BIGGLES SEES TOO MUCH

by Captain W. E. Johns

16. GRUESOME DISCOVERIES (Pages 141 – 149)

“It was a few minutes before five the following morning when Biggles and Bertie, back from their dawn reconnaissance, stepped out of a taxi at St Helier and made their way to the quay where the Sea Scout was moored. They found Algy and Ginger already there, waiting, talking to Cole, who had been right in his forecast of the weather. It was near perfect; the sea dead calm with hardly a breath of wind”. Biggles reports that nobody is moving on the island and the tide’s left the Shearwater practically high and dry on that slab of rock. Biggles asks someone to stay with the plane and also ring the Air Commodore to tell him what they are doing and Algy volunteers. The Sea Scout sets off and cruises to the island with no name. Cole goes in as close as he is inclined to go and then Biggles, Bertie and Ginger set off in the dinghy, keeping an eye on the shore, knowing that a gunman was there. They land and the first thing they notice is a lot of paper everywhere. This turns out to be five pound notes, presumably from the bank heist. Bertie speculates that one of the suitcases was burst open by the big wave they saw. They then see blood on the ground. “There’s been dirty work here” says Biggles. They come across a dead body. It is Bates the chauffeur. He appears to have drowned, having taken a blow to the head, presumably from the rocks. Biggles looks in the cabin of the boat and finds (Stephen) Brunner. He has been shot. Along the shore they find a third body, a man unknown to them, who has also drowned. “That’s three,” Biggles said. “We’re doing fine,” he added with grim humour. “There must be have been a battle here, probably over the money”. Biggles hears someone calling for help and they find a Frenchman with a gunshot wound to the groin. Biggles talks to him in French. He is a French fisherman from St. Malo. He had come to the island alone hoping to catch some lobsters and had been caught up in what was happening on the island. Men were fighting on the beach. He had been shot by a person he didn’t know and he didn’t know the reason why. Two men had tried to steal his small boat but it had capsized and he thought the men in it had been drowned. He didn’t see them come ashore. Biggles says they will have to take the man to the Sea Scout, but Bertie sees someone signalling from the Sea Scout, waving a white towel. “He’s sending Morse,” observed Ginger. “French boat approaching from far side island” they read. Biggles says it must be coming to pick up the two men originally left on the island. “Wait a minute,” Biggles rapped out. “I’ve got an idea. This may suit us”.