The Information Officer - By Mark Mills Page 0,104
It was also treacherous, pitted with abandoned stone quarries, deep and sheer-sided, where a man could easily fall to his death and go undiscovered till all that remained of him were his bleached and broken bones.
The ground rose by slow degrees toward the coast, crisscrossed by ancient cart tracks that had worn neat furrows into the limestone rock beneath the thin coating of soil. He hurried as best he could, racing to beat the failing light. The sun had dropped into the western sea, and twilight was fast giving way to night.
A line of low trees, gnarled and stooped by the wind, stood guard along the narrow ridge where the ground leveled off briefly before plunging sharply away to the sea. Max paused to catch his breath and get his bearings. He had hit the coast just south of the Dingli Cliffs. This was good. It meant that Elliott’s place lay somewhere below him and to his left.
He lost his footing several times during the descent, sliding away on a stream of scree, snatching at bushes to stop himself. Fear numbed the pain of the cuts and grazes. He knew he was close when he hit a band of thick vegetation. Edging his way through the spiny shrubs, he found himself on level ground once more, a rutted trail beneath his feet. He headed left through the gloom and was pleasantly surprised some ten minutes later when he came upon the twisted cypress tree and the narrow track leading down to Elliott’s farmhouse.
He paused to collect his thoughts. There was nothing to be gained, he decided, by storming right in there, and nothing to be lost by having a quick look around before announcing himself.
It appeared at first that the place was empty, closed up, but as he crept across the courtyard, he heard noises from inside the farmhouse, coming from the kitchen: the scrape of a chair against a stone floor, the clatter of cutlery on crockery. And a voice. Not Elliott’s. It was low and gruff and speaking Maltese.
Through a crack in the shutters he saw Pawlu, the stocky fellow he’d met on his previous visit, the one who helped out around the place. He was at the kitchen table, eating by candlelight. Max couldn’t make out who he was speaking to, but that became clear when a deep growl exploded into a chorus of barks.
Max fought the instinct to run. “Hello,” he called. “Anyone at home?”
Pawlu appeared at the kitchen door, gripping the dog by its collar. He held a shotgun in his other hand. The barrels came up momentarily, then lowered again as Max approached.
“Pawlu, it’s me, Major Chadwick. We met before.”
The dog was big and black and of dubious parentage. Pawlu silenced it with a sharp reprimand.
“Is Elliott around?”
“No.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“No.”
“Nice-looking dog,” he lied. “What’s his name?”
“Why are you here?”
“I ran out of gas near Boschetto Gardens. I know Elliott’s got some cans of the stuff in the barn because he filled me up last time.”
“He’s not here.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind me helping myself. I’m in a bit of a fix.”
Max started edging toward the barn. Pawlu moved to block his way.
“It is locked.”
“The key’s under that rock there,” said Max, pointing.
“No. Elliott has the key and he is not here. I’m sorry I cannot help you.”
He wasn’t sorry, and he was probably lying about the key, but he had a gun and a mean-looking dog, and Max was in no position to push the point, not unless he came up with some way of turning the tables. He didn’t care about the gasoline anymore, but he wasn’t going to leave without taking a look inside that barn. Pawlu’s suspicious behavior demanded it.
“Do you at least have a flashlight? I’ll never find my way back in the dark.”
When Pawlu headed back inside the farmhouse, Max loitered at the kitchen door. Pawlu snapped a command to the dog, and it curled up dutifully near the fireplace. That was good. Pawlu then laid the shotgun on the kitchen table, which was even better, before returning to the door with a hurricane lamp.
“Thanks,” said Max.
Reaching for the lamp, he seized Pawlu’s wrist, yanking him with all his force into the courtyard. Almost in the same movement, he pulled the door shut on the charging, snarling dog.
Pawlu had stumbled and fallen to the ground, dropping the hurricane lamp, but he was on his feet quickly.