Реймонд Маршалл - The Paw in the Bottle

Julie stared. What was he getting at?

‘I... I don’t know what you mean.’

His cold blue eyes studied her face.

‘Never mind,’ he said a little abruptly. ‘Now let’s have the story. Mr. Wesley told us more or less about you, but I thought I’d like to have it direct. Got friendly with Harry Gleb all of a sudden, haven’t you? The last time I asked you about him you didn’t know him.’

Julie again changed colour.

‘I... I only got to know him — after you—’ she stopped.

‘Did you? All right, we’ll let that go. It doesn’t matter. I warned you to be careful of him, didn’t I? You showed some good sense in telling Wesley. We’d’ve got them sooner or later and we’d’ve got you too.’

Julie didn’t say anything. She was badly scared, realizing the escape she had had.

‘Well, let’s start from the time you became friendly with Gleb,’ Dawson went on. ‘Go on from there. I want all the facts. Don’t keep anything back.’

It was one thing to tell Wesley but quite something else to talk to the police. Julie hadn’t worked at the Bridge Café for over six months for nothing. She knew what happened to squealers.

‘It doesn’t pay to talk,’ Hewart had warned her. ‘... they found her in a back alley...’

But it was too late now. She would have to go through with it, and reluctantly she told Dawson what she had already told Wesley.

It wasn’t easy. Dawson watched her the whole time. He didn’t interrupt, but his eyes were coldly unsympathetic, and she felt he was making mental notes and would check up every detail of her story.

When she came to Theo, he thawed a little.

‘Now he is a nice lad,’ he said, with a wintry smile. ‘We’ll have to keep our eye on him. He got six months for bashing a girl a couple of years ago, and we nearly nabbed him for a vitriol job last summer, only his alibi was too good and the fool girl hadn’t the pluck to pick him in the parade. Yes, we’ll have to watch out for Theo — you watch out, too.’

Julie shivered.

‘We’ve had our eye on Ma French, too,’ Dawson went on. ‘She’s no fool either. That’s a smart idea to run a domestic agency. It gives her an in to a lot of rich folks’ houses. But this is the first time she’s used a plant. You watch her and see you don’t slip up. One mistake and she’ll smell a rat. You’re seeing them to-night?’

Julie nodded.

‘All right. I’ll have a man outside her place. If there’s any trouble throw something through the window: your bag or something,’ Dawson said. ‘You’re playing with fire, young lady. I don’t want to frighten you, but if that mob thought you were selling them out they’d be very nasty.’

‘I know,’ Julie said.

‘We don’t want any mistakes. If we can catch ’em carrying the furs out it’ll make a nice clean job of it. Let’s have a look at the safe. You can have a dress rehearsal just to make sure you can open it. You can bet your last penny they’ll want you to be there when they crack the job.’

Julie took him into Blanche’s bedroom.

‘Wouldn’t Mrs. Dawson be tickled to have a room like this,’ Dawson said, looking round. ‘How does Wesley get on with his wife?’ The question was shot at Julie and she became aware that Dawson was watching her closely.

‘He’s getting at something,’ she thought. ‘I’ll have to be careful.’

‘All right, I suppose,’ she said. ‘Perhaps you’d better ask him.’

Dawson stroked his long nose.

‘Shouldn’t think he’d tell me,’ he said with a dry smile. ‘He didn’t strike me as a friendly individual. Where’s the safe?’

Julie showed him.

‘Let’s see you open it. Don’t forget to turn off the alarms. I don’t want my people coming over here for nothing.’

Julie found the switch behind the head of the bed and turned it off. She went into the bathroom and turned off both switches on the wall. It took her a minute or so to find the square in the quilted wall that hid the dial and pointer. She set the pointer to number three, pressed the catch and opened the first door.

‘That’s pretty good,’ Dawson said. ‘What happens next?’

Julie opened the steel door by pressing the switch, turned off the light that fell on the photo-electric cell and stood back.

‘That’s how it’s done,’ she said, rather pleased with herself.

Dawson eyed the furs and whistled.

‘A beautiful haul,’ he said. ‘All right. That’s smooth enough. Close up.’

Julie shut the safe, turned on the alarms and followed him back to the lounge.

‘We want to find out when they’ll make the raid,’ Dawson told her. ‘If you’re careful there’ll be nothing to worry about. But keep your eye on Theo. Gleb’s a smooth, smart alec, but Theo’s dangerous.’

‘I know,’ Julie said.

Dawson eyed her thoughtfully.

‘And when this little party’s over, what are you going to do? Get into more trouble?’

Julie stiffened.

‘I’m not,’ she said coldly.

‘That’s good.’ The blue eyes were searching. ‘Is Mr. Wesley going to do something for you? He seems interested in you.’

‘I have no idea. I don’t have to worry. I can always find myself a job.’

‘Well, that’s something, isn’t it? You haven’t done so well up to now, but perhaps you’ve learned sense. Let’s hope so. You might not have a rich gentleman to champion you next time, young lady, so watch your step.’

He opened the front door and went off down the passage.

‘She should be here in a minute,’ Mrs. French said, with an impatient glance at the clock. ‘Theo’s watching her. I don’t think there’ll be trouble.’

Harry Gleb picked his teeth with a pin. There was a worried look in his eyes although he took pains to appear at ease.

‘I don’t like Theo,’ he said. ‘One of these days you’ll be sorry you took him on.’

Mrs. French gave an impatient grunt.

‘What’s the matter with him? You’re always on about him. I’m sick and tired of hearing you grouse.’

Harry eyed her, put the pin back in his coat lapel, sat forward.

‘He’s unreliable,’ he said, tapping the desk with a manicured nail. ‘He’s dangerous. He’s like a rat: corner him and he’ll bite.’

‘He’s too smart to be cornered.’

Harry laughed.

‘Theo — smart? Don’t make me laugh. His brain is fossilized. All he thinks about is bashing his way out of trouble. One of these days he’s going to do murder, and I don’t want to be with him when he does it.’

‘You talk like an old woman,’ Mrs. French said coldly. ‘Theo’s all right.’

‘A bloke who throws vitriol is never all right,’ Harry said. ‘He did six months for bashing a girl, didn’t he? The cops have his finger-prints. If he makes one slip he’s had it; and if the cops sweat him he’ll squeal. Then what will you and me do?’

‘I’m not worrying about him; I’m worrying about that Holland girl. She’ll squeal if we don’t watch her.’

Harry rubbed his face, frowned.

‘I’m getting out of this game after this job, Ma,’ he said. ‘It’s getting too hot. I think I’ll slip over to the States and have a look round. Let things cool off here.’

‘What’s the matter with you?’ Mrs. French asked sharply. ‘Getting cold feet or something?’

‘Shouldn’t be surprised,’ Harry said frankly. ‘I’ve had a good run. I’ve got a bit salted away and this job isn’t going to be for peanuts. Might as well enjoy myself while I can.’

‘You haven’t done the job yet,’ Mrs. French reminded him. The office door pushed open and Dana came in.

‘Hasn’t she come?’ she asked, running her slim fingers through Harry’s hair. ‘Hello, Harry, remember me?’