by J. T. Edson
Returning to the stripper-circuit, Marla reached Reno with a slightly better grade show and there she met Blumfeld. They fell in love and the girl accepted his offer of marriage without mentioning that she already possessed a husband. Although at Reno, Marla made no attempt to obtain a divorce from Farson, fearing that Blumfeld would hear of it and throw her aside. Instead she arranged for word to reach Farson that she had died and felt sure that he would never trace her.
After their marriage, Blumfeld gave up gambling and moved into a legitimate business. The fact that her new home would be in Gusher City caused Marla no concern. Farson believed her dead, to the best of her knowledge, and she could face her old friends as a success with some social standing.
All seemed to be going along fine for Marla when she learned that Farson not only knew of her second, illegal, marriage, but was making inquiries as to her whereabouts. Learning that he was due for parole, she guessed that he would be coming looking for her on his release and would bleed her white under the threat of exposure.
Not daring to tell Blumfeld, and fearing that she might lose her current secure position, Marla made plans. She remembered a contact made during her life with Farson—a man who arranged the hiring of professional killers. Without going into details of how, Marla told of the contract put out on Farson. It had been decided to kill him on his arrival in Gusher City. Left until later, he might contact Marla and establish a link on which the investigating officers could act.
Then a snag arose. Marla had destroyed every photograph of Farson and could not supply one for the killers’ use. While Farson’s arrest had been reported in the local newspapers, she dare not try to obtain a picture from their files as that too might lead the law to her. So she used her charm on Rosenthal and made him her aid. Farson had been transferred to the Clemmens Unit and she sent Rosenthal to Brazoria. There the young man waited outside the prison’s main entrance, watched Farson leave and telephoned a description of his appearance which Marla had relayed to the killers.
Nobody would ever know why Farson left the train before reaching Gusher City. He did—and Tom Cord, dressed in the same general manner and of a similar build, walked out of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s depot to meet the waiting killers.
Marla admitted hiring the two hookers to help work Alice over. She also told how Rosenthal called in two friends to help fix Brad Counter, fearing that the deputy’s offer of a reward might cause the organization to send its killers to silence everybody who knew anything about the fouled-up contract. While agreeing that she intended to kill Alice, Marla insisted that her assistants knew nothing of it and believed that Marla merely intended to give a rival a thrashing for some reason. Unfortunately, Marla’s story did not incriminate Caldicott in any way.
Curiously, Farson did not connect Tom’s death with an attempt on his own life. On his arrival in Gusher City, he called Marla and suggested a meeting. Marla telephoned her contact and demanded that she received value for her money. Learning that the two killers were still in town, she made a deal. If they removed Farson, she offered to help them leave Rockabye County. The escape would be simple, if a trifle risky, with Sleath acting as chauffeur in the Cadillac while Jordan rode in the rear seat, posing as Marla’s husband. In that way they hoped to pass through the sheriff’s road-blocks and get clear of the danger area.
On her arrival at the rendezvous at her husband’s warehouse, Marla intended to carry out her side of the bargain and only carried the gun for self-protection. Alice and Brad’s arrival spoiled the plan and, knowing she would be found if the building was searched, Marla decided to try to shoot her way out.
‘I never could beat you at anything, Alice,’ Marla sighed. ‘Did you get Rosenthal yet?’
‘He was picked up in Fort Worth this morning and they’re shipping him back to us.’
‘He was a nasty punk, but apart from Stan that’s all I ever rated.’
‘You should have told your husband, Marla.’
‘You know me,’ the girl sighed. ‘Always the bri—’
A sudden spasm of pain ripped through her and she arched her back. Instantly the doctor who had been present through the interview moved forward and waved the peace officers from the room. In the passage, Blumfeld loomed up before Alice, his face working in a torrent of agony and bewilderment.
‘Why?’ he groaned. ‘Why did she do it?’
‘Maybe because she loved you very much,’ Alice answered, trying to give the man comfort. ‘Loved you and didn’t want you to get hurt.’
‘May I suggest that you sit down again, sir?’ said Weems, and Blumfeld obeyed without question.
Three hours later Alice left the hospital. There would be no point in her waiting any longer, Marla Blumfeld was dead.
Alice found Brad waiting for her in the squad room when she returned to the Department of Justice building. Rising as she entered, he walked to meet her.
‘It’s all over,’ she told him. ‘Marla is dead.’
‘Maybe it’s as well,’ Brad replied. ‘F.I.L. have matched the Smith & Wesson with the bullets found in Farson and the stiff at the Jenner Street torch job and made Sleath for both kills.’
‘I thought they would.’
‘One thing puzzles me, though,’ Brad said as they left the office to report to the sheriff. ‘How did you know it was Mrs. Blumfeld even before you looked at the picture? The name on the marriage certificate said Martha Larraine Bixby.’
‘Marla hated those names and cut them down to make something more erotic-sounding,’ Alice replied. ‘And my mother’s maiden name was Bixby.’
Brad came to a halt as if he had run into an invisible wall. Twisting to face Alice, he looked down at her.
‘You mean—?’
‘Marla was my cousin—but Tom Cord was my uncle, her’s too. I introduced her to the gang when we were kids and always blamed myself for what happened to Viv.’
A shudder ran through Alice’s frame and, more to take her mind off what she had done than for any other reason, Brad asked, ‘Did Marla know about the photograph and certificate of marriage?’
‘She said not when I asked her. If she had, she’d never have sent the killers after him. Come on, let’s make our report.’
In the sheriff’s office, Jack Tragg listened to the story of the investigation and at last nodded and said:
‘You’ve done a good job, both of you. Those two professional killers have racked up a fair number of hits about the country and are better dead. It’s a pity we couldn’t’ve nailed Caldicott, but we’ve enough to make life mighty uncomfortable for him and we can’t win them all.’
‘What now, Jack?’ asked Brad.
‘You need a regular partner, don’t you?’
Brad opened his mouth, but the words did not come. Flickering a glance from Jack to Alice, he wondered how to make his request and if it would be acceptable to either of the other occupants of the room.
‘Well I—’ Brad began.
‘Got one in mind,’ said Jack, poker-faced and hiding the smile which fought to come. ‘Good officer, though a mite hot-tempered at times. Name of Fayde.’
‘You mean Alice here?’ asked Brad, seeing his wish answered.
‘She’s the only Fayde we have,’ Jack agreed and became serious. ‘Look, there are some aspects of our work that can best be handled by a woman and I want a female deputy working full-time on a team on each watch. Reckon you pair can put up with each other?’
‘How about it, boss-lady?’ Brad inquired. ‘Reckon we can?’ Alice smiled back. If she was to work on a team, she could not think of any male partner she would rather have.
‘I reckon we can at that,’ she replied.
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More on J. T. Edson
i
Mark Counter’s story is recorded in the author’s Floating Outfit novels.
ii Slow-elking: Illegally killing and butchering stolen cattle.
iii Big antelope: another name for illegally butchered beef.
iv Eastham Unit: State Prison Farm, Weldon, Texas.
v 1398: Article 1398, Texas Penal Code, burglary in which explosives were used.
vi The Walls: Main State Prison, Huntsville, Texas.