"To a washroom."
The two policemen took up places on either side of the door and yanked it open. There was no one inside.
The handler was baffled. "They've never behaved this way before." The dogs were racing around the room frantically. "They've got the scent," the handler said. "But where is he?"
Both dogs ran to the drawer of Kate's desk and continued their barking.
"There's your answer," Kate tried to laugh. "He's in the drawer."
Superintendent Cominsky was embarrassed. "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Miss McGregor." He turned to the handler and snapped, "Take these dogs out of here."
"You're not leaving?" There was concern in Kate's voice.
"Miss McGregor, I can assure you you're perfectly safe. My men have covered every inch of this building. You have my personal guarantee that he's not here. I'm afraid it was a false alarm. My apologies."
Kate swallowed. "You certainly know how to bring excitement to a woman's evening."
Kate stood looking out the window, watching the last of the police vehicles drive away. When they were out of sight, she opened her desk drawer and pulled out a blood-stained pair of canvas shoes. She carried them down the corridor to a door marked Private, Authorized Personnel Only, and entered. The room was bare except for a large, locked, walk-in safe built into the wall, the vault where Kruger-Brent, Ltd., stored its diamonds before shipping. Quickly, Kate dialed the combination on the safe and pulled open the giant door. Dozens of metal safe-deposit boxes were built into the sides of the vault, all crammed with diamonds. In the center of the room, lying on the floor half-conscious, was Banda.
Kate knelt beside him. "They've gone."
Banda slowly opened his eyes and managed a weak grin. "If I had a way out of this vault, do you know how rich I'd be, Kate?"
Kate carefully helped him to his feet. He winced with pain as she touched his arm. She had wrapped a bandage around it, but blood was seeping through.
"Can you put your shoes on?" She had taken them from him earlier, and, to confuse the tracking dogs she knew would be brought in, she had walked around her office in them and then hidden them in her drawer.
Now Kate said, "Come on. We have to get you out of here."
Banda shook his head. "I'll make it on my own. If they catch you helping me, you'll be in more trouble than you can handle."
"Let me worry about that."
Banda took a last look around the vault.
"Do you want any samples?" Kate asked. "You can help yourself."
Banda looked at her and saw that she was serious. "Your daddy made me that offer once, a long time ago."
Kate smiled wryly. "I know."
"I don't need money. I just have to leave town for a while."
"How do you think you're going to get out of Johannesburg?"
"I'll find a way."
"Listen to me. The police have roadblocks out by now. Every exit from the city will be watched. You won't have a chance by yourself."
He said stubbornly, "You've done enough." He had managed to put his shoes on. He was a forlorn-looking figure, standing there in a torn, bloodied shirt and jacket. His face was seamed and his hair was gray, but when Kate looked at him she saw the tall, handsome figure she had first met as a child.
"Banda, if they catch you, they'll kill you," Kate said quietly. "You're coming with me."
She knew she was right about the roadblocks. Every exit from Johannesburg would be guarded by police patrols. Banda's capture was a top priority and the authorities had orders to bring him in dead or alive. The railroad stations and roads would be watched.
"I hope you have a better plan than your daddy had," Banda said. His voice was weak. Kate wondered how much blood he had lost.
"Don't talk. Save your strength. Just leave everything to me." Kate sounded more confident than she felt. Banda's life was in her hands, and she could not bear it if anything happened to him. She wished again, for the hundredth time, that David was not away. Well, she would simply have to manage without him.
"I'm going to bring my automobile around to the alley," Kate said. "Give me ten minutes, then come outside. I'll have the back door of the car open. Get in and lie on the floor. There will be a blanket to cover yourself with."
"Kate, they're going to search every automobile leaving the city. If - "
"We're not going by automobile. There's a train leaving for Cape Town at eight A.M. I ordered my private car connected to it."
"You're getting me out of here in your private railroad car?"
"That's right."
Banda managed a grin. "You McGregors really like excitement."
Thirty minutes later, Kate drove into the railroad yards. Banda was on the floor of the backseat, concealed by a blanket. They had had no trouble passing the roadblocks in the city, but now as Kate's car turned into the train yards, a light suddenly flashed on, and Kate saw that her way was blocked by several policemen. A familiar figure walked toward Kate's car.
"Superintendent Cominsky!"
He registered surprise. "Miss McGregor, what are you doing here?"
Kate gave him a quick, apprehensive smile. "You'll think I'm just a silly, weak female, Superintendent, but to tell you the truth, what happened back at the office scared the wits out of me. I decided to leave town until you catch this killer you're looking for. Or have you found him?"
"Not yet, ma'am, but we will. I have a feeling he'll make for these railroad yards. Wherever he runs, we'll catch him."