1953 - The Sucker Punch

by James Hadley Chase

  I knew that was the last thing she wanted to hear. I could see by the way her face blanched, what a devastating blow this was to her. She was prepared to suspect I had been out with a woman, but for me to admit it, hit her where she lived.

  "Oh, Chad!"

  She forgot to be angry; forgot to be jealous. All she could think of now was that she might lose me.

  "I'm sorry, Vestal, but I promise it won't happen again. Jim and I got drunk. He wanted to go to a brothel, and he persuaded me to go too."

  "A brothel?"

  I saw dazed relief come into her face, as I knew it would come.

  "Yes. I don't know if you can ever forgive me for being so depraved, but I was drunk.”

  "Oh, Chad! You frightened me. I thought you had fallen in love with some woman. Oh, Chad!"

  She started to cry. I took her in my arms. She sobbed on my shoulder, hugging me, pressing her pinched ugly face against mine, running her claw-like fingers through my hair.

  "Oh Chad, darling, of course I forgive you. I'm sorry I was suspicious of you. You must forgive me too."

  It was as easy and as simple as that.

  chapter thirteen

  Four days later I was sitting in my study, glancing through the morning newspaper before I left for the office, when Eve came in with the mail.

  Her face was impersonal as she put the letters on the desk in front of me.

  She tapped the pile of letters with a slim finger, gave me a significant look and went out, closing the door behind her.

  I picked up the letters and shuffled through them. Among them I found a slip of paper on which was typed:

  She has just made a date with Mrs. Hennessey. Friday, 28th. 9.30 p.m. to meet Stowenski, the violinist.

  My heart did a somersault.

  Mrs. Hennessey was Vestal's best friend; a fat hen of a woman who never stopped talking, and who never succeeded in saying anything worth listening to. Even Vestal picked her to pieces when she wasn't with her, but she hung on to her because Mrs. Hennessey knew all the local gossip: dope that Vestal couldn't resist.

  Vestal had been yammering about Stowenski for the past week. To my thinking he was just another longhaired fake, but he had certainly stood Little Eden's society up on its ear by a series of concerts, and now he was doing the social round. Apparently Mrs. Hennessey had grabbed him before Vestal could sink her claws into him.

  I had now three clear days!

  Just for a moment I felt a chill crawl up my spine. So long as the idea had been only an idea I had accepted it without a qualm. Now I realized it was about to turn into a fact, for the first time, I began to feel scared.

  One slip and I was finished.

  I lit a cigarette with Eve's note and powdered the ash. Then I put the rest of my mail in my pocket and walked down the steps to where my car was waiting.

  Eve passed me on her way to the greenhouses.

  "Thursday, two o'clock at the beach hut," I said under my breath as she passed.

  She gave a little nod to tell me she had heard and understood.

  The difficulties were great.

  There was now no question of night rehearsals. I was once more sleeping with Vestal.

  We would have to perfect the plan in the afternoon and part of the evening of Eve's day off.

  At the office, I set about dictating a number of letters I had drafted on to the tape recorder. After each letter I wrote down the time shown by the indicating needle on the machine, numbering the letters against the time so that Eve should know exactly when my important words to Blakestone were arriving.

  I was afraid to play back the record in case Miss Goodchild surprised me, but I had an idea the result would be what I wanted.

  I had a feeling of urgency. We were cutting corners and working under difficulties, and the risks were great, but that didn't stop me. I was launched on this plan now, and I wasn't turning back.

  Vestal had told me that Mrs. Hennessey had invited her over to her house to meet Stowenski. She wanted me to go with her, but I told her I was having Blakestone over for a drink and to discuss business. I don't think she expected me to go with her, and so long as she was sure I wasn't going to run off with some woman, she was quite happy for me to remain at home.

  I went to the office on Thursday morning, and before leaving for lunch, I called Ryan Blakestone.

  "Will you come out to Cliffside tomorrow night, Ryan?" I said. "I have some business to talk over with you, and I thought you'd like to see the house."

  "I'll be there."

  "I want to surprise Vestal, so don't be early. If she thought you and I were hatching something, she'd stick around until I told her what it was. Be at the house sharp at nine-fifteen."

  "Okay."

  I hung up and rang for Miss Goodchild.

  "I won't be back after lunch," I told her. "I feel like a round of golf."

  There were six golf courses in Little Eden, and I felt fairly safe, saying I was going to spend the afternoon playing a round. If Vestal called and wanted to know where I was, she'd be unlikely to check all six courses.

  After lunch I drove down to the beach.

  Vestal's beach hut was isolated: there was no other hut within three miles of it. She very rarely went there now, preferring to swim in the pool on the estate. There was plenty of cover around the hut where I could conceal my car.

  I unlocked the hut and opened the windows.

  Five minutes later Eve drove up. I watched her park her car out of sight, then come across the sand to the hut.

  I had the tape recorder on the table just as I have it here now.

  It's a funny thing, but I had no desire to take her in my arms as she came into the hut. We looked at each other. Her eyes were glittering behind her glasses, and her face was pale.

  "We'd better get to work, Eve. We haven't much time."

  She laid on the table a long tube made of wire.

  "I don't know if this will do for your arm. I did it last night."

  "Good girl. I haven't had a chance to try myself."

  I took off my coat and fitted the tube into one of the sleeves. With a little manipulation I bent and adjusted the tube inside the sleeve, then arranged it on the arm of one of the chairs in the hut.

  We both went around the back of the chair to inspect the effect. It looked exactly what I intended it to be: a man's arm resting naturally on the arms of the chair.

  "That's it," I said. "If we fix a piece of wire with a small loop to it on to the sleeve, it'll hold a burning cigarette just out of sight. Hargis and Blakestone will see the smoke above the chair and the illusion will be complete."

  "Have you dictated the letters, Chad?"

  "I'll play them back. Let's set the stage first. Bring the table over in front of the chair."

  We arranged the table the way I wanted it, shifted the chair around a little more, then I turned on the tape recorder and we both went to the hut door and looked across the room at the back of the chair.

  I had to adjust the recorder to get the volume right, then I rejoined Eve by the door to listen to the complete record.

  The effect was uncanny.

  The arm on the chair, the smoke of the cigarette drifting up to the ceiling and the voice talking gave a convincing impression that there was a third person in the hut.

  Halfway through the tape my voice suddenly stopped dictating. There was a slight pause, then in a slightly louder tone, my voice said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Ryan. I'm nearly through now."

  We looked at each other. Eve was white and shaking. She put her hand on my arm. I tried to force a grin, but the grin wouldn't come. We stood side by side, listening to the end of the tape.

  "It works," I said as I went over to the recorder to turn it off. "It can't go wrong, Eve, so long as you handle it right. We'll play it over until you've got it by heart." I took from my pocket the copies of all the letters I had dictated. "You must be able to judge exactly when those words of mine to Blakestone are coming. That is t
he key to the whole setup. Slip up on that, and we're sunk."

  We settled down to work.

  After a couple of hours, she had the recording by heart.

  "Okay, now let's have a rehearsal," I said. "This chair is the study door.

  You handle the recorder. I'll be Hargis."

  We rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed.

  It wasn't until long past dusk that I was satisfied. My idea worked.

  There was no question about it. Given the right lighting and the proper setting, I was positive both Hargis and Blakestone would be willing to swear I hadn't left the study.

  The only weakness lay in Eve. If she lost her nerve we were sunk. If she got flustered, mistimed her cue or made Hargis or Blakestone suspicious by her manner, then the whole alibi would fall to the ground.

  I took hold of her and held her close to me.

  "Think you have the nerve to go through with this, Eve?"

  She leaned against me. She looked white and exhausted.

  “Yes."

  '"Our lives are in your hands. You realize that?"

  She nodded, and I could feel she was beginning to tremble.

  "You still want to go ahead? There's time to pull back. Tomorrow is still a long way from us."

  "No. We'll do it."

  '"Okay. I've got to get back. She's playing bridge, but I want to be back before she does. Will you go through the thing on your own?"

  "Not now. I—I don't want to be alone here, Chad. I'll do it again in my room. I don't want to be left here alone."

  “Okay. Come on; let's get moving."

  The following day, Friday 28th of September, I got back from the office soon after five o'clock.

  Vestal was out somewhere. I had time to conceal in my desk drawer a pair of overalls I had taken from the garage. Changing a wheel could be a dirty job, and I had to look immaculate when Blakestone arrived.

  Then I went up to my room and called Eve's room.

  "Yes?"

  "I'm back. Where is she?"

  "She's gone to a movie. She'll be back at six."

  "I'm coming along to your room."

  "You'd better not."

  "I've got to."

  I hung up, went to my door and made sure the corridor was deserted.

  Then I walked quickly to Eve's room and entered.

  Eve was sitting on the bed, the tape recorder on the bedside table. She looked pale and scared.

  "For the love of Mike! You look like you've seen a ghost."

  "I'll be all right."

  ''You'll have to be," I said roughly. "I'm not going through with this if there are any doubts. The whole thing depends on your nerve, Eve."

  She nodded.

  "I know. You don't have to worry. I'll be all right when the time comes. I mean that."

  I lit a cigarette and began to move about the room restlessly.

  "You've taken your car down there?"

  "I took it just after lunch. It's about ten yards the other side of the Drive Slow board, behind that big thicket."

  "Fine." I went to the window and stared up at the fast moving clouds.

  "It could rain, Eve."

  "Yes."

  "I hope it doesn't. It would be bad if it rained while I was changing the wheel."

  She gave a little shiver.

  "Will you go through with it if it rains?"

  "I'll go through with it if there's an earthquake."

  "What about footprints, Chad?"

  "The road's too hard. You needn't worry about that." I suddenly remembered Joe. There had been so much for me to think of he had gone out of my mind. "We've forgotten Joe."

  "I've taken care of him," Eve said, not looking at me. "I put the stuff in his tea."

  "And I was beginning to think you might be losing your nerve." I went over to her and put my arms around her. "When will it work?"

  She pushed me away.

  "Don't touch me, Chad. I don't feel like it."

  "Okay, okay," I said impatiently. "When will it work?"

  "Any time now."

  I looked at my watch. It was getting on for six.

  "Take the recorder down to my study. I've set the stage. I'll go out in the garden and wait for her. Another three and a half hours, and we'll both be free, Eve."

  "Yes."

  She didn't look at me.

  "I'll go down."

  I wanted to take her in my arms but her strained expression stopped me.

  "You'll go through with it, Eve?"

  "Don't you trust me?"

  "Of course I do. It's just that there's still time to back out: soon there won't be."

  "Do you want to back out?"

  I thought of getting my hands on all that money. I thought of Eve and me marrying.

  "No."

  "I don't either."

  "I'll go down."

  Vestal drove up to the garage a few minutes after six. She hated driving the Rolls, and more often than not she only let Joe handle the car when she went shopping.

  We walked side by side to the steps leading to the terrace. Heavy black clouds made a roof above our heads.

  I couldn't believe in three hours’ time I was going to kill her. It just didn't seem possible.

  She was chattering away, looking up at me, a bright smile on her pinched, ugly little face, and I could see the love she had for me in her eyes.

  "You look tired, darling. I think we should go away so you can have a rest."

  "I'm all right," I said curtly. "You don't have to worry about me. I don't want to go away just yet."

  “Let's talk about it. Will you come up and sit with me while I change?"

  "I have some work to do. I'll come up in a little while. There're some papers I want Blakestone to look at."

  She pouted. "You work too hard, Chad darling."

  At the top of the steps, she slid her bony arms around my neck and kissed me.

  I felt my stomach turn over, but somehow I managed to keep my expression from giving me away.

  I went into my study and shut the door.

  Eve had put the recorder on the desk. The chair was in the right position; its back to the door. The desk light and a lamp by the window were on.

  The lighting was dim, restful and concealing. I went over to the window, pushed aside the curtains, opened the window and looked down on to the flagstone path. Even if it did rain there would be no telltale footprints to give me away.

  I went back to the chair, unlocked the bottom drawer and checked the overall and the gloves. Underneath them was a tube of sacking filled with sand. I took it out and balanced it in my hand.

  I suddenly felt sick as I swung the bag to and fro, and with a little grimace, I hurriedly dropped it back into the drawer and turned the key in the lock.

  Everything was ready.

  I had now to wait until nine o'clock.

  As I stood staring emptily at the recorder I heard a sudden squall of rain beat against the windows.

  A tap sounded on the door. Hargis came in.

  "Excuse me, sir, Joe is unwell. I believe Mrs. Winters wanted the car tonight."

  "What's the matter with him?"

  "He complains of a headache, sir, and he is vomiting."

  "Probably eaten something to disagree with him. I'll tell Mrs. Winters when she comes down."

  "Yes, sir."

  He went out and shut the door behind him.

  I stood still, wiping my sweating hands and listening to the quick, violent beat of my heart.

  chapter fourteen

  I had three double whiskies before dinner. I needed them. I felt tense and my nerves were so jumpy I was scared Vestal would notice something was wrong.

  The meal seemed to me to be interminable, and I had to force myself to eat.

  When we finally moved into the lounge for coffee, Vestal went to the window, pushed aside the curtains and peered out into the dark, rain-swept night.

  "This is most tiresome," she said crossly. "We haven't had rain for we
eks. This would happen just when I'm going out."

  "It always sounds worse indoors than it is," I said, sitting before the small log fire Hargis had lit to take the chill off the room. "It'll probably stop in a little while."

  “It's simply pouring. I don't think I'll go if it keeps up like this."

  Although I had been expecting her to say this, my heart skipped a beat.

  Hargis was pouring coffee. I realized how important it was that he should be able to report later that I hadn't pressed Vestal to go.

  "I don't blame you," I said casually. "There's a good television programme on tonight. Why don't you call Mrs. Hennessey and tell her you're not coming?"

  Vestal came over to the fire. She took the cup of coffee Hargis offered her and sat down.

  "It's most tiresome. I did so want to meet Mr. Stowenski. I don't like driving in the rain." She looked at Hargis. "Find out If Joe is feeling any better."

  When he had gone, she went on, "What's the use of having a chauffeur if he gets ill when I want him?"

  I forced a laugh.

  "It's the first time, isn't it? Everyone gets ill sometimes. You'll be telling me next you can't drive in the rain. What are you worrying about?"

  She looked sharply at me.

  "Is anything the matter, Chad? You've been behaving most oddly all the evening."

  I felt my nerves give a little jump.

  "I have? Oh, nonsense. What do you mean?"

  "I'm very sensitive to atmosphere. You're strung up tonight. Why, Chad?"

  I started to say she was mistaken, when Hargis returned.

  "I'm sorry, madam, but Joe has gone to bed. He still appears to be unwell."

  "Then you'd better not go," I said, cutting in on her impatient exclamation. "This violinist fellow will have plenty of fans hanging around him. He isn't likely to miss you."

  That seemed the right thing to say for Vestal immediately bridled angrily.

  "He is expecting me," she said sharply. "I am quite sure he wouldn't have accepted Charlotte's invitation unless I was going. I must go."

  "Well, please yourself," I said as Hargis left the room. "You won't get wet in the car, and if you're going you'd better get ready. It's nearly nine."

  She went over to the window again.