James Chase - Miss Callaghan Comes to Grief

When she had gone he turned to Jay excitedly. “It looks like it. The troopers at the west barricade report that a blond guy with his wife passed through in a two−seater Chrysler.” He checked himself from a note−book. “They say the girl was wearing a red dress with pinhead white spots. Let’s go over an’ find out if that’s the dress this Leroy dame was wearing. If it is, we’ll get after them. They’re heading for Hollywood by the U.S. Highway 40.”

Jay followed him out of the hotel.

September 14th, 11.50 p.m.

RAVEN said, “We’ll stop at Odessa for the night.”

Marie clenched her fists, but said nothing. The continuous driving had unnerved both of them, and Raven had lost patience. He wasn’t going to drive like this day and night, with her sitting at his side. What the hell did she think? She wasn’t just goin’ to sit around all day and all night, letting him take her free of expense all the way to Hollywood. It was time she paid for her trip.

“It’s a tough little town,” he said, “but it’ll do for the night. We’ll stop again at Kansas City. You’ll like that.”

She said, “It’ll take us weeks to get to Hollywood.”

“Not after tonight it won’t,” he said with a little grin. “Time’ll go fast enough after tonight.”

She looked at him uneasily, but said nothing. A few minutes later they drove into Odessa.

Raven stopped at a petrol station and had his tank filled. He asked where a hotel was, and then drove in the direction indicated.

As they got out of the car he said, “Mr. and Mrs. Young, baby, an’ don’t forget it.”

She walked into the lobby without answering. A negro came out at a run and took their bags. Raven went over and signed the register. The clerk blotted the ink, looked at the name, gave a little start, and glanced up at Raven searchingly.

“Anythin’ wrong?” Raven asked, his eyes suddenly going hard.

The clerk shook his head. “Quite okay, sir,” he said. “You’ve omitted to say where you’ve come from.”

Raven took up the pen and scribbled “Jefferson City", then he turned away.

“A double room?” the clerk asked.

Marie stiffened.

“Sure,” Raven said, smiling at her. “An’ a double bed.”

There was no elevator, and they followed the negro up two flights of stairs.

“These hick hotels give me a pain,” Raven said.

Marie found she couldn’t answer him. Her heart was beating wildly, and she felt a little sick.

They went into a large, shabbily furnished room. The big iron double bed took up a lot of room. When the negro got his tip he left them with a broad grin.

Raven took off his hat and dust−coat and yawned. “How do you like it?” he asked, looking round.

“I think it’s horribly sordid,” Marie said with a little shudder. “Mr. Young, must we go through with this?

You could have given me a single room, couldn’t you?”

Raven grinned at her. “Sure I could.”

“You said it was business. You said I didn’t have anything to worry about. Can’t you see this is all horribly sordid?”

Raven sat on the bed. “I’ve brought you so far,” he said, “and I guess I’m entitled to a little consideration from you. But I won’t force myself on you. I’ll put it like this. If you want to go on with me you’ll stay here tonight and be nice. If you want either to stay in this burg an’ rot or walk back to St. Louis, then I’ll go off now an’ take the car an’ leave you to it. What’s it to be?”

She said, “Oh, all right. You’ve got me where you want me, haven’t you? I trade my body for the ride.

That’s what you mean, isn’t it?”

Raven’s face twitched. “I thought of lettin’ you down easy,” he said between his teeth, “but if you’re goin’

to swap smart cracks you’ll go the whole way.”

She sat on the other side of the bed away from him and began to cry. “My God!” she said. “I’ve been a fool.”

He suddenly lost patience with her and pushed her on to the bed. She saw the sudden lust that had come into his eyes and for a moment a scream hovered in her throat.

Raven said, “Don’t yell.” He pinched her jaw between two fingers. “Do you want to go through with this or shall I beat it?”

She lay flat on her back and looked up at him. She saw the blank lustful look that made him almost animal.

She could see the little beads of sweat standing out on his toad−coloured skin. She could see his body trembling and she could feel the vibrations shaking the bed. She wanted to say no, but she knew he’d have no mercy on her. He’d leave her here. She had one dollar and forty cents in her purse. What could she do with that?

So she shut her eyes, blotting out the strange inhuman face so close to hers, and through dry lips she told him to go ahead.

He put his hand on the front of her dress and ripped it. The thin material tore easily. She half sat up, but he shoved her down again. “Stay still,” he said, his eyes blazing savagely. “I’ll buy you everything you want.

Stay still.”

“No, not like this,” she said, taking his wrist in both hands as he gripped her slip. “Pleaseit’s horrible. Not like this.”

“Let go. Do you hear? Let go.”

Her hands dropped away as he ripped the silk from her and the hot night air slid over her frightened nakedness. She put both her hands over her eyes and began to cry.

Her long white body and her tight drawn−up breasts inflamed him. He reached out two shaking hands towards her, when a heavy rap sounded on the door.

For a second Raven stood paralysed. Then his instinct overrode his lust and he jerked up, his hand pulling his gun from its holster.

“What is it?” he said. His voice sounded cracked and hoarse to him.

Marie half turned on her side, hiding her head in her arms. Her white shoulders heaved with her crying.

“Come on out, Raven, with your hands in the air,” someone called.

Raven turned very cold. His mind sprang to the clerk and the start he’d given when he had signed the book.

He was trapped. He hadn’t even the Thompson, which, like the crazy fool he was, he’d left in the boot of the car. He fired one shot that crashed through the door and he heard footsteps move hastily away.

Marie sat up on the bed with a scream. “What is it?” she said, staring at his gun. “Why are youshooting?

What”

Raven turned on her savagely. “Shut up!” he snarled.

“Hi, Raven,” someone called again, “you can’t get away. The place’s surrounded. Better give up. You’ve got no chance in the world.”

“Come an’ get me!” he shouted back savagely, sending another shot through the door.

“Raven?” Marie gasped. “Are you Raven?”

He turned on her. “Yeah. Now you know, you stupid little bitch. You got me outta town, do you understand? Now, by God, you’ll get me out of here too!”

Shoving his gun into his side pocket, he grabbed her by her arm and pulled her to her feet. He wrenched off the ripped clothes that hung on her.

She was too terrified to feel her shame. “What are you going to do with me?” she said.

“You’re goin’ out there,” Raven told her, pulling his gun out again. “You’re goin’ to walk in front of me. If they shoot at me it’s goin’ to be too bad for you.”

“You can’t do that. It’s not my fight. You wouldn’t force me into this… please… not like this!”

Twisting her arms behind her, he gripped her two wrists in one of his hands, then, crouching close behind her, he shoved her to the door.

“I’m comin’ out!” he yelled. “Don’t shoot. I’m comin’ out.”

In a low, savage voice, he said to her, “If you faint, or try any tricks I’ll spread your goddamn’ guts all over the town.” He rammed the cold gun into her backbone, making her cry out with the pain, then he unlocked the door and pushed her out.