They reached the house and pressed flat against the wall, Gretta holding out a steadying hand and then waving them forward. She stepped up onto the small porch and stopped again. The front door was open behind the screen and she could see the body on the floor in the hall.

"We've got a body in the hall."

She opened the door and stepped in, pausing to listen and then she bent down to check the wounded man. Hunter rolled frightened eyes toward her and gurgled something that released a flow of blood from his mouth.

"Shit! There's an arm over here, Gretta!"

"Yeah, I'm with the owner. She stared down at him. Sorry pal, you're finished." She stood up and looked around as Hunter gurgled once more at her feet.

"There must be someone else otherwise why blow a hole in wall." She went back outside and rounded the corner of the house, listening and immediately heard the roar of the shotgun and a flash from the barrel.

"Down there, Arny. Stay back."

"Don't worry."

Gretta scrambled through the dark and down the slope, stopping as she saw the large man with the gun standing over a kneeling man who was clutching his side.

"Put it down, Tomambou." She called, aiming her own at him.

He turned and stared back up at her then raised one foot and gave the wounded man a violent shove. Arlo rolled over and down the increasing slope, yelling out as he reached the end of the grass and flipped out into space high above the rocky base of the cliffs. Gretta yelled again, angry that she hadn't been able to stop him.

Tomambou spun around and fired the big shotgun toward her. She dropped and rolled to her knees off to one side, firing her own weapon as she did. Two bullets hit Tomambou high in the chest and he grunted with surprise, staggering back and following Arlo over the cliff and down to the ocean below.

Arny came up behind her and put a hand on her back.

"Was that Tomambou?"

"Yeah. It wasn't the outcome I wanted but he didn't give me a choice." She looked at the gouge out of the grass beside where she stood and blew out her breath, fluttering her lips.

"Too close, Gretta. Just too damn close."

"Horseshoes and hand grenades, Arny. Let's check our other body for some ID." On the way back they came across Cecil's body at the side of the house.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Not sure. You check him out; I'll do the one inside."

Gretta was leaning on the wall reading the contents of a wallet when Arny came inside.

"That was the guy that spoke to us in the hotel. His was named Cecil Teacher and he has a key to the front door here so I think maybe he worked for Tomambou."

"This one is Jubal Hunter, the hired muscle I told you about. My guess is that the other guy over the cliff was Arlo Beck, and that solves the mystery of the incident at the hotel. Humboldt was the third man. He must have been killed in the hotel and these two came after Tomambou."

"Okay, so Gravestone's little group of mercenaries come down here to get the stamp. Things go south and they all start a shooting war, which you just finished, and now the stamp is someplace waiting to be found. What about the dame we found earlier, where does she fit in?"

"Obviously she was down here to get us at first. I don't know what changed her mind and sent her after Tomambou all of a sudden."

"Maybe whoever hired her told her to get the stamp before the other gang, then take us out."

"Quite possible... but who hired her?"

"She's still alive. Let's go and ask her."

"My goodness, Arny, you have become so decisive." She kissed his cheek and dug out her phone, calling for their taxi and Constable Phati.

---------------------------

Wayne sat at the desk in the office of Balsam Grove and drummed his fingers on the desk in annoyance. He couldn't raise the woman, Luane Treeline nor could he get any of Gravestone's men. Another call to a contact in New Zealand netted him the information about Treeline being in the Niue hospital undergoing surgery from a dog attack. What the hell is that about, he wondered, getting madder by the minute.

"Bishop, what the hell is going on down there? I can't raise any of your people and the woman, Treeline is in the goddamn hospital from dog bites for Christ's sake." His call found Bishop scrambling for his own information and the answers were unavailable for either of them.

"What does your associate have to say, she hired the broad?"

"April isn't my associate and she won't be involved in any of this from now on." The news was delivered with a finality that Bishop prudently avoided pursuing.

"Now what?"

'Have you got anyone else close by you can send?"

"Not that distance. Not in time to do any good." Bishop procrastinated a moment then informed Wayne that Gretta Lawrence was still there and very likely hunting down the stamp.

"I thought you said she would be taken care of?"

"I uh- I called her cell from a throw away... just to see. She answered and I hung up."

"So they all failed... again! Christ, doing business with you is like dealing with Looney Toons."

I don't recall your contributions as anything world shaking; shit, your own daughter turned on you."

"Get this straight, Bishop. I don't have any investment in this project at all; I can wait until the smoke clears and make my own plans."

"You're gonna owe that Treeline dame," he countered feebly and hated how it sounded.

"I'm quite capable of cleaning up that mess. Just consider this little partnership over."

"Don't get in my way, Jenner."

"And don't you threaten me, Gravestone." Both men hung up together, noisily.

------------------------------

The doctor listened as Gretta made a case for questioning Luane and then informed her that he really didn't care what her problem was, his duty was to the patient and right now she wasn't being questioned by anyone but him or his staff.

"How is she then?" Gretta asked.

"She is resting now. The bites were quite savage and plastic surgery will certainly be required down the road. It will be tomorrow at the earliest that you can speak with her."

"Until tomorrow then. Thank you, doctor."

"CONGA doesn't swing a whole lot of weight here, eh?"

"If I really pushed it they would. Meanwhile we can get back to Tomambou's and hunt for that stamp."

"What about Fatty?"

"Piece of cake."

----------------------------

"I am sorry, Miss Lawrence, this is now a police crime scene. No trespassing."

"I understand completely, Constable. It wouldn't do to compromise any evidence that might lead to the perpetrators."

"I so glad you understand."

Gretta smiled and moved closer to him, resting a hand on his arm.

"Maybe you could tell me if any reference to my friend here, or myself, was discovered on the bodies."

"Now why would that be of interest, Miss Lawrence?"

"Somebody fired shots at my friend here in the hotel dining room, as you well know, it would be a huge relief to know why and particularly who was responsible. I'm sure you understand our concern. I mean, are we safe to move about or is there an assassin somewhere waiting for another chance." Her hand applied a tiny bit of pressure. "I know you would be around to protect us but still..." She made puppy eyes while Arny averted his face, gagging.

"I will examine the effects and see if there is anything that concerns you or Mr. Wainright."

"Oh thank you Constable. You don't know how reassuring that is."

Phati marched off, chest thrust out and his spindly legs taking long determined strides.

"You should be ashamed." Arny's face was twisted in distaste.

"I will be if it doesn't work." She moved toward the tape strung across the front of the house and ducked under, stepping onto the porch.

"Gretta!"

She waved at him to shut up and went through the door.

Arny stared anxiously at the door and after a few minutes Gretta came out with Phati, her arm linked in his and his face lit up like a Halloween pumpkin.

"Oh Arny, there was nothing on them about us; isn't that a relief?" She let go of Phati and grabbed Arny's arm. "Constable Kantui tells me that it will be impossible to retrieve the bodies that went over the cliff so Mr. Tomambou and whoever the other man was are gone forever."

"Pity." Arny made a wry face. "So, what now?

"You and Miss Lawrence will have to come to the station and make statements about what you witnessed here and why you were here in the first place... and why you were at the rental house earlier." He switched his attention to Gretta and smiled at her swallowing reaction.

"Whatever you need, Constable. And thank you again."

Callin was waiting on the road, his radio blaring and his head bouncing to the music.

"The hotel please, Callin." They climbed in and sat in silence.

"So, piece of cake isn't so absent as you thought." Arny broke the silence, admonishing her. "How did he know we were at Treeline's?"

"Must have been the ambulance people. We have nothing to worry about, Arnold," Arnold was used only when she was upset. "We were legitimately looking to discuss the stamp he had for sale."

"That only takes care of this place."

"I'm still working on the other."

"Right, we'll see how high that flies."