The Soft Centre

by James Hadley Chase

  ‘She could have had something on him, and he ripped her to make us think it was a sex killing.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s right. I…’

  The telephone bell rang. Terrell stopped short and lifted the receiver. He listened. Beigler saw his face tighten with surprise, then he said, ‘We’ll be right with you. Don’t touch a thing,’ and he hung up. He pushed back his chair and got to his feet. ‘Henekey’s been found dead. Looks like someone’s knocked him off Come on… let’s go.’

  Beigler crushed out his cigarette and moved fast from the office. As Terrell began the long walk down the corridor to the street, he could hear Beigler bawling for the Homicide Squad.

  An hour and a half later, Dr. Lowis came from Henekey’s cabin and crossed through a patch of sunlight to where Terrell and Beigler were waiting.

  ‘He was murdered all right,’ Lowis said. ‘The killer worked him over before killing him. His body is a mass of cigarette burns. He was finally killed by someone putting a cushion over his face and sitting on it. He must have been a very heavy man. Henekey’s nose is broken.’

  Terrell and Beigler exchanged glances. Then Terrell said, ‘Thanks, Doc. Okay, if you’re through, let’s get him away.’

  When Henekey’s body, watched by the tourists, had been taken away in an ambulance, Terrell and Beigler went into Henekey’s cabin. The Homicide Squad had finished their work. Hess came over.

  ‘No prints, Chief. There’s one interesting thing…’

  He walked into the bathroom followed by Terrell while Beigler remained in the doorway. Hess lifted a loose tile in the bathroom floor.

  ‘Could have been a hiding place for something. There’s nothing in there flow.’

  Terrell glanced into the cavity.?‘Could be why he was worked over,’ he said. ‘Let’s go look at the office safe.’

  It took an expert half an hour to get the safe open, but they found nothing to give them a lead on Henekey. They returned to the cabin. Hess and his men were leaving.

  ‘Still nothing, Chief,’ Hess said. ‘This is a professional killing. Henekey went to bed around two o’clock. It’s my bet the killer or killers were waiting for him in the cabin. The lock shows signs of being tampered with. They must have worn gloves. I can’t turn up one fingerprint that isn’t Henekey’s.

  Terrell grunted.?‘Make a list of all the cabins. See if anyone heard anything. Then check Henekey’s print. He may have a record,’

  Hess left, leaving the cabin door open. Terrell sat on the table while Beigler prowled around the cabin.

  ‘What do you think, Chief?’ Beigler asked finally. ‘Think this has any connection with the Parnell killing?’ Terrell took out his pipe and began to fill it.

  ‘Yeah… seems more than possible. Could be Henekey was lying when he said he didn’t know the girl. Could be he vas holding back something and the Parnell killer came back, tortured him and finally killed him.’

  A shadow falling across the floor made both men look around sharply. Standing in the doorway was a little girl of around eight years of age. She was quite beautiful with blonde hair hanging below her shoulders. Her features were small and delicate, her eyes big and alert. She was wearing a blue and red check sunsuit and she was barefooted.

  ‘Hello.’ she said. ‘Are you the police?’

  Beigler was young enough to have no time for children. He scowled at her.?‘Run away … get lost,’ he growled.

  The girl looked inquiringly at Terrell.?‘Who’s the loud mouth with the ugly face?’ she asked, resting her small, tanned body against the doorway.

  ‘Hear me!’ Beigler barked. ‘Run away!’

  The child pursed her lips and blew him a raspberry that resounded through the still cabin. ‘Drop dead!’ she said with withering contempt. ‘If you’re not all that tired of life, go suck your toenails!’

  Terrell watched with amused interest. Beigler’s face, dark red, was a study.?‘If you were my daughter, I’d smack your bottom,’ he said furiously. ‘Run away I’?‘If you were my father I’d have my mother’s head examined,’ the child replied promptly. Terrell turned a guffaw of laughter into a loud cough. Beigler glared at him, then with slow, deliberate steps, he began to advance on the child who faced him without fear and with such a sophisticated expression that Beigler came to a hesitant standstill.

  ‘If you touch me, I will charge you with rape,’ the child said.

  Beigler took two hasty steps back and then looked helplessly at Terrell.?‘What a little horror!’ he exclaimed bitterly. ‘It’s all very well for you to sit, grinning. I don’t see anything funny in this little monster.’

  Terrell sat forward, resting his large hands on his knees.?‘I’m the Chief of Police,’ he said and smiled at the child. ‘Who are you?’

  The child drew a bare foot up her leg while she regarded Terrell with interest.?‘My name’s Angel Prescott. Who is the face over there?’?‘He helps me,’ Terrell said gravely. ‘His name is Beigler.’?‘You really mean he helps you?’ Angel looked astonished. ‘I wouldn’t have believed it.’

  ‘He’s very clever,’ Terrell said.

  The child cocked her head on one side and studied Beigler who was slowly growing puce in the face.

  ‘You never know, do you?’ she said finally. ‘He looks like my uncle … he’s poorly. They even have to feed him.’

  Beigler said with violence, ‘Get out of here! Get lost!’?‘He is noisy, isn’t he?’ Angel said. ‘I really came here because I wanted to help you.’ ‘That’s very nice of you, Angel,’ Terrell said. ‘I need all the help I can get. Come and sit down.’

  Beigler made a strangled noise and walked without thinking into the bathroom. Once inside, he didn’t know what to do with himself, so he came out again.

  Angel, her blue eyes growing round, stared at him with morbid interest.?‘Pheeeew! You were quick!’ she exclaimed.?‘Quick about what?’ Beigler snarled, his face purple with rage.?‘Don’t expect me to discuss that sort of thing,’ Angel said primly. ‘I have been nicely brought up.’

  Beigler seemed to have trouble with his breathing. He looked around desperately as if in search of a weapon.

  ‘I don’t think I want to help you now,’ the child said to Terrell. ‘I see no reason why I should… Goodbye.’ and she walked with beautiful grace down the steps of the cabin and across to her own cabin.

  ‘If she were my daughter. I’d take the skin off her bottom!’ Beigler exploded. ‘Kids! Who wants kids these days! They…’

  ‘Relax,’ Terrell said quietly. ‘She could have seen something. She lives right opposite. I’ll go over and talk to her.’

  Beigler drew in a long, deep breath.?‘I’ll see how Hess is making out.’ he said and walked stiffly away towards where the three police cars were parked.

  Terrell grinned to himself, then knocking out his pipe. he walked over to the opposite cabin. He tapped on the door which was opened by a youngish, shabbily dressed woman with a harassed expression and who brushed back a lank strand of hair as she looked inquiringly at Terrell.

  ‘Yes?’?‘I’m Chief of Police Terrell,’ Terrell said. ‘I was talking to your daughter a moment ago. I would like to continue our conversation. Do you mind?’

  ‘You’ve been talking to Angel?’ The woman looked even more harassed. ‘But why?’?‘She talked to me first,’ Terrell said. ‘I think she might be able to help mc.’?‘Oh, no! You don’t know Angel! She is always romancing! ft’s about this murder, isn’t it?’ ‘That’s right.’?‘I’m sorry… I don’t want Angel mixed up in that. She knows nothing. She’s always romancing… really.’

  Angel joined her mother.?‘Mummy, don’t be a square.’ she said. ‘I know all about it. I saw them last night.’

  Mrs. Prescott looked helplessly at her daughter who regarded her with kindly contempt. ‘Baby-girl, you know you didn’t. You mustn’t waste this gentleman’s time. Now go in and do your painting.’

  Angel looked at Terrell.?‘Mummy has always been stupid about me. She never belie
ves anything I say. I saw them last night.’

  ‘Angel!’ Mrs. Prescott exclaimed with feeble anger. Do what I say! Go in and do your painting!’

  The child lifted her beautiful little hands in a gesture of impatience.?‘That’s all she thinks about… she imagines I’m going to be a famous artist. I have less talent than a cow.’

  ‘She’s really very talented,’ Mrs. Prescott said to Terrell ‘You have no idea. She just says…’

  ‘Would you let me talk to her?’ Terrell asked gently. ‘May I come in?’

  Mrs. Prescott again pushed her hair off her forehead. She looked distracted.?‘Mummy! For goodness sake! Don’t be so corny!’ Angel said sharply. ‘You know you’re dying for me to get some publicity.’

  Giving her mother a little shove, she smiled at Terrell. ‘Come on in,’ and she turned and walked into the shabby sitting room.

  ‘Well, I suppose you’d better,’ Mrs. Prescott said helplessly. ‘She’s really quite unusual for her age. I’m sure she can’t tell you anything, but if you don’t mind…’

  ‘I don’t mind,’ Terrell said and entered the room where Angel was already sitting, her hands clasped around her sun tanned knees.

  ‘Mummy, would you go away,’ Angel said. ‘I can’t talk to him with you fluttering around like a moth.’

  ‘You see?’ Mrs. Prescott said with pride. ‘She isn’t like an ordinary child. She …’ ‘Mummy! Please…!’

  Mrs. Prescott hesitated fluttered then said as she was leaving the room. ‘She really doesn’t know anything. She’s always romancing.’

  There was a pause until the door shut, then Terrell took out his pipe and began to fill it. ‘Tel] me about it, Angel,’ he said. ‘What did you see last night?’?‘Do you know what I want more than anything else in this world?’ the child asked, staring intently at Terrell.

  Terrell was startled.?‘That’s not answering my question. Listen, Angel, it is very important that I should find who killed Mr. Henekey. If you can help me, it’s your duty to do so.’

  Angel scratched her left leg.?‘I want a Teddy Bear as big as myself and that growls,’ she said. ‘That’s what I want more than anything else in the world.’

  Terrell shifted. He paused to light his pipe.

  ‘If you ask your mother nicely, she’ll probably give it to you.’ he said. ‘Now who did you see last night?’

  ‘Mummy never gives me anything. She hasn’t any money. I’ll never get a Teddy Bear as big as myself and that growls from her.’

  ‘Let’s forget about the Teddy Bear,’ Terrell said firmly. ‘Who did you see last night? Was it someone going into Mr. Henekey’s cabin?’

  Angel scratched her right leg while she stared at Terrell, her blue eyes innocent and wide. ‘Yes, that’s right. There were two of them.’?‘Do you remember the time when you saw them?’?‘It was five minutes to one. I have a dock by my bed. I woke up suddenly and the first thing I did was to put my torch on and look at my clock.’

  ‘Then what did you do?’

  The child smiled at him.?‘I don’t remember.’?‘You looked out of the window,’ Terrell said patiently, ‘and you saw two men go into Mr. Henekey’s cabin. That’s right, isn’t it?’

  ‘I don’t remember.’

  Terrell puffed at his pipe while he regarded the child, then he said, ‘Why did you say you could help me, Angel?’

  ‘Oh, I can help you.’ She got to her feet and walked over to the radio. She switched it on. While waiting for the sound to come up, she said, ‘The thing I want more than anything else in the world is…’

  ‘I know,’ Terrell said. ‘You’ve already told me, but can’t do anything about that. You must ask your mummy.’

  Dance music came over the air and Angel began to move her beautiful little body in time with the music.

  ‘Goodbye,’ she said. ‘I’m busy now.’

  ‘Now, listen, young lady,’ Terrell said sharply. ‘You have to tell me about these two men. Turn that off!’

  Rather to his surprise she did so immediately and went back to her chair. She sat down and arranged her golden hair, lifting herself a little so she could see herself in the mirror on the opposite wall.

  ‘What I want more than anything else in the world…’ she began, stopped and smiled at Terrell who looked helplessly at her.

  ‘Where do you sleep?’ he asked.?‘In the next room. Go and look.’

  He got up and left the room Mrs. Prescott was standing nervously in the kitchen doorway. ‘May I go in?’ Terrell said, pausing outside Angel’s room. She nodded and Terrell entered the tiny room. He crossed to the window and saw that he was looking straight at Henekey’s cabin.

  The child’s bed was close to the window. He saw that if she had sat up and looked out of the window she could have seen anyone entering Henekey’s cabin.

  Mrs. Prescott came to the door.?‘Please don’t take Angel seriously. She is too advanced for her age and she does romance. You really shouldn’t listen to her.’

  ‘That’s all right,’ Terrell said. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ and he went back into the sitting room and shut the door.

  Angel was standing before the mirror, examining herself with concentrated interest. She turned and smiled at him.

  ‘If I bought you a Teddy Bear,’ Terrell said, ‘would you tell me who you saw going into Mr. Henekey’s cabin?’

  ‘Of course, but it has to be as big as myself and it has to growl.’?‘You really did see these two men? You see, Angel, I would have to pay for your bear out of my own pocket. It wouldn’t be very nice if you were telling stories just to get what you want.’

  The child shook her head.

  ‘I wouldn’t do that. There were two of them. I can describe them.’ She smiled brightly at him. ‘The trouble is I keep asking Mummy and she hasn’t any money. I do really want a Teddy Bear that’s…’

  ‘All right,’ Terrell said, ‘I’ll get it for you and then you’ll help me… right?’

  She gave him her charming smile?‘Thank you. Yes, I’ll help you.’

  Terrell left the cabin and went in search of Beigler. When he had found him, he said, ‘Joe, I have an important job for you. I want you to drive fast to Miami and get a Teddy Bear, about three and a half feet tall that growls,’ Terrell said, keeping his face straight with an effort.

  Beigler stared at Terrell.?‘A Teddy Bear? Look, Chief …’?‘It’s an order, Joe. Get going. It’s got to growl and make sure it is at least three and a half feet tall.’

  Beigler’s face was a study. He drew in a long, choking breath and dragged at his shirt collar with hooked fingers.

  ‘Who’s going to pay for it?’ he demanded.

  Terrell handed over a fifty dollar bill.?‘She’s a curie,’ he said and grinned. ‘She knows something, so we’re doing a trade. Go get it, Joe, and hurry.’

  Beigler opened and shut his mouth, took the bill and then plodded away towards his car.?*****

  Val walked along the path of the ornamental garden to where her husband was sitting. She found hint under a shady tree, listlessly staring down at his hands. Some twenty yards behind him, sat an Amazon of a nurse who gave Val an encouraging smile when she saw her, her knitting needles ceaselessly clicking.

  There was a vacant chair near Chris’, and as Val drew nearer, he looked up, frowned, then smiled and reaching out, pulled the chair closer to him.’

  ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘I was wondering if you were coming.’

  ‘I’ve been waking all the morning to come,’ she said. ‘How are you, darling?’?‘I’m all right. What have you been doing with yourself?’ He looked steadily at her. The blankness of his eyes tugged at her heart. ‘You’re looking very brown. Been swimming?’

  ‘Yes. The water is marvellous.’ She groped for something else to say but could find nothing. The weight of what Homer Hare had said paralysed her mind.

  ‘Have you thought more about the divorce?’ Chris asked abruptly. ‘Did you talk to your father?’

  ‘I don�
��t want a divorce, darling.’

  His mouth twitched, and he suddenly looked irritable.?‘You haven’t been thinking about it. You mustn’t spend all your tine enjoying yourself… you must think sometimes.’

  She recalled the long hours before lunch when she had sat on the beach after Hare had plodded away and what her thoughts had been.

  ‘I just don’t want to lose you, Chris.’?‘She’s watching us, isn’t she?’ he said. ‘She’s quite clever, she keeps out of sight, but I know she’s there. You must get a divorce, Val. I’ll never get any better.’

  ‘Oh, you will,’ Val said earnestly. ‘I know how you must feel. This is something that has happened… It could have happened to me. I would be so happy to know that if it had happened to me you would still want me as I want you.’

  He didn’t seem to be listening. He stared across the close cu lawn, his face expressionless. ‘Well, all right, if you don’t want a divorce, then you have only yourself to blame,’ be said. ‘Yes, I know, Chris.’

  There was a long, long silence, then Val said, ‘Have you thought about that night you went away… when you couldn’t remember anything?’

  He leaned back in his chair She wasn’t sure if he had heard what she had said.?‘She’s still there, isn’t she? I won’t give her the satisfaction of looking at her, but she is still there?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Val longed for a cigarette, but knowing Chris now no longer smoked, she resisted the urge. ‘That night, Chris …’

  ‘Why do you ask?’ He stared curiously at her.?‘I just wondered if you remember now what happened.’

  He hesitated, frowning and not looking at her.?‘I suppose I do. It’s all rather confused.’ He glanced slyly over his shoulder at the nurse, then as the nurse paused in her knitting to look at him, he quickly turned away. ‘She’s always watching me,’ he went on, ‘like that other woman. She knew I wasn’t normal.’

  ‘What other woman, Chris?’?‘The one I met. I was sitting waiting for someone to give me a lift back to the hotel. I had smashed up the car. I think I must have gone to sleep or something. I came to when the car hit the tree.’ He rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes, frowning. ‘You don’t want to be bothered with all this. Have you heard from your father? Is he back in New York?’