Mystery Of The Sea Horse by Lee Falk Page B

narcotics operation."
"That's ridiculous," said Diana.
"Another base covered," said the Phantom. "If he can't kill you, he can at least discredit you, for a while anyway."
"Further," continued the federal agent, "we ! have reason to suspect some illicit drugs may be concealed on the premises here."
"What?" demanded Uncle Dave. "Do you mean to tell me you intend to hunt for junk in my house without so much as a warrant?"
"I can get one," Marcus assured him. "Out of deference to you, Mr. Palmer, I'm trying to keep this informal."
"Oh, let them look," said Diana. "They're not-"
"Excuse me." Agent Busino, rubbing at his | thinning hair with his left hand, came into the den.
His partner asked, "Well?"
"I'm afraid so," said Busino. "Found it in a hollow place under one of the stones out in the patio. ' Wasn't all that hard to locate." He held up a small clear bag of white powder. "Heroin," he said.
    CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Chris Danton zipped up his black jacket with an angry flourish. Dawn was coming, the night darkness melting away to gray. On the jagged cliffside, Danton stood watching the last launch being loaded. "I've enjoyed this island of mine," he said.
Chuck Piper was standing nearby, shoulders hunched and hands in pockets. "It's a damn shame," he said. "All on account of that nosf Palmer dame."
"Don't forget the Phantom," said Danton. "We must not forget him. I have a score to settle with both Diana and the Phantom."
"Who is that guy any way?"
"I'll tell you all about the Phantom sometime, Chuck, everything I learned about him during my various sojourns in Bangalla," promised Danton. "Right now we have to make a few final arrangements in the house."
"I just checked with the shore," said Chuck. "No sign of anybody heading this way yet."
"It is unfortunately only a matter of time." Danton turned from his view of the sea, frowning. "It seems unusually warm this morning, and windy."
"I think the Santa Ana's getting ready to blow."
"Perhaps it's a good thing for us to leave then." Danton began walking back toward his villa. "It's a shame, though, that little Laura is such a poor shot."
    "I don't think it's that. I think she's too impa-
tient," said Chuck, falling in beside his employer. "She probably started shooting too soon. And then that guy she had backing her up, he should have gone a little slower, too. Instead of just decking this Phantom, he should have taken a little extra time to finish him off for good. Now, if I'd been . .."
Danton laughed. "It's just as well," he said. "I think I'd like to put the finishing touches on the Phantom myself." He nodded several times, laughing again. "You've been in contact with the yacht?"
"Yeah, we'll rendezvous with them a few miles down the coast," answered Chuck. "Then we'll all hightail it out beyond the limit."
"Good. Now let me take care of my duties as a host."
"Host? You're not going to be—"
"Even when he is absent," said Danton, "a good host thinks of his guests."
The small, pretty red-haired girl ran from her cottage with a heavy suitcase. Parked in the narrow driveway was a dusty station wagon. "Okay, all set," she said.
The lean black man at the wheel said, "You sure you gathered up everything important, Laura?"
"Well, there's still some dust under the bed," she said as she tossed the suitcase into the rear of the wagon.
"I mean, you didn't leave anything behind that might tend to be, you know, incriminating?"
"No," she said.
"Because, and don't think I'm being critical, but you do tend to rush through things sometimes and . . ."
"You sound like Chuck," said the girl. "If I'd taken my time I could have gotten rid of Diana
Palmer and her mysterious buddy. If you'd taken your time, he at least would be dead."
"I wasn't told to kill anybody," said the young man. "Right on the street is no place to do it anyway."
Laura walked around the front of the station wagon to the passenger side. "Don't worry about it. Danton's got a lot of ways to kill people. He'll surely come up with