan, and they might for a while convince him that the scheme was mad and should be put to sleep. He’d remind himself that Manse Shale’s supposed evidence against Waverton amounted to hardly anything. And Ralph thought of the terrible impact Waverton’s death would have on Rose, his wife, and their child, Olive. Wasn’t Ralph himself a family man? If women hadn’t been so excited and pushy because of his looks, Ralph reckoned he would have been totally faithful to Margaret. He didn’t think she

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