James Chase: Lay Her Among the Lilies

I looked at Maureen.

“Haven’t you anything to say to all this?”

“There’s nothing she can say,” Willet said impatiently.

“She either goes into a home or to jail. She’s too dangerous to be left free.”

I ignored him and said again, “Isn’t there anything you want to say?”

She smiled then, a tight, hard little smile.

“No; but there’s something I’m going to do.”

She must have had the gun wedged down the side of the chair all the time. The shot sounded like a thunderclap. The gun-flash set fire to the loose cover of the chair.

Willet dropped his gun and took two unsteady steps forward, his hands clutching at his chest. I saw him fold at the knees, then I threw myself out of my chair across the narrow space that divided my chair from hers. I clutched her wrist as the gun came round in my direction. It went off and I felt the gun-flash burn the side of my neck. She and I and the chair went crashing to the floor. I wrenched the gun out of her hand, gave her a hard shove, and scrambled to my feet.

“Okay, okay; take it easy,” Mifflin said from the casement windows, and Jack Kerman and he came into the room.

“You all right, Vic?” Kerman asked.

“Yeah; did you hear all that?”

“We heard,” Mifflin said. “Is he hurt bad?” And he started towards Willet.

“Watch her!” I shouted and jumped forward.

Maureen had made a dart towards the casement window. I made a grab at her, but she was too quick. She ran out on to the verandah and down the terrace steps.

“He’s dead,” I heard Mifflin say in disgust as Kerman and I ran out after her.

We reached the first terrace as she reached the fourth. I grabbed Kerman and held him back.

“Let Mifflin go after her if he wants her,” he said.

Mifflin came thudding down the terrace steps to join us.

“Where’s she gone?” he demanded.

I pointed.

She was running well, and already had reached the lowest terrace. Mifflin started after her; then stopped. She ran straight towards the cliff edge, and she was still running when she went over.

For some moments we stood motionless, listening and waiting. But we heard nothing. It was as if the space between the cliff head and the sea had opened up and swallowed her.

“That’s the best way out for her,” I said and turned back to the house. I felt a little sick.

Even if she was crazy, she had been beautiful, and I always feel sorry when something beautiful gets broken.

As we reached the verandah, I asked, “Did you climb the cliff?”

Kerman nodded.

“I came over the bulge,” he said with an exaggerated shudder. “I’m going to dream about that for the rest of my days. Paula’s somewhere around. She’s looking for Janet Crosby.”

“Now we’ll have to explain the set-up to Brandon,” I said as Mifflin came panting up.

“That should be a lot of fun.”

“Smashed herself to pieces,” Mifflin said, glaring at us. “Now, come on, you two smart punks, get in there and talk!”

We went in there and talked.