Джеймс Чейз - Not Safe to Be Free [= The Case of the Strangled Starlet]

You need never be frightened of me, Ginette. You are the special thing in my life .

He thought: it would be better for me to be caught than to hurt her. She gave me the loveliest and happiest experience of my life. I mustn’t repay her by death.

But the voice was growing louder and more insistent in his mind.

“See the way she is looking at you,” the voice said. “Do you call that love? She thinks you are mad. Kill her, you sentimental fool! You’ll never get away unless she’s dead. The moment you leave here, she’ll raise the alarm. You’ll never even reach the harbour.”

Jay found himself beginning to surrender to the urgency of the voice and his hand moved behind him, his fingers closing over the butt of the .25 automatic.

“Don’t use that!” the voice shouted at him. “Don’t shoot her! The noise of the gun will bring the police! Hit her over the head. There’s a bottle on the table. Use that! Hit her now!”

Jay moved over to the table, slightly away from the one at which Ginette was sitting.

I mustn’t do it, he thought, as his fingers closed around the neck of the bottle. She is the special thing in my life. I mustn’t hurt her.

“Do it now!” the voice inside his mind raved at him. “Quick! Don’t hesitate! She’ll start to scream in a moment and then you’ll never get away!”

He picked up the bottle.

Ginette sat paralysed, watching him. She was so frightened the scream forming in her throat made no sound.

“Now! Now! Now!” the voice urged. “Quickly!”

But with an effort that brought sweat to his face, Jay put the bottle back on the table.

“Get out of here! Go quickly!” His voice was strangled. “Quick! Get out of here!”

Instinctively she realized that for her sake he was holding on desperately to his tottering sanity and fighting to control a mad urge to kill her. She could see the struggle going on from the expression on his face.

She scrambled to her feet and darted across the room. She began to tear blindly at the bolts on the door.

Jay felt his control leave him. The voice inside him was screaming abuse at him. He felt himself turn and his hand reach for the bottle.

As he picked it up, Ginette wrenched open the door and stumbled into the street.

She fell on her knees on the pavement, hiding her face in her hands and she began to scream wildly.

Police cars were pulling up at this moment.

Devereaux and Delaney were the first out of the cars.

Devereaux ran to the screaming girl and pulled her to her feet.

“It’s all right! It’s all right!” he cried. “Stop screaming! Where is he?”

Ginette pointed to the café, then her eyes rolled back and she went limp in the Inspector’s arms.

“Here — take her!” Devereaux said, thrusting the unconscious girl into the hands of the nearest gendarme. He moved towards the café entrance as the police, spilling out of the cars, began to control the crowd that had immediately collected.

Floyd Delaney caught the Inspector by his arm.

“Wait!” he said. “I’ll go in there. If he sees you, he’ll probably use the gun.”

“Better not,” Devereaux said, uneasily. “He’s dangerous. Better leave him to us.”

“Do you think I’m frightened of my own son?” Delaney said. “I can handle him. Keep out of the way!”

He walked into the café and paused just inside, looking into the gloom.

“Jay? Where are you?”

He heard no sound except the murmur of the crowd behind him. Without hesitation, he walked further into the bar room.

“Jay? Come on, son. I’ve come to take you home,” he said quietly. “There’s nothing to be frightened of. You and I can work this thing out together.”

And as he said this, he realized the futility of his words. He had left it far too late now to help the boy.

Then the sudden sharp bang of the .25 automatic made him start. The sound came from the half-open door that led into the kitchen.

The bang of the gun was immediately followed by the sound of a heavy fall, then a gasping, sobbing sigh.

Delaney flinched and turned away.

Through the half-open door, a thin wisp of cordite smoke drifted on the still air. It hung for a second or so, then dispersed like a departing spirit.

Devereaux came quickly into the bar room.

He looked at Delaney, who was pressing his hands to his face, then he walked across to the kitchen and pushed the door wide open.