Джеймс Чейз - You Never Know With Women

I waited long enough to be sure it was her, then I shook her off, made a quick circle around her and got on her tail. She didn’t know it, and she didn’t shake me off. I stuck to her like a burr and she never saw me.

She was bewildered and rattled by the way I had suddenly vanished, and for some time she kept prowling the streets trying to find me. I moved along in the rear, and she never thought to look behind her, so anxious was she to pick up my trail. After some time of this she stood on the edge of the kerb and tried to make up her mind what to do. I stood about ten feet from her, reading a newspaper and holding it so it shielded my face.

She didn’t expect me to be so close and therefore she didn’t see me. Finally she gave an angry little shrug and set off towards the car park. I had my car handy and was ready for her when she drove out of Santa Medina in a brand new Mercury.

I guessed after a while that she was heading for San Bernadino. There was no other town on this road, and San Bernadino was the first stop. I accelerated and got in front of her, and after a while I increased speed and soon lost her in a cloud of dust. By the time she arrived in San Bernadino I had garaged my car and hired a two-seater coupe. It was the easiest thing in the world to drive straight after her and she didn’t know me from Adam.

I wanted to know where she lived, and she took me right to the door. It was like taking dimes from a blind man’s cup. The house was up on a hill in a well-screened garden. I saw her stop the Mercury in front of the entrance and go inside. That was good enough for me.

I made inquiries in the town about her and learned she had rented the house furnished, then I drove back to Santa Medina, satisfied that the end was in sight.

I spent a little while with Mick explaining what I wanted him to do. At first, he was inclined to argue, but I persuaded him to see it my way, and in the end he agreed to play.

Early next morning I went out to San Bernadino, left the car at the garage and walked up to Veda’s place. There was plenty of cover and I settled down behind a hedge in her garden and waited for her to show herself.

I had a long wait, but around noon she came out. For a moment or so she stood on the front step and looked around the garden. She looked right at me, but that didn’t worry me. I was too well hidden, and she would have needed X-ray eyes to have seen me. She was about fifty yards from me and I thought she looked ill. The red-dyed hair didn’t suit her, her skin was pallid, and there were dark smudges under her eyes. She was dressed in a yellow-and-black flowered frock that showed off her superb little figure, and in her hand she carried a big sun hat. All new stuff. She was spending money all right.

I watched her drive away towards Santa Medina, and I guessed she was going to look for me again. I let her go. I was up there to look the house over. There’d be time to talk to her when I’d found what I was expecting to find.

When I was sure she was well out of the way, I walked up to the front door and rang the bell. No one answered. I took a quick look around before working on the lock. High flowering hedges screened the door from the road. No one was likely to see me. After a minute or so I turned the lock and pushed open the front door.

The only thing that came to meet me as I walked in was the faint smell of her perfume. But I was cautious, and went from room to room with my gun in my fist. She had no one to look after her. The house was impersonal, clean and unfriendly. I felt sorry for her living like this. It couldn’t have been much fun. Even the shack, primitive as it had been, was more homely than this place.

As soon as I satisfied myself that there was no one lurking in a cupboard or behind the curtains, I went to her bedroom. I thought it likely she wouldn’t be back before nightfall, but I couldn’t count on that. I had to work fast.

The wardrobe in the bedroom was locked, but I opened it without difficulty. On the floor of the wardrobe was her suitcase. This was also locked, and the lock resisted all my efforts to open it. Finally I cut the lock off by sawing through the leather.

There were only two things in the bag that interested me: a big wad of five-and twenty-dollar bills and a gold compact. I flicked through the notes. There must have been about twenty grand in that bundle: part of the money Brett had promised me for the dagger. I wasn’t surprised. By now I had guessed who had killed Brett, and this confirmed it.

“Don’t move,” she said from the doorway.

I hadn’t expected her, but I had known the risk. It was something I’d told Mick to take care of.

“Hello, Alma,” I said, and smiled at her.

She was pointing a.38 at me, and there was an expression on her face that might have meant anything.

“Have you told anyone?” she asked. Her voice was low and controlled.

“The boot’s on the other foot now, isn’t it? Remember what you said: “First Brett, then Max, now me.” It’s my turn to say it to you.”

“Have you told anyone?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, kid, but I couldn’t take any chances.”

I was watching her knuckle turn white as she began to take in the slack of the trigger. It was an unpleasant moment. I thought she was going to give it to me before I was ready.

“Joe tipped you, didn’t he?” I said. “I thought he would. The birth-mark gave it away, didn’t it, Alma? I knew the only way to find you was for you to come to me. As soon as Joe told you about the birth-mark you knew I’d found out about Veda. It was Joe, wasn’t it? It was Joe who let you out so you could kill Brett. You must have been very seductive to Joe, Alma.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Why not? You’re Alma Baillie, aren’t you?”

“How long have I before they come?”

“Not long.”

“How long, Floyd?”

The way she was looking at me now made my heart pound. I was always a sucker for women. If she had put down the gun I would have taken her in my arms.

“Not long. Listen, kid, why didn’t you tell me? I’d’ve looked after you. Why did you try to push Brett’s killing on to me?”

You were a natural for it, and I can’t resist naturals. Have you told the police?”

“Redfern.”

Her mouth set.

“All right, Floyd. At least you won’t be at the trial.”

“Shooting me won’t get you anywhere. You can’t get away, unless...”

“Unless... what?”

“Unless you clear me. I could fix it for you if you did that.” All the time I was talking I was getting ready to jump her. I had pushed the suitcase out of my way, my muscles were tightening and I was judging the distance. It was going to be a pretty desperate jump.

“How?”

“Mick owns the police in this town. We could get you out of the country.”

The awful little smile flickered at the corners of her mouth. I suddenly realized how Max must have felt when she was coming at him with the poker. I began to sweat.

“I don’t trust you, Floyd. Once a cheap crook, always a cheap crook.”

I was ready now. In another second she would see I was ready. It was now or never.

“Okay, Redfern,” I shouted suddenly. “Come in and take her.”

I had her rattled. She half turned to the door. I launched myself at her. I was a fraction late. The gun exploded in my face, and I felt a slug kick the top of my ear. Then I was on top of her, trying to grab her wrists. She was as quick and as slippery as a snake. She nearly rammed the gun in my side, but I knocked it away as she fired. I felt the slug rip through my coat. I could feel her hot breath against my cheek as I grabbed her gun hand and hung, on. She hit and scratched at my face, twisted and kicked. But I had the gun now, wrenched it from her, threw her off and struggled to my feet.