I Would Rather Stay Poor

by James Hadley Chase

‘You mean the payroll?’

  Calvin nodded.

  ‘I told you… I would take any risk,’ Kit said. ‘If you think I can help you and if my share is big enough, you can rely on me.’

  Calvin drew in a long slow breath.

  ‘We’ll have to trust each other,’ he said.

  She smiled.

  ‘You are frightened of me?’

  ‘Why shouldn’t I be?’ He leaned forward, his blue eyes gleaming. ‘I don’t know you. You could call the sheriff and tell him I’m planning to steal the payroll. Then where would I be?’

  She laughed.

  ‘Where would I be too? I’d never do such a thing. I’ve been waiting and waiting and hoping and praying that someone like you would come into my life… a man who isn’t scared to take risks.’

  Looking at her, he was suddenly convinced that he could trust her.

  ‘Okay, so you have yourself a partner,’ he said. ‘With your help, we could lay our hands on this money… three hundred thousand dollars!’

  ‘But how?’

  ‘I don’t know — yet. It’ll be tricky. I’ll be the first one they’ll suspect.’

  ‘So you haven’t even an idea, let alone a plan?’

  ‘Not yet, but I now have a partner and that’s important. If we are going to do this thing we mustn’t rush it. When we do it, it must be foolproof.’

  ‘I’m ready to take risks.’

  ‘You think about it,’ Calvin said. ‘I’ll think too. It’s got to be foolproof.’

  He got to his feet and crossed to the closet. He took from it a bottle of whisky. ‘Let’s drink to it.’

  She looked first at him, then at the bottle he held in his hand. Her expression puzzled him.

  ‘I don’t drink,’ she said curtly. ‘I never drink.’

  She moved past him towards the communicating door. He put down the bottle and caught hold of her arm. For a moment they looked searchingly at each other, then she jerked free.

  ‘I give nothing for nothing,’ she said. ‘Don’t complicate things.’

  She went into her room, shut and locked the door.

  Calvin shrugged. He poured a stiff shot of whisky into a glass.

  ‘I’ll wait,’ he said half aloud. ‘What I don’t get today, I’ll get tomorrow. She’s worth waiting for.’

  For the first time in years he slept dreamlessly and in the dark. He now felt secure, knowing he was no longer alone.

  2

  On Saturday afternoon, Calvin drove out to the Downside Golf Course.

  He played perfect golf because his mind was fully occupied with the problem of stealing the payroll. He didn’t think about golf. He approached the ball and hit it without bothering if it hooked, sliced or flew straight. It had flown straight. He putted in the same frame of mind. The ball would either drop or miss by yards: it dropped.

  His afternoon wasn’t wasted. He now had an idea. This was something he wanted urgently to discuss with Kit. It irritated him when he drove into the garage to find her estate wagon wasn’t there. He went up to his room, stripped off, took a shower, then putting on a shirt and slacks, he pulled his armchair up to the window and sat down to consider this idea of his. A little after six o’clock, he heard the television start up. Then at half past six, he saw the estate wagon drive into the garage.

  There would be the inevitable dinner to prepare. He would have no chance to talk to Kit for at least another three hours. He went downstairs.

  He met Kit as she came hurrying in. They paused and looked at each other.

  ‘Did you get any golf?’ she asked.

  ‘I played a round… not a bad course.’ He stared fixedly at her. ‘I have an idea. Let’s talk about it tonight.’

  She nodded.

  ‘About ten?’

  Again she nodded.

  He went down the stairs and into the lounge. Alice was sewing on a button on a blouse. The two old people were in the other room, watching television.

  Calvin dropped into a lounging chair. He switched on his charm as Alice looked up. She flushed and looked quickly away from him.

  ‘Gee! I’m tired,’ he said. ‘I’ve been playing golf all afternoon. What have you been doing?’

  She looked confused as she said, ‘Nothing… really… sewing…’

  ‘Don’t you find it dull living here?’ he asked, staring at her. Suddenly this thin pale spinsterish girl had become very important to his financial future.

  ‘No… I don’t find it dull at all,’ she said. ‘I like it here.’

  ‘Do you ever go out dancing?’

  Blood stained her face.

  ‘No… I don’t care for dancing.’

  His expression was kindly as he shook his head.

  ‘But you should. You’re young. Don’t tell me you haven’t a boy-friend.’

  Her flush deepened painfully.

  ‘No… I haven’t.’

  There was a pause then he said, ‘By the way, I meant to ask you about Mrs. Reeder’s account. Couldn’t we suggest she invests in something a bit more exciting than gilt edged?’ Now he had learned what he wanted to know, he deliberately changed the subject. Alice immediately lost her shyness. For the next half hour, they discussed Mrs. Reeder’s investments, then they were interrupted by Miss Pearson and Major Hardy who had seen the six o’clock serial and were now anxious to be entertained by the younger people.

  After dinner Alice and the old people watched television and Calvin, excusing himself, saying he had letters to write, went upstairs.

  He stretched out on his bed, lit a cigarette and gave his mind again to the idea that had suddenly come to him on the golf course. The more he considered it, the more convinced he became that it would work.

  Finally, a little after ten o’clock, he heard the lock click back, then the communicating door opened. Kit came in and went to one of the lounging chairs and sat down.

  ‘Well? What is this idea of yours?’ she asked, looking at him as he lay inert on the bed, staring fixedly up at the ceiling.

  ‘Maybe it’ll surprise you to learn that Alice is planning with her boy-friend to steal the Pittsville payroll,’ Calvin said. ‘What do you think of that as an idea?’

  Kit frowned.

  ‘I don’t follow you. What do you mean?’

  ‘You heard what I said. If the payroll vanishes, the Federal agents will know it is an inside job. Either Alice or myself will be suspected. Well, Alice is the one who is going to get stuck with it.’

  Kit moved impatiently.

  ‘No one would believe she would do such a thing.’

  ‘That’s right, but they would believe it if she had been persuaded by her boy-friend to let him have the keys and if he persuaded her to tell him about the electronic eye… they would believe that.’

  ‘But she hasn’t a boy-friend. She isn’t the type ever to have a boy-friend. What are you talking about?’

  ‘She’s going to have one,’ Calvin said and grinned, ‘and he’s going to be quite a boy. He’s going to grab that three hundred thousand dollar payroll and vanish into thin air.’

  She sat tense, watching him. ‘Explain…’ she said sharply.

  ‘The more I think about it, the more certain I am that Alice is made for this job,’ Calvin said. ‘Don’t forget she had both keys to the vault when Lamb had his stroke. She would have had plenty of time to make an impression of my key before I arrived. It is easy enough to do with a piece of soap. She gives the impression to her boy-friend who makes a duplicate key. She also tells him about this electronic eye arrangement. The trick of this hicky is it doesn’t come into operation until all the lights are out in the bank. All the boy-friend has to do is to remove all the light bulbs except the one in the vault and then turn on the light. The vault light can’t be seen from the street and when it is on, the alarm system can’t operate.’

  ‘But Alice hasn’t a boy-friend and she isn’t likely ever to have one,’ Kit said impatiently.

  ‘Before I’ve done with her, she�
�s going to have a boy-friend, and the two of them will lift the payroll.’

  ‘But how are you going to get her a boy-friend?’ Kit demanded. ‘She…’

  ‘It’s a trick,’ Calvin said and got off the bed. He went over to the closet and took out the bottle of whisky. ‘Sure you won’t have one?’ he asked, waving the bottle towards her.

  ‘I told you… I don’t drink!’ she snapped. ‘What do you mean… a trick?’

  Calvin poured himself a drink, then sat on the edge of the bed.

  ‘Alice won’t know she has a boy-friend, but she’ll have one just the same. In actual fact, he won’t exist, but when the money vanishes, the police will be convinced it is her boy-friend who has taken it.’

  Kit’s brown eyes were suddenly alert with interest. ‘How is it done?’

  ‘We have only to convince two people: Major Hardy and Miss Pearson. The police will question them and they’ll tell them about the boy-friend. Naturally, you and I will also have seen him, but we’ll know he doesn’t exist whereas the old couple have got to believe he does.’

  ‘They may be old, but they’re no fools.’

  ‘I know… I know. I’m not saying this is going to be easy, but if we handle it right, it’ll work.’

  ‘I still can’t see how it is done.’

  ‘We have time,’ Calvin said. He drank some of the whisky, set down the glass and lit a cigarette. ‘That’s the beauty of this thing… we have all the time in the world. So long as Lamb is out of action, I’m in charge of the bank. He’s going to be out of action for months, so that gives us time. We first have to create the boy-friend. You must drop a hint to Miss Pearson that you think Alice has found a beau. Say you’ve seen her out with him. Miss Pearson will tell the major. They have nothing else to do but to gossip. You must persuade Miss Pearson not to speak to Alice about her beau. Tell her it’ll embarrass her. They both like her and it shouldn’t be hard to make them keep quiet.’

  Kit made a movement of exasperation.

  ‘But she never goes out in the evening. She sits glued to the television. How could they believe she has a boy-friend if she never goes out to meet him?’

  ‘I’ve thought of that one,’ Calvin said. ‘You’d be surprised how much thinking I have been doing. In a few days, Alice is going to give up watching television. She’s going to work for a bank examination. She’s going to be in her room five nights a week. But every now and then when the old couple are watching television, Alice will sneak downstairs and go out to meet her boy-friend.’

  ‘How will that be done?’

  ‘We all leave our coats in the lobby. When Alice is upstairs working for her examination, you will remove her hat and coat and put them out of sight. You’ll tell the old couple Alice has gone out. The proof will be her hat and coat are missing. Later, you’ll put them back. The old couple will be under the impression Alice has returned. It’s as simple as that.’

  Kit sat motionless for several moments, thinking, then she nodded.

  ‘Yes, of course, it could work. It’s a trick, but it could work. Major Hardy and Miss Pearson will only know about her boy-friend because I have told them about him… is that enough?’

  ‘No. They’ll have to see him. That can be arranged. I’m giving you the bare outline of my idea. Later, we’ll have to work out the details. But I’m sure we’ll be able to produce a convincing boy-friend.’

  Kit reached out and took a cigarette from the pack lying on the table. She lit the cigarette, flicked the match into the ash-tray, then drew in a lungful of smoke. She stared at the wall behind Calvin’s head, her face set in concentration.

  Calvin watched her, guessing what was going on in her mind.

  ‘Am I being stupid about this?’ she asked abruptly. ‘I can see we can produce a convincing boy-friend who doesn’t exist. I can see he might be able to persuade Alice to help him take the payroll. I can see the police might believe this possible. But what happens to Alice? If we are planning to put the blame on her, how do we persuade her to run away? How long do you imagine it’ll be before they catch her? Once they start questioning her they’ll find out fast enough she had nothing to do with the robbery and there never was a boy-friend.’

  Calvin flicked ash off his cigarette. His eyes became remote.

  ‘They won’t ever catch her,’ he said. ‘That’s the trick in this. They may find her but they won’t catch her.’

  Kit lifted her hair off her shoulders with an impatient movement.

  ‘Will you stop talking in riddles? If they find her, they’ll catch her, won’t they?’

  ‘Not necessarily.’ He didn’t look at her. ‘They’ll find her all right, but she won’t be in a position — shall we say — to talk.’

  There was a sudden tense pause. Calvin continued to stare down at the carpet, humming tunelessly under his breath. Kit became rigid, her fists gripped between her knees, her face suddenly without colour.

  ‘It depends on how much you really want the money,’ Calvin said at last. ‘I really want it. I’ve made up my mind to have it. Nothing and nobody is going to stop me having it.’

  She remained motionless. He could hear her quick, heavy breathing and he wondered if he had misjudged her. If she hasn’t the nerve, he thought uneasily, to go ahead with this thing, then I’m in trouble. I could have two murders on my hands… Alice and she. I’m not giving up this idea just because she hasn’t the nerve to help me. I’ll have to find someone else, but first, I’ll have to silence her.

  ‘I think I’d like a drink,’ Kit said in a hoarse, harsh voice.

  He splashed whisky into his empty glass and held it out to her. He saw her hand was unsteady as she took the glass from him. She drank the whisky in one quick gulp, shuddered and sat back, holding the empty glass so tightly her knuckles turned white.

  ‘There must be some other way,’ she said.

  ‘Okay, if you think so,’ Calvin said, watching her, ‘then you tell me. Once the money has gone, they’ll know it’s an inside job. So it has either to be me or Alice. Now you take it from there.’

  ‘There must be some other way.’ Two faint red spots showed on her cheeks. She looked at the whisky bottle standing on the night table. Calvin got up, lifted the bottle and poured a stiff shot of liquor into her glass.

  ‘You won’t have anything to do with it. It’s my job to fix Alice,’ he said.

  He watched her as she again drained the glass.

  ‘You’d better go slow on that,’ he said sharply. ‘You don’t want to get drunk.’

  ‘I won’t get drunk.’

  He put down the bottle, then sat on the bed.

  ‘I’ve thought about this,’ he said. ‘There’s no other foolproof way. You have to make up your mind whether Alice is more important than three hundred thousand dollars. It’s as simple as that. I’m no stranger to murder. I murdered a number of people during the war… not only soldiers, but civilians who got in my way. I have waited years for the chance of getting my hands on big money without a risk to myself. It was you who started my thinking.’ He paused, then went on, a sudden edge to his voice, ‘It might not be all that safe for you to back out now. You can see that, can’t you?’

  She got to her feet and walked over to where he had put the bottle of whisky. She poured a stiff drink into her glass.

  ‘Are you threatening me?’ she asked.

  ‘You can call it what you like. You’re in this thing now with me. Give me an idea that will keep both Alice and me in the clear and I’ll listen. But make up your mind to this fact: I’ve told you too much for you to back out now. I’m reasonable. Give me an idea that takes care of your scruples and keeps me in the clear and we’ll do it your way.’

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ she said in a flat voice and moved towards the door.

  ‘Tomorrow I’m going to persuade Alice to take the bank examination,’ Galvin said. ‘We have time, but there is no need to waste it.’

  Without looking at him, Kit went into her bedroom, c
arrying the glass of whisky. Calvin heard the key turn.

  He sat there on the bed for a long time, smoking and humming tunelessly under his breath. Then suddenly, he got to his feet and began to undress.

  Putting on his pyjamas and his dressing-gown, he went along to the bathroom and washed. Then he returned to his room and picked up a cigarette. He held it unlighted between his thick fingers as he looked towards the communicating door. He stared at the door for several seconds, then he put the cigarette down. Moving silently, he went to the door and gently turned the handle. The door yielded. He pushed it wide open. The bedside lamp was alight. Kit was in bed.

  They looked at each other, then he moved into the room, closing the door behind him.

  He felt a surge of satisfied triumph run through him. This was her way of telling him she would go ahead with him in this plan of his.

  When he reached the bed, she turned off the light.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  1

  ‘The thing we have to make up our minds about,’ Calvin said, ‘is what we are going to do with the money when we get it.’

  Kit and he were alone in the kitchen. The house was empty except for them. The old people and Alice had gone to church. Flo didn’t come in on Sundays. Kit was preparing the lunch. Calvin sat on the kitchen stool, away from her, a cigarette between his lips.

  ‘That won’t be difficult for me,’ Kit said. ‘I know what I’m going to do with my share.’

  ‘The take is three hundred thousand dollars. We split it down the middle… a hundred and fifty each.’

  ‘Yes… I’ve always dreamed of owning such a sum.’

  ‘You may have dreamed about it,’ he said, flicking ash off his cigarette, ‘but I don’t think you have thought about it.’

  There was a note in his voice that made her look sharply at him.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘When we get the money, the real trouble begins,’ he returned. ‘We shall have all this money in cash: there’s a lot of it. You realise you can’t stash it away in a bank? Even a safe deposit can be dangerous. The Federal agents can search safe deposits. You’ll have to be very careful how you spend it… no splashing it around. If you do, the Federal agents will investigate you.’