James Chase - This Way for a Shroud

He went out and shut the door.

Maurer drew in a long deep breath.

“What do you think, Abe?”

“He’ll do it,” Gollowitz said.

Maurer nodded.

“I guess that’s right. Smart little snake, isn’t he?” He got up. “I’ve got things to do, Abe. Ask Louis to come here, will you?”

Gollowitz gave him a hard, searching look, but gathered nothing from Maurer’s deadpan expression. He went out.

Maurer began to pace up and down.

After a few minutes Seigel came in.

“You wanted me, boss?”

“Yeah,” Maurer said. “Sit down, Louis.”

Seigel sat down. He looked at Maurer nervously.

“I’ve got a job for you, Louis,” Maurer said softly. “Ferrari’s going out to the Ocean Hotel, Barwood, on Saturday night. You’re going out there too. On his way back, you’re going to run into him. You’re going to take care of him for me.”

Seigel stared at Maurer.

“Ferrari?”

“That’s right.”

“You want me to hit him?”

“That’s what I said.”

“For God’s sake, Mr. Maurer…!”

“That’s what I said,” Maurer repeated. “It’s either he or you Louis. Please yourself.”

The Ocean Hotel was always crowded at the week-ends, and on this Saturday afternoon the bathing-pool and the vast stretch of lawn was packed solid with people who had come down from San Francisco and up from Los Angeles for a week-end of swimming and lounging in the sun.

Conrad sat in a tub chair under a shady tree and watched the crowd as it played, lounged and gossiped around the swimming-pool. He kept an eye on the long drive that led to the hotel, watching for Forest’s car.

Around four-thirty, he spotted the car coming up the drive. He stood up and waved. The car slowed down and stopped. Forest got out, said something to his chauffeur, then came across the lawn towards Conrad. The car went on towards the hotel.

Forest wended his way through the sun-bathers until he reached Conrad’s isolated shade under the tree.

“Hello, there, Paul,” he said. “Seems you’ve picked yourself a good spot. Plenty of pretty girls and plenty to keep your eyes busy.”

“Too much,” Conrad said, pulling up another tub chair. “I had no idea this place got so crowded over the week-end. My boys are going crazy trying to keep a check on everyone.”

“Are they doing it?”

“Out here it’s hopeless, but no one enters the hotel without being scrutinized.”

Forest sat down.

“How’s it going?”

Conrad pulled a face.

“She’s safe enough, but she’s getting depressed. I’m afraid Weiner sowed a lot of seeds of doubt in her mind. Now she has had time to get over the shock of his death, she’s regretting having talked. We may have trouble with her later. She may even try to back out giving evidence.”

“Have you got her statement signed yet?”

Conrad shook his head.

“No. She won’t sign it. She thinks so long as she doesn’t sign the statement Maurer won’t go for her. It’s cockeyed reasoning, of course. Maurer is far more likely to try to get at her before she signs the statement than after she’s signed it. I’ve told her that until I’m blue in the face, but I guess she isn’t in a reasonable mood. The fact is she’s getting scared. She talks about waiting to the. I wish you would see her and see if you can put some sense into her. I can’t.”

Forest looked at Conrad quickly, then he leaned forward and tapped Conrad on his knee.

“Does this girl mean anything to you, Paul?”

“That’s pretty cute of you, sir,” Conrad said with a wry smile. “Well, you may as well know. She does mean a hell of a lot to me. I’ve asked her to marry me. I’m crazy about her.”

Forest nodded, took off his hat and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief.

“Is she as crazy about you?”

Conrad shook his head.

“I guess not. She’s not in the mood to think of me. She insists she has no future.”

Forest stared across the lawn at a tall, slim girl in a white swim-suit who was lying on her back, her eyes closed.

“There are plenty of pretty girls to choose from, Paul. I wouldn’t like you to make a mess of your life. Miss Coleman’s not exactly a happy choice.”

“You mean because of her father?”

“Yes; because of her father. I have a high opinion of you, Paul. One of these days you’ll be a D.A. If you saddle yourself with a wife whose past doesn’t stand scrutiny, you won’t get far in a career.”

Conrad stirred restlessly.

“I know you’re thinking of my interests, sir, and I appreciate it, but a career doesn’t seem to me to be all that important when it comes to picking a girl you want to spend the rest of your days with. The career’s got to go. That’s how I see it.”

Forest selected a cigar, bit off the end and lit it.

“Well, okay, that’s up to you, Paul. What are your plans, then?”

“I haven’t any at the moment, I had hoped to take her to England after the trial. I’ve had a talk with her about going there, but she just won’t get her mind on the future. She says all she has left is a very immediate present. She won’t give up this morbid obsession that she’s going to die.”

“I can’t say I blame her,” Forest said quietly. “She’s bucking the most dangerous organization in the country. Her evidence will smash a billion-dollar racket, and Maurer’s not going to let go of a kingdom that big if he can help it. Frankly, Paul, I wouldn’t give her more than an even chance of surviving.”

Conrad clenched his fists.

“They can’t get at her here. The real danger will be when she goes to the court-house.”

“Are you quite sure she’s safe here?”

Conrad nodded.

“Yes.” I’m sure. For a start they don’t know she’s here.”

“Are you sure of that too?”

Conrad stiffened and looked at Forest.

“What’s on your mind, sir? Do you think they know where she is?”

Forest lifted his heavy shoulders.

“I don’t know, but Maurer’s no fool. Did Janey know about this hotel, Paul?”

“Janey? Why do you ask that?”

“Did she know about the hotel?”

“I had to give her the telephone number. She was all on her own, sir. I didn’t want her to think she was completely cut off from me. I impressed on her how secret it was.”

“So she had only to call the number to find out it was the Ocean Hotel,” Forest said, blowing smoke into the still, hot air.

“I don’t get your drift,” Conrad said sharply. “For all her faults, Janey would never have talked about anything connected with my work.”

“I’m just warning you, Paul. We mustn’t assume anything if we want to keep this girl safe. Your wife was seen at the Paradise Club, Maurer’s headquarters. She knew where Miss Coleman was hidden, and now she’s dead. I may be talking nonsense, but for goodness sake don’t let yourself be lulled into a sense of false security. Security doesn’t exist so long as Maurer’s running the organization.”

“I know the danger,” Conrad said. “But you can count Janey out. Her death was an accident. I’ve warned her a dozen times about the hem of her wrap. She was always treading on it and tearing it, but she could never be bothered to mend it. I am quite sure, too, she would never give this place away. I can’t do more than I have done to keep Frances safe. There isn’t anything more I can do. You’ll see for yourself when you get upstairs, but if you do think I’ve slipped up on something, then I’ll put it right.”

Forest grunted. He watched a large white van coming up the drive. Across the side of the van, picked out in chromium letters, was the legend: