Джеймс Чейз - The Flesh of the Orchid

Max touched Frank’s arm. Both men knew exactly what to do. Frank remained still: he held his heavy .45 gun loosely in his hand while Max crept forward, his rubber-soled shoes making sound on the white-paved terrace. He held the steel rod like a man carrying a flag in a procession. When he was within a few yards of the guard he stopped.

The noose of piano wire rose in the air, began a silent descent until it was a foot or so above the head of the guard. Max fiddled with the slack of the wire which he held in his hand, adjusting the noose so that it would pass over the wide brim of the guard’s hat. Then, with a quick movement like a snake striking, Max swished the noose down and dragged the slack. At the same moment Frank, moving like a silent, vicious shadow, sprang forward, snatched up the guard’s rifle.

The guard, caught round the throat by the strangling wire, could make no sound, and was dragged over backwards, his legs thrashing, his fingers frantically trying to find a purchase on the wire that was cutting into the soft skin of his throat. He struggled for barely ten seconds before his body went limp and blood ran out of his mouth.

Max loosened the noose while Frank eased the wire from the strangled man’s throat. Without wasting a moment, Max collapsed the rod, which telescoped into a length of about two feet, and joined Frank in carrying the guard into the dark garden.

A moment or so later Magarth and Staum turned the corner and walked along the back terrace.

‘I don’t see him around,’ Magarth said abruptly. ‘I suppose he’s gone to bed or something.’

‘He’s around somewhere,’ Staum snapped. ‘He wouldn’t leave his post unless I told him.’ Raising his voice, he bawled: ‘Hey! O’Brien! I want you.’

The two men waited in the darkness. No sound nor movement reached them, and while they waited the Sullivans slipped like shadows to the front of the house, crept towards Mason, who had laid down his rifle to light another cigarette.

‘Some guard,’ Magarth said angrily. ‘I’ll raise hell about this when I see the Sheriff.’

Staum looked worried.

‘He should be here,’ he muttered, walked to the end of the terrace, bawled again, ‘O’Brien!’

‘I guess we’ll find him in the kitchen,’ Magarth said bitterly. He turned sharply, retraced his steps.

The Sullivans had scarcely time to carry Mason away. They had no time to collect his rifle nor his hat, which had fallen off in his death struggle.

‘Now Mason’s scrammed,’ Magarth said, not seeing the glow of a cigarette. ‘You there, guard?’ he called, raising his voice.

Staum joined him.

‘What are you playing at?’ he snarled. ‘Trying to make out Mason’s quit his job?’

‘It looks like it,’ Magarth said, and felt the hair on the nape of his neck bristle. ‘I don’t see him around.’

Staum fetched out a powerful flashlight, shot the white beam along the terrace.

The two men stood transfixed as they saw the hat and rifle lying on the white flagstones.

‘Mason!’ Staum shouted, took a step forward. There was a sudden off-key note in his voice.

‘Put that light out,’ Magarth said, snatching up Mason’s rifle. ‘Come on; inside, quick!’

Staum didn’t need any urging. Neither of them said anything until Magarth had closed and barred the front door.

‘What’s happened to them?’ Staum asked, shaken.

‘I told you the Sullivans were here — do you want more proof?’ Magarth said, pushed past the gaping Deputy, ran to the kitchen, which was deserted. He locked and bolted the back door, returned to the hall. ‘You stay here and keep your eyes peeled,’ he said to Staum. ‘I’m going upstairs. They’re after Larson, but they’re not going to get him. You’re the first line of defence. See they don’t get you,’ and he left Staum, who was now looking scared, and ran up the stairs.

Veda met him on the landing.

‘Is it all right?’ she asked, then clutched his arm when she saw the expression in his eyes. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Plenty,’ he said, keeping his voice low. ‘They’re out there all right, and they’ve got the two guards. That leaves Staum and me, you, Carol and the nurse. They’ve cut the telephone wires, so we’re sealed off unless—’

‘I’ll go,’ Veda said promptly. ‘I could get across the plantation and get the overseer and his men up here.’

Magarth slipped his arm round her.

‘That’s fine,’ he said, ‘but not yet. We can’t afford to take chances. If they get you, we’re sunk. We’d best wait until they try to get into the house, then you slip out the back way.’

‘It may be too late then,’ Veda said. ‘It’ll take me ten minutes at least to get across the plantation. I’d better go now.’

‘You’re not going until I know where they are,’ Magarth said firmly. ‘Where’s Carol?’

‘She’s with Steve.’

‘All right; we’ll keep near Steve. They’re after him, and it’ll be to his room they’ll come if they get into the house.’

‘You ain’t leaving me down here alone, are you?’ Staum called up plaintively from the foot of the stairs.

‘Why not?’ Magarth returned. ‘The Sullivans are just a bogey you frighten children with — remember? You’re not a child, are you?’ He took Veda’s arm and together they walked quickly down the passage to Steve’s room.

They found Carol, looking lovely in one of Veda’s simple linen dresses, seated by Steve’s side. Nurse Davies, a tail, grey-haired woman, was sewing near the window.

Carol looked up quickly as Magarth and Veda came in, and made a quick sign to them not to say anything.

Steve, looking white and drawn, opened his eyes as Magarth came quietly to his side.

‘Hello, you big, lazy dope,’ Magarth said, smiling. ‘Got your girl now, have you?’

Steve nodded.

‘Thanks to you, Phil,’ he said, reached out for Carol’s hand. ‘Just to see her makes me feel good.’

‘Mr. Larson shouldn’t talk,’ Nurse Davies said, shaking her head at Magarth. ‘He’s still very weak.’

‘Sure,’ Magarth said, stepped back, signed to Carol.

‘I’ll be back in a moment,’ she said to Steve, patted his hand, joined Magarth and Veda in the passage.

‘Look, kid,’ Magarth said quickly, ‘you were right. They’re out there and they’ve got the two guards. You stay with Steve. I’ll stick right here outside the door. Staum’s watching the stairs. They can’t reach him except up the stairs, so lock yourself in and don’t get scared. They’re not going to get him.’

Carol’s face paled, but her eyes were determined.

‘No,’ she said. ‘They’re not going to get him.’

‘Good kid,’ Magarth said. ‘You get back to Steve and leave this to me.’ He pushed her gently back into Steve’s room, turned to Veda. ‘That’s about all we can do,’ he went on. ‘The next move is up to them.’

‘I’m going, Phil,’ Veda said. ‘I know every inch of the way in the dark. It’s madness to wait for them to make the first move. We must get help.’

‘Maybe I’d better go,’ Magarth said, running his fingers through his hair. ‘I don’t like the idea of you going out there...’

‘I’m going, so stop arguing. Come and see me off.’

The Sullivans were waiting for just such a move. Frank stood in the shadows near the back door; Max leaned against the wall a foot or so from the front door. They were in no hurry. They knew that the plantation workers had their living quarters on the other side of the plantation, and the only way Magarth could raise the alarm and get help was to send someone to make the journey.

‘We’ll try the back way,’ Magarth said, ‘but I’m going out first to see if the coast’s clear. Then run, Veda, run like hell.’