James Chase - You Can Say That Again

‘Do you trust anyone, Mrs. Harriet?’

Her lips moved into the faintest of smiles.

‘Then I’m not young, Jerry, dear,’ she said and left me.

chapter six

I didn’t want Loretta to creep into my bed while I was asleep so I sat up and waited for her.

Mazzo had served dinner in my room. He told me Mrs. Harriet was tired and had gone to bed early. He kept looking at me, his expression worried. I was sure he wanted to know what the old lady had said to me, but he remained silent.

After dinner, I tried to interest myself in a paperback, but my thoughts were far away. I had won my first battle with the old lady. I was confident, when I was allowed to call the bank, I would be told the money due to me had arrived. I had played a trump card with my threat to stop cooperating.

I sensed this sinister affair was moving to its conclusion.

Durant would return from Washington with this deal finalized, except for my forged signature. Then was the time to play hard to get.

There were two antagonists: Mrs. Harriet and Loretta. It seemed to me that both were planning to grab the Ferguson empire.

Then there was Durant: on whose side was he? The fact that as soon as he had left for Washington, Mrs. Harriet had appeared, seemed to me he was on her side.

On whose side was Mazzo? From his worried expression, I thought he could be on Loretta s side.

Who had ordered the murders of Larry Edwards and Charles Duvine? Mrs. Harriet? Loretta? Thinking about this, I decided Mrs. Harriet was the one, working with Durant. With their money, it would be easy to hire killers to fake accidents. Maybe Mazzo wasn’t the killer I had thought he was.

I had a hopeful feeling that Mazzo wasn’t hostile to me. Animal that he was, with careful handling, I might win him over to my side.

Then there was John Merrill Ferguson. Was he a mental vegetable or a locked-away prisoner? I thought of the iron bars at the windows. My rooms were on the right wing of the house. It would be quite a journey from my suite to his. I felt an urge to reach his prison. I might even see him. I wasn’t locked in when I went to bed, but there were the guards. Could I leave my room, make a trip to the left wing of the house without being spotted?

I was thinking about this when, as silent as a ghost, Loretta came in.

As she closed the door, she paused, staring at me.

‘Why aren’t you in bed?’ She was wearing a wrap and her feet were bare. Her face was pale and dark rings circled her eyes.

The time was a little after 01.00.

‘I have been waiting for you,’ I said, not moving.

She came to a chair opposite mine and sat down.

‘What did that old bitch have to say to you?’ she demanded.

I studied her. I could see she was only just controlling a fermenting rage.

‘Nothing of importance. She just said she was pleased with the way I was impersonating her son.’

‘Nothing else? Nothing about me?’

‘Nothing else.’

She drew in a deep breath, and her fists relaxed into hands.

‘That bastard Durant!’ She kept her voice low, but her rage made it tremble. ‘He told her to come! He wanted me watched while he was away! I have had to call off the priest. He was coming tomorrow. He can’t come while that old bitch is here!’

I didn’t say anything.

‘I don’t know when I’ll have the same opportunity,’ she went on, half talking to herself. ‘When Durant gets back, he is always around. What am I going to do?’

Still I said nothing.

She glared at me.

‘Don’t sit there like a goddamn dummy! You said you would help me! I must have proof that I married John!’

‘I’m here to do what I’m told,’ I said. ‘You tell me.’

‘If you want to earn two million dollars, you’ll have to do better than that!’ she exclaimed, her voice rising.

‘Can you rely on Mazzo?’

She looked startled.

‘Of course. What’s he to do with this?’

‘Are you sure? Are you sure he won’t give you away to Mrs. Harriet?’

She gave a sly little smile.

‘One time, perhaps, but not now.’

I didn’t have to have that spelt out. I guessed this sensual woman had seduced Mazzo. She had hooked him as she imagined she had hooked me.

The sight of her suddenly sickened me.

‘Let me think about it,’ I said, keeping my expression deadpan. ‘Maybe with Mazzo, we could find a solution.’

She regarded me suspiciously.

‘He’s useless. He hasn’t a brain in his head.’

That I knew, but I needed time, so I said, ‘He may not be so useless. I’ll think about it.’

‘You’d better do more than that! Anyway, there’s the will. That you will sign! I have contacted the priest. He is sending the will, witnessed by the two who witnessed the marriage certificate. It will arrive tomorrow. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow night to sign.’

‘Without the marriage certificate, the will will be useless,’ I said. If there was one thing I was not going to do was to forge John Merrill Ferguson’s signature to a will that would give this evil woman the right to claim his fortune.

I was suddenly aware that she was regarding me with an evil smile.

‘Of course! The solution! Now I understand why you said we could find the solution with Mazzo.’

I stiffened.

‘What do you mean?’

‘It’s a brilliant idea, Jerry! Of course! Mazzo! You weren’t sure if I would be shocked.’

I gaped at her, but a cold feeling crept up my spine.

‘Shocked?’ She laughed softly. ‘No, I’m not shocked Jerry. I have often wished that old bitch would drop dead. Of course! Mazzo! I felt sure you would find a solution.’

Jesus! I thought. What the hell is she babbling about?

‘Solution? I’m not with you.’ My voice was husky.

Again the evil little smile.

‘Mazzo will do anything for me. He will creep into that old bitch’s room when she’s asleep and put a pillow over her goddam face. I’ll be rid of her! I would then only have Durant to handle, and I know I can handle him.’ She got to her feet. ‘Thank you, Jerry. You won’t regret this. You’ll get your two million dollars. You’ve earned them.’

I was so horrified, words wouldn’t come. I watched her leave the room, watched the door close behind her.

Man! Was I in a state!

For several minutes, I sat still, panic stamping all possible thought. Then after a while, I forced myself to stand up, walk to the bathroom and throw cold water over my head.

Drying my face, I returned to the living room to pace up and down. My panic began to recede.

This woman was a dangerous lunatic! Suppose she did persuade Mazzo to murder the old lady? He was moronic. Sex and money might persuade him. Then suppose something went wrong? Suppose the doctor wasn’t satisfied? Suppose the police were called?

Loretta was so evil, if she were implicated, she could implicate me! She could tell the police it had been my idea! She would tell them I was her lover! Would they believe I had been kidnapped and held prisoner?

I had to escape from this evil house! I suddenly didn’t give a damn about the money I knew would now be waiting for me at the bank. I didn’t give a damn whether the old lady was murdered. I had to escape!

But how?

I went to the window and looked down into the grounds. Sure enough, two guards were patrolling. From the bedroom window, two more guards were standing in the shadows.

This was a set-up right out of a movie. It presented a challenge. With luck and care, I could reach the gates, then I would be away. I had the comforting thought that the guards wouldn’t shoot at me. They would chase me if they saw me, but they wouldn’t attempt to kill me. Until I had signed the final documents, my life, at least, was safe.