Just Another Sucker

by James Hadley Chase

  ‘I don’t have to think — I didn’t lock it,’ I said. ‘I didn’t tell Holden that. I didn’t want him to get mad at me. I left the key in the lock. I found it on Monday when I looked in to pick up my typewriter.’

  ‘So she could have been murdered here.’

  ‘The locks on these doors don’t mean a thing. She could have been murdered in any of the cabins or on the beach.’

  He brooded for a long minute while I stood there, listening to the thump-thump-thump of my heart beats.

  Then he glanced at his wrist watch.

  ‘Okay, Harry, you get off home. I don’t want you any more for tonight. Get one of the boys to run you home. Tell the others I want them right here.’

  ‘I don’t mind sticking around if I can be of any help,’ I said.

  ‘It’s okay. You get off home.’

  He wasn’t looking at me now, but staring around the room. I knew what would happen the moment I had gone. They would take the cabin to pieces. The fingerprint boys would test every inch of the place and sooner or later they would find Odette’s prints. There was just a chance they would also find Rhea’s prints and O’Reilly’s prints. They would certainly find mine, but that didn’t worry me. What did worry me was that Renick would go back to Bill Holden and ask him if he had seen a big, broad-shouldered man in a brown sports suit, and Holden would tell him I had been wearing a brown sports suit.

  But was this proof that I had killed Odette? I didn’t think so. I felt I had still a little time: it was running out on me fast, but at least, I had a little time.

  ‘See you tomorrow then, John.’

  ‘That’s it.’

  He still didn’t look at me as I walked out of the cabin and started across the sand to Holden’s office.

  Holden was standing in the doorway.

  ‘I’m sorry I didn’t settle with you, Bill,’ I said. ‘It went right out of my mind. I’ll send you a cheque tomorrow. That okay?’

  ‘I’d be glad to have it now, Mr. Barber,’ Holden said awkwardly. ‘My boss doesn’t give credit.’

  ‘I happen to have left my wallet at the office. I’ll send you a cheque.’

  Before he could argue, I walked on to the waiting police car.

  I said to one of the technical men, ‘The Lieutenant wants you boys in the cabin at the far end. I’m going home. I’ll take the bus.’

  One of the detectives who had been guarding the stairs said, ‘That’s okay, Mr. Barber. We’ll run you back. This isn’t our pigeon. We’ve just come for the ride.’

  Now was the time to test my suspicions.

  ‘That’s okay. I’ll take the bus. So long, boys,’ and I walked away over to the waiting bus.

  As the bus moved off, I looked back over my shoulder.

  The two detectives in the police car were right behind the bus.

  I knew now for certain the red light was up, and I was suspect Number One for Odette’s murder.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  I

  As I stepped into the hall, shutting the front door, Nina came out of the lounge. She was looking pale and anxious. She ran to me, reaching up to kiss me. I put my arms around her, holding her close to me.

  ‘Harry!’ She was whispering. ‘They have been here this after noon when I was out, searching the place.’

  My arms tightened around her.

  ‘What makes you say that?’

  ‘Keep your voice down. Do you think they have hidden a microphone somewhere?’

  I hadn’t thought of that possibility. I immediately realised the danger.

  ‘It’ll be in the lounge if it is anywhere.’

  ‘I’ve looked. I can’t find it.’

  ‘Wait here.’

  I went into the lounge and crossing over to the radio I turned on, with the volume well up. A second or so later, the room was filled with the strident sound of a jazz session.

  I went to the window and looked out. There was no sign of the police car, but I was sure it was there, out of sight, but from where they could watch my front gate. Then I went into the kitchen and looked out of the window. There was an alley running along the bottom of the garden. Two linesmen were working within sight of the kitchen door. One of them was at the top of a telegraph pole: the other lounged at the foot. Neither of them seemed busy.

  While Nina watched from the door of the lounge, I made a systematic search for the microphone. I finally found it hidden in the radiator. If I hadn’t had some experience of police methods, I would never have found it.

  I moved the radio to within a couple of feet of the radiator and let the jazz swamp the microphone.

  ‘They can’t hear us now,’ I said. ‘What made you think they had been here?’

  ‘I don’t know — a feeling.’ She sat down abruptly, looking at me with frightened eyes. ‘As soon as I opened the door I felt someone had been here. When I looked in the closet I found my clothes had been disarranged.’ She shivered. ‘What does it mean, Harry?’

  ‘It means they are on to me. They’re watching outside now.’

  I had a sudden idea. I went into the bedroom, opened the closet door and checked my suits.

  The brown sports suit was missing.

  For a long uneasy moment I stood staring at the space where it had hung, then I went back into the lounge.

  ‘They were after my brown suit and they’ve taken it,’ I said.

  Nina was trying not to cry. It wrung my heart to see her.

  ‘What are we going to do? Oh, Harry! I can’t bear the thought of losing you again! What will they do to you?’

  I knew what they would do to me — they would put me in the gas chamber, but I didn’t tell her that.

  ‘Why did you let him have the tapes?’ she went on frantically. ‘I would rather…’

  ‘Stop it! This is my mess! He wasn’t bluffing. I had to give them to him!’

  She beat her knees with her fists.

  ‘But what are we going to do?’

  ‘I don’t know. There must be a way out of this mess. I’ve been trying to think…’

  ‘You must tell John the whole story. He’ll help us. I’m sure he will!’

  ‘He can’t do a thing for me. There’s no proof. My only possible hope is to make O’Reilly confess, but how do I do that?’

  ‘What happened to the ransom money, Harry?’

  I stared at her. A sudden prickle of excitement ran through me. I remembered what O’Reilly had said: Find the ransom, and you’ll find the killer.

  ‘What is it, Harry? Have you thought of something?’

  ‘The money! Where is it?’ I got to my feet and began to pace up and down. ‘Five hundred thousand dollars in small bills can’t be easily hidden. Where have they hidden it? Not in a bank — that’s certain. In the house? Dare they risk that? They must know as soon as I’m arrested, I’ll try to incriminate them and Renick will search the house. I can’t believe they would risk hiding it there — then where?’

  ‘A safe deposit?’

  ‘It would be risky. They would have to open an account and sign for a key. The most likely place is a left luggage station, either at the airport, the bus station or the railroad station. It would be easy and safe for O’Reilly to check in a suitcase at any of these places. No one would remember him, and he could get at the money quickly in an emergency without identifying himself.’

  ‘You must tell John.’

  ‘That wouldn’t help me. O’Reilly must be caught getting the suitcase out. He must be caught red-handed to do me any good.’

  Nina made a gesture of helplessness.

  ‘But he would never let himself be caught red-handed.’

  ‘That’s right. Unless…’ I paused, then went on, ‘unless I can stampede him by some trick.’

  ‘But how? A man like that…’

  ‘Let me think about it. Let’s have supper. While you’re getting it, I’ll think. I want to turn the radio off. It’s driving me nuts.’

  ‘I’m so frightened. If they took
you away…’

  ‘It hasn’t happened yet. Get hold of yourself, darling. I’m relying on you.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ She got to her feet. ‘I’m sorry, Harry.’

  I kissed her.

  ‘Go ahead and let’s eat,’ I said, then I crossed to the radio and turned it off.

  When she had gone into the kitchen, I sat down and really bent my brains to the problem, but it wasn’t until we had made a poor meal in silence, that a sudden idea dropped into my mind.

  Nina who kept glancing at me expectantly, saw by my sudden change of expression that I had an idea.

  She began to speak, then remembering the microphone, she stopped. I put the radio on again.

  ‘I think I’ve got it,’ I said. ‘There is only one way to work it. I’ve got to trick him. I think I have an idea how I can do it, but everything depends on whether or not the money is in a left luggage station or a safe deposit. If it’s in the house, then I’m sunk, but I can’t believe it is in the house.’

  ‘What are you planning to do, Harry?’

  ‘Give me a moment.’

  I went to my desk and taking a sheet of paper, I wrote out the following: NEWS FLASH.

  We interrupt this programme to bring to you the latest development in the Malroux kidnapping.

  The Palm City police have reason to believe that the ransom money has been lodged in a safe deposit or at a left luggage station.

  A special search warrant has been obtained from the State Governor, and beginning at nine o’clock tomorrow morning, teams of detectives are to search all parcels and luggage in left luggage stations and all newly opened safe deposits.

  Anyone who has rented a safe since the beginning of the month is asked to call at the nearest police station with the key of the safe.

  The search will cover a radius of a hundred miles of Palm City. District Attorney Meadows feels confident that, by this extensive operation, the ransom money will be found.

  I gave the sheet of paper to Nina who read it. She stared blankly at me.

  ‘I don’t understand, Harry.’

  ‘It’s my job to feed the local TV and radio stations with news of the kidnapping. They’ll broadcast this without question. I’m hoping when O’Reilly hears of this, he’ll stampede. He could lead me to the place where he has hidden the money.’

  ‘But you don’t know he’ll be listening in.’

  ‘He’ll be listening in all right. I’m going to tell him to listen in.’ I moved to the telephone, then paused. ‘They’ve probably tapped the line by now. I’ll have to use an outside line. If it got back to Meadows, he would stop it.’ I started for the door. ‘I’ll go to the drug store at the corner. I’ll be right back.’

  ‘Shall I come with you, Harry?’

  ‘Better not. You wait here for me.’

  By now it was dark. I left the bungalow and strolled down the path to the gate. As I opened the gate, I glanced to right and left. The police car was parked about fifty yards up the road. The drug store was the other way. I didn’t have to pass the car. I set off, walking at a normal pace. I heard the car start up. I knew it was crawling after me, but I didn’t look back. My one fear now was that they would arrest me before I could put my plan into operation. If they did that, I was really sunk.

  I went into the drug store and shut myself in a booth. I called the local TV station. I got through to Fred Hickson, the P.R.O. and my opposite number.

  ‘Fred,’ I said, ‘I have an important announcement for you. The D.A. wants it broadcast and put on TV

  at eleven tonight. Can you do it?’

  ‘Sure: let’s have it,’ Hickson said.

  I read the News Flash to him and he took it down.

  ‘That’s okay,’ he said. ‘We’ll interrupt both programmes at eleven o’clock. The D.A. certainly means business, doesn’t he?’

  ‘He sure does,’ I said. ‘Well, thanks, Fred — so long,’ and I hung up.

  I looked at my watch. It was half past nine. I telephoned Malroux’s residence. After a delay, the butler answered.

  ‘This is police headquarters,’ I said. ‘We want to talk to O’Reilly. Is he there?’

  ‘I believe he is in his room,’ the butler said. ‘If you will hold on I will connect you.’

  There was a clicking on the line, then O’Reilly said, ‘Hello! Who is it?’

  Speaking slowly and distinctly so he couldn’t miss a word, I said, ‘Hello, sucker, how’s your conscience acting tonight?’

  There was a sudden silence. I could imagine him at the other end of the line, his face hardening and his hand tightening on the receiver.

  ‘Who’s this?’ he demanded, a snarl in his voice.

  ‘The other sucker,’ I said.

  ‘Is that you, Barber?’

  ‘Yes. I’m tipping you off. The D.A. has at last come up with a bright idea. If you’re interested, and you’d better be interested, listen to the TV programme, local network, at eleven tonight for a news flash.

  Got it? The local station at eleven tonight. See you in the gas chamber,’ and I hung up before he could say anything.

  As I came out of the booth I saw a big man with a red face and with cop written all over him come into the store.

  I knew sooner or later the axe would fall, but when I saw him my blood ran cold.

  He came straight up to me.

  ‘Mr. Barber?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘You’re wanted at headquarters. We have a car right here.’

  ‘Why, sure,’ I said, and as we walked together from the store to the waiting car, I thought of Nina.

  The detective and I got in the back of the car. The other detective who had been waiting by the car, slid under the driving wheel.

  ‘What’s it all about?’ I asked as the car shot away. ‘Has something come up?’

  ‘I wouldn’t know,’ the detective said in a bored flat voice. ‘They just told me to fetch you, and I’m fetching you.’

  There was nothing now I could do. I had played a King and now everything depended on whether O’Reilly held the Ace or only the Queen. If he held the Ace, I was sunk.

  II

  Renick was working at his desk. The one light in the room came from his green shaded lamp. It made a pool of hard light on his blotter.

  The two detectives shepherded me into the office as if they were handling something fragile, then as soon as I was safely delivered, they stepped back into the passage and closed the door.

  I walked to a chair and sat down, glad of the heavy shadows in the room.

  Renick was smoking. He tossed his pack of cigarettes and his lighter into my lap. There was a short silence as I lit a cigarette.

  ‘What’s up?’ I asked as I put the lighter and the cigarettes on the desk. ‘I was just going to bed,’

  ‘Let’s cut out the bluff, Harry,’ he said quietly. ‘You’re in bad trouble and you must know it.’

  ‘Am I under arrest?’

  ‘Not yet. I thought I’d have a talk with you first. This is off the record. I could lose my job handling it this way, but I’ve known you, come rain, come sunshine for the past twenty years. You and Nina are real people to me so I’m giving you a break. I want you to tell me the truth. If you’re in the kind of trouble I think you are, I’m handing you over to Reiger. I’m not going to work on you. Let’s have the truth and it’s strictly off the record: did you kill Odette Malroux?’

  I looked directly at him.

  ‘No, but I don’t expect you to believe me.’

  ‘There are no microphones in this office, and no witnesses. I’m asking you, not as a police officer, but as your friend.’

  ‘The answer is still the same: I didn’t kill her.’

  He leaned forward to crush out his cigarette. The white light from the desk lamp lit up his face. He looked as if he hadn’t had any sleep for a couple of days.

  ‘Well, at least that’s something,’ he said. ‘You’re mixed up in this business, aren’t you?’
/>
  ‘I certainly am. I’m in such a jam, even having you as a friend, isn’t going to do me any good.’

  He lit another cigarette.

  ‘Suppose you tell me the whole story.’

  ‘Sure — how did you get on to me, John?’

  ‘Tim Cowley told me he had seen you at the bus stop on the night of the murder with a redhead, wearing a blue and white dress. I kept checking on you, and everything I turned up pointed to you.’

  ‘I thought maybe Cowley would give me away,’ I said wearily. ‘I was nuts to have got myself mixed up with these two women, but I wanted the money. They offered me fifty thousand dollars for what looked a pretty simple job. I wanted that money to get out of town and make a fresh start.’

  ‘Let’s have the story.’

  So I told him. I told him everything except that Nina had helped me move Odette’s body. I kept her out of it.

  ‘I thought I was playing safe by having those tapes,’ I concluded, ‘but O’Reilly beat me to it. Now I have nothing — not one thing to support my story.’

  All the time I had been talking, Renick had sat motionless, staring at me. Now he drew in a long, slow breath.

  ‘Well — for the love of Mike! What a story!’ he exclaimed. ‘There’s one thing that doesn’t seem to add up — how was it Odette co-operated in this kidnapping plan?’

  ‘Yes, that had me guessing, but I’ve thought about it and it’s not all that hard to figure out. It’s my guess she fell for O’Reilly. He probably made a terrific play at her. She must have known her father wouldn’t let her marry the guy. She wanted money to hold O’Reilly. What she didn’t realise was that he had fallen for Rhea. The two of them planned to lead the girl on. One of the two suggested the kidnapping plan — the only possible hope for Odette to lay her hands on a substantial sum of money. She fell for it. The other two used the faked kidnapping to murder her and to make me the fall guy. It could have happened that way.’

  ‘Yes.’ Renick brooded for some moments. ‘But all this doesn’t help you, Harry. We’ve no proof your story is true. Meadows wouldn’t touch it.’

  ‘I know.’ I looked at my watch. The time was fifteen minutes after ten. ‘This is where you can help me. I’ve set a trap for O’Reilly. There’s a chance he’ll lead me to where he’s hidden the money. I want you to come with me. It’s my one chance of licking this thing. I must have police witnesses.’