Джеймс Чейз - The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Joy Ansley was thirty-one years of age. She was tall and dark. Her features were good, her dark eyes beautiful. She had poise and a serenity of character that distinguished her immediately in a room full of people. She had met Mel Devon five years ago and had been in love with him ever since. She knew he was married and she quickly discovered he had no intention of getting married again.

She was forced to accept this situation, and she was grateful that he chose her to be his hostess when he entertained, his partner at tennis, his companion for the occasional movie and his confidante. They saw a lot of each other. People talked as people always will talk. Mel was oblivious, and Joy didn’t care. Her father, Judge Ansley, watched all this sadly, but wisely said nothing.

This was something these two had to work out for themselves, he decided. He only hoped Mel, whom he liked and admired, wouldn’t take too long working it out. Suddenly bored with her unpacking, Joy crossed to the open window and looked out. Her father, a tall, lean old man with wispy white hair, was walking along one of the grass paths, examining the rose bushes for any sign of Aphis.

She smiled at the sight of him and glanced at her watch. It was nearly 16.00 hours: time for his cup of tea. She left the room and ran down the stairs.

As she crossed the hall, the telephone bell rang. It was Mel Devon. The sound of his voice always made her a little breathless. This was the first time since she had got back that they had spoken together.

‘Why, Mel,’ she said. ‘How nice. I was going to call you tonight.’

‘How are you, Joy? Did you have a nice vacation?’

‘It was fine. I...’

‘Is the Judge all right?’

‘He’s wonderful. We were wondering...’

‘Joy can we meet around six? I want to talk to you.’ The serious note in his voice startled her.

‘Yes, of course. Where shall we meet?’

‘Would you mind coming to the bank?’

‘No, of course not, but it’s such a lovely afternoon. Wouldn’t you like to come down to the beach hut?’

‘No. Please come to the bank, Joy. I’ll explain when we meet. Then I’ll see you at six?’

‘Yes.’

‘Come right up. I’ll tell Miss Ashley I’m expecting you. Well, then goodbye, my dear for now,’ and he hung up.

More slowly, Joy replaced the receiver. She stood thinking, vaguely uneasy, vaguely excited. I want to talk to you. Was this at last about themselves?

She walked across the room and into the sunshine to where the Judge was waiting patiently for his tea.

And now, a few minutes after 18.00 hours, she was sitting in Mel’s comfortable office, her fingers clutching her handbag, her heart beating unevenly as she listened to what he was telling her with growing tension and alarm.

Mel, looking tired and strained, had prefaced his talk after greeting her, with an attempt to cushion the shock.

‘Joy we’ve been damn good friends for longer than I can remember. I’ve often brought my troubles to you and you’ve always been helpful and understanding. Something pretty rotten happened while you’ve been away. I want you to know about it. So far only a very few know and I think I can trust them not to talk, but if it does get out, I’ll be in a mess. I want you to hear it all from me, rather than later from someone else.’

That hadn’t cushioned the shock, but Joy was sufficiently controlled and poised not to let Mel see her sudden apprehension. The idea of anything unpleasant threatening this man’s way of life, to her was much worse than if it threatened herself.

‘Tell me, Mel,’ she said, forcing herself to relax back in the big armchair. ‘What is it?’

Mel sat at his desk, his elbows resting on its polished surface, his hands cupping his chin. He told her bluntly about Muriel Marsh Devon and Johnny Williams and about Norena.

Joy listened, thinking gratefully it could be so much worse, but shrinking a little when she realized this man she loved had now a seventeen-year old daughter who was living in his house, probably doing all those things to make him comfortable that Joy had hoped to do and pushing him still further from her by her companionship and love.

‘Well, there you are,’ Mel concluded. ‘It’s a sordid thing, isn’t it? I suppose it is bound to leak out sooner or later. I can trust Terrell and Brewer. Terrell’s men won’t talk, but this dwarf worries me. If he wasn’t in the know, I would be much happier.’

‘But if he is fond of your daughter, why should he make mischief?’ Joy asked.

‘I know. I’ve thought of that, but I instinctively don’t trust him.’ Mel shrugged irritably. ‘But that needn’t worry us now. It’s two weeks since the inquest. Nothing’s been said about either Norena or myself. So we must wait and hope.’ He sat back, gripping the arms of his chair. ‘But it’s Norena.’ He looked at Joy, then shrugged helplessly. ‘I guess I kidded myself. It gave me a terrific bang when Terrell told me that Norena was found after all this time. The thought of having her back and all mine, really did things to me.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘I guess I was overoptimistic. I suppose it’s natural enough that she’s on the defensive, not to say hostile. She has been brought up to believe I made her mother’s life so unbearable that she left me. It’s going to take some living down if I ever do live it down. The fact is, after having her in my home now for two weeks, we’re still complete strangers.’

Joy shook her head sympathetically.

‘You must be patient, Mel. I understand how you’re feeling, but you have to consider her feelings too.’

‘I do. She’s so unlike what I imagined my daughter would be,’ Mel said. ‘Frankly, if she wasn’t so amazingly like Muriel, it would be hard to believe she was my daughter.’

‘What’s she doing with herself?’

‘That’s the trouble. She doesn’t seem to show any interest in anything. She spends a lot of time in her room, listening to pop records that frankly drive me scatty.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘I guess I asked for that. I gave her a record player and money and she’s been buying these damned records ever since. I wanted her to come to the club and get coached for tennis, but that was square. I wanted her to take up riding, but that was also square. I haven’t dared suggest golf.’

‘But, Mel dear, she’s not a boy. Perhaps she isn’t interested in sport. A lot of girls aren’t.’

‘Yes, I guess that’s right. I thought it would be fun to play tennis with her and go riding. Yes, I put my foot wrong there.’

‘What else does she do?’

‘Well, I gave her a car and she goes over to Seacombe a lot.’ Mel stared down at his hands. ‘She’s seeing too much of that damned dwarf. She’s much fonder of him than she is of me. There’s something unhealthy and unpleasant about him. I’m thinking of putting a stop to her seeing him.’

Joy lifted her dark eyebrows.

‘How will you do that, Mel?’

‘Well, I’ll tell her not to see him.’

‘And if she wants to know why?’

He looked sharply at her.

‘You don’t think I should stop her seeing him?’

‘Look at it this way,’ Joy said. ‘This little man knew her mother well. At the moment he is Norena’s feeling of security. She’s been suddenly transplanted into comfort and wealth with a man she knows is her father, but who doesn’t mean a great deal to her. It’s natural she should want to see Edris. is that his name?’

‘But he’s a dwarf! There’s something about him... I don’t know what it is but I don’t like him! Why should a seventeen-year old girl want to spend so much of her time with a dwarf!’

‘You leave home at half-past eight and you get back at six-thirty. It’s a long day for her to sit at home listening to pop records. Who else is there for her to talk to?’