1944 - Just the Way It Is

by James Hadley Chase

  Hallahan stood glaring after him, his loose mouth twitching. The door opened again and Korris put his head round. ‘By the way, Captain,’ he said, ‘if you ain’t satisfied with your pathologist, get rid of him. We’ll find you someone else.’

  Without waiting for a reply he walked out of the station, oblivious to O’Malley’s obsequious salute.

  EIGHTEEN

  Peter Cullen was standing on the landing when Duke came up the stairs.

  ‘Where is she?’ he demanded, his face pale in the half shadows. ‘Isn’t she with you?’

  Duke pushed passed him and went into his room. ‘Why should she be?’ he said, curtly, as Peter followed him in and closed the door.

  ‘You were out at Fairview all the afternoon, weren’t you?’ Peter demanded hotly. ‘What have you been doing? She’s been with you, hasn’t she?’

  ‘Now, look here,’ Duke said, coldly, ‘I’ve had enough of this from you. Cut it out. I haven’t seen Clare all day. Sam tells me she had fixed to meet you this evening.’

  ‘Well, where the hell have you been?’ Peter said. ‘You hang up on me without any explanation and I’ve been sweating for the past hour. Don’t tell me you’ve come straight from Fairview, because I won’t believe it.’

  ‘Get a grip on yourself for the love of mike,’ Duke snapped, ‘Sam tells me that Clare went to see Bellman this evening. She said she was coming on here after.’

  ‘Bellman?’ Peter repeated. ‘But she can’t be there now. That was nearly three hours ago.’

  ‘She isn’t. I went over right away.’

  ‘You went over?’ Peter took a sudden step towards him, half raising his fist. His eyes showed his anger. ‘Why didn’t you tell me where she was over the telephone? I could have got there in half the time!’

  Duke blinked. It had never crossed his mind to tell Peter to go after Bellman. The moment he heard Clare might be in danger, he hadn’t paused to think. He’d just gone after her.

  ‘Yeah, I never thought of that,’ he said.

  Peter grabbed him by his coat front. ‘I’ll never forgive you for this,’ he said, furiously. ‘If anything’s happened to her, I’ll. . .’

  Duke’s eyes snapped fire. He shoved Peter away roughly.

  Peter staggered, regained his balance and got set for a fight.

  ‘Aw, shut up!’ Duke said, harshly. ‘Cool down, can’t you? If Clare’s in a jam, this won’t help her.’

  Peter hesitated and then dropped his hands. He stood glaring at Duke. ‘You’ll be sorry for this, Harry,’ he said.

  ‘Okay, okay,’ Duke said, impatiently. ‘We’re going on like a couple of kids. Sit down, and let me talk.’

  ‘Sit down?’ Peter exploded. ‘I’m going over to Bellman and twist his blasted neck!’

  ‘Bellman’s dead,’ Duke said, quietly, as Peter was turning to the door.

  ‘Dead?’ Peter repeated. ‘When . . . what happened?’

  Duke took out the cigarette case and earring. He held them out to Peter. ‘Seen these before?’ he asked.

  Peter took them, and then stared at Duke with alarm on his face. ‘These are Clare’s,’ he said. Where did you get them from?’

  ‘Under Bellman’s body,’ Duke said. ‘He was lying on the floor with a knife sticking into him. I just shifted him to make sure that no one had left anything behind and found these.’

  Peter began to sweat. ‘Anyone else seen them?’ he asked.

  Duke shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘It was lucky I found them before the cops moved in. They might have tied the killing to Clare. You know how dumb Hallahan is.’

  ‘But where is she?’ Peter asked. ‘You - you don’t think she—?’ he stopped.

  ‘No, I don’t,’ Duke said, curtly. ‘But maybe she disturbed the guy who killed Bellman. This is tricky, Pete, you’ve got to face up to it There are one or two things I’ve got to do. In the meantime, check up with Sam and find out if she’s returned to the office or her home. I don’t think, somehow, she has, but it’ll save time if you do that It’d be better, I think, if you stick around. She might come here.’

  Peter glared at him. ‘If you think I’m waiting in this room, you’re crazy! What the hell do you think you’re going to do?’

  ‘Me?’ Duke looked vague. ‘One or two little jobs, nothing to do with Clare. You’ve got to look after that end.’

  ‘What jobs?’ Peter persisted. ‘Look here, Harry, you’re not going to be secretive with me!’

  Duke lifted his shoulders. ‘You’re forgetting that you and me might be tied to a murder rap,’ he pointed out. ‘Maybe the same guy’s trying to tie Clare to another one. I’m looking after our headache. You’d better look after Clare’s.’

  He went out before Peter could stop him and ran downstairs.

  Although he was worried sick about Clare, Duke knew that Pinder’s End must come first. He was sure that was the key to everything and if that was fixed then all the other problems would automatically straighten themselves out.

  He drove away from Peter’s house, his mind busy.

  Spade! He was at the bottom of the business. The mysterious, unknown Spade. Now if he could catch this Korris guy and persuade him to talk, he might get a line on Spade. Well, that was one of his jobs. To find Korris, but only one of them. He thought Kells might know something about Korris.

  He turned into a side street and pulled up outside a small hardware shop. Leaving his car outside the shop, he walked down an alley and reached the back of the shop.

  He knocked on the door and while he waited he took out a cigar and lit it.

  The door opened and a thin shadowy figure stood peering at him. ‘It’s Duke,’ he said. ‘I’ve got some business for you, Elmer.’

  The tall figure stood on one side. ‘It’s a hell of a time to call,’ he said, ‘But come in.’

  Duke followed him down a dark passage into a living room at the back of the shop. Elmer’s wife, a tall, pleasant looking girl in her early twenties looked up from the stove with a startled expression in her eyes. When she saw Duke, she smiled.

  ‘Come to supper, Mr. Duke?’ she asked. ‘There’s plenty.’

  Duke said, ‘Sure, if it’s quick. I’ve got a job for Elmer tonight.’

  ‘Tonight?’ Elmer asked. He was getting on in years and Duke never could understand how a nice girl like Rose had married him. Not that he had anything against Elmer. He hadn’t, but, to see this dried-up, scraggy, middle-aged man with a wife like

  Rose got him.

  Duke sat at the table which was already laid for supper. ‘A nice shipping order, Elmer, but you’ve got to deliver it as soon as you can tonight.’

  Elmer grunted. ‘You guys with no work are just hell. You stick around all day and do nothing, then just when fellas like me have finished a hard day’s grind, you look in with some business. Why couldn’t you’ve come in this afternoon?’

  Duke grinned. ‘Because I didn’t think you’d want Hallahan to see what kind of business I was putting in your way.’

  Rose, who was dishing up, shot a quick, anxious glance at Duke. He waved his cigar at her reassuringly. ‘Now, don’t get upset,’ he said. ‘He’s done it before and he’ll do it again.’

  ‘Come on, my dear,’ Elmer said, sharply, ‘I want my dinner.’

  ‘That’s all you men ever think about,’ she said, and brought a large T-bone with fried potatoes and corn on the cob to the table.

  ‘That looks swell,’ Duke said, tossing his half-finished cigar into the stove.

  Rose took off her apron and sat down. She looked at Duke and then at her husband a little anxiously. ‘I wish you didn’t do this kind of thing,’ she said.

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ Elmer returned, curtly. ‘Where else do you think I’d get enough money to keep you in pretty dresses?’ He glanced over at Duke. ‘Well, what do you want?’ he demanded.

  ‘Three submachine guns, a half a dozen rifles and some .38s. Ammunition to go with ‘em,’ Duke said, with his mouth full.


  Even Elmer was startled. He laid down his knife and fork and gaped at Duke. ‘Starting a war?’ he demanded.

  ‘Something like that,’ Duke said. ‘Don’t stop eating or it’ll get cold. Besides, I’m in a hurry.’

  ‘Now, wait a minute,’ Elmer said. ‘I can’t let you have all that stuff. Three Tommy guns?’

  ‘And a half a dozen rifles and say ten .38s,’ Duke repeated. ‘Of course, you can let me have them.’

  ‘Where do you think I’m to get ‘em from?’ Elmer said, cutting his meat savagely. ‘Do you think I keep an arsenal?’

  Duke smiled at Rose. ‘You wouldn’t have any of that old whisky I tried last time I was here? I suppose Elmer’s wolfed it.’

  She got up and went to a cupboard, taking out a black bottle. She glanced at Elmer. ‘Can he have it?’ she asked, smiling.

  ‘Sure,’ Elmer said. ‘Comes here drinking my whisky, keeping me up half the night and talking bull about Tommy guns.’ He shook his head as he continued to eat.

  Rose poured Duke out a stiff whisky and he patted her hand. ‘How you put up with this killjoy, I don’t know,’ he said. ‘Any time you want to leave him, I’ll give you a home.’

  Elmer looked up. His scraggy face broke into a wide smile. ‘There you are, honey,’ he said. ‘It’s a chance if you want to take it. This fella’s got a lot of dough.’

  Rose laughed. ‘I’m not tired of you yet,’ she said, and the look she gave him astonished Duke. He saw she was crazy about this skinny old man.

  ‘All right, all right,’ Elmer said, obviously pleased. ‘But you know what you can do now if you get tired of me.’ He looked across at Duke. ‘Well,’ he went on, ‘you can’t have all that stuff. I might manage the rifles, but the Tommy guns . . . no!’

  ‘Skip it,’ Duke replied, finishing his meal regretfully. ‘You’ve got the stuff. Didn’t you buy three Thompsons from the police department last week? Don’t tell me you’ve sold ‘em, because I don’t believe it.’

  You know too much,’ Elmer said, scowling. ‘But, honestly, Duke, I can’t let you have them. One perhaps, but there are other fellas in the market besides yourself.’

  ‘Never mind about the other fellas. I’m having them. I’ll pay what you want and in about three weeks’ time you can have ‘em all back. How’s that?’

  Elmer looked doubtful. ‘Well, if you’ll let me have ‘em back, I might consider it,’ he said, at last. ‘But what the blazes do you want all that lot for?’

  ‘Never mind,’ Duke returned. He pushed back his chair. ‘Come on, Elmer, we’d better get going.’

  ‘Don’t even give a fella time to digest,’ Elmer grumbled, getting to his feet. ‘It’s going to cost you plenty.’

  ‘I’ll give you a grand. The slugs extra,’ Duke said, quietly, ‘No more, and if you try to rob me over the slugs, I’ll steal your wife from you.’

  Elmer sniffed. ‘Anything you say,’ he said, feeling well satisfied. He had traded with Duke before and knew he could trust him. ‘Do you want me to load them up?’

  ‘I want you to do more than that,’ Duke said, ‘I want you to put ‘em in your car and run ‘em out to Pinder’s End, Fairview. Know the place?’

  ‘Pinder’s End?’ Elmer repeated. ‘What’s the idea?’

  ‘Will you stop asking questions?’ Duke said, irritably. ‘Take ‘em out there and ask for a guy named Casy. Tell him I sent them out and that he might expect trouble. Tell him to hold the place against anyone except the cops. Will you do that?’

  Elmer scratched his head. ‘Sounds like you’re getting yourself in a jam. Suppose the cops get hold of that arsenal? They’ll identify the guns and come after me.’

  ‘No, they won’t,’ Duke assured him. ‘Don’t be so windy. This guy Casy would never let the cops get hold of the stuff. He’s a smart guy.’

  ‘I don’t like it, but I’ll do it for you. . . and more fool me.’

  ‘Fine! I’ll send you a cheque in the morning. All right?’

  ‘It’ll have to be. You’ve yet to cheat me. Can’t you make it cash? I don’t like cheques.’

  ‘I’ll make it anything,’ Duke returned. ‘I’ve got to get going, Elmer, so I’ll leave it to you. Get that stuff out fast. They may need it.’

  ‘Don’t you go off yet,’ Elmer said. ‘I’ll want a hand loading up the ammunition. I ain’t as young as I was.’

  ‘Get Rose to help you. I’ve got a date,’ and slapping Elmer on his thin back, Duke went back into the kitchen. ‘Give him a hand, Rose,’ he said, ‘I’ve got to beat it.’ He poured himself out a small shot from the black bottle and swallowed it. ‘That’s whisky,’ he said, nodding his head. ‘I’ll come along and kill the bottle some night soon.’

  ‘It’ll be waiting for you,’ Rose promised.

  ‘Don’t you stand there all night whispering to that good-for-nothing,’ Elmer bawled from the bottom of the passage. ‘Come on and help me shift these boxes.’

  ‘See you sometime,’ Duke said, and went out into the dark alleyway.

  When he reached his car, he saw a shadowy figure standing in a nearby doorway and he slowed abruptly, his hand sliding inside his coat.

  The street lamp reflected on silver buttons and he took his hand from his gun.

  Hallahan stepped out of the doorway and wandered up to the car. ‘That you, Duke?’ he asked.

  ‘Mr. Duke to you, copper,’ Duke said, opening the car door and stepping in.

  ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘Who, me?’ Duke peered up at the Police Chief. ‘I’ve been in to see the wild Rose.’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘Don’t you know Mrs. Roberts? Nice girl. Married to an old guy . . . too old, by the look of it. I drop in from time to time. You never know, do you?’

  Hallahan rubbed his jaw. ‘Where’s Cullen?’ he asked.

  ‘No idea, copper,’ Duke returned. ‘At home or out with a dame. These young fellas are difficult to keep pace with.’

  ‘I’ve been thinking about Timson. Not quite satisfied about that guy.’

  ‘Look, if I bothered my head about your troubles,’ Duke said, ‘I’d never get anywhere. Timson was a poor specimen. A guy who’ll cut his throat ain’t worth worrying about. I’d forget him.’

  ‘Bellman’s a pal of yours, ain’t he?’

  Duke’s eyes narrowed. So Hallahan had got on to Bellman already. ‘Your mistake’ he said, politely, ‘I can’t use him.’

  ‘You weren’t in the Chez Paree tonight by any chance?’

  ‘I looked in. Had a word with Kells. Now, he ain’t such a bad guy.’

  ‘You didn’t see Bellman, then?’

  ‘Not tonight,’ Duke returned, wondering uneasily if he’d left any fingerprints in Bellman’s office.

  ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘What’s all this about? Why don’t you be a man and come out in the open?’ Duke snapped. ‘What’s the trouble with Bellman?’

  ‘He’s dead,’ Hallahan said.

  ‘Bellman? Someone shoot him?’

  Hallahan spat in the gutter. ‘Suicide,’ he said. ‘That’s what the croaker said. Two guys in twelve hours. Must be infectious.’

  This surprised Duke. ‘Well, well,’ he said. ‘Fancy a guy like Bellman knocking himself off. I wouldn’t have believed it.’

  ‘No?’ Hallahan dug his thumbs into his leather belt. ‘Well, nor do I, but it was suicide all the same.’ He stared at Duke for a long second and then turned away. Duke watched him go, then started his engine.

  His one thought was to find Clare now. As the car pulled away, he began to puzzle out the most likely places to look for her. He thought maybe Kells might help him.

  NINETEEN

  Lorelli quietly opened the sitting room door and peered round.

  Joe was standing by the empty fireplace bandaging his wrist with a roll of lint. He glanced sharply round, dropping the lint and fumbling in his hip pocket.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Lorelli asked, keeping her voice down.
‘Got nerves or something?’

  Joe pushed his gun back into his pocket and picked up the bandage. ‘Fix this,’ he said, shortly.

  ‘Is Paul back?’ Lorelli asked as she crossed the room.

  ‘No.’

  ‘What have you done?’ She made as if to take hold of his wrist, but he flinched away.

  ‘Be careful,’ he said, ‘I’ve only just stopped the bleeding.’

  She took the bandage from him, noticing that his hand shook a little. She looked at him, seeing his paleness and the glisten of sweat on his face. ‘Sit down, Joe,’ she said. ‘What happened?’

  Joe sank down on the divan. He chewed his underlip and went paler still.

  She was suddenly scared that he was going to faint. ‘Hold on!’ she said. ‘I’ll get you a drink.’

  He let his head hang while she ran over to the sideboard and poured him out a stiff brandy. She had to support his head while he drank.

  After a few minutes, his colour returned and he wiped his face with a handkerchief. ‘It bled,’ he said, by way of an explanation.

  She bandaged his wrist quickly and efficiently and sat back. ‘There,’ she said. ‘That’ll be all right. Take it easy, Joe. How do you feel now?’

  ‘I’m all right,’ he said, impatiently. ‘They’ve got guns up there.’

  ‘Pinder’s End?’

  ‘Yes. That guy Casy caught me as I was getting into the house. He didn’t ask questions. I was lucky to get out with my skin.’

  Lorelli stared at him. ‘Do you think he knows?’

  Joe mugged. ‘It looks like it.’ He nursed his aching wrist. ‘How did you get on? Did you see Bellman?’

  ‘He’s dead.’

  Joe stared down at his small feet. ‘Did you get the plan?’ he asked at last.

  ‘Didn’t you hear?’ she said, sharply, ‘I said he was dead.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter, does it?’ He lifted his shoulders indifferently. Then a thought struck him and he faced her. ‘You mean they’ve got it?’

  ‘I guess so,’ she replied. ‘Otherwise why should he have been killed? There wasn’t much time. Harry Duke came in and caught me in there.’