Now he remembered. When he walked back from Fabienne's, the lights at the shipyard had been off. They had been blazing when he had gone up the winding road with Pierre, but coming back, the place was dark and invisible.
The steps came closer. Whoever was coming was running. As far away as the runner had to be by the sound of his footfalls, Remo could hear out-of-breath panting. He set down the body he was carrying and squatted a hundred feet or so away. Close enough so that he, with the heightened night vision drilled into him over the years, could see the runner before being seen himself.
The running figure came forward at full speed, then fell with a thud over the body of the man in corduroys. The runner got up, explored the body briefly, then let loose with a howling, high-pitched scream. A woman's scream.
Fabienne. Remo ran toward her. She turned tail and dashed madly for the woods, fighting and kicking and squealing like a banshee. She wailed, "No, no!" as Remo finally got her in his grip.
"It's all right. It's me, Remo."
"Remo?" She turned hesitantly. "Oh, Remo." She flooded with tears and held onto him. She was shaking wildly. Her breath came in gulps. "He came for me," she shrieked hysterically, the words tumbling from her between long, hoarse breaths. "In the house... after you left... His hands were on my throat... going to kill me..."
"Hold on," Remo said. "I'm taking you inside. You can tell me there. You're freezing."
"I had to swim... Sharks... afraid of sharks."
"Shhh. You're okay now, little girl." He stroked her wet hair to calm her. When she quieted, he picked her up and carried her into the villa. "You just take it easy till we get you into some dry clothes." He stepped carefully over the pile of rubble in the living room and set her down on a sofa. She was still trembling. Her neck was swollen, and thick bruises circled it like a chain.
Chiun walked in carrying a load of clean towels and a blue silk kimono. "Who is this latest disturbance of the peace?" he asked.
"The woman I went to see tonight. Looks like whoever came after you and me is going for her, too."
After a change of clothing and a stiff shot of Sidonie's rum, Fabienne had stopped shaking and was well enough to talk.
"Thank you," she said, accepting the second glass of island firewater Remo offered her. Her eyes widened as she took in the decimated room. "He's been here, too," she said. She lowered her head in despair.
"Some were, but they weren't a lot of trouble," Remo said soothingly. He saw her focus on the television planted in the wall and added quickly, "They didn't do that. That's just Chiun's idea of interior decorating."
"Tell us what happened," Chiun said. Again, his interest triggered Remo's suspicions.
Fabienne downed the rest of her drink. A lone tear trickled down her cheek. "Oh, I'm so sorry you had to be involved. Both of you."
"Perhaps we are involved more than you think," Chiun said. "Tell us what you can. Without tears, please."
"He came for me after Remo left," she said. "I was asleep. He got on top of me and tried to strangle me." She touched the bruises on her neck with a wince of pain. "There was nothing near my bed except for a candle, but it was all I had. I got hold of it somehow and poked him in the eye, I think. He jumped, and I managed to squirm away. It was horrible." She slapped both hands over her eyes, as though trying to erase the memory.
"Go on," Remo said gently.
"I got out of the house and ran down the back roads to the shore. He followed me. He was very close. He would have got me for certain if the clouds hadn't come in so quickly. When the moon disappeared, it became dark very suddenly. I backtracked toward the woods, and I heard him stop behind me. I think he became confused when he couldn't see me. So I crouched down behind a rock and listened. He was moving slowly, listening for me, too. Then I saw some stones nearby. I picked up a few of them and threw them into the woods. He followed them, merci à Dieu."
"And you came here."
"Not directly. He would have heard me. Instead, I crawled as quietly as I could back to the beach and got in the water. It was totally dark by then. I don't think he saw me, but I went out as far as I dared, just to be sure. Sharks come to these waters at night. I was frightened that one would come after me, but I couldn't risk getting back onto land. I knew he would be looking for me there, waiting. I swam to about a kilometer from here, and ran the rest of the way."
Remo made a face. "What I can't figure out is, why would this person— whoever he is— want to kill you?"
She looked at him, her mouth turned downward in bitter irony. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I know who he is. The mute. The Dutchman's servant."
Remo and Chiun exchanged a glance. "Perhaps you would like to rest," Chiun said. "We have time for these matters tomorrow."
She nodded. "I suppose you're right. Thank you."
Remo led her to his bedroom. He came back in a few minutes to find Chiun lost in thought in front of the broken window.
"I'll be right back," Remo said. "I still have to get rid of one of the guys you sent to Happy Land."
"Take me to the body," Chiun said.
Near the shore, Remo picked up the man in corduroys by the armpits. "I've been taking them over to that cliff and tossing them in," he said, nodding toward the darkness. "The water's pretty deep there—"
"Break his arm," Chiun said.
"What?"
"Break his arm. The forearm."
Remo dropped the body with a sigh. "Now, isn't this going a little far? I mean, maybe they did break your T.V., but the poor sucker's already dead..."
"Arguments, always arguments," Chiun snapped. "Is it always so difficult for you to fulfill the simplest request? Do you find it so impossible..."
The arm broke with a snap.
"Ah," Chiun said. "A little respect, at last." He picked up the dead man's arm and examined the break with his fingers. "Is this your best attack?" he asked crisply.
Remo rolled his eyes. "Want me to go down to the morgue and practice?"
"Break the other arm."
"Aw, come on."
"Do as I say."
Remo picked up the other arm reluctantly. "I feel like a ghoul."
Chiun glared at him, the hazel eyes glinting threateningly in the darkness.
He broke the second arm with a quick chop. Chiun fluttered over to feel the break. Amid a series of muttered "hmmms" and "ahs," he bounced from one side of the body to the other, scrutinizing the new breaks. "Just as I thought," he declared finally. He dismissed Remo with a wave of his hand. "You may dispose of this carrion now."
"Wait just a freaking minute. Now that I've broken both arms of a corpse, would you mind telling me what is just as you thought?"
Chiun sputtered. "I'm sorry, Remo. I try but you just have no brains. Any idiot could see why I asked you to break his arms."
"Not any idiot," Remo said hotly.
"To see if your elbow was bent," Chiun shrieked.
Remo stepped back, dumbstruck. Chiun turned gracefully back toward the villa.