Captain Cavan Osouda listened patiently to Mathew's urgent story; his own inclination one of thoughtful consideration before action. He briefly examined Patton's jaw and saw the swelling and slight discolouration, making appropriate notes in his file.

"And what time was this again?"

"I don't know three thirty, quarter to four. What the hell difference does that make?"

Osouda stood and straightened his jacket. "It tells me how long Mr. Riddler will have at the villa before we arrive."

Mathew gawked at the man, his gesture one of disbelief. "I waited while you got your uniform on then sat here and answered all these stupid questions when we could have been there already!"

"Here in the islands we proceed more cautiously, Mr. Patton."

"Cautiously . . . that's what you call it. You wanna know what I call it? I call it--"

The hand came up in a stop sign inches from Mathew's tender jaw. "No, sir. I do not know what you call it nor do I wish to. Now you will accompany me and these constables to your villa." The Captain strode out to his Jeep wasting no time.

Mathew ground his teeth and regretted it immediately.

********

Rodney was furious when he learned Constance had left the villa and gone to be with Barton at the hospital. He had made all his plans for forcing Patton's hand with the acquisition of a small boat that he was going to use to take both women back to Conch Cay. Lillian began to fear for her safety.

A wash of light suddenly swept across the side of the villa, settling on the thick vegetation and the sandy beach below. Rodney looked out the window to see the police captain and others making their way to the front door. He grabbed Lillian, showing her the knife and holding it to her lips, assuring her silence.

They slipped down the stairs to the sliding doors leading to the beach behind the villa. Rodney hurried her through the sand to the boat he had waiting and shoved her unceremoniously inside. He could see people at the window of the villa and heard the warning shout followed by the vain glow of a flashlight trying to highlight their departure.

The engine coughed, caught and immediately revved to high speed as the bow lifted out of the water and Lillian sprawled between the seats. Skidding to a halt in the sand, Captain Osouda shouted a futile command to halt then ordered his men to fetch a boat.

The race across the water was physically battering. Lillian stayed on the floor clutching the hand rail as she felt every slap of the hull on the waves. Rodney steered up to his dock, bumping it with enough strength to toss Lillian forward once again. She cried out as her leg cracked against the seat board.

"Up, outta there!" Rodney shouted.

"I-- I can't . . . my leg-- it's broken I think."

"Bloody hell!." He grabbed her arm and yanked her up onto the dock, hearing a brief scream and then silence. She had passed out.

Swearing even louder, Rodney picked her up and turned to see the lights of the police launch approaching. He hurried up the dock and across the sand to his cottage.

*******

Captain Osouda stood on the bridge of the launch and blared his message through the amplified megaphone. Rodney was to come out and surrender peaceably with a promise of a fair hearing.

"I can hear you just fine!"

Osouda frowned and looked at Patton who was sitting restrained by one of the constables.

"What did he mean?"

"How would I know? The guy's a nut case. Let me off this boat and I'll go and crack him."

"You shouldn't have been on here in the first place so just sit there and let me do my job." He raised the megaphone again and yelped as the shot from the cottage banged off the launch's superstructure.

They all ducked instinctively waiting to see what happened. Another shot hit the antenna array.

"The idiot thinks I'm talking over a radio!"

"Better than shooting at you, sir." One of the constables offered.

"Mr. Riddler, you are making this a much bigger problem than necessary." The megaphone blared. "I insist you put down that weapon and come out of the cottage with your hands raised."

There was a brief scream and Mathew broke free of the constable's grip and lunged over the side into the water.

"Mr. Patton!" Osouda waved his hands for his men to act. The life saving ring hit the water near Mathew's head and he grabbed it, paddling quickly to the shallow side of the dock.

"What the devil do you think you're doing? Don't help him! Catch him!" The Captain smacked his leg and shouted again to Rodney as two of his constables climbed over the side onto the dock.

Mathew jumped down onto the sand and ran for the cover of the foliage around the cottage. Another shot startled him as the life saving ring, which fortunately he still clung to, was knocked from his hands. He crawled around to the side of the cottage then stood and pressed himself against the weathered siding.

The sound of the Captain's demands rang through the breaking dawn light only to draw more shooting from Rodney. Mathew searched around for a weapon of some kind, unsure of how he might employ it but knowing it would improve his mood.

Through the window at the rear of the cottage, Rodney's bulk could be seen in the creeping light of daybreak. He was peering out the front window and shooting at the sound of Osouda's voice. Lillian was on the floor, bound to the leg of the bed and Mathew could see she was crying.

What in God's name was he doing? Nearly sixty years old and he was charging around like James Bond!

"This is futile, Riddler," the megaphone blared. "You have no place to go and more of my men are on their way now. Give up, man, this can't end well."

"Oh it'll end well, Captain. If you don't put down your weapons and give me that launch, Mrs. Patton gets it right here, right now!"

"You know I can't do that."

"Well since there's nothing to lose, I can."

"WAIT! Wait . . . let her go and I will see you get a fair and impartial hearing. Nobody has been hurt yet, the shooting . . . we can work something out . . ."

"I'm coming out with Mrs. Patton. If anyone tries to stop me, she gets it. I'm taking that launch, Captain."

Osouda leaned against the dock piling, he knew this was going to end badly. The cottage door opened slowly and Lillian appeared, hands bound behind her back.

"Hold your fire," Osouda hissed. "Let's just--" His eye grew wide at the sight of Mathew Patton sliding across the front of the cottage, a length of pipe held like a bat. Lillian limped down onto the ground and Rodney filled the doorway, his gun against the back of her head.

The scene seemed to play out in slow motion as the Captain stood, arm outstretched, his shouted, 'No!' too late as Mathew swung the pipe catching Rodney right across his aviator glasses. The gun went off into the air and he flew backwards into the cottage.

********

Captain Osouda sat sideways to his desk, unconsciously tapping his pen end on end.

"I thought you were going to hit your wife."

"It crossed my mind." The tapping stopped. "Not really, Captain. Lillian just got caught up in something she couldn't handle."

"Rather generous for a man who has been cuckolded."

"Yeah, well she was more enthralled with the promise of wealth and excitement than any intimacies with Percy Rudman."

"She is going to be alright by the way. A few bruises to the body and the ego. The leg wasn't broken."

"Good." Mathew glanced at the two constables behind his chair. "So now what?"

"Well, since Mr. Riddler died instantly from that blow . . . did you know our medical examiner needed surgical pliers to dig the nose pads of his glasses out of Riddler's face? That was some swing." Osouda dropped his pen and spun around, leaning on the desk. "There are a couple of ways this could go, Mr. Patton. You go to jail on a manslaughter charge, sentence to be determined or you relinquish your financial demand on Blue Shoals regarding your villa and fly away somewhat of a hero for ending a dangerous hostage taking."

Mathew stared at Osouda, his own mouth mimicking the hint of a smile on the Captain's.

"Island justice has a price?"

"All justice has a price, Mr. Patton. Blue Shoals is the only reason this particular island can afford to-- shall we say-- dispense this particular brand."

"I give them my villa and get nothing in return?"

"Your freedom, Mr. Patton . . . and your wife back if you wish." Osouda leaned back, the chair creaking in the ensuing silence. "Look at it this way. You never got the amount you tried to extort for the villa so all you really lose is the market price if you sold it normally. I'm sure that loss will not be the end of your life. As a matter of fact, you might be able to sue your former employer for wrongful dismissal considering the ramifications. I could be persuaded to compose an official letter on your behalf."

"And what would that cost me?"

The Captain waved his men out of the office, waiting until the door closed.

"Another, simpler solution, Mr. Patton, now that there are no other deals pending would be to sign the villa over to me and a word in the ear of that lovely Miss Riaz that a certain Captain of Police was most interested."

Mathew laughed out loud. "You'll give me a letter that backs up my bringing a suite against Rudman in return for my villa. Plus I have to set you up with one of your own suspects?"

"Miss Riaz is suspected of nothing in this case." His face coloured slightly. "That is why I need an introduction. A proper introduction."

"That's extortion, Captain."

"You would prefer going to jail down here?" Mathew stopped laughing. "The villa and a word to Miss Riaz."

"You do know how I met her, right? She ran a honey trap on me. That's how all this started. She was in cahoots with Riddler!"

"I have no evidence in that regard."

"Your evidence is in a hospital bed here with Miss Riaz holding his hand."

"Mr. Borden is part of that deception?"

Mathew dropped his head, shaking it sadly. "Christ, no wonder you need an introduction. Some cop you are."

"Enough!" Osouda stood, yanking his jacket straight and pacing to the window. "You have my terms, Mr. Patton. The choice is yours . . . now."