James Chase: You've Got It Coming

But she knew this was an excuse to refuse the jobs he was offered. She realized now that his world was in the air, and he couldn't bring himself to accept a job that would kill for good any chance of getting back into the air.

The thing about him that really alarmed her was his methods of getting credit from the local shopkeepers. It was almost as if he were dishonest, she thought uneasily. Although he wasn't earning a cent, every Friday when she returned from the hotel, she found a sack of groceries on the kitchen table and enough meat to last the week, as well as two bottles of Scotch.

“But, Harry, you can't go on running up bills like this!” she had protested. “We'll have to pay some time.”

He had laughed.

“Forget it! I may be a dud at finding a job but I've got a lot of talent for getting credit. If these suckers let me have the stuff why should we worry? They think I'm waiting for a rich uncle to die. I told them he's worth forty grand and I'm going to inherit the lot. If they're suckers enough to believe a yarn like that, why should I care? Besides, I'm not going to live on you. You pay the rent and I'll supply the food. That's the least I can do.”

It worried her too that there were times when he was moody and sullen, and she was quick to realize these moods of depression coincided with the time when he used to be on duty, taking his aircraft off the runway on the flight to San Francisco. Although he didn't talk about it, she knew how much he missed his aircraft and the company of the men he used to fly with.

She tried to persuade him to go out to the airfield and see his old crew.

“Not likely,” he said, flushing. “Those guys respected me. I bet they think I'm a four-letter man now. No; they wouldn't want to see me.”

She put down her hairbrush, got up and took off her wrap. As she slid into her dress and began to close the fasteners, she became aware that Harry was awake and was watching her.

She smiled at him.

“Shall I get you your coffee? I have the time.”

“No, thanks. I'll get it myself in a little while.” He reached for a cigarette and sat up slowly. “You know, Glorie, I've been watching you while you were brushing your hair. Living with me seems to agree with you.” He grinned. “You're looking prettier, younger and happier. It does me good to look at you.”

She knew what he was saying was true. Living with him had made her feel younger and happier, but she would have been happier still if he had been contented in mind. This seemed to her to be the opportunity she had been waiting for to tackle him about himself.

“I wish I could say the same of you, Harry. You don't look happy. I'm worried about you.”

He shifted his eyes.

“There's nothing to be worried about. I'll get a break soon. It's just one of those things.”

She came over to the bed and sat by his side.

“I feel if you don't get a job soon, you'll get to hate the sight of me,” she said.

“Don't talk nonsense. You're the last person I'd hate the sight of.” He looked at her as if he were trying to make up his mind about something, then he went on: “How would you like to come away with me to Paris and London and Rome?”

“Why, Harry, I'd love it,” she said, bewildered. “It would be wonderful, but what has Paris, London and Rome to do with us for goodness sake?”

“How would you like to own a million bucks?” he went on, his fingers gripping her wrist.

“I'd like that too. How would you like to be President of the United States?” she said, forcing a laugh. There was a look in his eyes that was beginning to frighten her.

“I'm serious, Glorie,” he said. “I wouldn't joke about a thing like that. I know where I can lay my hands on three million bucks. If I could find someone to handle the deal, I could clean up at least a million, probably more.”

“But, darling . . .”

“I know. Okay, take it easy. Don't look so scared. Listen, Glorie, I'm fed up trying to find a job. I've had time recently to do some thinking. You are right when you said being a crew captain led nowhere. The world is made up of smart guys who get rich and suckers who stay poor. I've been a sucker too long: now, I'm going to be smart. I know where I can put my hands on three million bucks, so I'm going to take them.”

She felt the blood drain out of her face.

“Take them? What do you mean?”

He lay back on the pillow and looked at her. The reckless, I-don't-give-a-damn expression in his eyes turned her cold.

“Let's get this straight, Glorie. You've been good to me. I owe you a lot. You're the only one I feel I can trust and rely on. If I pull this job off I want you to share in the profits. I'm not going to rush into it without being absolutely sure I can get away with it. I wouldn't touch it if I thought I'd slip up somewhere. I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble; not after what you've done for me. I've got the set-up more or less worked out. There are two things I'll have to take care of. If I can find a way of taking care of them, then we'll be sitting pretty for the rest of our lives.”

“Harry, darling,” she said breathlessly, her heart beating wildly. “I don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry if I'm being stupid, but I just don't know what this is all about.”

“Of course you don't,” he said, and patted her hand. “I'm going to tell you, but before I do you've got to promise to keep it to yourself.”

She suddenly felt as if she wanted to be sick.

“You're not thinking of doing anything that will get you into trouble with the police, are you?” she said.

His heavy brows came down in a scowling frown. The sulky, angry look she had seen so often came into his eyes.

“Okay, let's forget it,” he said impatiently. “This isn't the time to talk about it, anyway. You'd better finish dressing or you'll be late.” He swung out of bed, pushing her hand away. “I'm going to get some coffee,” he went on, and walked into the kitchen.

For a long moment she sat on the bed motionless, her hands pressing her breasts. Then she stood up, went to the dressing table, quickly ran a comb through her hair, finished fastening her dress and walked into the kitchen where Harry was heating up some coffee.

“Please tell me what you are going to do, Harry,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Maybe I'd better keep it to myself,” he said, but she could see he was going to tell her. “Now look, I don't want you to start belly aching that I shouldn't do it. I've made up my mind to do it and no one's going to stop me, and that includes you. When I've got the money I'm going to London, then Paris and then Rome. I'm going to move around, have myself a good time, and then I'm going to buy myself into one of these small air-taxi businesses. I'll get me a partnership so I can develop the business and fly when I feel like it. That's the job I want, and that's the job I'm going to have.”

“I see.” Glorie said.

“When I get this money,” he went on, “I'm either going to travel with you or without you. That's up to you. If you don't want to come with me, say so. If you want to come, well, that's fine, because I can't think of anyone I'd like more than you to travel Europe with.” He filled a cup with coffee and sat on the kitchen table, looking at her. “You have time to make up your mind, and I'm sorry if I seem to be holding a pistol to your head. I don't mean to do that, but I'm going ahead with this idea. It's my only chance now to get back into the air. I've got to be my own boss, and that means I've got to have capital. There's a place at my side for you if you want it, otherwise I'll travel alone.”

She tried to keep calm, but fear had hold of her; sick, cold fear that made her tremble.