James Chase: Miss Shumway Waves a Wand

“That’s what you hope,” Whisky said. “They may have different ideas.”

I thought that was likely, but I had to take the chance.

“When you get outside, go to Miss Halliday’s apartment and wait for me,” I said. “I’ve told her about you and she’s expecting us. If I don’t come out within an hour, turn the picture over to Summers.”

Whisky looked worried. “Aren’t you being unnecessarily heroic?” he asked. “Can’t we work out something better than that?”

I shook my head. “I’ve got to put the screws to Peppi and this is the only way to do it. Get in the elevator and wait for me.”

“Well, I’d rather it was you than me,” Whisky said, enter in the elevator.

I adjusted the shutter of the camera and set the lens-stop. Then I went back into the room. Peppi was cursing Lew when I arrived at the door.

“If you can’t get that can open,” he snarled, “why don’t you say so? We’ve been here twenty minutes.”

“Gimme a break, will you?” Lew grunted, his ear against the safe. “I gotta have quiet to hear these tumblers.”

Peppi drew in a deep breath and stood over him. That was how I found them.

I shoved the camera round the door and braced it. Then I said sharply: “Hold it!”

I gave them time to look round and then I released the shutter. There was a blinding flash as the flashlight exploded and I didn’t wait to see what happened.

I whipped across the outer office, slammed the door and jerked the plate out of the camera. Whisky watched me with startled eyes.

“Here you are,” I said and shoved the plate holder into his mouth. Then I pressed the elevator button and the door snapped shut as Lew and Peppi tumbled into the passage.

Lew had a gun in his hand and he looked mean.

“Grab some air,” he said, pointing the gun at me.

I raised my hands, holding the camera above my head.

Peppi, snarling with rage, snatched the camera out of my hand. He took one look at it and flung it to the floor.

“Where’s the plate?” he snapped.

“On its way down,” I said. “Now, don’t get excited,” I went on hurriedly as Lew made as if to slug me. “That picture’ll give you a lot of grief if you don’t wise up.”

“Who’s got it?” Peppi snarled.

“Never mind who’s got it,” I returned. “All you have to worry about is who’s going to have it in an hour’s time.”

“That’s it, is it?” Peppi’s voice was soft and menacing. “You’re crazy to try that stuff on me.”

“Okay, so I’m crazy,” I said. “But I’ve got something on you, Peppi, that you won’t get out of in a hurry.”

“Let me slug this punk,” Law said.

Peppi jerked his head to the office. “Come in here,” he said, “I want to talk to you.”

I went into the office with Lew crowding me.

“What’s the idea?” Peppi said. “Come on—give.”

“If I’m not at a certain address in an hour’s time,” I explained, watching Lew out of the corner of my eye, “that picture’s going to the police chief. And then you can talk yourself out of it.”

“What address?” Peppi asked, fiddling with his cigar.

“Be your age,” I returned, wandering over to the desk and sitting on it. “Now listen, Peppi, here’s the deal. Give me Arym and I’ll give you the picture.”

While I was talking I glanced over Maddox’s desk. I remembered there was a button concealed somewhere which let off the burglar alarm. Maddox had had it fitted when some hood had threatened to scramble his brains in the old days of prohibition.

Peppi turned to Lew. “Get that safe open,” he said. “We’ll fix this guy when we’re through.”

That didn’t suit me. I spotted the button and rammed my thumb on it.

One of the other men caught me a full swing behind my ear, but he was a shade late. As I went over on the floor a bell began to ring somewhere in the building.

I struggled to my feet as Law went for me.

“Cut it out!” Peppi said, his face white with rage. “Take him and let’s get out of here.”

Lew dug his gun into my spine and herded me into Maddox’s private elevator. The others followed.

As we shot between floors, Peppi said: “You’ll be damned sorry you stuck your neck out.” And I didn’t like the look in his eyes.

The elevator landed us at the side entrance, away from the main doors. There was a big closed car waiting and as soon as we had bundled in it shot away towards Fifth Avenue. No one said anything all the way to Peppi’s house. Law sat by my side with his gun sticking into me and a hungry look in his eyes. I felt that I’d only to flicker an eye-lash and he’d plug me. So I sat still and sweated plenty.

When we got inside Peppi’s house Lew Shoved me into the sitting room.

The butler was in there fussing with a decanter. He looked at me with a tight smile on his crooked face.

Peppi said: “Get Miss Brandt.”

The butler went out.

Peppi and Law left me standing in the middle of the room and went over to the window. They whispered together and then Law gave a low laugh.

“Don’t waste too much time,” I said, feeling uneasy. “You’ve only got another thirty-five minutes to turn Arym over to me.”

“That’ll be long enough,” Peppi said.

“I’m not bluffing,” I said. “I’ve got you where I want you. Give me the girl or that picture goes to Summers. Where is she?”

Peppi shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “And I don’t care. I warned you not to double-cross me. Now you’re going to get your lesson.”

The door opened and Lydia Brandt came in. She looked at me much the same way a tiger looks at its dinner.

“I want this guy to talk,” Peppi said. “I thought rnaybe you’d like to soften him.”

Lydia smiled.. “Yes,” she said. “That would amuse me.”

“What are you going to do with him?” Peppi asked.

“I want to try that experiment again. I made a mess of it last time,” she answered.

Peppi shrugged. “She thinks she can cut a guy. I tell her she can’t do it.”

Lew sneered. “Let her try,” he said. “It don’t matter if she makes a mess of this punk, does it?”

I began to sweat.

Lew went to the door and called in the other two birds who had been in Maddox’s office.

“Tie this lug up,” he said. “If he starts anything, beat his brains out.”

Before I could make up my mind what to do they grabbed me. I waited until they began to twist my arms behind me, then I let them have it.

I wrenched one of my arms free and slugged the bigger of the two guys in the eye, then as the other swung at me I stepped close and hit him low.

That was as far as I got. Lew came up and slammed me over the head with his gun-butt. By the time I’d cleared my head I was sitting in a chair trussed up like a Houdini act.

Peppi was looking at the clock. “We ain’t got a lot of time,” he said.

“It’s not going to take me long,” Lydia said. She held a thin, sharp knife in her hand. She looked across at me. “You won’t have many dates after this,” she said viciously.

“Let’s be reasonable,” I said hurriedly. “You wouldn’t really want to do that to me.”

She held up the knife, then she came over. “You won’t feet it for a while,” she said, standing over ime. “I’ve done it before.” Her face was white and stony and I could see she was - getting a big kick out of seeing me sweat.

Peppi said to me. “Are you talking?”

“I’m talking,” I said, shrinking away from the knife.

“Where’s the plate?”

I gave him Harriet’s address.

“Let’s go,” he said to Lew. “We’ve still got ten minutes.”

They made for the door.