Джеймс Чейз - Believe This... You’ll Believe Anything

In one week from tomorrow I would be a member of Vidal’s staff I still couldn’t believe it. Val had promised she would catch Vidal in the right mood and she had seized the chance when he had returned so unexpectedly. This surprised me. I had left her terrified yet she had been able to recover enough to persuade Vidal he would save money by employing me.

When I joined them by the pool, Val had said she would change for dinner and she left Vidal and me together.

‘This idea my wife has of you joining my staff,’ he said as soon as she had gone, ‘is smart. Dyer should have thought of it. It will save me money.’ He gave me a sharp look. ‘Save the dimes Burden’ (I noted the ‘mister’ had been dropped), ‘and the dollars take care of themselves. I should have been told agency commissions were so high. She tells me she has discussed the idea with you and you’re ready to work for me. That’s okay with me. I’ll give you a week to tie up your end so report to Dyer tomorrow week, huh? My wife wants to work with you. That’s constructive thinking. She knows the work and it will occupy her. Everyone needs to be occupied. She tells me you are efficient. I hope so Burden. I don’t get along with inefficiency. See my attorney, Jason Shackman. He will give you a contract. You will take instructions from my wife. If you have any questions, ask her.’ He got to his feet. ‘Keep on your toes. Pull your weight and you’ll be happy working with us.’ He bounced away to the hotel.

I leaned back in my seat and fastened the safety belt. It had come off! In a week’s time I would once again be working with Val. It would be turning the clock back six years. I’ll be with her constantly was my greatest wish. There will be moments like this when he is away, she had promised. Those were the moments I would live for.

I thought of all the things I had to do during the coming week. I thought of Rhoda. I would have to be very careful not to give her the slightest suspicion there was more to this offer of Vidal’s than promotion and money.

I must warn Val to keep away from the Trendie Miss boutique. It would be fatal if Olson saw her. He might tell Rhoda who she was and then the red light would go up.

At Miami airport, I joined Val and Vidal at the Customs barrier.

‘Take care of the baggage Burden,’ Vidal said abruptly. ‘Come, Valerie. The Rolls will be waiting.’

There was some delay before I cleared the baggage, then, as I followed the porter out into the lobby, I saw Vernon Dyer, immaculate in a lemon coloured suit, waiting. He gave me a sneering little grin.

‘So you have become one of us, you poor, misguided fellow,’ he said. ‘Tiny has just broken the news to me.’

‘Tiny?’

‘We call him that: top secret of course. Well, welcome to the slave house. I hear our Mrs. V. is putting her harness on again. At least Tiny won’t have to pay her, but rather you than me. Strictly between slaves, old boy, she can be difficult: repeat difficult. There are times when she can even be horrid.’ He chuckled. ‘Must be frustration. It can’t be fun to bed with hairy Tiny.’

I felt like hitting him, but I controlled myself.

‘I’ve got baggage here.’

‘I’ll take care of it. Thank God this is the last time I’ll have to be his dreary porter. See you next Monday, old boy,’ and with a languid wave of his hand, he directed the bagman to take the baggage to a waiting estate wagon.

Back home, I found the expected chaos. Surprisingly, Rhoda was out. The bedroom and the living room were in a depressing state of confusion. She had managed to spill her face powder over her dressing table. Cigarette butts overflowed from ashtrays. The bed was unmade. She had dropped her lipstick on the carpet and had trodden on it. The bathroom was in a complete mess and her clothes lay where she had dropped them. I spent a couple of hours clearing up. By then it was lunchtime. I made myself a martini and went into the kitchen. As I expected, she had done no shopping for the weekend. Apart from a few cans of sardines, there was nothing to eat.

I wondered where she had got to. We seldom went out on Sundays. She preferred to slop around and sunbathe on the balcony. I had only a cup of coffee on the aircraft and I was now hungry. I decided to go down to the Coffee shop. As I started towards the door, Rhoda came in.

‘Oh, hello.’ She came across to peck me on the cheek. ‘I wasn’t sure when you would be back. Have a good trip?’

For a Sunday she looked surprisingly smart although she hadn’t bothered to put on her usual elaborate make-up.

‘Where have you been?’ I asked.

‘At the Club.’ She pouted. ‘I got bored sticking around here on my own. Is there anything to eat?’

‘You know there isn’t! Let’s go to the coffee shop.’

‘Oh, God! That again! I thought you might have picked something up on your way back.’

‘Well, I didn’t. I’ve got something for you.’ I gave her the snakeskin belt.

She promptly found fault with it:

‘It’s not my size and what am I going to wear with it?’

‘That’s your problem. Come on... I’m hungry.’ We went down to the coffee shop and ordered steaks.

‘How did you get on with the slinky Mrs. Vidal?’ she asked, once the order was given. She looked at me with a jeering little grin. ‘Have you fallen for her?’

I reached for a roll and began to butter it.

‘Sorry to disappoint you. There is no romance in the offing.’

‘Well, at least, admit she isn’t bad looking.’

‘I admit she isn’t bad looking.’

I could see she was irritated, I wasn’t rising to the bait ‘You mean she didn’t try to drag you into her bed?’

‘Shall we skip this drivel, honey,’ I said quietly. ‘I’ve something important to tell you, but if you must play you’re not so funny game, I’ll wait until you are through.’ I thought this was the safest way to play it. I was right. She flushed angrily. She hated to be treated like a child.

‘So what’s so important?’ she demanded.

‘Are you quite sure you don’t want to continue about Mrs. Vidal?’

‘Cut it out Clay! Don’t be so filthy! What’s important?’

‘I’m changing my job. Vidal made me an offer to come on his staff and I’ve accepted it!’

Her eyes popped open wide.

‘You mean you’re leaving A.T.S.?’

‘That’s right.’

‘But why?’

‘The money is twice as good as I’m getting now and the work will be much more interesting. It’s an opportunity too good to miss.’

‘Is it?’ She paused as the waitress set the plates before us. ‘How about your pension? You’ve worked for A.T.S. for years. I think you are nuts. Suppose Vidal drops dead? What will you do then?’

These were shrewd points which I hadn’t considered. I couldn’t tell her the reason I was going to work for Vidal and the only reason was that I would be in continual contact with Val.

‘He won’t drop dead and he’s taking care of the pension angle.’

She ate some of the steak, frowning.

‘Well, I suppose you know what you are doing. Where will you work?’

‘He has offices close to the house.’

‘Hey! What about me?’ She put down her knife and fork and stared at me. ‘How do I get to work and home again?’

‘With the extra money he is paying I can afford to buy a car for you.’

Her eyes lit up.

‘Honest?’

‘That’s what the man said.’

‘I don’t want some crummy heap Clay. I want either an Austin Cooper or a Toyota.’

‘You can have what you want.’

‘Big deal, huh?’ I could see she was pleased. She was so busy thinking about the car, she raised no further objections. It was as easy as that. However, while we were getting ready for bed after watching TV, she said suddenly, ‘I suppose you’ll be seeing a lot of Slinky?’