He would have given anything to lie there, to catch his breath.
Instead he forced himself to crawl a foot back from the rim, listening. He came to a point where he heard agonized movements below. He resisted the temptation to look over the edge. He had no weapon to defend himself. The killer might well still have his Luger. He looked round the plateau for a sizeable rock he could hurl down. No loose rocks.
Then he noticed the summit was littered with rock dust. He used both hands to scoop up a large pile. As he finished, a pair of hands appeared close to where he lay, gripping the rim. The left hand disappeared momentarily, the killer holding on by his right hand and, presumably a firm foothold. The hand reappeared.
Holding the Luger. The muzzle was wobbling madly.
The killer was trying to do two things at once with his right hand, grip the rim and hold on to the weapon. With a lurching heave more of the killer came into view, his sweating face, the image of Paula's charcoal sketch. Newman, who had moved closer, reacted.
He threw the rock dust, aiming for the eyes. A cloud of dust blotted out the face. Panicking, the killer let go with his right hand to clear his eyes. Then he lost all control. His body began plunging down. Peering over the edge Newman saw the body diving down, turn once in a somersault, then hit the ground. He lay very still.
Paula had seen the body hurtling down, had run back to avoid being hit. Then she ran forward to where the killer lay without a sign of life. She bent over him. Blood was flowing from the back of his head, from his back, from his legs, now misshapen. She felt his carotid pulse. He was still alive.
He opened one eye, stared up at her with an expression of disbelief. He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. He opened it again.
'You.. ' His voice was hoarse and she had to bend closer to hear what he was trying to say. `Beaut... iful sight... for a man... to see last..
`Don't try to talk,' she said. 'You could be all right' `Not this... time. Must warn... you. Calouste.. `What about Calouste?' she said gently.
`Find bastard at... Heather Cottage... Fif... Fifteen miles... this side... of... Leaminster... plans kill... you all...'
The eye which had opened closed, and he seemed to sag further back. Again she checked his pulse. Nothing. He was gone.
She could hear faint sounds of Newman descending the easy side. She couldn't bear to watch him coming down. She had too clear a memory of the killer falling She stayed where she was, hoping to Heaven Crystal would remain in Gladworth shopping. She was so bemused she never heard Newman's footsteps. She jumped when he put his arms round her.
`Take it easy,' he said quietly. 'It's all over.'
`No it isn't,' she burst out as she swung round. Tersely she told him what the dead killer had told her.
`In that case we'd better get back to Tweed, let him know. Mind you don't step back.'
She looked down. A few feet from them was a ravine about a yard wide, seeming bottomless. Paula had not noticed it because the ground was all the same colour. She looked at Newman.
`That could be a big problem.'
`Certainly would be if that Inspector Tetworth was around, or whatever his name was — the policeman who stopped you and Tweed where the digger driver tried to kill you. You go back into the village, find Crystal, wait for me in the car. I've got to collect the piton and hammer Crystal dropped.
`Well, the sooner Tweed knows Calouste is in the area, where he is...'
`So what are you waiting for? Go and find Crystal.'
He waited until she had run out of sight down the track. He put on a pair of gloves, bent down, avoiding
the blood, took hold of the corpse, rolled it to the edge of the ravine. He heaved it over, listened for it to hit bottom. No sound at all. The killer's Luger was lying a few feet away. He used his foot to kick it over the edge, listened. It seemed like minutes before he heard the distant clang of metal striking rock. The ravine was
Instead he forced himself to crawl a foot back from the rim, listening. He came to a point where he heard agonized movements below. He resisted the temptation to look over the edge. He had no weapon to defend himself. The killer might well still have his Luger. He looked round the plateau for a sizeable rock he could hurl down. No loose rocks.
Then he noticed the summit was littered with rock dust. He used both hands to scoop up a large pile. As he finished, a pair of hands appeared close to where he lay, gripping the rim. The left hand disappeared momentarily, the killer holding on by his right hand and, presumably a firm foothold. The hand reappeared.
Holding the Luger. The muzzle was wobbling madly.
The killer was trying to do two things at once with his right hand, grip the rim and hold on to the weapon. With a lurching heave more of the killer came into view, his sweating face, the image of Paula's charcoal sketch. Newman, who had moved closer, reacted.
He threw the rock dust, aiming for the eyes. A cloud of dust blotted out the face. Panicking, the killer let go with his right hand to clear his eyes. Then he lost all control. His body began plunging down. Peering over the edge Newman saw the body diving down, turn once in a somersault, then hit the ground. He lay very still.
Paula had seen the body hurtling down, had run back to avoid being hit. Then she ran forward to where the killer lay without a sign of life. She bent over him. Blood was flowing from the back of his head, from his back, from his legs, now misshapen. She felt his carotid pulse. He was still alive.
He opened one eye, stared up at her with an expression of disbelief. He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. He opened it again.
'You.. ' His voice was hoarse and she had to bend closer to hear what he was trying to say. `Beaut... iful sight... for a man... to see last..
`Don't try to talk,' she said. 'You could be all right' `Not this... time. Must warn... you. Calouste.. `What about Calouste?' she said gently.
`Find bastard at... Heather Cottage... Fif... Fifteen miles... this side... of... Leaminster... plans kill... you all...'
The eye which had opened closed, and he seemed to sag further back. Again she checked his pulse. Nothing. He was gone.
She could hear faint sounds of Newman descending the easy side. She couldn't bear to watch him coming down. She had too clear a memory of the killer falling She stayed where she was, hoping to Heaven Crystal would remain in Gladworth shopping. She was so bemused she never heard Newman's footsteps. She jumped when he put his arms round her.
`Take it easy,' he said quietly. 'It's all over.'
`No it isn't,' she burst out as she swung round. Tersely she told him what the dead killer had told her.
`In that case we'd better get back to Tweed, let him know. Mind you don't step back.'
She looked down. A few feet from them was a ravine about a yard wide, seeming bottomless. Paula had not noticed it because the ground was all the same colour. She looked at Newman.
`That could be a big problem.'
`Certainly would be if that Inspector Tetworth was around, or whatever his name was — the policeman who stopped you and Tweed where the digger driver tried to kill you. You go back into the village, find Crystal, wait for me in the car. I've got to collect the piton and hammer Crystal dropped.
`Well, the sooner Tweed knows Calouste is in the area, where he is...'
`So what are you waiting for? Go and find Crystal.'
He waited until she had run out of sight down the track. He put on a pair of gloves, bent down, avoiding
the blood, took hold of the corpse, rolled it to the edge of the ravine. He heaved it over, listened for it to hit bottom. No sound at all. The killer's Luger was lying a few feet away. He used his foot to kick it over the edge, listened. It seemed like minutes before he heard the distant clang of metal striking rock. The ravine was
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