James Chase - I'll Get You for This

“Wait,” Killeano said, starting to his feet. His expression was a nice blend of suspicion and doubtful friendliness. He gave the idea that in spite of wanting to help me, he was gradually being persuaded that I was as guilty as hell. It was a nice act. He crossed the room and stood over Miss Wonderly. “Your word in a court of law hasn’t much value. You’re in a jam yourself. If Cain didn’t kill Herrick, then you must have killed him. I’ll tell you why. The door was lo cked on the inside! So don’t lie. Maybe Cain was nice to you, but you’ve got to tell the truth because you just can’t afford to lie.”

I saw then that they had taken care of everything. If Miss Wonderly said I had passed out, then they’d hang the murder on her. They wouldn’t care so long as they hung it on someone.

“Okay, baby,” I said. “Lie if you want to. He’s right. They’ve been a little too smart for us.”

“I’m not talking,” she said, and began to cry.

That was right up Flaggerty’s street. He grabbed hold of her arm and yanked her out of her chair. “You’ll talk, you floozie!” he bawled, and shook her so her head snapped back.

I’d left my chair and reached him before the two cops could move.

I spun him around and hit him in the mouth. It was a sweet punch, and I felt my knuckles grate on his teeth. He went over backwards, spitting blood. It did me a power of good.

Then the cops jumped me, and one of them bounced a nightstick across my head.

I came round as Flaggerty was sitting up. I had a bump on my head, but he had lost a couple of teeth.

Killeano sorted us out.

After a while the atmosphere quietened down, but Flaggerty was still too groggy to continue questioning. Killeano took over. He stood in front of Miss Wonderly, his short fat legs astride.

“Unless you tell us what happened you’ll be arrested,” he said to her.

“What does it matter?” I said, rubbing my head. “Why do it the hard way? Tell ’em you passed out, and know nothing about it. They’ve got all the witnesses they want.”

One of the coppers slapped me across the mouth.

“Shaddap,” he said.

“That’s going to be too bad for you,” I said, and the look in my eyes made him edge away.

Miss Wonderly looked at Killeano and then at me. She was pale, but there was a light in her eyes that gave me hope.

“He didn’t do it,” she said. “It was a frame-up. I don’t care what you do to me. He didn’t do it! Do you hear? He didn ’t do it!"

Killeano looked at her as if he couldn’t believe his ears. His fat face went yellow with rage.

“You bitch!” he said, and slapped her hard across her face.

One of the cops wound his night-stick across my throat and held on. I couldn’t move: I couldn’t breathe.

Flaggerty and Killeano just stood looking at Miss Wonderly. She held her burning cheek and looked back at them.

“He didn’t do it!” she repeated, wildly. “You can keep your rotten money. You can kill me. But I won’t go through with it!”

I gave a croaking cheer.

Killeano turned to Flaggerty. “Arrest them,” he said, in a thin reedy voice. “We’ll get her on an accessory rap. And soften both of them.” He looked at Miss Wonderly. “You’ll be sorry for this,” he said, and crossed the room, opened the door and went out. He closed the door gently behind him.

“Get that punk dressed,” Flaggerty said, “and watch him.” The two cops and the two plain-clothes dicks convoyed me into the bedroom. “Are we going to have a swell time with you when we get you to headquarters?” one of the plain-clothes dicks said. He was a massive guy with a red, rubbery face and hard green eyes.

His name was Hyams. The other dick was thin and dyspeptic. He had a long red nose and his ears were so big they made him look a taxi-cab with its doors wide open. They called him Solly.

“I hope I have a good time too,” I said, smiling at them.

The copper who’d slapped me dug me in the ribs with his night-stick. “Get dressed, wise guy,” he said. “I’m one of the boys who’ll work over you.”

I climbed into my clothes. They went over each garment before handing it to me. They weren’t taking any chances.

Solly said, “I hope Flaggerty lets me handle that diz.”

“He’ll handle her himself,” Hyams said. “But, I’d like to be a fly on the wall.”

“What a break!” Solly exclaimed, licking his lips. “Fancy taking a tutz with her build to pieces.”

“Yeah, and legally at that,” Hyams said.

They grinned at each other.

I fixed my tie and put on my coat. If I didn’t start something soon, it’d be too late. Once they got us down to headquarters, it was going to be just too bad for us. From the look of these thugs, Belsen would be a picnic to what they’d do to us.

“Come on, punk,” Hyams said, “and listen, if you start anything, we’ll shoot first and apologize after. We don’t want to kill you before we’ve had a chance of working on you, but we will, if you try anything smart.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. “I’ve only read about the third degree. I’d like to experience it.”

“You will,” Solly said, looking at me out of the corners of his eyes.

We went into the sitting-room.

Flaggerty was pacing up and down. Miss Wonderly sat in a chair, and the stout woman stood behind her.

Flaggerty grinned at me. He looked nasty. There was a gap in his teeth and his lips were swollen.

“Five men in four months,” he said, standing in front of me. “A killer, huh? Well, we’ll show you what we do to killers. You’ve got two weeks before you come before a judge. That means two weeks of hell for you, Mr. Killer Cain.”

“Don’t be dramatic, you big-mouthed pixie,” I said.

The big Irish cop, who’d slapped me before, clouted me from behind with his club. I staggered forward and ran into a bang in the jaw from Flaggerty. They were two juicy wallops, and I went down on my hands and knees.

Flaggerty gave me the boots. I got my head out of the way, but his heavy toe-cap sank into the side of my neck.

“We don’t want to carry the creep.” Hyams said, worried.

Flaggerty drew back. “Get up,” he snarled.

I was lying near the blanket-covered body of Herrick, and I pretended to be dazed. I put my hand over my eyes so they couldn’t see what I was looking at: peeping out from under the blanket was my Luger. They’d forgotten to pick it up, and when they’d covered Herrick, they’d covered the gun.

Flaggerty was bawling at me. “Get up, you louse, or I’ll boot you again!”

“I’m getting up,” I said, crawling slowly to one knee. I acted like I was half dead.

The blood-smeared gun butt was six feet from me. I tried to remember if any of the dicks carried guns in their hands. I didn’t think they did. They were all too cocky, now they were sure I was unarmed.

Flaggerty booted me.

I flopped over on top of Herrick. It gave me a funny feeling to lie on the body, stiff in death. My hand closed around the gun butt. It was slippery with blood, but I didn’t care.

I stood up.

Flaggerty’s face turned green when he saw the Luger. The other guys turned into waxworks.

“Hello,” I said. “Remember me?”

I didn’t point the gun at them. I held it loosely, and I stepped to the wall so I could see everyone in the room.

“Well, come on,” I said, smiling at them. “We were going to headquarters for fun and games.”

They didn’t move or say anything.

I looked over at Miss Wonderly. She was sitting on the edge of her chair, her eyes round with wonder.

“Just a bunch of weak sisters playing at tough guys,” I said to her. “You coming with me, baby?”