James Chase - This Way for a Shroud

“But you’re doing very well, aren’t you, Abe?” she asked, watching him thoughtfully. “You’re not worried?”

“Of course I’m worried,” Gollowitz said sharply. “Who wouldn’t be? Even Jack would be worried if he had to handle this set-up. If we can’t get at this girl…”

Dolores quickly decided she didn’t want to hear about the girl nor Gollowitz’s plans. The less she knew the safer she’d be if Gollowitz made a bad mistake.

“Well, never mind,” she said. “I’m sure you will manage, darling.” She crossed her shapely legs. “I only looked in to see if there was any news of Jack.” She opened her handbag, glanced in it and frowned. “I seem to be getting short of money. Did Jack tell you to look after me?”

Gollowitz shook his head.

“No, he didn’t tell me. I guess he forgot, but that’s all right, Dolly; what do you want?”

“It will be your money?” She looked at him with her wide exciting eyes. “I don’t think I could let you…”

“No, Dolly, don’t let’s be silly about this.” He took out his billfold and put a sheaf of bills on the desk. “Will five hundred hold you?”

“Of course.” She got up and came over to the desk. “Abe, darling, you’re very sweet to me. I don’t know what I should do without you.”

He smelt the subtle perfume she was wearing, and he felt his mouth turn dry with desire for her. As she leaned forward he saw her breasts swing against the soft fabric of her dress.

He half started to his feet, his fat face congested and his eyes glittering when the door opened and Seigel and Ferrari came in.

Dolores picked up the bills and put them in her bag. She didn’t look round. Her face was calm and her eyes a little amused as she watched Gollowitz struggle to control his emotion.

“Sorry,” Seigel said. “I didn’t know you were busy.”

“I’m just going,” Dolores said, turning to smile at him. Her eyes encountered Ferrari’s sunken, gleaming orbs, and her smile stiffened. “I — I was just getting some money.” She had never been confused before in her life, but this ghastly looking dwarf who stared at her with eves that seemed to undress her frightened her.

“Come in, come in.” Gollowitz said, trying to sound hearty. “Okay, Dolly. If there’s any little thing I can do while Jack’s away…”

Dolores nodded and walked to the door. She had to pass Ferrari, and she instinctively walked around him in a semicircle rather than get too near him.

Ferrari eyed her over, stared at her long legs, then ran his bony finger down his nose.

When she had closed the door behind her, he said, “Who’s the twist?”

“That’s Mrs. Maurer,” Seigel told him. “Didn’t you know?”

Ferrari lifted his eyebrows and came over to an armchair near the desk and sat down. He wriggled himself into the chair until his feet hung a few inches from the ground.

“Looks like Maurer takes care of his nights as well as his days,” he said, and his thin mouth curled into a leering smile.

“What’s the news?” Gollowitz asked abruptly, his face flushing.

“The news?” Ferrari repeated, staring at him. “Well, it’s okay. Weiner goes tonight.” He folded his claw-like hands in his lap. “At ten sharp.”

Both Seigel and Gollowitz stared at him.

“You wouldn’t be kidding?” Seigel asked blankly.

Ferrari ignored him.

“It’ll be a nice smooth job,” he said, evidently very pleased with himself. “One of my best jobs.”

“How is it to be done?” Gollowitz asked in a hushed voice.

“I had to have inside help,” Ferrari explained. “That was essential. I have persuaded Sergeant O’Brien to help me.”

“O’Brien?” Gollowitz exclaimed, leaning forward. “But you can’t trust him. We’ve never got anywhere with him.”

Ferrari smiled.

“Maybe you didn’t find out his particular weakness. Everyone has a weakness. O’Brien has a son. He happens to be very fond of him. I have a son too, and I have learned that sons are precious to fathers: more precious sometimes than wives. A man likes to think that when he dies his name will be carried on. O’Brien is no exception. So he has agreed to help.”

“Well I’ll be damned!” Seigel exclaimed admiringly. “I didn’t even know he had a son.”

“It’ll be accidental?” Gollowitz asked anxiously.

“Certainly. Weiner will come over faint in his bath. He will slip under the water and unfortunately drown. Will that suit you?”

Ferrari’s face and voice were so cold-blooded and casual that both Gollowitz

and Seigel exchanged uneasy glances.

“That’s fine,” Gollowitz said. “Then tonight for certain?”

“At ten. Weiner takes a tub at night. It’s a habit.”

“But how will you get into the bathroom?” Seigel asked. “I thought the place was sewn up tight.”

Ferrari shrugged.

“Getting into the bathroom won’t be difficult. The window is small, but then so am I. The only snag was that before Weiner went into the bathroom it was searched. That was why I had to get O’Brien to co-operate. He will do the searching tonight.”

“Well, okay: I hand it to you,” Seigel said. “You really think you’ll succeed?”

“I’ve never failed.”

Gollowitz said huskily, “And what about the girl? What are you going to do about her?”

“Don’t let us be impatient. First things first,” Ferrari said. “I shall have to make a very special plan for her. She’ll be more closely guarded after Weiner’s gone. It should be an interesting problem.” His sunken eyes studied Gollowitz. “But she’ll go too. I promise you that. It may take a little time: it will take a lot of thought, but she’ll go.” He slid out of his chair. “I think I’ll take a nap. I don’t expect I shall get much sleep tonight. You’ll be here around half-past eleven? I shall then have news for you.”

Gollowitz nodded.

Ferrari walked to the door, opened it, turned to look first at Gollowitz and then at Seigel; then he went out closing the door behind him.

The night was hot and close, without a breath of air, and heavy’, black clouds hung in the sky. All day there had been a brooding, still atmosphere that had been getting hotter and more electric as the hours passed.

Conrad stood on the stoop of the hunting lodge and stared up at the sky.

“I’ll be glad when the storm breaks,” he said to Madge Fielding. “This is making me feel like a wet rag.”

Madge, who had spent the entire day with Frances, had come out on the verandah for a change of air. In spite of the close atmosphere, it was at least a little cooler outside than in the lodge.

“I’m just off to check the guards,” Conrad said. “Want to come?”

“I’ll come,” Madge said. “I don’t think the storm will burst before we get back, do you?”

“I don’t think so. There’s no wind yet. Anyway, I’m going in the car as far as the road.”

As Madge got into the car, she said, “You know I feel I’ve been here for months instead of a week. How long do you think we’ll have to remain here?”

“I don’t know. I wish I did. The D.A.’s coming down on Saturday. He’s going to talk to Miss Coleman. It’s up to him now. She’s defeated me. If he can’t persuade her to talk, we’ll have to think what to do with her. We just can’t keep her here much longer. But if she decides to talk, then we’ll stay here until the trial: probably for three months.”

“What do you think of her, Paul?” Madge asked as Conrad drove down the mile-long drive.

“She’s a nice girl,” Conrad said cautiously. “What do you think?”

“I like her, and I feel sorry for her. I think she’s in some kind of mess.”