James Chase - You Must Be Kidding

Ken shook his head.

‘I don’t want anything to do with it,’ he said firmly. ‘This is police business. Don’t tell me you can’t call and see Gregg yourself. Why drag me into this?’

Lepski shifted in his chair.

‘Let me spell this out, Mr. Brandon. We could be making a mistake. Gregg may not be the killer we are after. The Gregg family employ the smartest and toughest attorney in this city. If we are wrong about Gregg, we could get landed with a libel action. All I am asking you to do is to take a look at Gregg. If he doesn’t match up with the description we have of this killer, that’s it. Maybe, you can sell him some insurance. If he does match up, then we move in and arrest him.’

Again Ken shook his head.

‘I won’t have anything to do with this.’

With his wolf’s smile, Lepski played his trump card.

‘You are forgetting one important thing, Mr. Brandon. If Gregg is the man we are after, and you identify him for us, you will pick up the reward Mr. Sternwood is offering... two hundred thousand dollars.’

Ken gaped.

‘Two hundred thousand dollars? Me? You must be kidding!’

‘No kidding, Mr. Brandon. I assure you if you identify Gregg as the man we want, you get the reward.’

Two hundred thousand dollars!

Ken felt a surge of excitement run through him. What couldn’t he do with money like that! Into his mind swam a picture of a new house in a better district, a big swimming pool, better cars for Betty and himself! Betty could even give up working for Dr. Heintz! He could even give up his job and start his own business!

Watching him, Lepski saw Ken was hooked.

‘If you really mean I’ll get the reward if I identify Gregg,’ Ken said, ‘then I’ll cooperate.’

Lepski beamed at him.

‘Providing your evidence leads to Gregg’s arrest and conviction,’ he said, ‘then you get the reward. I guarantee that.’

Ken drew in a deep breath.

‘Okay.’ His mind was churning with the thought of owning two hundred thousand dollars. ‘So what do you want me to do?’

Lepski knew that Brandon could be dealing with a dangerous killer, but he held back this information, fearing Brandon might chicken out if he realized he could be walking into trouble. Brandon must be protected, Lepski told himself.

‘I’ll set it up,’ he said, and picking up the telephone receiver, he dialled police headquarters. He asked for Max Jacoby. After a delay, Jacoby came on the line.

‘Max... Tom,’ Lepski said. ‘That idea you had could jell. I want you to come fast to Paradise City Assurance, Secomb. We have a trip to make.’

‘I’m up to my eyes in work!’ Jacoby protested.

‘Who the hell cares? Get moving, fast!’ Lepski hung up. Then smiling at Ken, he said, ‘No problem. In half an hour, we’ll get going. Here’s what you have to do.’

His mind only half concentrating, as he kept thinking what he would do with two hundred thousand dollars, Ken listened.

Lepski, driving his car with Max Jacoby at his side, followed Ken’s car as he headed for Acacia Drive.

Jacoby was worried.

‘I hope to God you know what you are doing,’ he said, as Lepski slowed the car in a traffic block. ‘We are sticking our necks out! The Chief will have our hides if something goes wrong. You should have reported to him first!’

‘Relax,’ Lepski said. ‘You know as well as I do, if I told the Chief knew what’s cooking, he would have put his foot on it. Between the two of us, Max, we could bust this case.’

‘How about Brandon?’ Jacoby demanded. ‘Suppose he walks into trouble? Suppose Gregg is our man? We know the killer is a psychopath. Suppose he kills Brandon? What will happen to us?’

‘Take it easy, Max,’ Lepski said, not feeling all that easy himself. ‘We are giving Brandon protection, aren’t we? That’s why I have you with me.’

‘Did you warn Brandon that he could be walking into trouble?’

‘Look, Max, Brandon wants the reward. He is willing to cooperate,’ Lepski said, knowing he should have warned Brandon. ‘If he fingers Gregg for us, he picks up two hundred grand.’

‘Not if he is killed!’ Jacoby snapped. ‘And is this such a hot idea of yours to get him to wear the golf ball jacket?’

‘If Gregg is our man, the sight of that jacket could throw him,’ Lepski said. ‘If he isn’t our man, then the jacket will mean nothing to him. These psychos crack easily under pressure. Anyway, no one picks up two hundred thousand dollars for nothing.’

‘Did you warn Brandon he could be walking into trouble?’ Jacoby persisted.

Lepski shifted in his driving seat.

‘I told him not to go into the villa. I told him to stay right on the doorstep so we could watch him all the time. Just relax for the love of Pete!’

By now they had reached Acacia Drive, and as arranged, Ken drew up within a hundred yards of the Gregg villa.

‘Let’s go,’ Lepski said, sliding out of the car. Followed by Jacoby, he walked to Ken’s car.

‘Go ahead, Mr. Brandon,’ he said, looking through the open car window. ‘Just remember, don’t go into the villa. Tell the butler you want a quick word with Mr. Gregg. If he invites you in, tell him you’re badly parked and it won’t take a minute. All you have to do is take a long look at Gregg. Okay?’

Ken began to read the message. His hands, resting on the steering wheel, turned clammy.

‘Gregg could be dangerous?’ There was a sudden quaver in his voice.

Lepski shifted impatiently.

‘Take it easy,’ he said. ‘There’s a butler. Maybe Mrs. Gregg is there. You have nothing to worry about. You stay right on the doorstep where we can see you, and there’s no problem.’

Ken began to sweat.

‘But suppose I have to go inside?’

‘You don’t!’ Lepski barked in his cop voice. ‘If Gregg is our man, he won’t start anything with the butler and his mother around. You could be picking up two hundred thousand bucks!’ Reaching through the open car window, he patted Ken on his shoulder. ‘You have no problems, Mr. Brandon. We are right behind you.’

Ken hesitated, then he thought again of the reward. He forced an uneasy smile.

‘Okay... I’m on my way.’

He drove to the entrance of the Gregg villa, looking in his driving mirror to make sure Lepski and Jacoby were following him on foot. He was self-conscious about wearing the golf ball jacket, but Lepski had insisted he should wear it. Then parking outside the villa, he left the car and walked slowly up the drive. He glanced back, and was in time to see the two detectives had entered and were ducking out of sight into a vast clump of flowering shrubs.

He walked up to the front door of the villa, then, bracing himself, he thumbed the bell. He heard the chimes of bolls somewhere inside the villa. He waited, feeling the hot sun on his back, his heart thumping. Nothing happened. He looked uneasily behind him, but there were no signs of the two detectives. He felt frighteningly alone. He thumbed the bell again. Apart from the sound of the bells, a heavy silence brooded over the villa.

He took out his handkerchief and mopped his sweating face. He began to relax. Maybe, he told himself, no one was home. He felt a disappointed letdown. The dream of two hundred thousand dollars began to fade.

After waiting another long moment, he took a step back. Then almost relieved, he turned to walk back to his car. At this moment, the front door of the villa opened.

Watching, Lepski and Jacoby, concealed behind flowering shrubs, saw Ken start down the steps, pause and turn around. They saw the front door open, but that was all they could see. Ken, moving back to the top step, blotted out their view. All they could see was his broad back.