James Chase: Tiger by the Tail

He was feeling particularly virtuous. For the past four evenings he had worked ceaselessly in the bungalow and in the garden. All the various jobs that Ann had been asking him to do for the past months, and which he had put off, had been done. The garden had never looked better. The kitchen had been decorated. The windows had been cleaned. The broken hinge on the gate had been repaired; even the car had been polished.

The newspapers had been full of the shootings. The City’s Administration had come under fire, and several prominent members had resigned, among them Captain Joe Motley, who felt that his work was becoming too arduous for his easy-going methods. Lindsay Burt’s name kept cropping up in the papers as the next likely political leader, and the Herald was prophesying that Lieutenant Adams would shortly be elected Captain of Police.

For the first time since Ken had found Fay’s dead body, he felt safe. With a feeling of intense excitement, he watched the train come slowly along the track.

He caught sight of Ann’s blonde head as she leaned out of the window. They waved frantically to each other. A few moments later he had her in his arms.

“Oh Ken!”

“Darling, I’ve missed you!”

There was a babble of talk, both too happy to listen to what the other was saying.

“Have you been all right?” Ann asked, when eventually they calmed down. She looked up at him and was puzzled by his thinness, the sterner look about his mouth that gave him character and which she found attractive.

“Of course I’ve been fine,” Ken said, grinning at her.

“But, darling, you look different. There’s something about you…”

“Nonsense!” Ken said. “Come on. Let’s get your luggage organized.”

Later as they drove out of the railway depot in the shabby green Lincoln, Ann said, “Have you been lonely, Ken? Did you go out — do any shows ?”

“My dear girl, I haven’t had time for shows,” Ken said virtuously. “I’ve been busy in the bungalow. I’ve decorated the kitchen, looked after the garden and generally worked my fingers to the bone.”

Ann looked at him, her eyes suddenly thoughtful.

“It sounds very much as if you had been up to mischief. It’s nothing serious, is it?”

“The trouble with you is you have a suspicious mind,” Ken said, avoiding her eyes. “Besides, is it likely I would tell you if I had been into mischief? I admit I did think of going off with some woman, but I just didn’t have the time.”

Ann leaned forward and kissed him.

“You’ve had your chance, Ken. I’m not leaving you again.”

“That’s no way to behave when I’m driving. Wait until we get home.” He put his hands on hers and squeezed it. “I don’t want you ever to go away again. Now tell me what’s been happening to you.”

He listened while she talked, and he felt at peace with the world. She need never know, he told himself. It would never happen again. He had had a narrow escape, and he had learned his lesson.

“Well, here we are,” he said, as he pulled up outside the bungalow. “Take

a look at the garden. How’s that for hard work? And don’t miss the gate. It works now.”

“Darling. I think I’d better go away again after all,” Ann said, standing at the gate and looking at the weedless garden, the close-cut lawn and the clean-cut edges. “It looks wonderful, and the windows have been cleaned.”

“Just part of the service,” Ken said, as he struggled with her luggage getting it out of the car.

Ann gave a sudden exclamation.

“Oh, Ken, you darling! Is this your big surprise? How lovely!”

Ken followed the direction of her pointing finger.

On the doorstep, its bulging eyes looking fixedly at Ken, was a fawn Pekinese.