The Paw in The Bottle

by James Hadley Chase

  Somehow he had persuaded Blanche to return with him to the flat. But how had he evaded the police? And then Julie remembered the finger-stall he had picked up in the lift and had tried to conceal. She remembered too how agitated he had become when she had told him someone could have shot Blanche from the passage. She was sure now he had come up with Blanche and remained out of sight in the lift while she opened the front door. Then he had shot her as she entered the hall and had thrown the gun in after her. It was simple enough. The police weren’t in the passage. All he had to do was to close the lift doors immediately after getting rid of the gun and to wait until the police had broken into the flat. While they were arresting Harry, the lift would take him down to the basement. There, no doubt, he had waited a few minutes then walked in through the main entrance. Who would suspect him?

  The discovery filled her with horror. She had known instinctively that Harry hadn’t done it. She had known all the time. As she sat there, cold and shaken, not knowing what to do, she heard a step outside and then Wesley came in.

  She jumped to her feet and backed away, fear in her eyes. “It was you!” she exclaimed. “You killed her! That’s why you’ve pretended all this time to be blind!”

  He closed the door quietly.

  “I thought you would find that out in time,” he said, calm and unmoved. “Well, now you know, we’d better talk it over. Sit down, and for goodness’ sake don’t look so scared. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you! Leave me alone! I’m going to the police!”

  He pulled up an arm-chair near the bed and sat down.

  “It’s no use getting excited, Julie. It’ll pay you to keep calm and hear what I have to say. Have a cigarette?” He held out his case, but she shrank away, shuddering.

  “Julie, will you try not to act like a servant in a melodrama?” The cold edge to his voice aroused her anger, as he intended it should do.

  “How dare you! Get out ! Get out before I scream for help! Wesley lit a cigarette, dropped his case and lighter on the bed.

  “Have a cigarette, Julie, and don’t be silly. I want to talk to you.”

  “How can you be so unmoved after what you have done?” she said, staring at him blankly. “You haven’t any feeling in you. You’re cold-blooded and horrible.”

  “I assure you I have some feeling in me, Julie, but that’s neither here nor there. You are quite right : I did shoot Blanche.”

  Julie stiffened.

  “And you tried to make out Harry did it. You coward ! How could you?”

  “I haven’t the same interest in Harry Gleb as you. He happened to be on the spot and naturally it was assumed he did it. You can scarcely blame me for not coming forward, can you? I think you would have done exactly the same as I did.”

  She was so surprised by his callousness that she could think of nothing to say.

  “After all, Julie, with all respects to your friend Gleb, he isn’t of any great value to society, is he? He is a thief, a spiv and from what you tell me a danger to young women. He hasn’t anything to commend him as far as I can see. On the other hand I am engaged on work of national importance. My research work on pilotless aircraft which is now coming to fruition will be of immense value to this and the next generation. Putting us both into the scales I feel I have many more claims to life than he has.”

  “How can you talk like that? He’s innocent. You couldn’t hide behind him. You couldn’t let him hang in your place.”

  “But I didn’t say I was going to let him hang in my place,” Wesley returned, and smiled. “Before you get excited, Julie, I’d better explain what has been happening. Now don’t interrupt. Just sit down and keep quiet. Please have a cigarette. It’ll help to settle your nerves.”

  Hypnotized by his calm, Julie sat on the bed and took a cigarette.

  “That’s fine. All right, I’ll begin at the beginning. I married Blanche six years ago. I was very much in love; stupidly in love, if you like. I should have known from her reputation what kind of a woman she was; I had enough warnings, but I didn’t believe the tales. To me, Blanche was the most attractive and lovely creature out of a fairy tale. In those days I had a lot of money. It seemed only right that I should make her a large settlement. I made her a large settlement. And then she suggested I should also agree to pay two hundred thousand pounds if the marriage broke up. I won’t waste time telling you how clever she was about that. She made it sound like a joke. It seemed a joke to me until I had a watertight settlement presented to me for my signature. I refused to sign it, and Blanche promptly refused to go through with the marriage. There were two hundred guests expected, the whole wedding pageant had been arranged and I realized I would either have to sign or lose her and look a fool for the rest of my days. At least, that was how it seemed to me at the time. I behaved like a fool and I’m paying the price now. I was in love with her. I wanted her very badly. I felt the marriage couldn’t go wrong. To cut a long story short I submitted to blackmail and signed. To tell it now makes it sound incredible, but I assure you she was very clever about it. She somehow made it seem that I was the one who didn’t trust her, that I would be the one to break up the marriage if the marriage was to break up.” He shrugged and smiled. “I assure you ninety-nine men out of a hundred would have done the same if they had as much money as I had then.

  “The first year of our marriage was happy enough. A little disappointing, perhaps, but nothing that I could actually put my finger on. Blanche was always very bright and sweet; we went everywhere together, did things together, but all the time I didn’t feel that she was quite mine. She wasn’t, of course; she belonged to a dozen different men, but I only found that out later.

  “The factory was developing and I was anxious not to raise capital from public money. I wanted full control as I had certain revolutionary ideas that might or might not succeed. I was gambling, and I preferred to gamble with my own money.

  The factory expanded. Soon I had practically two-thirds of my money tied up in it. That didn’t worry me, as I was sure the gamble would come off. It was then that Blanche began to make trouble. Thinking about it, it is obvious that Benton told her my capital was safely tied up. She didn’t wish to give me up, but she did wish to live as she liked. Although I didn’t have available capital I did have a good income, and Blanche didn’t want to lose that if she could help it. And so she began to drink and have whoever she fancied for a lover and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn’t get rid of her. I couldn’t afford it. I was busy at the factory, and after a while I didn’t care what she did. By then I was blind and what I didn’t see ceased to worry me. We lived like that for a couple of years. Then Benton began pressing her to marry him. It dawned on her that she could get rid of me; she could force me to sell out and give her the settlement. The terms of the settlement were watertight. In court I wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on.

  It came to my knowledge she was going to force the issue and I began to think of a way out. I had nearly completed my work. Another six months would see it through. If she held off until then I could sell out in safety, but she wouldn’t.” He stubbed out his cigarette and immediately lit another. His hand was steady as he held the flame of the lighter to his cigarette. “Am I boring you, Julie? I’m telling you all this because I want you to know exactly why I had to get rid of Blanche. She was a drunkard by now and a danger. She didn’t care whom she corrupted. Any young fellow who amused her was in danger. You have no idea what a beastly little animal she had degenerated into. I was at my wits’ end. Then the chance for an operation came along. I had the operation, and while I was waiting for the bandages to be taken off it crossed my mind what an excellent alibi blindness would be if I decided to murder Blanche. It was just a passing thought, but the idea stuck and I thought about it more and more. I decided that if my sight was restored I would kill her.

  “The eye surgeon had warned me that the chances of my recovering my sight was a thousand to one. W
hen they took off the bandages I could see nothing. The operation was obviously a failure and was accepted as such. But later in the day I suddenly found that I was seeing a little light, and by the evening I could see fairly well. I said nothing. I pretended that I was still blind.

  “When I returned to the flat I was surprised to find you there in Blanche’s clothes and with Gleb. I guessed you and he were after the furs and I began to think of a way in which I could use you both to strengthen my alibi. I had every reason to get rid of Blanche. I had no mercy for her. In every conceivable way she was a menace to my activities. There was no alternative. She had to go.

  “Well, you know the rest. The plan worked out better than I thought possible. The police are a little worried why Blanche should have returned to the flat, but I don’t think that will come to anything. I was very careful. And now, Julie, I have at least three months before I need worry about Blanche’s death. In those three months my work will be completed.”

  “You—you mean you’ll tell them? You won’t let Harry hang?”

  “Of course not. When I’ve finished what I am working on I shall go to the police and give myself up. It will be at least three months before Gleb will be in any serious danger. I don’t care a great deal what happens to me after my work is finished. I wouldn’t let such a specimen as Gleb die for something I did.

  So there’s no need to look so tragic, Julie. He’s having a bad time now, but he is quite safe. I promise you that. And I can’t really bother about him having a bad time: he deserves nothing better.”

  Julie studied him. Her heart was thumping and her hands felt dry and hot.

  “I don’t trust you,” she said finally. “I don’t believe you’ll give yourself up. I’m going to tell the police now what you’ve told me. Why should Harry stiffer for you?”

  “I took the risk of telling you all this, knowing you might say exactly what you’ve just said. So let’s talk about you for a moment. You realize if you do give me away you’ll have nothing except what you can earn? I don’t think that will be much. You have had a taste of luxury and you know what it means to spend recklessly. I can’t imagine you wanting to give all that up in a hurry. But I may have misjudged you. If so, you are quite at liberty to go to the police, but if I deny what you tell them it may be difficult for them to find enough evidence to release Gleb and arrest me. They may, of course, but it’s a gamble, and in the meantime, Julie, you will have talked yourself out of your flat and your clothes and your jewels, all of which seem to give you a great deal of pleasure. But if you’ll wait patiently until I have finished my work, then, before I give myself up I’ll make you a generous settlement and you can keep the flat and all these other things.” He stood up, stretched and yawned. “I’m tired. Let’s leave it for to-night. You think it over. If you want to throw away everything you have and go back to your drab little life I won’t stop you. You must please yourself. But I assure you Harry will be safe enough.” He smiled at her, went to the door. “Good night, Julie.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  AFTER Wesley had left her, Julie had a pitched battle with her conscience. She hated Blanche and could feel no pity for her. The woman had been a horror and had got only what she deserved. Julie found it impossible to blame Wesley for what he had done, but to shift the crime on to Harry was unforgiveable. And yet, if she agreed to say nothing until Wesley was ready, she would be able to continue to live in her present style. It wasn’t as if Harry would hang, she reasoned Wesley had promised to give himself up when the time came. The work he was doing was important, and she had no difficulty in persuading herself that his request for time was reasonable. Of course, it was rough luck on Harry. But why should she have to give up everything just to save Harry a little suffering? He had made her suffer in the past. Look at the way he had let Theo beat her up. She had suffered then, hadn’t she? And besides, although she didn’t want to be selfish, if she gave Wesley away now what chance would she have of getting the Arctic fox fur? If she waited Wesley might let her have it as a reward for all she had done for him. And if it didn’t occur to him to give it to her she would ask him outright for it.

  But suppose Wesley wasn’t going to give himself up? Suppose this was a trick to gain time? It was pointless to think like that, she assured herself. All she had to do was to go to the police if he were difficult. It was just a matter of arranging something at the last moment so Wesley should have time to finish his work and she should be sure that Harry wouldn’t pay the penalty. And so she argued with herself far into the night until her conscience, battered and bruised, gave up the struggle.

  The following morning Wesley asked her what she was going to do. It irritated her that he was so calm and unmoved when she said she was prepared to give him time.

  “Well, now that’s settled,” he said, with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders, “I must get back to the factory. I have a lot to do and time is short.”

  “He might at least have thanked me,” Julie thought. “After all, not many people would have done what I’m doing for him.”

  “There is one thing,” she said awkwardly. “I feel I should——” She broke off and began again. “Those furs. I’d like the Arctic fox. I don’t see why I shouldn’t have it. I’m doing a lot for you.”

  “And I’ve done nothing so far for you, is that it?” Wesley returned, smiling. “When I am in jail I shall be happy to think of you wearing the Arctic fox. But I’m certainly not giving it to you now. Let’s be quite frank with each other, Julie. My work and life are in your hands. I have no reason to trust you, and I’d feel a lot safer if I kept something you wanted very badly. It gives me a hold on you. You can see that, can’t you? This I promise you : when I have finished my work you’ll have not only the Arctic fox but the other furs as well. You won’t have to wait long : two months at the outside.”

  She had to be content with that.

  Now that Wesley had nothing to hide from her his attitude towards her underwent a change. He hurt and angered her by his plain speaking. He admitted he had set her up in the flat for no other reason than to ensure her silence. It was unfortunate he still had to live with her. The police would think it odd if he suddenly left her as he wished to do. At this stage he didn’t wish the police to think anything he did was odd.

  She was free to do what she liked. She had money, clothes and the use of the flat. She could invite her friends here, and he asked nothing of her except her silence.

  “The harder I work the quicker your friend Gleb will be free, and the sooner you will have the furs, so don’t expect me to take you out as often as you’d like. I simply shall not have the time.”

  This wasn’t at all what Julie had expected, and when Wesley had gone off to the factory she became depressed and lonely. She had no friends. The people she once knew, the people who frequented the Bridge Café, were ruled out. She was afraid to make contact with them again. The morning dragged by and the afternoon spent at a cinema bored her. She was glad when she heard Wesley come in a few minutes after six.

  “I hope you had an amusing day, Julie.”

  “I don’t suppose you care,” she replied bitterly. “But if you want to know I’ve had a rotten day.”

  He went into the sitting-room and she trailed after him.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I have a lot of work to do now, but if you like we can have supper together about nine. If you have something better to do I’ll have a tray sent up.”

  “Oh, no, I’d like to go out to-night.” She watched him sit down by the dictaphone. “What happened to Benton?” she went on. She had been thinking savagely of Benton all day.

  Wesley adjusted the dictaphone, put on a new cylinder before replying.

  “I’ve frozen him out.” There was a curt, hard note in his voice. “It was simple enough. He owed money and I had only to withdraw certain guarantees for the bottom to fall out of his financial world. He won’t bother me anymore.”

  “You’re hard, aren’t you?” Secretly
she was delighted.

  “I suppose I am. You have to be hard these days, Julie. You’re not exactly soft yourself.”

  She saw he was impatient to begin work and she hated leaving him. She wanted company.

  “I suppose I can’t help you in your work?” she suggested, hoping he would let her stay with him.

  He turned to look at her.

  “Help me? You know, Julie, I’ve never met such an extra-ordinary young woman. Have you no fear of me? Aren’t you horrified, knowing what I have done?”

  Julie shrugged.

  “Why should I care? She deserved all she got. She wasn’t fit to live. Why should I be frightened of you?”

  “I envy you your outlook. No, Julie, I don’t think you can help me. You should be enjoying yourself. You mustn’t waste time, you know. I really didn’t expect to find you in at this hour. I thought you would be certain to be out having a good time.”

  “How can I have a good time alone? I’ve been bored stiff all day.”

  “Blanche was always complaining about being bored. You’re beginning rather soon, aren’t you? Why don’t you look up your friends?”