“Go on, Uncle Charlie,” Biff whispered. “How did you get over to this balcony?”
“There’s a ledge, not a very wide one, that joins the balconies....”
Biff remembered the ledge now. It wasn’t more than ten inches wide. His uncle had taken a dangerous chance in crossing on that narrow ledge from his room to this one.
“The boy, by knocking on the door, was to cause enough distraction to give me time to cross the ledge to this room. I was counting on the element of surprise if I found you being held by more than two men. Remember, surprise can add the strength of another man to any attack.”
“Well, when I got to your balcony and saw just you and Specks, I knew things were going to be easy.”
“But it didn’t work out quite that way,” Biff said.
“No. I never thought Derek would be in danger.”
Uncle Charlie nodded his head. He strode back into the room and stood, hands on hips, glowering down at the cowering Specks.
“Where is he?” Charlie demanded. “Where’s Dietz?”
“I don’t know,” Specks replied. His high voice cracked as he answered. There was no doubt but that Specks was almost numb with fear.
Charles Keene reached down and grabbed the man by the shoulder. He shook him like an angry lion shaking its kill.
“Please, Mr. Keene,” Specks begged. “I don’t know. That’s the truth.”
Biff tugged at Uncle Charlie’s arm, and he released his hold on the man.
“What is it?” Charlie asked, looking into Biff’s face. Biff indicated with a nod of his head for his uncle to follow him. He then went to the doorway and stood in the hallway. His uncle came along.
“Uncle Charlie, that man’s too frightened of you to talk, even if he does know where Dietz has gone.”
Charles Keene nodded his head. “Guess you’re right, Biff. Got any ideas?”
“What do _you_ think has happened to Derek?”
Uncle Charlie puzzled this question a few moments before replying.
“Two things could have happened. Dietz could have returned just as Derek knocked on the door, or when he was returning to our room.”
“You mean he forced Derek to go with him?”
“But wouldn’t Derek have called out? Yelled for help?” Biff protested.
“Not necessarily. You see, Biff, Derek doesn’t know me any better than he knows Dietz. You two switching identities at the airport was a good joke. But then the joke turned into a serious matter.”