The Killer Touch Read Online Free PDF Page B

arrival, since nobody had met him at the jetty. However, since he remembered the island from his last visit, he’d gone directly to his own cabin. He’d just arrived when he heard a prowler outside. Nervous in a strange land, he’d waited behind the door. When the prowler attacked, he’d simply defended himself.
    â€œYou swung first,” said Burt, aware of a throbbing pain in the back of his neck.
    â€œThat may be true.” Keener smiled. “I was frightened, you understand.”
    Yeah, thought Burt, you looked scared with that smile on your face. Keener told a logical story—within the limits of his own logic. If Keener hadn’t stopped to see his wife, then she couldn’t have told him about the man in cabin one. But why hadn’t he stopped to see her? And it was possible that he’d failed to see Burt’s suitcase under the bed, or his wet swim trunks on the porch railing, since he hadn’t lit a lamp. But if a man is so scared that he attacks the first man who enters, why would he himself enter a strange cabin without a light? There was something wrong here.…
    Keener rose from the bed and walked to the door. “I’ll sleep in my wife’s cabin tonight; tomorrow we can make other arrangements.” He turned on a smile which did nothing but display perfect white teeth. “You were rather lucky, March. Trespassers are often shot.”
    Burt stood up and walked toward Keener. He felt tight, ready. “That has a sound I don’t like, Keener. If there’s anything left to settle, let’s do it now.”
    For a second their eyes locked. Burt glimpsed something hooded and watchful in the other’s eyes; maybe it was only his imagination, but there seemed to be a small wizened creature with gray leathery wings, folded and waiting, behind the smooth face. Then Rolf Keener smiled.
    â€œLet’s forget it, March.” Half-ruefully, he touched the bump on his cheek. “We’ve drawn each other’s blood. That means we can dispense with a lot of needless formality. Why not step next door for a drink?”
    â€œNo, thanks,” said Burt. “I seem to have acquired a headache.”
    Rolf Keener chuckled and walked away. Burt walked through the door and watched him disappear around the banyan; he moved quickly and surely, like a night-hunting animal.
    As Burt started back to his cabin, he saw the half-moon sinking down through a pale mist in the west. With a shock he realized that it must be nearly three A . M . It couldn’t have been past eleven when he’d left Joss—
    The screen door opened softly behind him. Burt jumped, then saw it was Joss, clutching her robe together at the neck.
    â€œJoss, what time did Keener come up and get you?”
    â€œHe … didn’t.” She bit her lip. “I came down to see you.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI don’t know. I guess, to finish the mess I started, really botch it up good.” She shrugged. “I was still drunk. I’m sober now. When I came in and saw you lying on the floor—”
    â€œWhere was Rolf?”
    â€œSitting on the bed. Said he was waiting for you to wake up so he could ask why you’d broken in.”
    â€œFour hours, just sitting there?”
    â€œI guess.” She frowned up at him. “You sound suspicious.”
    â€œSuspicion is an occupational hazard, Joss. But there’s something damn strange about both those people. You may have drawn a couple of nuts.”
    â€œOh, well, aren’t we all? I was lying on my hammock a week ago and my first husband came walking up. Wearing hip boots and carrying a fishpole. He asked me if it was a good day for surf-casting and I said sure. He started walking to the beach and disappeared. Next day I decided I was going nuts.”
    â€œNot that way, Joss. This guy … if the way he jumped me is any sign, has a more dangerous problem. It’s called