aMy partner"s arrived unexpectedly,a I said, waving to Ricca. aI"ll want the suitcase for a couple of days.a aCertainly, sir. Shall I come up with you?a aThat"s okay. I know my way.a aI"ll have the receipt for you to sign when you come down.a aThanks,a I said, and walked over to the elevator.
Ricca stood beside me, smiling, as the elevator took us to the fifth floor.
aThey arrange things well here,a he said. aMight be an idea to have something like this at the casino.a I didn"t say anything. When the elevator stopped, I walked down the corridor with him just behind me.
The guard came out of the guard house.
aLet me have the key to room 46,a I said.
He studied me, then went away. After a moment or so he returned and handed me the key.
aThird door on the right, sir.a I continued down the corridor and stopped outside room 46.
aWithout your cooperation,a Ricca said, ait would have been impossible to get the money. What a sensible young man you are.a I unlocked the door and pushed it open.
aQuite luxurious,a Ricca said, looking in. He made no move to enter. aI think I"ll wait here. Bring the money to me.a But I wanted him inside with the door shut.
aThe door has to be closed before the safe will open,a I said, entering the room. aWait outside if you like.a He looked up and down the empty corridor, then pulled out his gun.
aIn that case I"ll come in with you. I don"t trust you out of my sight, but don"t make any false moves.a I had no qualms about killing him. Ginny"s life and mine were worth a lot more to me than his. I knew the sound of a .22 wouldn"t be heard outside the steel-lined room.
I stood beside the safe and began to spell out the combination. I was calm and my hands were steady. I kept thinking of Ginny along with Benno. I knew I mustn"t make the slightest slip.
The safe door swung open.
aBetter keep back,a I said. aThere"s a gadget somewhere that photographs when the safe is opened.a aThey seem to have thought of everything,a Ricca said. I could tell by his voice he wasn"t suspicious. aIs the money there?a aWhat do you think?a I hauled out the suitcase and dumped it on the table. There wasn"t room for him to come around and stand by my side. He faced me. I snapped back the locks and threw open the case. The open lid was towards him. He couldn"t see what was inside the case. I tossed a bundle of bills on the table as he began to move forward. He paused and looked at them, an oily smile spreading over his face. That gave me the opportunity to pick up the .22 lying in the case.
I aimed through the lid of the case at his belly. A little gun like a .22 hasn"t much stopping power, but I knew a slug in his gut would paralyse him. I waited until he began to move forward again, then looking right at him, I squeezed the trigger.
The gun went off with a noise like the breaking of a dry stick. Ricca reared back, his face contorted with agony, his hands clutching at his fat paunch. Then he folded forward as if he had a hinge in his back. His gun dropped out of his hand, and he fell across the table, his face hanging over the upraised lid of the suitcase.
I gave the top of his head a hard shove, and he slid off the table on to the floor.
I was breathing heavily, and I began to shake as I watched him squirm about on the floor, his hands pressed to his belly, blood oozing out between his fingers.
I picked up his gun. Holding it by the barrel I bent over him. We stared at each other. There was a film forming over his eyes, but by the way his mouth twisted into a snarl I knew he could still see me. I hit him very hard in the centre of his forehead. The heavy b.u.t.t of the gun crashed down, breaking the skin and driving a little hollow into the broad expanse of bone.
He stopped squirming and stiffened out. For perhaps a second or so I stood over him, then sure I had taken care of him I straightened up and stepped away from him.
I wiped the sweat from my face, dropped his gun by his side and shoved the .22 into my hip pocket. I shut the suitcase and snapped down the locks. Then without looking at him, I stepped to the door and opened it. The corridor was still empty. I locked the door, dropped the key into my pocket and walked quickly to the guard room.
The guard appeared.
aI"m checking out,a I said. aMy partner"s going through some papers. He may be some time. Don"t disturb him, will you?a aThat"s all right, sir.a aHe has the key. He"ll give it to you when he leaves. What time do you shut?a aSix-thirty, sir.a I looked at my wrist-watch. It was now a quarter to four. I had nearly three hours in which to get clear.
aHe"ll be through by then.a I rode down in the elevator. Mr. Evesham was waiting for me. aMy partner"s working up there. I"ve fixed it with the guard.a aQuite all right, sir.a aI"m taking the case. Do you want me to sign anything?a He gave me a couple of forms. I signed where he indicated.
aI"ll be back in a couple of days.a aYou are very welcome, sir,a he returned with a stately bow.
A guard opened the door of Ricca"s car as I came down the steps. I slung the suitcase in the back and got in under the steering-wheel.
aThanks,a I said as he closed the door.
I drove fast to Franklin Boulevard.
chapter thirty.
I parked the car outside the back entrance of 3945 in a narrow alley that ran parallel with Franklin Boulevard. I put the suitcase in the boot of the car, then pushed open the garden gate and entered a wilderness of trees, shrubs and overgrown flower-beds. I made my way from tree to tree until I was within sight of the back of the house.
Against the wall, built between two steel shafts, was an outside dumb-waiter, which tradesmen used to haul up the groceries to the various apartments. I planned to haul myself up to my apartment in it, and take Benno by surprise.
The chances were he was still in the front room with Ginny. If he was, and I could get into the apartment without him knowing, I was sure I could take him. There could be no shooting in that house unless I wanted a h.o.a.rd of policemen swarming around me, and I didn"t.
As I stood looking up at the windows, a big white cat came out of the shrubbery and rubbed itself against my leg. It belonged to the janitor, and used to come up to my apartment when Ginny and I were there, and Ginny would feed it.
I had too much on my mind to bother with it, and I gave it a little nudge with my foot, but it didn"t take the hint. When I began to dodge from shrub to shrub, working my way to the dumb-waiter, it followed me.
I squeezed myself into the box. It was a tight fit, and I wondered if the rope would be strong enough to take my weight.
The cat jumped on to my lap, and rubbed its face against mine. I was about to push it off when an idea struck me. It might be useful in the apartment to create a diversion, and I decided to take it up with me.
I caught hold of the rope and began to haul. The box moved creakily upward. In spite of the system of pulleys I had a lot of weight on my arms, and my progress was slow.
I was panting by the time I reached the third floor, and I stopped to get some breath back. The cat kept b.u.mping its face into mine. It didn"t seem at all perturbed that we were hanging in s.p.a.ce. After a minute or so I began to haul again. Inch by inch the box crawled upwards until finally it came to the wooden trap leading to my kitchen. I jammed on the brake and thankfully let go of the rope.
I sat with my legs dangling while I ma.s.saged my aching arms. As soon as my heart had stopped jumping like a freshly landed fish, I turned my attention to the trap. I pressed gently, and it swung open. I looked into an empty kitchen. The cat jumped from my lap on to the floor and started twining itself around the table leg looking up at me hopefully.
I took off my shoes, then slid soundlessly to the floor, crept over to the door and opened it half an inch. For some seconds I heard nothing. Then I heard Benno humming to himself. He was in the front room.
I closed the door again, then I picked up the cat and holding it under my arm, I opened the china cupboard and took out a couple of plates. I pitched them into the air. The crash they made when they hit on the floor was enough to raise the dead.
Still holding the cat I stepped back and flattened myself against the wall by the door. I waited. Nothing happened. All I could hear was my quick, light breathing and the faint purring of the cat.
Minutes ticked by, and I began to wonder if Benno was coming. Then suddenly I noticed the door was opening.
I bent down and gently put the cat on the floor. I gave it a little shove sending it away from me. Then I straightened up, every muscle in my body tense.
The door continued to open inch by inch. The cat stood still, staring at the door. Suddenly it growled, and its tail bushed out. The door swung wide open.
aG.o.dd.a.m.n it!a I heard Benno mutter. aA cat!a I held my breath, praying he would come in, but he didn"t. He remained just outside the door. I could hear his breath whistling down his nose.
The cat backed away.
aHow did you get in here?a Benno demanded. aHere, come here.a But the cat didn"t seem to like the look of him. It spat at him, continuing to back away.
Benno wandered into the kitchen. He had a gun in his right hand. He came in slowly, snapping his fingers at the cat.
aHere, pooch, come here,a he said.
He was within three feet of me before some instinct warned him of his danger. He swung around as I struck at him. That quick, unexpected movement spoilt my aim, and instead of landing on his jaw, my fist caught the top of his shoulder. The force of the punch sent him flying. He crashed against the wall, made a frantic effort to regain his balance, and at the same time aim his gun at me.
I flung myself at him, my right hand clamping down on his gun hand. I crushed his fingers against the gun b.u.t.t and pinned him against the wall.
His fat, vicious face was only inches away from mine. He tried to grab my throat, but I slammed over a punch that caught him on the side of his head, stunning him.
I tore the gun out of his hand and threw it away, then my fingers sank into the fat flesh of his neck, my thumbs digging into his windpipe. As I exerted pressure, his face turned blue and his eyes started out of his head. I held him against the wall and throttled him.
Only the whites of his eyes were showing when I stepped away from him and let him slide limply to the floor. My hands ached, and my heart thumped as I bent over him. I put a finger on his eye: it didn"t flicker. I touched the artery in his neck: no pulse answered me.
I straightened up, flexing my aching fingers and then with an unsteady hand I lit a cigarette. Reisner, Della, Ricca and now Benno, I thought. I could feel no pity for any of them. If I hadn"t killed them, they would have killed me.
The cat came over and sniffed delicately at Benno"s dead face. It put out a paw and patted his nose.
I took two or three hurried drags at the cigarette, then dropped it and put my heel in it. Time was running out. There was still much to do.
I put on my shoes, shoved Benno"s gun in my hip pocket and went along the pa.s.sage into the sitting-room.
Ginny lay in the armchair. Her hands were tied behind her, and she was still f.a.gged. Her head lolled forward and she seemed to be in a faint.
I ran to her, slashed through the cord that bound her wrists and gently eased the gag out of her mouth.
aGinny, darling!a She moaned softly.
aGinny, it"s me. Come on, darling, we"ve got to get out of here!a Her head dropped back and her eyelids lifted. Recognition slowly came into her eyes and she touched my face.
aWhere have you been, Johnny?a she said huskily. aI waited and waited. I moved in here, hoping you"d come back. It"s been so long.a aI"ll tell you about it later. Come on, kid, we"ve got to get out of here. We"ve got to get out of town. I have a car outside.a aWhere are we going?a She sat up, her land going to her torn dress.
aWe can decide that as we go. We"ve got to hurry.a She shivered.
aWhere is that awful little man? Who is he?a I pulled her to her feet. Her knees buckled and she would have fallen if I hadn"t supported her.
aDon"t worry about anything. I"ve taken care of him. Let"s get out of here.a aNo!a She tried to push away from me, but I held her. aI"m not going with you until I know what all this means. Why do we have to leave? Send for the police, Johnny. Get the police here. Why should we run away?a aYou don"t understand, Ginny,a I said, trying to control my impatience. Every second we wasted now made our getaway more difficult. aWe can"t go to the police. The police captain is in this too. We must get out of here !a Sudden fear jumped into her eyes.
aWhat is all this talk of money about?a she asked breathlessly. aWhat money, Johnny?a I knew at once it would be fatal to tell her about the money. Later, perhaps, but certainly not now. She might not understand that it was mine by right: she might even think I had stolen it.
aHe"s mistaking me for someone else,a I said. aNow come on, Ginny. I"ll tell you about it in the car.a aHe kept asking me about the money,a Ginny said wildly. aHe said you had stolen it from the casino.a aHe"s lying. Now, come on, darling. He may be back any moment. He"s dangerous. We must get out of here!a aJohnny, did you steal it aOf course I didn"t.a aWord of honour?a aYes, word of honour. It"s all a mistake. Come on, Ginny, let"s go.a aYou"ll have to help me. I can"t walk far.a I drew in a quick gasp of relief.
aYou"re not going to walk at all. I"m going to carry you,a I said, and took her in my arms.
She put her arms round my neck.
aI"ve been so frightened, Johnny. I"ve missed you so.a aIt"s all going to be all right,a I said. aIn a week, darling, you"ll have forgotten this ever happened.a I went to the front door and opened it.
Captain of Police Hame stood just outside. He had a .45 in his hand and he rode me back into the room, his blue eyes like chips of ice.
chapter thirty-one.
I set Ginny down in the armchair and raised my hands as Hame moved into the room, dosing the door with his foot.
aLooks as if I"ve caught up with you at last,a he said. The .45 centred on my chest. aRicca lived long enough to tell me you killed him. You"re getting as dangerous as a mad dog, Farrar.a I heard Ginny catch her breath in a horrified gasp.
aNow look . . .a I began, but Hame stopped me.
aI got proof you killed Reisner and the Wertham woman, and now Ricca,a he went on. aThat"s one murder too many. Back up against that wall!a I knew what he was going to do. I could read it in his eyes. He couldn"t afford to let me stand trial. I knew too much about him. The easiest out for him was to put a slug into me while resisting arrest.
My eyes went to Ginny. She was staring at me: her face was white and horrified.
Hame followed my glance.
aAnd you too,a he said to her. aYou"re in this. Back up against the wall with him!a She would have to go, too. He wouldn"t want a witness to my killing.
aWait, Hame!a I said. aWe can do a deal.a aBack up against that wall !a he snarled at me. aI"m not making any deals with you. I don"t have to !a aYou don"t have to, but you will,a I said, speaking fast, knowing any second he might shoot. aI"ve got half the casino"s reserve: a quarter of a million dollars Ia That held him, as I knew it would hold him. His eyes flickered.
aYou don"t bluff me, Farrar,a he said in a grating voice, aand you don"t talk yourself out of this,a but there wasn"t any conviction in his voice.
aTurn us both loose and I"ll split it with you. A hundred and twenty-five grand in cash!a aWhere is it?a aWhere you won"t get your hooks into it without my say-so,a I said. aThis is cash, Hame. Money that can"t be traced. All I want is three hours to get clear. Is it a deal?a aI wouldn"t make a deal with you unless I saw the money,a he said.
aYou can see it, but I want your word you"ll turn us loose with a three-hour start when you get the money.a A thin, sneering smile came to his sun-burned face.
aI take the lot, Farrar. You haven"t a thing to bargain with. I"ll take the lot and you can have an hour"s start.a aNo! I"ll give you two hundred grand. I"ve got to have something. I"ve got to have a getaway stake, and I want three hours.a aThe lot or I"ll put a slug into both of you and take a chance of finding the money.a He was grinning now. aPlease yourself. I told you you have nothing to bargain with, and you haven"t.a I had intended to play with him. I was ready and willing to buy Ginny"s and my freedom for half the money, but he wasn"t taking the lot. I"d worked too hard for that money to part with all of it. There was only one way out of this. I had to catch him off his guard and kill him.
aGive me five grand,a I said, making out I was frantic. aI"ve got to have a getaway stake.a aMaybe,a he said, still grinning. aWhere is it?a I realized he"d shoot me the moment he got the money. Once again I was being jostled into murder.
aI"d be a fool to tell you, wouldn"t I? As soon as you know what"s to stop you shooting me?a He tried to keep a straight face.
aMy word.a aWhat"s the use of that to me?a He grinned then.
aWell, suggest something.a I nodded to Ginny.
aShe can get it and bring it here.a aSuppose she doesn"t come back?a aShe will. She loves me. Do you think she wants me to get shot?a All the time I was talking, Ginny had sat motionless, staring at me. Now when I turned to her, she flinched away.
aGo on,a I said to her. aGet the money and hurry.a I reached forward and offered her the key of my car. aThe car"s around the back. It won"t take you long.a She crouched in the chair, and the look she gave me sent a chill up my spine.
aGinny! Please do what I say. This is the only way out for you. Get the money, and it"ll be all right.a I tried to make her understand I was offering her escape.
aNo,a she said. aI"m not having anything to do with it. You did steal that money, didn"t you?a aIt belonged to me, Ginny,a I said desperately. aI can"t explain now . . .a aOf course he stole it,a Hame cut in. aIt"s money belonging to the casino.a aOh, Johnny, how could you?a she said, wringing her hands. aHow could you get me into a thing like this? You"ve lied to me all along. When you didn"t come to Miami as you promised, I phoned the insurance people you talked about and they said you"d never worked for them. Ever since we first met you"ve lied to me.a She pounded on the arm of the chair with her fist. aI"m not going to be dragged into this ! And don"t talk to me of love!a I was sweating now.