James Chase - Just Another Sucker

‘We interrupt this programme to bring you the latest development in the Malroux kidnapping…’ he said, and then went on to read the announcement I had dictated to him. When he had finished, the gangster picture came on again.

I stood there, watching and waiting, so tense I could scarcely breathe. I didn’t have to wait long.

O’Reilly jumped to his feet, slopping his drink.

‘Goddam it!’

He crossed to the TV set and turned it off, then he spun around, his fleshy face pale, his eyes alarmed.

‘Nine o’clock tomorrow! That must mean they haven’t the warrant yet or they would have started right away. I’d better get down to the airport!’

I drew in a long breath of relief. My bet had come off. I had guessed right.

‘What do you mean?’ Rhea demanded.

‘Mean?’ He scowled at her. ‘What do you think I mean? If they find that dough, we’ll be in trouble.

I’m getting it right away before they find it. I was a dope to have left it there. I might have guessed they would start something like this.’

Rhea got to her feet. Her face was white and her eyes were glittering.

‘It’s a trap, you fool! Do you imagine Barber would have warned you if he wasn’t hoping you’d lead him to where you left the money? He will have told that Lieutenant! They will have detectives waiting for you.’

O’Reilly ran his fingers through his hair.

‘Yeah, maybe you’ve got something there, but we’ve got to take the risk, baby. Maybe you’d better collect the case. I’ll keep out of it.’

‘I’m not going. Let them find the money! They can’t possibly trace it to us!’

‘You’ll have to go,’ O’Reilly said. I could see his face was glistening with sweat. ‘What are you worried about? They wouldn’t interfere with you. They wouldn’t know you were collecting the dough.

They’d think you were just getting a suitcase.’

‘I’m not going!’ Rhea said, her voice shrill. ‘I’m not walking into a stupid trap like that! Let them find the money. There’s plenty more where that came from!’

O’Reilly moved away from her.

‘Look, baby, if you want to save your skin, you’d better go. Those two tapes are with the money.’

Rhea stiffened.

‘Tapes? What do you mean?’

‘You heard me — those two tapes I got from Barber are with the money.’

‘You told me you had destroyed them!’

‘Keep your goddam voice down! I didn’t destroy them.’

There was a long moment of silence, then she said, ‘You’re lying!’ Her voice was off-key and strident. ‘You want that money. You’re trying to trick me into getting it for you!’

O’Reilly suddenly looked bored.

‘Look, baby, this is your funeral, not mine. I’m telling you — those two tapes are with the money.

Okay, I admit it. I’ve been a mug. I let that cheap shyster Barber talk me into it. He said if I didn’t hang onto the tapes you could ditch me, so I went down to the airport and put them with the money. I would have given them to you as a wedding present. Now, you’re in trouble. I’m in the clear, but those tapes can fix you. You’d better go down to the airport and get them pronto.’

‘You devil!’ Rhea said, her voice a vicious whisper. ‘You stupid, blundering devil!’

‘You’re wasting time, baby. If you don’t want to spend the rest of your days in jail, you’d better get going.’

‘I’m not going! You’ll go or I’ll tell the police you murdered her! I may go to jail for a few years, but you’ll go to the gas chamber. I’ll tell them! I’ll tell them everything! Do you hear me! I’ve got your love-letters! I can fix you, you stupid oaf! Now go and get that case!’

‘Yeah?’ O’Reilly’s face suddenly turned to stone. ‘So that shyster was right. You would never have married me would you, you bitch? You’ve never even loved me, have you? I can see it on your face!’

‘Marry you?’ she screamed at him. ‘You? I promised you five hundred thousand, didn’t I? Do you imagine I’d marry a stupid hick like you? Go and get that money and those tapes!’

A .25 revolver suddenly appeared in his hand. He pointed it at Rhea.

‘I’ve a better idea, baby. How would it be if you decided to put a slug through your head? The cops would accept the suicide theory. They would find the tapes. They would guess you had listened to the broadcast, lost your nerve and took the easy way out, and that would put me in the clear. How do you like that?’

‘Put that gun down!’ Rhea said, backing away. ‘Barber knows you killed her! He’ll tell the police even if I don’t.’

O’Reilly grinned viciously.

‘He hasn’t a prayer. He’s no proof. I like my idea better.’ Renick shoved me aside, his hand sliding inside his coat and coming out with a .38. He stepped into the room.

‘Drop it!’ be shouted.

O’Reilly spun around. The .25 spat fire. It’s vicious little bark was half drowned by the bang of the .38.

O’Reilly dropped his gun. He blinked at Renick, then his knees folded and he slid to the floor as Rhea began to scream.

O’Reilly lived long enough to sign a statement. It was as I had guessed. Odette had fallen in love with him and had tried to persuade him to go away with her. O’Reilly was already in the toils of Rhea. The kidnapping plot was her idea. He had agreed to murder Odette for the ransom money and providing Rhea found someone to take the rap. So they picked on me.

When the dust finally settled, I found myself in a cell. I had no idea what was going to happen to me, but at least, I did know they couldn’t hang the murder on me.

I remained in the cell for two days, then Renick visited me.

‘You’ve got a break, Harry,’ he told me. ‘Meadows’s only hope of nailing this woman is for you to turn State evidence. He is willing to fix it with the judge for you to go free if you’ll do it. She’s got a battery of attorneys who could get her off unless you come in for us. Will you do it?’

I didn’t hesitate.

‘Of course I’ll do it.’

‘I knew you would. I’ve seen Nina. She is putting the bungalow in the market. When it’s sold, you two had better get out of town and try to make a fresh start some place else.’

‘You don’t have to tell me,’ I said. ‘I’ll get out fast enough. Can I see Nina?’

‘She’ll be along this afternoon.’

But why go on?

After a terrific legal battle, Rhea drew fifteen years. If it hadn’t been for my evidence she could have beaten this rap. Then I came up before the judge.

He told me what he thought of me. It didn’t amount to much, but he was wasting time: I didn’t think much of myself either. He said he would give me a suspended sentence of five years. If ever I got into any more trouble, the five years would have to be worked off before I began a sentence any other judge might hand out to me. But that was also a waste of time for I was through with trouble.

All I wanted now was Nina and the chance of a fresh start.

Nina was waiting for me as I left court.

She put her hand in mine and smiled at me.

Right at that moment, I felt the fresh start would take care of itself.