The Dead Stay Dumb

by James Hadley Chase

  Chrissie had forgotten Roxy. She stood with her head on one side, her eyes longingly fixed on the gun.

  “Suppose we go into the woods… you can pop this if you want to,” Dillon said thickly.

  Chrissie’s eyes opened. “Don’t it make an awful bang?” she asked.

  “Sure, but it won’t scare a big girl like you…. Come on an’ try it.”

  He turned and began to move away. Chrissie hesitated. She didn’t like Dillon, but the lure of the gun was too much for her. She followed him. “Can I carry it?” she asked, pleadingly.

  Dillon took the clip out of the gun and jerked the bullet from the chamber. He wasn’t having her fool around and shoot him. He said, “Sure you can… You be careful with it.”

  She took the gun, holding it gingerly, her big hands nursing it like a doll. “Ain’t it heavy?” she said. “I bet Roxy’s got a bigger gun than this.”

  Dillon kept walking. He said, “Roxy ain’t got a gun. When you can pop this good, we’ll surprise Roxy… that’ll be an idea.”

  Her face brightened. “I’d like that,” she said, moving forward at a faster pace. “I’d like to surprise Roxy.”

  Dillon looked at her. He walked closer to her, the sleeve of his coat touching her arm. He put out his hand and touched her shoulder. The contact sent a little white-hot flame shooting through him. She shied away, her eyes suddenly nervous.

  Dillon smiled. His breath whistled through his nose. “We got to get away from the house. They’ll hear us shootin’ an’ spoil the surprise,” he said.

  Her mind switched back to Roxy, and her nerves quietened. Dillon didn’t touch her again. The thick wood opened out into a clearing. Dillon stopped. “I guess this’ll do,” he said.

  He sat down on the grass. “Come on down,” he said, the pulse in the side of his head pounding. “I’ll show you how to fix the gun.”

  She stood looking at him and Dillon tried to smile at her, but his face only grimaced. The look in his eyes frightened her. She moved back a pace.

  Dillon took the clip out of his pocket. He tried to sound casual. “Gimme the gun.”

  She leant forward, holding the gun out to him but keeping away. There was a tense frightened look on her face which made Dillon think of some timid animal, not sure of itself. He took the gun, his hand touching hers. Again she took a step back.

  Dillon slipped the clip in and jerked the lever, bringing a slug into the chamber. He said, “Sit down…. I wantta show you how it works.”

  She didn’t move. Dillon had the impression she was about to run away. He quickly turned from her. “Look over there,” he said, pointing across the clearing to a broken branch of a tree. It hung like a withered arm.

  “Watch me pot it.” When he brought the gun up his hand was shaking. The gun-sight nickered up and down, and he cursed softly. “Don’t you get scared with the row,” he mumbled. He knew if he didn’t start shooting and hold her interest she would go. He could feel the panic that was mounting in her.

  The gun cracked. In the stillness of the wood the noise was startling. Chrissie sighed. Although the roar of the gun had made her flinch, she wanted to try.

  Dillon said, “I guess I ain’t so hot…. I missed it.” He tried again, gripping the gun until his hand sweated. He drew his breath in hard, holding it, then he squeezed the trigger. Again the gun cracked. This time a shower of splinters flew from the branch.

  Chrissie clapped her hands. “Oh, it’s good!” she said.

  Dillon didn’t say anything. He fired once more. The branch dropped a little. “Now you have a go,” he said, getting slowly to his feet.

  Chrissie came up to him, her eyes fixed on the gun. She had forgotten him. Her mind was only for the gun.

  He said with difficulty, “You stand here.”

  She was quite close to him, her face intent and excited. Dillon turned a little sideways, slipping the clip out. He wasn’t taking any chances. He put the gun in her hand, then he moved a little behind her.

  She stood, her eyes fixed on the branch of the tree.

  “You hold the gun like this.” He put his hand on her wrist, raising her arm and pointing the gun. Her firm flesh burnt in his hand. He felt a little shudder run through her, but she was so anxious to fire the gun that she let him hold her.

  The blood pounding in his ears, he gripped her round her waist with his other hand. He said thickly, “Don’t get scared…. I ain’t goin’ to hurt you.”

  The gun slipped out of her hand. It was forgotten immediately. The terrifying, tightening pressure of his hands sent her into a blind panic. She stood trembling, her eyes going wild. She began to mumble.

  Dillon snarled, “Stop that goddam row!”

  He jerked her close to him. Her weak, idiotic face sickened him, but her womanness got him. He turned her slowly stiffening body and crushed her close to him.

  Then suddenly, like a released spring, she was gone from him. Her strength completely staggered him. He had had her gripped tightly, then his arms were powerless against the sudden heaving twist of her body. She sprang away, without looking back; she ran mumbling into the woods.

  Dillon made no attempt to follow her. He just stood watching her, a feeling of sick frustration creeping over him. When she had vanished and the last sound of her flight faded away, he moved a little uncertainly, as if to pursue her. Then he stopped. Roxy was standing in the clearing, his face white, and his eyes gleaming dangerously.

  “I saw you,” Roxy said. “You rotten louse.”

  All Dillon’s pent-up fury became centered on Roxy. Here was someone on whom he could wreak his rage. He began sliding across the grass, his eyes gleaming.

  Roxy slipped off his coat. He let it fall at his feet. “I warned you once about that,” he said through his teeth. “Now I guess I gotta hammer it home.”

  He came at Dillon with startling speed. Dillon didn’t bother to protect himself. He had too much confidence in his own strength. He swung a long raking left at Roxy’s head as he came in, but Roxy shifted a little, not stopping his rush, and Dillon’s fist sailed over his shoulder.

  Roxy got in close and hit Dillon in the body with two heavy blows. Dillon went crazy and missed with his wild swings.

  Roxy kept stepping in and out. Every time he stepped in his fist thudded into Dillon, and when he stepped out Dillon missed him with a swing.

  Dillon tried to get in close and wrestle, but Roxy kept going away, letting him have it as he rushed in. Dillon was getting a fearful lacing, but he didn’t feel much; he was too mad to feel anything. Roxy hit him twice on the jaw as hard as he could. The blows sent Dillon’s head back, but it didn’t stop him.

  That scared Roxy, and gave Dillon confidence. He began to get a grip on himself. He swung his usual wild left which Roxy was waiting for, and then he sent in a right which caught Roxy. The blow made Roxy sag at the knees. In went Dillon, taking Roxy’s feeble left in his face, but getting two sledge-hammer punches to Roxy’s ribs.

  After that Dillon began to get it his way. He kept hitting and Roxy couldn’t back away fast enough. He caught his heel in a tuft of grass and went over backwards. Dillon dropped on him, his great weight pinning Roxy flat.

  Neither of them said anything. Roxy reached up and caught Dillon by the neck. He couldn’t quite get under Dillon’s chin. Roxy began to lose his head. His legs kicked wildly as he tried to shift Dillon. He could see the cold merciless face close to him and his strength began to ebb.

  Dillon raised his fist and smashed it down on Roxy’s upturned face. The heel of his hand caught Roxy across his nose. Roxy’s hands fell away limply. Dillon shifted a little and had Roxy by the throat. He flung his weight on his hands. Roxy kicked a little. His eyes opened very wide, and his hands plucked futilely at Dillon’s wrists.

  Dillon panted, “You were always a smart guy.”

  He stayed there until Roxy died.

  The two of them remained so still in the clearing that a small bird dropped from a tree and hopped toward
s them. With bright, suspicious eyes it watched them, its small head a little oh one side. Then, as Dillon got slowly to his feet, the bird hastily took wing.

  Dillon stood over Roxy, one of his hands touching his bruised face. Then he turned and stumbled back to the farmhouse. He cautiously approached, but no one seemed to be about.

  Lying near the old barn was a pick and shovel. He carefully took them and turned back to the woods again.

  The grave he dug for Roxy was a shallow affair, but it was away from the path and it would be difficult to find. He patted the soil flat and covered it with branches of trees. Then he stood up, beads of sweat on his face.

  From behind a big clump of bushes Chrissie watched him with puzzled eyes, and when he had gone away she came out quietly and stood looking down at the grave. She knelt down and scratched at the loose soil with her hands.

  * * *

  When Dillon had put the shovel and pick back he wandered into the fields. He wanted to think what he had to do. Would it be safe to take the car and blow? Would Chrissie put up a squawk? He guessed maybe she wouldn’t. She might have forgotten what he had tried to do. She was crazy enough to forget anything.

  He had got money and he had the car, but could he take the risk and go now, or would it be better to wait? He couldn’t make up his mind. He wandered on, untroubled at the death of Roxy. When guys got in his way, he just trampled on them. He had got to live, he told himself, and the others had got to look after themselves.

  Farther down the fields he ran into Ma Chester. She was working on the land, a long hoe turning up the brown soil. She paused, pushing back a grey strand of hair that hung over her eyes.

  Dillon said, “Roxy’s skipped.”

  She stood, leaning her weight against the shaft of the hoe. “What’s he skipped for?” she asked. Her face showed her impatience to get on with her work.

  Dillon shrugged. “I guess he was tired of bein’ in this dump,” he said indifferently.

  “You ain’t goin’?” she asked.

  “I ain’t goin’ yet,” he returned. “But I’ll go all right.”

  Ma Chester wagged her head. “Joe ain’t come,” she said. “It ain’t like Joe to say one thing an’ do another.”

  Dillon made to move on. “Maybe he’s busy,” he said. That decided him, he’d go soon. He told himself he might even go that night. He went on, leaving her with her work. He didn’t look back.

  It was decided for him not to go that night. On a telegraph pole, several miles from the farm, he saw a notice. It carried his photograph. He stood there, his mouth going dry, reading the notice. They offered five thousand dollars for him dead or alive.

  A faint feeling of panic crept into him as he read. Here in the wilderness of hills was a picture, calling attention to himself. Anyone he met might recognize him. Anyone who suspected him could bring the Federal agents in their airplanes or their cars to seize him. He turned hastily and almost ran back to the farm.

  He spent the rest of the day in his room, sitting by the window, watching. His nerves got so bad that the slightest noise made him stiffen.

  He began to brood about Roxy. He couldn’t bring himself to think that Roxy was dead. It would have seemed quite natural if Roxy had opened the door and come in. There was no one to grumble at, and he suddenly realized that there was no one to play cards with. That was serious. He had the long hours of the night before him with nothing to do, and sleep far off.

  Well, Roxy had asked for it, he thought savagely. That guy had certainly narrow ideas. This brought his mind back to Chrissie again. He leant against the wall and thought about her. What went through his mind made him restless. He got to his feet and paced the room. He was nervous of going out in case he ran into her, and she raised a squawk. Maybe the old woman would get mad. He couldn’t afford at the moment to have trouble with her.

  He remained shut in his room until after sundown. Then, guessing that Chrissie had gone to bed, he went outside.

  Ma Chester was dishing up the evening meal. She shot him a hard look.

  “What’s up with Chrissie?” she asked.

  Dillon turned a blank face in her direction. “What’s up with her?”

  The old woman shrugged. “She’s got a mood on, I guess,” she said a little wearily. “Ain’t said a word since she came back.”

  Dillon breathed gently with relief. “Maybe she’s upset that Roxy’s gone away,” he suggested, sitting down at the table.

  The old man hobbled from the stove and sat down too. Ma Chester shook her head. She brought over a dish of food from the oven and put it down in front of Dillon.

  “I ain’t told her about Roxy,” she said. “She might get excited.”

  Dillon helped himself and shoved the dish over to the old man. “She’s gotta know some time,” he said.

  “Ain’t Joe come yet?” the old man piped suddenly, not stopping his eating.

  Dillon glanced up quickly. He didn’t say anything.

  “I reckon Joe’s sick,” Ma Chester said uneasily.

  Dillon ate in silence. He felt they would be glad to see him go to his room. After the meal was finished he got up and went outside. He sat on the stoop. The evening was very warm, and fluffy white clouds still drifted in the darkening sky.

  He sat there brooding. The thought of his room without Roxy was unbearable. Every now and then Chrissie loomed up in his thoughts, and he hastily shifted, trying to push her image away.

  He heard the old man going to bed. The old man had fixed habits. He took himself to the outhouse and then hobbled slowly back. He grunted at Dillon as he passed.

  Dillon got to his feet and went back into the shack.

  Ma Chester was washing up. He didn’t say anything to her, but shut himself in his room.

  The dim flickering light of the candle made the shadows oppressive. He stood looking round the room, his nerves starting a little at every moving shadow. His eye fell on a bottle of Scotch that Roxy kept by him. He went over and took the bottle in his hand.

  Dillon didn’t use any hard drink. He had disciplined himself years ago. Now he didn’t hesitate. He splashed the whisky into a tumbler and tossed the fiery stuff down his throat. He stood there coughing and spluttering, trying to get his breath.

  The whisky did things to him. He felt a sudden rush of courage, and his jumping nerves relaxed. He filled the glass again and sat down by the open window. Outside, he could hear Ma Chester locking up. He could hear her plodding about the other room, then, listening carefully, he heard her blow out the lamp. The sound of her stumbling movements across the dark room came clearly to him. Then a door shut.

  He got up and took his candle from the mantelshelf and put it on the table. Then, for something to do, he checked his money. He put the pile of notes in front of him and counted them carefully. He made them into two separate rolls and put them in his pocket. Then he reached forward and blew the candle out. The moonlight made the room dim, and he went back to the window again and sat down.

  His hand closed round the tumbler and he took a long pull at the Scotch. He held the liquor in his mouth for a second before swallowing it. His head began to feel a little light.

  Chrissie came out of the dark shadows and peered at him. Chrissie called to him from the shadowy path outside. Chrissie sat at his elbow stroking his sleeve. Chrissie was everywhere in the room.

  Still he sat there, letting the hours crawl past, the small glowing ember of horror of what he wanted to do slowly dying in his mind.

  Then he got up. He leant down and took off his shoes. The hot darkness of the room lay heavily on him. He took a slow step forward and then another. His progress was silent. Opening the door, he stepped into the outer room. A faint gleam came from the stove, and the coal hissed a little. He moved on, trying each board carefully with his stockinged foot before putting his full weight on it.

  His hands touched the rough wood of Chrissie’s door. He turned the handle and went in.

  He could see nothing. It was
as if he were blind. He closed the door gently behind him, his fingers easing the door so that it shut without a sound. Then he put out his hand and moved forward again, groping for the foot of the bed. The whisky fumes were tight round his brain, and he felt his legs lurch as he came forward. It seemed to him that he must have moved right across the room, and it startled him when his hand touched the cold rail of the bed.

  He waited there listening. Faintly he could hear Chrissie breathing. Very faintly, as if she were a long way away from him.

  He moved on, pressing his leg against the side of the bed to guide him. His hand touched the rail of the head of the bed. He crouched a little, his hands moving down, feeling very gently for Chrissie’s throat. Hands that were ready to nip any cry that she might make.

  His hands touched something. Something cold came to his touch. Something he didn’t like. He drew his hands away. A little shiver ran through him because the thing he had touched was like nothing he knew. It scared him.

  Angry with himself, he put his hand out again. His fingers encountered a face. He knew he was touching a face. He could feel the nose, and the eyebrows were rough to his touch. But the face was cold and leathery, not the warm soft face he expected.

  With a catch in his breath, he snatched his hand away, and with trembling fingers he fumbled for a match. The sweat ran down his, face. He struck the match, which flared up with a little hiss.

  He saw the outline of a body lying under the soiled sheet and, bending forward, he looked into the dead face of Roxy.

  In the faint flickering light he could see the mud in Roxy’s hair and nostrils. The light reflected in the glassy protruding eyes; across one of them a fly was moving with slow intentness.

  Dillon’s cry woke Chrissie, who had been sleeping in a corner away from the bed. She started up, terrified at the sight of Dillon standing there; and as she saw him, the match went out. Roxy’s gun, that she had cuddled to her breast, went off in her twitching hand, and the bullet smashed into Dillon, sending him to the floor.

  He had only a few seconds of pain before life went away from him.