Dead Asleep Read Free Page A

offshore accounts on other islands. It was also no secret that while Kemmer’s business, both in women and in hashish, was legal in Amsterdam, he was not above transporting the occasional bit of illegal contraband throughout the Netherlands Antilles. Sumner had rented the beach house under an assumed name while investigating illegal drug flights, in the guise of a tourist on vacation, but the presence of the blonde at the casino and now the bomb told him that his cover was blown.
    The blaring of a fire truck horn indicated that the department had reached the entrance. Kemmer went inside the house to press the button on the intercom that opened the gate, and Sumner watched the truck roll down to the house. When Kemmer reappeared, he was smoking a cigar, and strolling toward him with the air of someone completely unconcerned that at that very moment his beach house was burning to the ground not five hundred yards away. He returned to Sumner’s side and handed him a cigar.
    â€œYou smoke?” he asked.
    â€œNot usually.”
    â€œThey’re good. Honduran. Hand rolled.” Sumner took the cigar and the lighter that Kemmer offered. “Any particular reason someone would want to blow you up?”
    Sumner took his time to pull on the cigar. He’d only smoked cigars twice in his life and was no connoisseur, but this one was by far the smoothest he’d tried.
    â€œNone that I know of,” Sumner said.
    â€œHow about you tell me your real name,” Kemmer said. He pulled on his own smoke, his eyes never leaving Sumner’s.
    â€œYou know my real name. It’s on the lease.” Sumner watched Kemmer’s look change to skepticism. “Was the blonde at the casino one of yours?”
    Kemmer snorted. “I don’t have any girls working the Antilles. I don’t have a license for the brothels. It’s illegal here.”
    â€œI’m not in the business of busting call girls. You can tell me the truth.”
    Kemmer laughed. “Listen to you, talking about truth.” He pointed in the direction of the beach house. “Someone wants you dead real bad. If I were you, I’d worry about that.”
    â€œOr you. It’s your beach house, remember. I’m just passing through. Anyone want you eliminated?”
    Kemmer shrugged and waved toward the road. “I didn’t get this far in my business without collecting a few enemies, I’ll admit. What was the blonde up to?”
    â€œShe tried to warn me off coming home. If she had been successful I wouldn’t have been anywhere near the house. That leads me to believe the bomb was meant for you, not me.” Kemmer scowled, then gave Sumner a sideways glance.
    â€œOr she just liked a pretty face.”
    Now it was Sumner’s turn to snort. “She was working. At what, I don’t know.”
    The two men walked down the road together and turned a corner to find the fire department hosing down the front of the beach house. Smoke still rose into the sky, but the stream seemed to be weakening. A massive hole was all that was left of the front entrance. One of the firemen spotted them and headed their way. He flicked a glance at Sumner before addressing Kemmer.
    â€œThe fire’s contained and should be out soon. This was arson, pure and simple. Do you have any idea who would want to do such a thing?” Kemmer gave the fireman the same story that he gave Sumner.
    â€œHow’d he get in here?” Kemmer asked. “I maintain security cameras on the front gate. Something tells me he didn’t crawl in that way.”
    The fireman gestured at the ocean. “We think he drove a boat right up to the beach. Got any cameras there?”
    Kemmer shook his head. “I don’t need to see pictures of myself or my guests when they swim naked.”
    The fireman gave him a wan smile. “I advise you to set one up now. Whoever did this is bound to try again once they discover they