Джеймс Чейз - The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Taking the key Edris had given her from her pocket, she pushed it into the first lock and turned the key. Then using her pass key, she unlocked the second lock. She looked back over her shoulder down the long lane, then seeing no one, she opened the safe door, snatched out the bulky envelope which she had put into the safe only a few days ago, shut the safe door and relocked it.

She pulled up her skirt and slipped the envelope inside her panties, flattening the envelope against her stomach. She adjusted the elastic band so that it was firmly against the envelope, then she dropped her skirt.

She walked quickly back to her desk, her face white, her hands trembling. She put the pass key into the desk drawer and locked the drawer. As she did so, Aldwick, the guard came down the steps.

‘Morning, Miss Devon,’ he said and looked sharply at her. ‘Mr. Devon is asking for you. He wants you right away.’ He looked at her again. ‘Something wrong, Miss?’

‘It’s all right. I’m... I’m not feeling very well. My father wants me?’

‘Yes, miss.’

‘The pass key is in this drawer. I’ll leave the key in the lock,’ she said, and nodding, she hurried up the steps and into the main hall. She made her way to Mel’s office, rapped on the door and entered. She came to an abrupt standstill when she saw Mel wasn’t alone. With him was Detective 2nd Grade Tom Lepski who was standing by the window, looking towards her. She knew at once he was a detective, and it was only by an effort of will that she came further into the room.

‘You... you wanted me, daddy?’

‘Yes,’ Mel said, getting to his feet. ‘This is Detective Lepski of police headquarters.’ Seeing her white, frightened face, he went on, smiling, ‘Nothing to be worried about, my dear. He thinks you might be able to help him... just a few questions.’

Lepski was a little puzzled. Why was the girl so obviously scared? She looked ill, as if she might faint at any moment. Why?

‘Sit down, Miss Devon,’ he said, softening his usual tough cop voice. ‘I won’t keep you long.’

This was the girl, he was thinking, who needed to wear spectacles all the time, and yet she wasn’t even wearing them in the bank!

Ira sat down on an upright chair near Mel’s desk. She gripped her trembling hands firmly between her knees and forced herself to meet Lepski’s cop stare.

‘You have seen this man?’ Lepski asked, producing a photograph of Algir and handing it to her.

Ira stared at it and nodded.

‘Yes. It’s Mr. Forester.’

‘How often did he come to the bank, Miss Devon?’

Lepski returned the photograph to his wallet and produced a notebook.

‘Every day.’

‘You went with him to unlock his safe?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Did you ever have the opportunity of seeing inside his safe?’

‘No. When I had unlocked the first lock, I always left him.’

‘Did he ever give you any idea what he was putting in or taking out of his safe?’

‘No.’

While he was asking these questions, Lepski was writing both questions and answers in his notebook. He had had a sudden idea and he wanted to put it to a test.

‘He left the Regent Hotel on 9th of this month, Miss Devon. He didn’t give you a change of address?’

‘No.’

‘Did he ever mention any of his friends by name?’

‘No.’

Lepski slipped in his catch question.

‘Did he ever mention a Dr. Weidman of Miami?’

‘No.’

‘Do you know Dr. Weidman, Miss Devon?’

Ira stiffened. She looked at Lepski who was writing in his notebook, his face expressionless.

‘No, I don’t.’

‘You have never heard of him?’

‘No.’

Well, what do you know? Lepski thought. Weidman had Norena’s card on his files. He had tested her for glasses and here she was saying she had never heard of him. What the hell was all this?

Play it cool, he told himself. Don’t start anything you can’t finish. He was aware that Mel was looking at him with a puzzled stare.

‘When Forester came to the bank, he always had a briefcase with him?’

‘Yes.’

‘You have no idea what was in the briefcase?’

‘No.’

Lepski wrote for a moment, then looked up and smiled.

‘That’s all, Miss Devon. You might just look at this and see if I’ve got it right. If I have, will you initial it?’

He handed the notebook to Ira who took it reluctantly.

‘What’s the idea?’ Mel asked sharply. ‘She hasn’t made a statement. What do you want her to initial it for?’

Lepski gave him a guileless smile.

‘It’s a new police regulation, Mr. Devon. Nothing to it. Just to keep our record straight.’

Mel shrugged and smiled reassuringly at Ira.

‘Read it through then, hon and initial it.’

Ira read the tiny, neat handwriting. Her instinct for danger was sounding an alarm bell. She had a feeling that she was walking into some kind of trap, but she had no idea what the trap was.

‘Yes, it’s all right,’ she said and took the ballpoint Lepski handed her. She scribbled her initials at the bottom of the page.

Lepski got to his feet, took the notebook from her and thanked her.

There’s nothing the matter with this girl’s eyesight, he was thinking. Just what could this mean?

‘Oh, one more question, Miss Devon. Have you ever heard of a girl named Ira Marsh?’

Ira seemed to shrink in her chair. Her face turned so white Mel jumped to his feet.

‘No... no. I’ve never heard of her!’

‘Norena! Aren’t you well?’ Mel asked, coming around his desk and reaching her.

‘No, daddy. I feel awful,’ Ira said. ‘I ate something last night, may I go home? I’ll be all right if I just lie down.’

Mel looked at Lepski.

‘Will you run along officer? You see how it is.’

‘Sure, sure,’ Lepski said. ‘I’m sorry,’ and with his eyes glittering with excitement, he left the room.

‘I’ll get someone to take you home, darling,’ Mel said. ‘I’m so sorry. Now, don’t you worry.’

‘Oh, don’t fuss!’ Ira said, pulling herself together. She got to her feet. ‘I don’t want anyone to see me home. I’m not dying!’ and turning, she went quickly from the room, leaving him staring blankly after her.

Ticky Edris sat with his little legs dangling, his face a mask of sweat, his shifty eyes constantly going to his watch. How much longer was she going to be? He wondered. It was now 10.43 hours. Had something gone wrong? Had someone caught her opening the safe?

Then he saw her. She came into the bar, upright, arrogant, her chin thrust out, her face white, her eyes steady. She came down the aisle between the tables without hurrying. He was suddenly reminded of her when he first met her: hard, confident and as tough as tempered steel. He wiped his sweating face as he stared up at her.

She put both hands on the table and leaned towards him, her blue eyes glittering.

‘Did you get it?’ Edris asked, wondering what had come over her, vaguely frightened by this change in her.

‘I’ll ask the questions,’ she said. ‘You murdered my sister, didn’t you?’

Edris flinched. He showed his teeth in a snarl.

‘What the hell’s that to do with it?’ he demanded. ‘She was dying. I didn’t murder her! I helped her on her way out. What do you care? Did you get it?’

‘That suicide note. Did you write it?’

‘Yeah. so what? I wrote the other letters the cops found in her apartment so the handwriting matched. So what? Did you get the money, damn you!’

‘You murdered her lover too, didn’t you?’

‘Oh, knock it off! If you must know, Phil did it. We had to set up this thing, baby. They were both in the way.’ He banged the table with his small fist. ‘Did you get the money?’