Previously: Mercenary Leon meets MI6 spies David, the Prince of Wales, and socialite Wallis Spencer. David abdicates the throne to marry Wallis. He becomes Bahamas governor. Leon dies and his son Sidney turns mercenary. David hires him as his valet. Sidney begins affair with another mercenary Aline. He murders Aline, because she shot his father, and kills her boss Harry because he bungled the orders.
Less than a week had passed since the murders of Harry Oakes and his assistant Aline, and David found himself lost in thought sitting in his office at the Governor’s Palace. The richest man in the Bahamas had been killed in a most horrible fashion, and David couldn’t comprehend the cause.
Harry was a bumbling fool, and bumbling fools rarely drew the attention of MI6. His murder was the same. Whether Harry were dead or not didn’t matter much in a world being torn asunder by war. As far as anyone knew, Harry had few or no connections with Nazis. Oh, he might play golf with another industrialist who was a member of the Nazi Party just because his business’s future depended on it. But they weren’t vigorous supporters of Hitler.
Then there was the organization, the mysterious international crime syndicate whose ruthless tactics matched what happened to Harry, and David saw some possible motivation. The organization would be the group to kill Harry to get hold of his money. His business partner Harold Christie was cheating Harry out of profits on the airfield projects. But if Harry found out, would not that be reason for Harry to kill Harold, not the other way around?
David shook his head, as though a thick moss of cobwebs clung to each crevice of his brain. What actually engrossed his thoughts was the image of Aline’s body. He felt drawn to the morgue to view her. Hours in the ocean marred her corpse but he still saw her as a vibrant beautiful woman who made his middle-aged life seem young again.
He couldn’t forget her burn marks from being struck by lightning. David also couldn’t dismiss the dark bruise marks on her wrists made by powerful hands. The local authorities dismissed Aline’s death as a suicide but why were the bruise marks there?
David hated himself for dwelling on her death. It wasn’t as if the young woman was destined to become the love of his life. He had been romantically involved with women since he was a teen-ager, and most of them were more meaningful on a spiritual level than Aline. Her candle on the altar of lust burned too bright to last too long. She was his last roar of manhood, and it was over before it had reached its peak.
Once again he felt guilt. His romantic inclinations toward Wallis were never fully developed. He knew all of her physical secrets and knew no sexual contact could ever happen. Yet, as the years passed he found himself feeling protective of her feelings. He knew she put up a brave façade of viewing life as one wonderful farce. And when candlelight hit Wallis’s face just right, she did look beautiful to him.
A knock at the door make him jump.
“Come in.”
The door man bowed and announced, “Count Alfred de Merigny is here to see you, Your Highness.”
David frowned. If there were one person who might have a solid reason to murder Harry Oakes, it would be Alfred de Merigny who married Harry’s daughter Nancy. Harry couldn’t be in the same room with his son-in-law but only a few moments without exchanging hot words.
Having a conversation with a possible murder suspect in his private office was, of course, the worst possible scenario. David’s mind scrambled. Where should he have this visit?
First he left his office and walked to the vestibule where he noticed Merigny slipped an envelope under a vase of freshly cut tropical flowers sitting on a large round table in the middle of the room. Upon seeing the duke, Merigny walked to him and gave an elegant bow.
“My condolences on the passing of your father-in-law,” David said in a loud voice so that any nearby servant could hear him.
“I appreciate your concern, Your Royal Highness,” Merigny replied in an equally loud voice.
“You are quite welcome,” he said. Merigny’s comprehension of the delicate situation impressed David.
Merigny stepped forward to whisper, “I have a private matter to discuss with you.”
“I’ve learned the best place to hold a private conversation is in front of the public. Won’t you join me on the front steps? The heat of the day will force us to keep our discussion brief.”
Merigny bowed again. “But of course, sir.” He opened the door for David.
After they were on the porch, Merigny spoke in a conversational manner, which proved to David the man was not unintelligent in the ways of public conversation.
“I have been told the authorities are on the verge of charging me with the murder of Harry Oakes.”
David’s mouth fell a bit. “I thought Harold Christie was the prime suspect, since he was the only other person in the house at the time.”
“They claim to have found my fingerprint on a Chinese screen in Harry’s bedroom.”
“Only one?”
“I think it was lifted off a glass of water they offered me during their initial interrogation.”
“And what do you want me to do about it?”
“I would greatly appreciate it if you, in your capacity as governor, ordered outside detectives, say, from Miami. My father-in-law was well liked by local authorities. I am not.”
David didn’t change his facial expression. “I shall see what I can do about it.”
Merigny was about to bow and walk away when David stopped him.
“Out of curiosity, could you please tell me what you were doing the night Harry Oakes died?”
Merigny’s long narrow face took on the appearance of a child telling his father why he was late coming home from school. “I was hosting a party at my own home. I haven’t been in Harry’s house for two years. We argue so much we thought it better that way. When the storm broke out, I offered to drive my guests home. I have witnesses to prove my whereabouts at the time of the murder.” He paused to smile. “All my friends are quite reputable. Their testimony will hold up in court.”
David didn’t return his smile. “How convenient for you.”
Bowing, Merigny lightly descended the steps. David watched as he disappeared in the crowd.
His alibi is very convenient indeed. It is as though he knew he would have to have one. He may have actually been framed by the authorities with the lifted fingerprint, but that does not preclude his hiring someone to kill Harry for him. Perhaps someone from the organization?
As for his request for outside detectives, David could find no fault in it. Rumors on the street were rampant that Harry gave generous gifts to Nassau officers from time to time. David could easily explain why he intervened to provide detectives who had not been paid off by the victim.
Upon entering the palace, David paused a moment when he noticed the vase on the big round table in the middle of the vestibule.
The envelope was gone.