James Chase - An Ace up my Sleeve

Helga listened. Her mind was beginning to function again. Larry was gone. Now only Archer and she were left in the villa. Tomorrow morning the photos would arrive. She thought of the gun. It was she who held the four aces. With the gun, she would get and destroy the photos even if she had to shoot this thief, forger and blackmailer.

She looked at Archer, her face expressionless.

“Yes, I was stupid,” she said and lifted her shoulders. “Well, one has to pay for being stupid.”

He regarded her watchfully.

“You are a fantastic woman, Helga.” There was a note of admiration in his voice. “Your dangerous, sharp brain is already working to find a way out, but I assure you, this time, there is no way out. We are back to square A.”

“Are we?” Again she lifted her shoulders. “But tell me more about Larry. How did you and he get buddies? I know you are supposed to be able to charm a bird off a tree, but I never imagined you could charm a pansy to confide in you.”

Archer blew cigar smoke towards the ceiling.

“Have a brandy?” He picked up his glass and stood up. Helga noted that he walked a little unsteadily. He had probably been drinking most of the evening while waiting for her and her eyes narrowed.

“No, thank you.”

He went to the bar and refilled his glass.

“I consider myself an amateur psychologist. When you had gone I went back to the games room and I prepared for a long wait. I heard Larry roaming around the villa: ceaselessly pacing up and down and I knew he was suffering. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Obviously, he was lonely. Around two o’clock, he came down with my lunch. I was lying on the settee, waiting for him, knowing this was my chance. I made out I was much more feeble than I was to lull his alertness. After all, he had beaten me up, so I moaned a little. I could see he was unhappy and uneasy. He had cooked me a couple of lamb chops; they looked most tempting. I said I would try to eat them and I thanked him as only I know how to thank people for taking so much trouble. He was thirsting for kindness.” Archer gave a snorting laugh. “It was rather pathetic to see his confusion at being so praised. I asked where you were and he told me you had gone out for the day. I saw his expression of resentment and how hurt he was. I said it couldn’t be much fun for him to be on his own in this big villa and should we talk while I ate my lunch? It was easy after that, Helga. I talked about you, I told him that you had married an enormously wealthy cripple for his money and how you’ve never stopped cheating him. I told him about the men you have had. Perhaps I exaggerated a little, but it was necessary to get him on my side. He remembered how you had fumbled at his zipper and that had shocked him: it didn’t go along with his image of you as a kind, blonde madonna. I said you were utterly immoral, that you used men to service your body and after, threw them aside. I told him your only interest in him was his body and when you found you weren’t going to get that, you couldn’t stand the sight of him. I reminded him you would be returning with his money and ticket to New York. I said you deserved to be punished and he could do it. “Take what she gives you and walk out on her… leave her to me”, I said. He liked the idea. He wanted you to suffer for the way you had treated him. So we waited together for you to return. Now he’s gone, Helga, and you and I will finalize this little drama. It’s time we did. I fly back to Lausanne at seven o’clock tomorrow morning.”

Helga looked up sharply.

“So early?”

The postman, she thought, didn’t come to the villa until after ten.

“Yes. I have appointments I can’t afford to miss. Well now, Helga, you have played your cards badly and I have played them well so accept defeat. You will tell Herman it was your idea and not mine to buy the Nickel shares and you will insist that I keep the account.”

“The postman doesn’t come until after ten. When the photos arrive, we’ll discuss this further. You’ll have to cancel your appointments.”

He regarded her, then he began to shake with silent laughter. Watching his face turn red and his paunch jerking as he laughed, she felt cold despair grip her. She had a frightening feeling that in the grimly fought battle of lies and violence he had finally beaten her. He couldn’t laugh like this unless he was very sure of himself.

“I take it the joke is on me?” she said, her voice hard.

He wiped his streaming eyes with his handkerchief, gasped, coughed and then slapped his fat knees.

“That’s the understatement of the year,” he said. “Learn a lesson, Helga… never try to bluff with me.” He leaned back in his chair and grinned at her: a smirking, triumphant grin that made her heart sink. “In a few minutes, I am leaving for Lugano. I intend to spend a comfortable night at the Eden, then at seven tomorrow I will fly to Lausanne. I don’t need to wait for the postman who you are so anxiously waiting for.” He became convulsed with laughter again, but this time it wasn’t silent. His raucous ha! ha! ha’s! were like the thong of a whip cutting her flesh.

She waited, now dangerous fury boiling up inside her. Her hands into fists, she watched him and a feeling grew in her to hurt or even kill him.

Finally, his laughter subsided and again he mopped his eyes.

“You poor fool!” His eyes were now cold and contemptuous. “I never sent those photos to the bank! I was bluffing! They have been in my suitcase all the time!”

The blow was a savage one and it left her breathless. Her mind went back to those moments when she had stopped Larry from beating him up, when he had lied about his bad heart. She thought of Larry making the dangerous fast drive back to Basle, of the three thousand five hundred francs she had paid for the forged signature and of the long, tormenting hours believing that when the postman eventually came, she would be safe.

And all the time the photos had been in his suitcase, lying in the back of his hired car which she had seen, which had been there for the taking!

But now she knew the photos were within reach! He didn’t know it yet, but she still held the four aces. She had the gun!

She got slowly to her feet, her handkerchief pressed to her lips.

“I - I think I’m going to be sick,” she whispered and started across the room, then as she reached the door, she moved faster. In the hall, she ran frantically to her bedroom, pulled open the closet door, wrenched open the top drawer and her hand closed over the.22 gun.

As she picked up the gun the savage feeling that had been growing in her to kill him again ran through her. If he didn’t give her the photographs she would kill him! She didn’t give a damn about the consequences! He had made her suffer as she had never thought it possible to suffer! He had sneered and laughed at her! It wouldn’t be a shot in the leg… she would kill him!

Her breath was coming through her open mouth in short. hard, rasping 193

gasps. Her heart was slamming against her ribs. But this wouldn’t do, she told herself. Shaking, gasping and half out of her mind as she was would make a deadly shot impossible.

“Helga?” Archer called. “Are you all right.”

She drew in a long shuddering breath, then again. She steadied herself. Her heart ceased to race but still thumped painfully. Keeping the gun down by her side and out of t, she walked back into the sitting-room.

Archer, sitting in the armchair, regarded her with an amused smile.

“Did you chuck up?” he asked. “I didn’t think you were quite so sensitive.”

“You will give me the photos,” she said in a husky whisper, “or I’ll kill you!” She lifted the gun into sight.