1953 - This Way for a Shroud

by James Hadley Chase

  “A woman and man, that’s right, isn’t it?” he said. He had a queer husky voice that sent a chill up Seigel’s spine. It was the kind of voice you might hear come from the mouth of a medium at a séance.

  Gollowitz hastily collected himself.

  “I am very glad to have you here,” he said, and was aware that he was gushing without being able to help himself. “It was very good of Big Joe . . .”

  “Where are they?” Ferrari interrupted, his sunken eyes on Gollowitz’s face.

  Gollowitz gulped, stuttered and looked helplessly at Seigel.

  “You mean these two you’ve come to take care of?” Seigel asked, his voice off-key.

  “Who else?” Ferrari said impatiently. “Where are they? Don’t you know?”

  “They are in a hunting lodge in Butcher’s Wood,” Gollowitz told him hurriedly. He had received detailed information from McCann only this morning. “I have a map here.” He opened a drawer in the desk, took out a neatly prepared plan and pushed it across the desk.

  Ferrari picked it up, folded it into four and put it in his pocket without looking at it.

  “How do you want me to kill them ?” he asked.

  “I’ll leave that to you,” Gollowitz said. “But it is essential that both of them should appear to the accidentally.”

  Ferrari pursed his thin lips.

  “When are they to the?” he asked, sitting down.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to discuss the means of getting at them?” Gollowitz suggested, stung by Ferrari’s arrogant tone. “If it were all that easy I wouldn’t have sent for you. They are guarded night and day. No one can get near the lodge without being seen. There are police dogs, searchlights and a small regiment of police guarding the only approach to the lodge. There are six picked detectives, all expert shots, who take it in turns to guard these two. Two women detectives never leave the Coleman girl for a moment, even when she’s asleep. Two detectives guard Weiner in the same way. It’s not a matter of when they are to the, but how we’re going to get at them.”

  Ferrari ran a bony finger down the length of his nose while he regarded

  Gollowitz the way a scientist would regard an unknown microbe.

  “I asked you when they are to die,” he said.

  Gollowitz looked over at Seigel and shrugged his fat shoulders.

  “As soon as possible, of course,” he said curtly.

  “Very well. When I have studied the map and have looked the place over, I will give you a date,” Ferrari said, speaking in slow, precise English with a noticeable Italian accent. “It will probably be in two days’ time.”

  “You mean you will kill them in two days’ time?” Seigel exclaimed. “It’s not possible!”

  “It won’t be possible for both of them to the in two days’ time,” Ferrari said, “but certainly one of them will the in this time. Both of them could go within two days if you didn’t insist their deaths should appear accidental. Two people to the so quickly would be too much of a coincidence.” He looked across at Gollowitz. “You are quite sure you want them to the accidentally?”

  “It is essential,” Gollowitz said, secretly pleased to make Ferrari’s task even more difficult. “If the newspapers suspect they have been murdered they will raise such a stink there may be an inquiry, and we can’t afford that.”

  “Yes.” Ferrari ran his claw-like hand over his hair. “Very well, one of them will go in two or three days’ time. We’ll have to consider what to do with the other when the first job has been taken care of.”

  “You’ll forgive me for being sceptical,” Gollowitz said dryly, “but we have discussed ways and means of getting at these two, and we have failed completely to find a solution. You talk as if the job’s already done, and yet you haven’t even had the opportunity to study the ground.”

  Ferrari again ran his finger down his nose. It seemed to be an unconscious habit of his.

  “But then I am an expert,” he said quietly. “You are an amateur. You have approached this job in the wrong frame of mind. You have looked for difficulties. You have told yourself that it is impossible. You have defeated yourself; the situation hasn’t defeated you.” He leaned back in his chair and interlaced his bony fingers, resting them on his crossed knee. He looked like something not of this world, Seigel thought, watching him in a kind of sick fascination. When Ferrari crossed his spindly legs, both feet swung free of the ground. “I approach a job with confidence. I have never failed, and I don’t intend to fail. I have had much tougher jobs to handle than this one.”

  “This is a damned tough job,” Seigel said, trying to meet the sunken fixed eyes that felt as if they were boring holes in his brain. “You’ll be damned lucky to get one of them, let alone both of them.”

  Ferrari leaned forward and smiled. His teeth were big, yellow and decayed. He reminded Seigel of a vicious horse, reaching forward to snap at him.

  “Luck doesn’t come into it,” Ferrari said. “If I relied on luck I would never get anywhere. This I tell you: they will both the. I guarantee it. I don’t expect you to believe me. Wait and see. Only don’t forget I’ve told you already: when I go after anyone, I get him! I’ve never failed and I never will fail!”

  Listening to him, Gollowitz felt the sick tension that had gripped him ever since he had heard the girl and Weiner were in the D.A.’s hands begin to lessen. He had a sudden premonition that this dreadful little man wasn’t bluffing. Asking Ferrari to help him had been the smartest thing he had ever done. He felt certain now Ferrari would save his kingdom.

  chapter seven

  I

  “Come in, Paul,” Forest said, pushing aside some papers he was studying. “Sit down. What’s the news?”

  Conrad sat down, and as he shook a cigarette out of a pack he said, “The treatment’s worked at last. Weiner’s talking.”

  Forest nodded.

  “I thought he would. It was a gamble, and we’d have looked pretty silly if he had accepted bail, but somehow I didn’t think he would have the nerve to go out in the cold hard world. How about the girl?”

  Conrad pulled a face.

  “No. She still swears she didn’t see anyone at Dead End, but at least she isn’t asking to go home anymore. I think she realizes she’ll have to stay hidden until things cool off a little.”

  “We’ll come back to her in a moment,” Forest said, reaching for a cigar. As he removed the band, he went on, “What’s Weiner got to say?”

  “He’s admitted going after Miss Coleman. He says he was told to kill her by Seigel, but I can’t get much more out of him.”

  “In other words, he’s given you enough to hold him and to keep him out of danger, but no more.”

  “That’s about right. He says he doesn’t know anything about Maurer. He makes out he is Seigel’s man, that he doesn’t even know Seigel works for Maurer. He’s lying, of course, and I’m hoping to persuade him to change his story. There’s no point in going after Seigel. We want Maurer, and if we arrest Seigel we’ll only be sidetracking ourselves.”

  Forest nodded.

  “We’ve got to hook Seigel to Maurer if Weiner’s evidence is going to be of any use.”

  Conrad frowned. He flicked ash into the glass bowl on Forest’s desk.

  “I just can’t make Weiner believe he is safe with us,” he said irritably. “He’s completely convinced that sooner or later the organization will reach him. If I could convince him they can’t get at him, then I think he would open up.”

  “Is he safe, Paul?” Forest asked quietly.

  Conrad nodded.

  “Yes. I’ve taken every precaution. It’s impossible for anyone to get near the lodge. That’s why I picked the place. There is only one road to the lodge. It is cut through country that doesn’t offer a scrap of cover. The only other way is up a two-hundred foot precipice that a fly couldn’t climb. I have men patrolling the top just in case someone attempts to get up with ropes and climbing tackle. Miss Coleman and Weiner are never left for a mom
ent. So long as they stay at the lodge they’re safe enough.”

  “And yet Weiner still imagines he’ll get wiped out?”

  “The trouble there is he knows none of the mob have ever talked and survived. It’s become the accepted thing to believe Maurer’s arm will reach anywhere. Once I can break down that idea, I think he’ll give us all the information we want, but at the moment nothing seems to convince him.”

  “Frankly, I don’t blame him,” Forest said seriously. “Maurer has an unpleasant habit of silencing people who talk. Have you considered the human element, Paul?”

  “Of course that comes into it,” Conrad admitted, “but I’ve taken the precaution to pick men with good records. I’ve also taken the precaution to make certain no guard works alone. He has with him a companion at all times. Sergeant O’Brien, whom you know, is in charge of them. O’Brien is as safe as I am.”

  “Sure,” Forest said. “I’ve known O’Brien for years. He’s my idea of a first-class policeman. How about leave? Isn’t there a danger that these men can be got at when they take a day off?”

  “They’re not having any days off,” Conrad returned. “I’ve told them this is a full-time job until it is over. The only three who are allowed to leave the lodge are Van Roche, O’Brien and myself. If I can’t trust those two then I can’t trust anyone.”

  “Well, you’ve certainly got the situation in hand. I’ll come out over the weekend and see for myself.”

  “I wish you would. Any other ideas will be welcomed. If only I could convince Weiner he was safe.”

  “Maybe he’ll come around. We have a little time. Keep after him, Paul.” Forest shifted his chair back so he could cross his legs. “Now tell me about the girl.”

  “She’s a bit of an enigma,” Conrad said, rubbing his chin. “I’m damned if I know what to make of her.”

  Forest, who missed nothing, was surprised at Conrad’s despondent tone. He glanced quickly at the lean, strong face and wondered at the unhappy frown. He looked away, alert now. Why the sudden change of tone in Conrad’s voice when the girl was mentioned? he wondered. From long experience in court he had learned to suspect any relation between man and woman. Was there something developing here?

  “In what way, Paul?” he asked mildly.

  Conrad lifted his shoulders.

  “I’m as certain as I sit here she saw Maurer at Dead End. Why doesn’t she admit it? After all, by keeping silent, she’s making herself an accessory after the fact.”

  “Have you reminded her of that?”

  Conrad looked up. His eyes shifted away from Forest’s inquiring gaze.

  “Not yet. I thought it would sound as if I were threatening her. She’s not the type to be threatened.”

  “But she must be told. If we get other evidence that she saw Maurer she could be prosecuted.”

  “I know, but I’ll hold off a little longer if you agree,” Conrad said. “I still think I can persuade her to talk. Since Gollowitz scared her, she’s much more amenable.”

  “Is she? In what way?”

  “Well, she’s more friendly. She’s lost the chip on her shoulder. I – I think she’s coming round.”

  Forest moved a glass paperweight aimlessly, his face was expressionless. The despondent look on Conrad’s face began to worry him.

  “We can’t keep her forever,” Forest said. “You realize that?”

  “I know. It’s a hell of a problem. The only way in which she can ever be really safe now is for her to admit she saw Maurer so we can deal with him. So long as Maurer is at liberty she won’t be safe unless she remains under our protection.”

  “And she realizes that?”

  Conrad shrugged.

  “I suppose so. I’ve told her often enough.” He reached forward to stub out his cigarette. For a long moment he stared frowning down at the carpet while Forest watched him without appearing to do so. Then Conrad said. “There is another problem I don’t know how to handle. Maybe you can make up my mind for me.”

  “Go ahead. What is it?”

  “I think these two have taken a liking to each other. I’ll go further than that: I think they’ve fallen in love with each other.”

  “What two?” Forest asked sharply.

  Conrad shifted restlessly; the despondent expression deepened.

  “Miss Coleman and Weiner.”

  “Fallen in love with each other?” Forest repeated, startled. “How did they fall in love with each other?”

  Conrad looked up then.

  “How do people fall in love with each other?” he asked quietly. “It’s one of those damned odd things that can’t be explained. Two people meet and then something happens. It’s like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that have been floating about for years. Then suddenly through no known reason they come together and fit. It can happen as easily as that.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “I’m pretty sure. Miss Coleman asked me yesterday if she could talk to Weiner. Up to now we have kept them apart, but Miss Fielding, who is looking after Miss Coleman, tells me she remains at the window watching Weiner as he exercises in the grounds, and I hear he watches her when she is in the grounds.”

  “But that doesn’t mean they’re in love with each other,” Forest said a little impatiently. Conrad shrugged.

  “You have only to see them when they talk about each other to know how they feel.” He got up abruptly and began to pace up and down. “How the hell a nice girl like that could fall in love with a little rat like Weiner beats me. There’s nothing to him. He’s got that hideous birthmark. He’s been a crook all his life. I just don’t know how she could have any feeling for a man like that. It beats me.”

  Forest raised his eyebrows. Surely Paul couldn’t have fallen for this girl, he asked himself. He was certainly behaving like a rejected suitor. But surely not. Forest had met Janey and had been very impressed by her beauty. He had thought Conrad was a lucky devil to have married such a lively, glamorous girl.

  “Maybe it’s because of his background and his birthmark,” Forest said quietly. “Girls can be damned funny animals.”

  “I guess so.”

  “But what’s the problem, Paul? It’s not our business if they have fallen in love with each other, is it?”

  “No, but am I to let them meet? Miss Coleman asked if she could share Weiner’s exercise time; a couple of hours a day.”

  “I should say not. What do you think?”

  Conrad continued to pace up and down.

  “It’s not as easy as that,” he said slowly. “We mustn’t lose sight of our objective. We want to persuade this girl to give evidence against Maurer. If she were allowed to talk to Weiner there is a good chance he’ll talk about himself. It’s possible he might even talk to her about Maurer. She’s bound to want to know why he accepted the order to murder her. To justify himself in her eyes he may let her into the secrets of the organization. Coming from him it may have a startling effect. Up to now, she doesn’t believe a word I say. She imagines I’m only interested in getting her to give evidence, and that I’m deliberately colouring the background to influence her. Coming from Weiner it might make her realize where her duty lies. I don’t know. It’s a problem, but I’m inclined to let them meet and talk.”

  “Hmm, yes; there’s something in that. But suppose he puts her off still more? He may throw a scare into her that’ll keep her permanently quiet. Thought of that?”

  “Then he won’t be practising what he’ll be preaching. At least, he’s talked himself, and she knows he has admitted he was ordered to kill her. I’ve told her.”

  “Well, all right. We’ve got to try something. We can’t hold her much longer. Let them meet, but they are to be under constant surveillance. They are not to be allowed to go off together. Instruct the guards to keep out of earshot, but not to lose sight of them.”

  “All right,” Conrad said. “Well, I guess that’s all. I’d better be getting back.”

  “There’s one thing we
haven’t decided,” Forest said, “and that’s why this girl, if she did see Maurer, won’t admit it. That’s something we’ve got to find out, Paul.”

  “The obvious reason is she’s scared of Maurer.”

  Forest shook his head.

  “I doubt that. A girl of her type wouldn’t know much about Maurer, only what she’s read in the press. I admit his reputation is damned bad, but people who learn about gangster’s reputations from newspapers aren’t really convinced they are as dangerous as the papers make them out to be. There’s something more important than that that’s keeping her quiet. Ever thought she might have a record and she’s scared Maurer’s counsel might bring it up at the trial?”

  “That’s a little farfetched, isn’t it?” Conrad said sharply.

  Forest gently touched off the ash from his cigar.

  “Yes, it’s farfetched, but we don’t know. It might be something else. She might have run away from home or she may have a husband who’s looking for her. What I’m getting at is this: if she does give evidence against Maurer her photograph and her name are going to be splashed on the front pages of every newspaper in the country. It may be she wants to avoid this publicity for a personal reason, and that’s why she’s keeping quiet. I think we should dig around and see if we can turn up this personal reason, always supposing it exists.”

  “Yes, I think we should do that,” Conrad said in a flat voice.

  Forest was now almost sure the girl had made a big impression on Conrad, and the discovery startled him. Could Conrad have fallen in love with her, he asked himself.

  “All right, then let’s dig a little,” he said. “Would you like to handle it? Do you want to remain at the lodge out of circulation or would you rather come back here and are what you can find out about the girl’s background?”

  Conrad didn’t hesitate.

  “I’ll stay on at the lodge. The important thing is to keep her safe. I’ve accepted the responsibility and I want to see it through. I’ll send Van back. He can do the digging.”