Miss Shumway Waves a Wand

by James Hadley Chase

  “Get Out “Lydia said furiously, “you’ve no business being in here. Go upstairs and wait for Peppi. He wants me to do this.”

  “He’s mine,” Arym said, moving towards Lydia. “No one touches him but me.”

  Lydia went for her with the knife.

  I yelled a warning, but it wasn’t necessary. Arym was quite capable of taking care of herself. She simply vanished in a puff of white smoke.

  Lydia stopped in her rush with a startled scream. She looked around the room, her knife held ready and her eyes wild.

  Just behind her a large vase containing flowers suddenly floated off the table. It shot high into the air and descended on Lydia’s head. She flattened out on the floor and the vase flew in a hundred pieces.

  “And that’s that,” said Arym’s voice.

  Invisible hands gathered the flowers into a bunch and laid them on Lydia’s chest.

  “She only lacks a wooden overcoat,” Arym said, suddenly reappearing. “But I haven’t time for that now.”

  I felt unnerved. “I just can’t get used to your tricks,” I said, staring at Lydia with morbid fascination.

  “Didn’t you like that little exhibition?” Arym asked, not without pride.

  “I thought it was swell,” I said, “but I can’t stand a lot of it. Look, sweetheart, will you untie me?”

  “Oh, no,” Arym said firmly, “I want to talk to you first.”

  “But we haven’t time,” I said desperately. “Peppi’ll come back any minute.”

  She shrugged, “I couldn’t care less about that,” she returned, putting her arm round my neck. “I can do to Peppi what I did to her and think nothing of it.”

  “Arym, you must let me loose,” I said feverishly, “I want you to do something for me.”

  “I know,” she said, “but you’re going to hear what I want first.” She sat on my knee and began fondling my ear. That’s a thing I can’t stand, but I wasn’t in the position to tell her so.

  “You’re going to marry me.”

  I stared at her, “Of all the crazy things!” I said angrily. “This is no time for fooling.”

  “But, I’m not fooling,” she said, “you’re marrying me or it’ll be the last thing you refuse me.”

  “I’m marrying Myra,” I said, trying to push her away, “Be reasonable for the love of mike. Myra’s desperately ill. She needs you. You can’t refuse to help her.”

  “I know all about that,” she said carelessly, “I’ve just come from seeing her. She knew what was happening here and she sent me to get you out of the mess. I agreed on one condition—that she would give you up. Well, she’s given you up. If you want me to save her, you must promise to marry me.”

  “I’m not going to,” I said, hardly believing my ears. “Of all the dirty tricks! You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

  “Don’t get upstage,” Aryrn said, putting her face against mine. “I’ll let Peppi handle you, if you don’t play along with me. And I’ll let Myra fend for herself, too.”

  I drew a deep breath, “You can’t do this,” I said, “think what it means. You don’t really think you could hold me to such a marriage. Why I’d leave you in a week. What do you think I am—a mouse?”

  A look of doubt came into Arym’s eyes, “But, don’t you like me a little?” she pleaded, hugging me to her.

  “I like you all right,” I said, “you’ve got everything Myra has except her nice nature. That’s something you’ll never have.”

  “I could be nice to you,” she wheedled, “and you would be good for me.” I had a sudden idea.

  “I’ll agree on one condition,” I said.

  She looked suspicious, “What condition?”

  “You return to Myra, give up your body and I’ll marry you both.”

  “No,” she said, getting off my knee. “I want to have a body of my own.”

  “But, you’ll never really be happy,” I urged, feeling that I was persuading her. “It’s the only way you’ll ever get me. If you can’t share me with Myra then I’m through with you.”

  She began to pace up and down. “You don’t understand what this means to me. As I am now, I can do what I like, go where I like and love whom I like.”

  “And where’s it getting you?” I asked. “Can’t you see it’s the only possible way out? Ask yourself, have you been happy? You’re only half yourself. Myra has all the good qualities. If you go back to her you’ll be complete and you’ll have me.”

  She stopped pacing and stared at me. “You devil,” she said, “I hadn’t thought of it like that. You’re right. I have missed Myra. I’ve missed tempting her to do the wrong things. I’ve missed fighting with her. I guess I’m being a sucker, but I’ll do it, if she’ll have me back.”

  “I warn you,” I said, “you’re going to behave. No more stealing. I’ll be around to keep you in order.”

  “I’ll do it—for no other man in the world but you,” she said, and picking up the knife she cut me free.

  I stood up with a grimace. “We must get over to Myra,” I said, stamping life into my legs.

  “I’ve left her too long as it is.”

  “Don’t fuss,” she said. “She’ll be all right.”

  I suddenly remembered Whisky. “My goodness!” I said hobbling to the telephone. “Maybe Peppi’s cutting poor old Whisky’s throat right now.”

  “You worry too much,” Arym said calmly. “He’ll have his throat cut sooner or later, he’s that kind of a dog.”

  I got through to police headquarters.

  When Summers came on the line I shot him the story. “Get a squad over there,” I said feverishly, giving him Harriet’s address. “And make it snappy. You’ll have Kruger and his mob on ice if you get that picture.”

  “We’ll get it,” Summers said excitedly, and hung up.

  “I hope they do,” I said. “Well, let’s get over to the hospital.” I put my arm around her and kissed her. “You’re a nice kid,” I said. “And you won’t have any regrets. Now, come on. Go into your vanishing act. The cops mustn’t see you.”

  “Consider it done,” she said, and a wisp of smoke indicated where she had been standing.

  When we reached the hospital we found Clancy and a couple of cops still waiting outside Myra’s door. Bogle had been taken away.

  I went up to Clancy. “How is she?” I asked anxiously.

  Clancy looked mournful. “She’s bad,” he said. “The doc’s in there now.”

  “Can I go in?”

  “Not yet,” Clancy said, shaking his head. “Maybe when the doc’s through.”

  I turned away. I was tempted to burst into her room, but I knew it wouldn’t do, so I wandered over to a chair and sat down.

  “Who’s the guy with a face like a tomato?” Arym whispered in my ear.

  I told her.

  “He looks like a heel,” Arym said. “I think I’ll throw a scare into him.”

  “Lay off,” I said hurriedly. “We don’t want any trouble here.”

  “It wouldn’t be any trouble to me,” she said wistfully. “It’d be fun.”

  “Now for the love of mike behave yourself. Haven’t I enough on my mind without you adding to it?”

  Clancy had drawn near and was staring at me with startled Interest. “Do you have to do that?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Why not?” I returned. “Can’t I talk to myself without you horning in?”

  “I guess so,” he returned, looking at me old fashioned. “But, I don’t like it much. It shows softening of the brain.”

  “That’s better than having no brain at all, you cretin,” Arym’s voice snapped.

  Clancy stiffened. “What’s that?” he said, glaring at me. “I didn’t say anything,” I returned hurriedly.

  “Don’t tell lies,” Clancy said. “One more crack like that and I’ll toss you in the can. And cut out that falsetto voice. I don’t like it.”

  Just then a young and pretty nurse came down the corridor.

  Cl
ancy, who never passed up a nice-looking girl, swallowed his wrath. He adjusted his necktie and smirked at her. “Evening,” he said, swelling out his chest.

  She paused and smiled brightly. “Good evening,” she said. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  Before Clancy could reply, Arym’s voice said from behind him, “You can wipe that smile off your insipid face.”

  Clancy couldn’t believe his cars. He looked around wildly, his mouth gaping.

  The nurse tossed her head. “If it comes to that,” she said, “your face isn’t so much, and from the sound of your voice you should be shuffled and dealt again.”

  As she passed Clancy there came the sound of a sharp slap. The nurse gave a convulsive start and stifled a scream. For a moment she stood rigid and then turned, her face scarlet.

  “That wasn’t a nice thing to do,” she said. “Do you call yourself a gentleman?”

  Clancy blinked at her. “I ain’t done nothing,” he said uneasily.

  “It may seem nothing to you,” the nurse returned. “But, I’ll have you know that back in my home-town gentlemen don’t do such things.”

  Clancy began to get mad. “You’re not the only one who has a home-town,” he snapped.

  “I shouldn’t like to visit yours, if you’re a specimen of what comes out of it,” the nurse returned, putting her hands carelessly behind her and edging away.

  This remark hurt Clancy’s pride. “I’ll have you know,” he said, “my home-town’s the oldest in the country.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” the nurse said feelingly. “You have some of its oldest habits,” and tossing her bead, she went off down the corridor.

  “What kind of hospital is this?” Clancy demanded, glaring after her. “Even the nurses are nuts!”

  While he was speaking, Myra’s door opened and the doctor came out.

  I jumped to my feet. “Can I see her?” I asked anxiously.

  He looked at me gravely. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But I did all I could for her.”

  My heart went cold. “She’s not…?” I began, but the look in his eyes told me.

  “She wouldn’t fight,” he said. “I can’t make it out. She just didn’t seem to have the will. I pushed past him and went into the room.

  A nurse had pulled the sheet over Myra’s face. She glanced at me sympathetically and left the room.

  I stood looking at Myra’s small form under the sheet and I felt pretty bad.

  “So she quit,” Arym said, suddenly appearing at my side. “Can you beat that?” she jerked the sheet off Myra’s face.

  Myra looked very peaceful. Her hair framed her small white face and there was a faint smile on her lips.

  “Of all the smug, two-faced, prissy-mouthed fugitives from a convent,” Aryrn said in disgust. “She’s it.”

  “Don’t,” I said, sitting wearily on the bed. “She wanted to live, but we were too late to help her.”

  “Phooey!” Arym snapped. “She’s putting on an act. Cut it Out, Myra,” she went on. “Or I’ll grab that body and leave you without one.”

  “Try it and I’ll haunt you,” Myra’s voice said close to me.

  I looked round with a startled gasp. Standing at the foot of the bed I could make out a filmy shadow.

  “Don’t materialize any further,” Arym exclaimed. “You haven’t got any clothes on.”

  “As if I didn’t know,” Myra sounded annoyed. “Where have you two been? I was just going to look for you.”

  “Wait a minute,” I said. “Aren’t you dead after all?”

  “Of course, she isn’t,” Arym said. “I told you not to worry.”

  “Has the darling been worrying?” Myra asked eagerly.

  “You know how men are,” Arym replied airily. “But never mind him. Get back into your body. We have things to talk about.”

  “I’ll be right with you,” Myra said, and the shadowy figure climbed on to the bed and melted out of sight.

  A second later what had been Myra’s remains sat up abruptly in bed.

  I shied away from her. This, I felt, was a little too much.

  “He wants me to come back to you,” Arym said sulkily. “That’s the only way he’ll marry me.”

  “Certainly not,” Myra said firmly. “I’ve bad enough of your influence to last me a lifetime. I’d rather be dead.”

  I pulled myself together. “Myra,” I said, taking her hand, “you must be sensible. The new moon rises in an hour. If Doc was right, that’s when you’ll lose your supernatural powers and then it’ll be too late to do anything. You have to take her back. Think of me. Think of having her around all the rest of our days. Think of the mischief she could do us if we thwarted her.”

  “That’s all very well,” Myra returned. “But what about Doc? She did kill him. I draw the line at sharing a body with a murderess.”

  She had something there.

  Arym pouted “If I fix Doc, will you do it?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I didn’t kill the old fool. I wanted to have a hold on you so that Ross would work for Andasca.”

  “Now look here, Arym, it’s no use lying. You did kill him. I saw him die,” I said coldly.

  “You thought you saw him die,” Arym said, smiling. “Haven’t you heard of mass hypnotism?”

  I ran my fingers through my hair, “What are you getting at?” I said. “Mass hypnotism? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You’re not being very bright, are you darling?” she said patiently. “All I did was to put Doc in a coma and hypnotize you and Sam into believing he was hurt. The letter and the dress were planted to give the right atmosphere.”

  “I don’t believe it,” I said, “the cops saw him too.”

  “So what?” she returned “I was there all the time, although you couldn’t see me. It was as easy to hypnotize the cops as you.”

  “Do you really mean Doc’s alive?” I still couldn’t believe it.

  “Of course, but he doesn’t know it,” she said airily. “Right now he’s in the City morgue and he thinks he’s as dead as George Washington but we can soon fix that.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” I exclaimed “Look at the time, we’ve only a half an hour before midnight.”

  Arym looked over at Myra, “Are you going to take me back?” she asked.

  “I suppose I’ll have to” Myra said, a little doubtfully “Are you going to behave?”

  “She’ll behave,” I said, “I know how to handle her.”

  “All right,” Myra said, “I’ve missed her too. Come on back,” her eyes lit up, “it’ll be just like old times.”

  Aryrn hesitated, then she came over to me. “You won’t ever see me again,” she said sadly, “not as I really am.” She put her arms round me. “This is the last time I’ll hold you like this.”

  I pulled her to me and kissed her. “Be good,” I said, “I’m trusting you.”

  “I’m ready when you two are,” Myra said, a little waspishly.

  Aryrn gave me a quick hug and pushed me away. “Look out of the window,” she said, “I have to undress.”

  I hadn’t turned my back for ten seconds when the door opened and Clancy walked in.

  “So she’s dead, eh?” he said, “well, Bud, I’m sorry.”

  I took a quick look at the bed and then stiffened. Myra and Arym were lying side by side, their blonde heads sharing the same pillow. Even though I knew what was happening, the sight unnerved me.

  Clancy saw them at the same time. He blinked and passed his hand over his eyes. Then he had another look and went pale.

  “She looks nice, doesn’t she?” I said, deciding to bluff.

  Clancy made gurgling noises. Beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead. He moved closer to the bed and stared. “Yeah,” he said, in a cracked voice, “but it ain’t the kind of thing I want to see every day.”

  “Nor do I,” I said feelingly, “but she does look happy.”

&nbs
p; “That’s more than I do,” Clancy said, supporting himself against the bed rail, “my eyesight’s giving me a little trouble. You wouldn’t say there are two dames in that bed, would you?”

  “No,” I said firmly, “I wouldn’t say that at all.”

  “I didn’t think you would,” he returned, with a groan, “Maybe I’ve been working too hard.”

  “You’d better go away some place quiet and lie down,” I said.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Clancy said, “but I can’t imagine any place quiet enough,” and he went out of the room with dragging steps.

  I turned back to the bed in time to see Arym merge into Myra.

  “I’ll sure be glad when this business is over,” I said, mopping my face with my handkerchief.

  Myra sat up in bed. “Wait for me,” she said, “I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

  “Don’t let them see you,” I said, and went out into the corridor.

  Clancy was sitting in a heap with his head in his hands. The two cops were watching him uneasily.

  “Don’t worry him,” I said to them, “he has a lot on his mind right now.”

  “We ain’t worrying him,” one of the cops returned uneasily, “he’s worrying us.”

  I moved down the corridor and stood waiting. Myra didn’t keep me long. Her voice sounded in my ear after a few minutes, “Let’s go,” she said.

  We reached the city morgue a quarter before midnight. A thin, querulous looking bird with a heavy moustache and a network of veins over his sharp, hooked nose sat behind the counter. “What do you want?” he snapped.

  “You have a body here I want to look at,” I said, taking out a Recorder press card and handing it to him, “a guy named Ansell. Doc Ansell.”

  He flipped the card back to me, “Come to-morrow,” he said, and picked up his newspaper.

  “Wait a minute,” I said, “I have to see this guy right now.” The morgue attendant glared at me over his glasses, “No one’s going in there to-night. Beat it,” he said.

  I turned to Myra, “One of those nice helpful guys,” I said, “maybe you’d better do something about it. Look at the time.”

  It was ten to twelve.

  Myra said, “I’m on my way,” and she vanished.

  On the floor where she had been standing were her clothes in a neat little pile. Her hat rested on top and her shoes were at the bottom of the pile.