Rough Diamond, page 39
Solly had been listening with only half his attention; his mind had been racing.
“I see!” he said softly. “You’ve hated Barney since the Paris Hotel! And last night I thought you got there in a hurry! You killed him and started to push him over the rail, and then got away and hid in the shadows when you heard me coming! And then you suddenly thought how smart it would be to be a witness, and you came back!”
Luckner smiled grimly.
“If you think you can get away with a story that thin,” he said with a sneer, “just try it! And I’ll be pleased to watch you hang. All Jo’burg knows you’ve been putting the screws to Barnato for years, and that he finally got wise. He was taking you back to England to face the music; you think that was a secret? When it was a newspaperman who put Barnato on the wise, you think it was a secret? You’re a fool, Loeb! So I had a disagreement with Barnato years ago, so what? He saved my life, didn’t he, up in Pretoria? Who would believe I’d do anything to the man who saved my life, eh? But you? Your life was saved when he went over the rail. Think of that when you’re standing in the dock and the judge is putting on that black cap!” He shook his head. “No, I think you would be a lot happier with the ‘death by misadventure’ the captain was kind enough to write in his log!”
Solly stared at him, his face white. “What—what d’you want?”
“I’ll think about it and let you know before we reach England,” Luckner said. He started to turn and then turned back. “And don’t think I’ll ever go over the rail as easily,” he added meaningfully, and swaggered away.
And Fay Barnato sat in her cabin, stunned, thinking of life without Barney Barnato for ever and ever, with Leah Primrose to raise, and a Jason or a Michelle—or both—soon to be added to the fatherless family. She took a deep, shuddering breath and came to her feet. She had faced hard times before, and hard decisions; life had not always been easy. What would Barney have done; what would Barney have wanted her to do? There was still Leah Primrose to raise, and the child she was carrying, and only her to do it. A start had to be made, and telling Leah Primrose in some manner the child might understand that her father was gone and would never be back, was one way to make that start. She looked at herself in the mirror, surprised to see she had not changed appreciably, and opening the cabin door stepped into the companionway.
And the Scott sailed on toward England …
AFTERWORD
This novel is loosely based upon the lives of Barney Isaacs Barnato and Fanny Bees Barnato. The author freely acknowledges that he has changed some names, some dates, and some events, and that other events have been changed in time, but in general this is the story of Barney Barnato and his wife.
About the Author
Robert L. Fish, the youngest of three children, was born on August 21, 1912, in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended the local schools in Cleveland and went to Case University (now Case Western Reserve), from which he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. He married Mamie Kates, also from Cleveland, and together they have two daughters. Fish worked as a civil engineer, traveling and moving throughout the United States. In 1953 he was asked to set up a plastics factory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He and his family moved to Brazil, where they remained for nine years. He played golf and bridge in the little spare time he had. One rainy weekend in the late 1950s, when the weather prohibited him from playing golf, he sat down and wrote a short story that he submitted to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. When the story was accepted, Fish continued to write short stories. In 1962 he returned to the United States; he took one year to write full time and then returned to engineering and writing. His first novel, The Fugitive, won an Edgar Award for Best First Mystery. When his health prevented him from pursuing both careers, Fish retired from engineering and spent his time writing. His published works include more than forty books and countless short stories. Mute Witness was made into a movie starring Steve McQueen.
Fish died February 23, 1981, at his home in Connecticut. Each year at the annual Mystery Writers of America dinner, a memorial award is presented in his name for the best first short story. This is a fitting tribute, as Fish was always eager to assist young writers with their craft.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1981 by Robert L. Fish
Cover design by Jason Gabbert
ISBN: 978-1-5040-0670-5
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ROBERT L. FISH
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Fish, Robert L.;, Rough Diamond
