James Chase - This Way for a Shroud

“Seigel will find her,” Maurer said grimly. “He damn well better find her!”

McCann shrugged and moved over to the door.

“Watch yourself, Mr. Maurer. This town’s hotter than a red-hot stove for you, and if one of my men pick you up, there’s nothing I can do for you.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Maurer said curtly. “I can take care of myself.”

Seigel, looking white and shaken, followed McCann out of the room.

Ferrari continued to sit in his armchair. He stroked his bony nose and watched Maurer with alert interest.

“Okay, Ferrari,” Maurer said, softening his tone slightly. “Much obliged for taking care of Weiner. I can handle the girl. You can get back to New York.” He looked over at Gollowitz. “Have you paid him?”

Gollowitz nodded.

“Well, so long, Ferrari. Remember me to Big Joe.”

Ferrari got out of the armchair, stretched his short arms, took a couple of steps towards the door, then paused.

“I guess I’ll stick around for a couple of days,” he said. “You might need me. You never know.”

“I won’t need you,” Maurer said, trying to speak quietly.

“You never know,” Ferrari repeated. “Big Joe said I was to see this thing through. If you want me to get out, maybe you’d better have a word with him first.”

Maurer glared at Ferrari. Their eyes locked, and Maurer’s was the first to give ground.

“Well, okay, if you want to waste your time,” Maurer said indifferently. “But I don’t need you to handle this. Please yourself what you do.”

“I’ll stick,” Ferrari said, smiled, and went silently out of the room.

Maurer turned and looked at Gollowitz.

“Pleased with yourself, Abe?” he asked softly. “Are you happy you’ve got that little snake into my organization? How have you liked being the boss around here? Think you’ve done well?”

Gollowitz didn’t say anything. He sat staring down at the carpet, his face slack, his hands twitching in his lap.

“Do you imagine the Syndicate thinks much of you?” Maurer went on in the same deadly quiet voice. “An idiot child couldn’t have done worse. Everything you’ve touched up to now has been bungled. Everything! I know you’ve been hoping to take over the organization. I know you’ve been planning to take Dolores too. Do you think I’m not on to you? You couldn’t take over a flea circus let alone a set-up like this, and as for Dolores, you can have her if you want her. I’m through with her!” He leaned forward and suddenly raised his voice. “Why, you stupid, spineless, yellow-gutted punk! You make me sick to look at you. Get out of my sight!”

Gollowitz got up. He walked slowly to the door. His feet dragged and his shoulders drooped like those of a man carrying an impossible weight. He went out and shut the door.

Maurer sat down abruptly. He knew the danger he was in. If he didn’t handle this right, the Syndicate would decide he must go. He wasn’t ready to go just yet. He knew why Ferrari was staying in town. He was waiting for orders.

For the first time in his vicious, ruthless career, Maurer felt afraid.

It wasn’t until the afternoon of the following day that Seigel thought of Janey Conrad.

He had feverishly organized a search for Frances when he had realized Maurer would show him no mercy if he failed to locate her. He had sent out every available man to tap the underworld for news of her, but so far he had drawn a blank.

He was getting desperate when he remembered Janey Conrad. Immediately he cursed himself for being such a fool as not to have thought of her before.

He hadn’t seen Janey now for two weeks. He had found her charms a little disappointing. She hadn’t lived up to her promising looks. Seigel had a high standard, and besides, there were any amount of pretty girls who were more than willing to accommodate him. He could afford to be choosy, and when he found that Janey wouldn’t tolerate some of his finer points of technique, he came to the conclusion that she wasn’t worth his time or his money.

It was possible, he now reasoned, that Conrad had told her where Frances was, or at least let her know where she could get into touch with him, and he regretted having dropped her so quickly.

He decided it wouldn’t be safe to call on her until it was dark, and he hoped she would be in. He had an idea that if he telephoned her he would get a rebuff, and he preferred not to warn her he intended to see her that night.

To make certain he didn’t lose touch with her, he detailed one of his men to watch the house, and when darkness came, he was relieved to learn she was at home.

He left his car at the end of the street and walked down to the house. It was a dark night, with a hint of rain in the air, and he passed no one on the way.

There was a light on in one of the upstairs rooms, but the rest of the house was in darkness.

His man had reported that the coloured maid had left about half an hour ago, and Seigel was satisfied that Janey was in the house alone.

He dug his thumb into the bell-push and waited.

After a delay, he heard her running down the stairs, then the front door opened and she was staring up at him.

She was wearing a yellow silk wrap, and her hair was loose around her shoulders. She looked pretty and desirable, but she raised no desire in Seigel.

“Hello, baby,” he said, and stepped forward, riding her back into the hall, closing the front door with his foot.

Janey’s eyes flashed angrily as she recognized him.

“You can’t come in here! Have you gone crazy?”

“Why not? you’re alone, aren’t you? I’ve been lonely for you, baby.”

“You must go at once!”

“That’s a nice way to talk to me,” he said, smiling at her, turning on a charm that had never failed him as yet. “Don’t be that way. It’s all right. No one saw me come in.”

“It isn’t all right.”

He side-stepped her and walked into the sitting-room, switching on the lights.

“Gee! This is nice. How do you like being left all alone? Weren’t you lonesome for me?”

Janey followed him in. She was flustered and angry.

“If Paul came back…”

“Why should he?” Seigel dropped into an armchair and smiled up at her. “Relax. He’s gone away, hasn’t he?”

“Yes, but he might come back. You can’t stay here, Louis.”

He reached up and caught her hand.

“Where is he then?” he asked, pulling her towards him. She struggled for a moment, then reluctantly let him draw her down on to his knees. “That’s better,” he went on. “Gee! I’ve missed you. Haven’t you missed me?”

“Well, I have. You might have… Why haven’t I seen you before this?” Janey asked angrily.

Seigel laughed.

“I bet you thought I’d thrown you over. You did, didn’t you?”

“What if I did?” Janey snapped, sitting bolt upright on his knees. “Do you think I care? There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

“That’s right, so there are.” He ran his finger down her spine, and grinned as she shivered in ecstasy, pulling away from him.

“Don’t do that!”

“I’ll do something more than that in a moment.”

“You won’t!” She got off his lap. “You must go.”

“Okay, but you’re coming with me. I have my car at the end of the street. We’ll go to Hank’s Bar and have a sea-food dinner and champagne.”

“No.”

But there was no conviction in her voice.

“Go and put on your prettiest dress. I’ll wait here.”

“I don’t think I should.”

He got up.

“Do you want me to carry you upstairs?”

“You’ll do nothing of the kind!”

“That’s fighting talk, baby.”