1952 - The Wary Transgressor

by James Hadley Chase

  "Have a good time and stop worrying," he said, and went off in his car.

  Valeria turned to me, her eyes sparkling.

  "That's good news, isn't it?" she said. "And I can't thank you enough for staying on."

  "I'm glad to be of some use."

  "Now look; if I can't do anything for him, there's no point in us sticking around the house. Let's go over to the Isola Bella this afternoon and look at the gardens. Then tomorrow we'll go to Milan. We might stay for lunch and make a day of it."

  "I don't know about that. I'm here to work. You'd better ask signora Fancino."

  "Oh, she won't mind. Shall we go?"

  "If she agrees, it's okay with me."

  After lunch, as I was leaving the kitchen, Laura called to me.

  She was pale, and there was a drawn, bleak look in her eyes.

  I could imagine how she was feeling. Bellini had been difficult about the delay when I had listened in to their conversation. Now there was to be more delay she was likely to have serious trouble with him, and from her expression she was worried and furious.

  "Did Perelli ask you to stay on?" she said curtly.

  "Yes. Was it your idea?"

  "Of course not. I'm not anxious for you to stay, David. I think it would be better for you to go."

  "Okay, if that's the way you feel. You'd better tell Perelli. It suits me to go on Monday. I only put off going because he asked me to."

  She gave me a hard, shrewd look.

  "Since he had arranged for you to stay, then you'd better stay. I'm glad to hear it was Dr. Perelli who persuaded you. I had an idea you were getting infatuated with Valeria."

  I restrained my temper with difficulty.

  "Is that all you want to say?"

  "Not quite. Apparently Valeria wants to commandeer you. She seems to imagine I might have objections. I haven't. So go ahead and enjoy yourselves."

  She turned away and walked with her slow, lazy stride along the verandah to her room.

  During the next five days Valeria and I spent practically every hour of the day in each other's company.

  We went to Milan, to Como and to Pavia. We took the boat up the Lago to Locarno. We climbed the Motterone, and had a picnic lunch on its summit, revelling in the fine panorama which extends over the plain and the whole of the chain of the Alps.

  We went out with the fishermen at night and caught trout. We bathed, we talked and we enjoyed ourselves.

  To me it was a standing still of time; the stepping out of the sordid, turbulent stream of life in which I had been drifting on to a bank of peace and happiness. There had never been a period in my life that I had enjoyed more.

  I don't know the exact moment when I fell in love with Valeria. It could easily have been when I had first met her; when she had seemed to me the embodiment of youth, beauty, innocence and joyous living, when the sight of her had hit me like a physical blow. But I wasn't aware I was in love with her until one afternoon when we were sitting under the trees on the little, secluded beach at Cerro I happened to look up and meet her eyes, and we looked at each other.

  I knew then, and I knew I meant something to her, for she looked quickly away and flushed.

  I sat there, silent, nursing this discovery which frightened me.

  It was the kind of love I had never experienced before. It was nothing to be compared to the mad, physical infatuation I had felt for Laura. It was altogether on a different plane. But I knew it was a hopeless love. I was thirteen years older than she. I had no money. I was wanted by the police. I had no future in front of me.

  "David . . ." Valeria began and stopped.

  "Yes?" I said, not looking at her.

  "You puzzle me. Why are you living like this in Italy? Oh, I know your book is a reason, but couldn't you find something better to do than what you are doing?"

  "For the love of Mike, don't start worrying about me," I said with an attempt to laugh. "I can look after myself."

  "Can you? You don't seem to be making much of a job of it."

  "Nonsense! I'm doing fine."

  "Are you really going when Bruno gets better?"

  "Yes. I've got to go. I want to finish my book."

  She sat for a long moment, staring across the Lago.

  "It's going to be very dull here without you," she said at last.

  I felt my mouth turn dry.

  "You'll be all right. You'll soon find things to do."

  She looked at me.

  "You won't change your mind and stay?"

  "You said just now I should be doing something to better myself," I said. "Well, that's what I'm going to do. I have to go, Valeria."

  "But you don't have to go if you don't want to, David. You could take over Bruno's work."

  "What work?" I asked sharply.

  "Before Bruno met with his accident, he was in charge of the work of restoring war damaged churches in Lombardy. The work is being carried on now by the department, but no one has bothered to do anything about his notes and material on the damage. I know he would be so pleased if you would get them into some sort of shape. Bruno would pay you, of course, and it would give him such an interest to know what you were doing."

  Here was a temptation, but I knew it would be useless even to think about it.

  "No, I'm sorry, it can't be done. As soon as I've finished my own notes I want to go home."

  She got to her feet.

  "Yes, I should have thought about that. Well, all right, David, if you want to go home . . ."

  We both were unusually silent as we walked back to the villa, and for the first time since we had met, conversation lagged.

  During those five days Bruno had made no progress. The following day, which was Wednesday, Dr. Perelli was expected. I was helping Guilio, the gardener, to cut up logs for the winter fires when Perelli arrived. I saw him go into Bruno's room.

  He was in there a long time, over an hour, and when he came out he looked thoughtful, but satisfied.

  I saw him have a long talk to Valeria, then he looked over to me and beckoned.

  As I came towards him, he left Valeria and joined me.

  "I want to talk to you," he said abruptly. "Come with me to the car."

  Puzzled at his abruptness, I followed him.

  When we reached the car, he said, "First of all, I'm glad to tell you signor Fancino's much better. He has come out of his sleep, the rest has done him a lot of good, and I think he will now make progress."

  "That's good news," I said. "I'm glad."

  "Yes. If he continues to make progress today, we'll move him into the sunshine tomorrow. I've told Valeria she can sit with him this afternoon. Nurse is anxious to get away for the weekend. Her sister in Milan isn't well, and I think if he continues to go on as he's going on, she can go."

  Immediately my heart sank. I knew that with Nurse Fleming out of the way, Laura would most probably start her plan into operation again.

  "I see," I said.

  "Nurse Fleming tells me Valeria and you have been going about a lot together," Perelli said, his beady eyes on my face.

  "I suppose we have," I returned. "Signora Fancino asked me to take signorina Valeria off her hands."

  "Yes, so I understand. While signor Fancino is unable to supervise his affairs I am Valeria's guardian," Perelli said. "I don't think it is wise for her to be so much in your company, Chisholm. I have nothing against you, but she is a young and impressionable girl. I don't want her to become fond of you. She will be much more with her father now, but when she has some spare time I should be glad if you would make it your business to avoid seeing her."

  I felt the blood rising to my face.

  "In that case, doctor," I said curtly, "you had better make some arrangements for her amusement. Signora Fancino isn't much company for her, nor is Nurse Fleming."

  He smiled.

  "Don't get angry, Chisholm. You know as well as I do a young girl may get sentimental about a man as good-looking as you if she is continually in his c
ompany. I don't forbid you to see her. I'm asking you to see she doesn't make a fool of herself. I think your suggestion is a good one, and I'll see what I can do."

  "All right," I said. "I'll watch it."

  "Thank you. You still want to leave next Monday?"

  "Yes."

  "Then I will find someone to take your place. I have already told signora Fancino that I will undertake to find a man. I will have no difficulty. You can make arrangements to leave definitely on Monday."

  "Thank you," I said.

  He nodded and got into his car.

  "I haven't been offensive to you, Chisholm?" he asked, looking up at me through the window.

  "No, of course not. I would have said the same thing in your place."

  "Yes. I thought you were a sensible fellow," he returned, and smiled. "I see I haven't made a mistake."

  He set the car in motion.

  I stood for some moments staring after the car, then I went slowly along the path to the garden.

  Valeria came running down from the verandah and joined me.

  Her face was flushed and her eyes were angry.

  "I want to talk to you, David," she said. "Please come down to the harbour."

  "I'm busy just now," I said, avoiding her eyes. "I have to help Guilio."

  "I want to talk to you," she repeated. "Will you please come with me? This is important, David."

  "All right."

  I followed her down the steps to the harbour. When we reached the screen of willow trees, she turned to face me.

  "What did Dr. Perelli say to you just now?"

  "He told me your father is a lot better. It's good news, isn't it?"

  "He said something else, didn't he? He told you we weren't to see each other."

  I smiled at her angry, anxious face.

  "He's quite right, you know, Valeria, We've forgotten I'm the hired hand around here. People talk. Nurse Fleming is scandalized."

  "How dare she interfere!" Valeria exclaimed. "And he has no business to interfere either!"

  "But he has. He's your guardian, and you're still only a kid."

  "I'm nothing of the kind! David! You don't want us not to meet, do you?"

  "In my position I obey orders."

  "But that doesn't answer my question."

  "It's been fun going around with you," I said slowly. "I've enjoyed your company, but I'm not going against Dr. Perelli's orders."

  "But that's not answering my question! Don't hedge, David. This is too important to be stupid about. I don't want you to go away. I don't want you not to see me. I love you, David."

  "You're not to say that!"

  She moved close to me.

  "You love me too, don't you?"

  I had her in my arms before I knew what I was doing.

  "Oh, David, darling," she said, her arms going round my neck.

  Then I realized what was happening, and I tried to push her away, but she held on.

  "Don't, David."

  "But we can't do this. We just can't do it!"

  "You do care, don't you?"

  "All right, I care, but we can't do anything about it. What would your father think?"

  "Don't be silly, David. This is between you and me. The moment I saw you in the sun, looking so puzzled, trying to find me, I ... "

  "Stop it!" I said fiercely, and forcibly pushed her from me.

  She was saying practically the same thing that Laura had said in that dirty, sordid room in which we had made love.

  "David!"

  "It's no good! We're miles apart in our lives, in our ages, in everything. It's no good."

  "Of course it's all right," she said, smiling up at me. "I'll talk to Bruno. He'll understand. He likes you. He'll give you that job I told you about. You can stay here. You can get on with your book too. Oh, darling, can't you see it's all right?"

  "It isn't all right, Valeria. You don't know how sorry I am about this, but it just won't work. You don't know anything about me, and anyway, I'm too damned old for you. I'm not going to argue about it. It's got to stop right now!"

  "Valeria!" Laura's voice came down the steps. "Valeria! Are you there?"

  "Go to her," I said, giving her a little push. "Don't let her find us together."

  "I'm not going to give you up, David," Valeria said fiercely. "I know you love me, and I love you. I'm not going to let you do anything stupid."

  She turned and ran up the harbour steps.

  I had the whole afternoon ahead of me. I decided to take Bicci's boat and go somewhere where I wouldn't be disturbed and consider what I was going to do.

  As I was endeavouring to start the outboard engine, I heard the motorboat start up in the boathouse. A moment later the big boat came out from under the screen of willow trees and headed across the Lago towards Stresa.

  Laura was sitting at the wheel.

  I sat for a long moment watching her. The nightmare was going to start all over again.

  I yanked savagely at the starting rope and the outboard engine spluttered into life. I went after Laura.

  Already her boat was a small dot ahead of me. I could guess where she was going, but I wanted to be absolutely sure that she was meeting Bellini.

  I reached the Pescatori after a little less than an hour's run. As I went past, I spotted the motorboat moored by the Albergo's landing stage.

  I kept on, satisfied now that she was going ahead with her plan.

  When I reached the harbour at Stresa I tied up the boat and climbed up to the promenade.

  I knew now that I had to decide what to do. I couldn't put it of any longer.

  I walked slowly along in the hot sunshine until I reached the flower gardens opposite the Regina Palace Hotel, then I sat down, lit a cigarette and considered what best to do.

  Going away on Friday would only postpone trouble for Valeria.

  Besides, I couldn't leave Valeria alone in the villa now, not knowing if Laura might spring a surprise, and trick Bellini into a murder without me to take the consequences.

  Although I had known all along that unless I did something drastic I should only be postponing the danger, I had funked facing up to the issue.

  But at the back of my mind I knew there was only one solution; there could be no other, and so far I had refused to admit it.

  Up to now I wouldn't even let it get as far as a concrete thought.

  The situation as I saw it was this: Valeria was in love with me.

  I was in love with her. There was a job waiting for me; a job I could do and enjoy. There was even a remote possibility that Bruno might be persuaded to let me marry Valeria.

  All this could happen if it were not for Laura. A word from her would get me arrested and possibly hanged for a murder I hadn't committed. More important still, she was planning to murder Valeria.

  Valeria's safety and happiness, my safety and happiness, were in Laura's hands.

  So long as Laura remained alive, neither Valeria nor I was safe, but if Laura happened to die, the whole picture would change to our advantage.

  There it was at last, out into my mind as a concrete thought, a thought I had been nursing at the back of my mind for the past two days.

  If Laura happened to die . . .

  I flung the cigarette from me and stood up.

  This was crazy thinking! I told myself. I was getting caught up in this atmosphere of murder. It was easy to say to oneself, 'If Laura happened to die, we would be safe.' Laura wasn't going to die.

  Unless . . .

  I walked slowly over to the rail that guarded the promenade and leaned against it, looking across the Lago at the red roofs and white houses of Arolo.

  She was planning to murder Valeria; why shouldn't I plan to murder her? What right had she to live? It would be poetic justice.

  My heart was hammering against my side, and my mouth was dry. I tried to push the thought from my mind, but I knew now it was the only solution. If I wasn't to lose Valeria, Laura had to go.

  I had had a
feeling ever since Laura had tried to persuade me to get rid of Bruno that it would be easy to drift into murder.

  The atmosphere of the villa, Laura's ruthlessness, my own circumstances, my love for Valeria were all ingredients for murder.

  But how to do it in safety? Was there some way in which I could implicate Bellini? Laura was going to implicate me, why couldn't I implicate Bellini? Again it would be poetic justice.

  Time was running out. I had only two clear days to perfect a plan.

  I lit another cigarette, and I was surprised to see how steady my hand was. My heartbeat was now back to normal. I was aware only of feeling cold in spite of the hot sun. I walked back to the seat and sat down.

  I had to be very careful. Every murderer was supposed to make at least one mistake. I had to be sure I made no mistakes. Too much depended on the issue to make the smallest slip.

  First, the motive.

  There had to be a strong motive which would point to Bellini.

  Already he was a suspect. He had a prison record and a reputation for violence. The police wouldn't be difficult to convince, provided I supplied them with a good motive.

  What was it to be?

  Laura's pearls.

  She had got them back from Stanito now, and she had worn them once or twice. It should be simple enough for me to get them from her room if she wasn't wearing them on Friday night.

  Bellini had worked at the villa. He would know about the pearls. What would be more obvious than that he should decide to steal them, and in stealing them, kill Laura?

  I felt a little trickle of cold sweat run down my face, and I wiped it impatiently away.

  Laura had arranged to meet Bellini at the boathouse at nine o'clock on Friday evening.

  I was supposed to be working on the car in the garage.

  Valeria would be sitting with Bruno.

  A few minutes before nine I would go down to the boathouse and let myself in with the key she had given me.

  When Laura arrived I would hit her over the head, and then go down to the harbour and wait for Bellini to come.

  I should have to be very careful with Bellini. But there was plenty of cover down there, and it would be dark. A blow on the head with a sandbag would leave no bruise. I would hit him as he was stepping from the boat. Then I would put the pearls in his pocket and tip him into the Lago. I would overturn his boat, and return to the garage.