1978 - Consider Yourself Dead

by James Hadley Chase

  ‘Okay boys, grab some fresh air,’ he said.

  Umney got to his feet and moved to the door. Goble grabbed two canapés and followed Umney from the room.

  Silk sipped his drink, lit a cigarette, then looked directly at Frost.

  ‘So we’re on our own,’ he said. ‘This is strictly between you and me. I am doing this job, with or without your help. You ask about the ransom. As you say, this is the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Before I even began to make plans to snatch this girl, I solved that question. What is the use of getting twenty million dollars if you can’t spend it? I’ve now got it so fixed we can spend it, and that includes you. If I tell you how I have fixed it, you will have reached the point of no return, as Ross and Mitch have already reached the point of no return. If they lose their nerve and back out, they know I will kill them,’ Silk smiled. ‘I earn my living killing people. Ross and Mitch know that, so you had better know it too. Before I tell you how I have fixed the ransom, I want you to think about what I have told you so far. Now, it is your turn to convince me I’ve picked the right inside man. I will want to know how you will handle the dogs: how you will dope Marvin, Amando and the girl, and how you will neutralise the fence. When you have convinced me you can do all this, and when you have told me you will work with me, then I’ll tell you how I’ve fixed the ransom, and I assure you, I have fixed it.’

  Frost hesitated, then shrugged.

  ‘Well, okay, so I exercise my brain,’ and he pushed back his chair.

  ‘You do that,’ Silk said. ‘Let’s get the record straight. If you haven’t the brains nor the guts to work with me, you are no good to me, nor to yourself. I am guaranteeing you five million, and I don’t give five million away to a pea-brain. So, Saturday morning you come here and convince me you can handle the dogs, neutralise the fence and dope the drinks. You’ll have to convince me, and I need convincing. So, okay, you convince me. Then you tell me if you opt in or out. If you opt in, you will have passed the point of no return. Then I will tell you how I’ve fixed the ransom, and I guarantee I have fixed it. But if you haven’t the nerve and you opt out, you will leave Paradise City and you will keep your trap shut.’ He tapped the table with his finger. ‘Make no mistake about this: I’m going ahead with this job. I will have to find another guard. It’ll mean waiting, but I’ve waited already. But suppose you think you can pick up some money by going to the cops and talking? Okay, so you go to the cops, and you tell them I’m getting set to snatch the girl.’ Silk stubbed out his cigarette. ‘If you do that, there will be no snatch, but I’ll be in the clear. You have no proof that I am planning the snatch. It’ll be your word against mine. The cops have nothing on me. So I tell them you are crazy in the head, but knowing the cops here, they’ll put a tab on me, so, no snatch, and I’ll lose five million bucks.’ He leaned forward, his one eye glaring at Frost. ‘If you talk to the cops, you won’t live long. There’s no hole anywhere deep enough for you to hide in. Be sure, I’ll come after you. Be very sure of that, and I’ll kill you.’

  * * *

  Frost spent the remaining two hours before he took over from Marvin, in his cabin, smoking and thinking.

  Although he thought of what life would mean to him when he had five million dollars to spend, his main thinking was about Silk. During the short time he had been a detective, he had run into a number of dangerous thugs.

  He had also run into a few Mafia hitmen, but none of them compared with Silk. Frost knew Silk was a professional in the top echelon bracket, and he was deadly dangerous. I will guarantee I have fixed the ransom. This, coming from a man of Silk’s calibre, meant, somehow, he had solved the ransom problem, and that meant that if Frost opted in, he would have five million dollars to spend.

  He was almost sure that if he opted out, he would never leave Paradise City alive. Silk would never take the risk that he (Frost) might talk. Frost moved uneasily. He would meet with an accident. He was sure of that. So . . . he nodded to himself, he would opt in.

  Now, he had problems to solve: how to dope Marvin, Amando and Gina. This was the priority problem. The second problem was how to neutralise the dogs. This also presented difficulties. The neutralising of the fence was easy once Marvin was doped and the dogs out of the way.

  Frost realised he would have to collect a lot of information before he could begin to solve these problems. He looked at his strap watch. The time was 19.45: time to go to the guardroom and have dinner with Marvin.

  Leaving his cabin, he looked along the narrow path that led past the villa, and to the guardroom. Soon after 21.00, Marvin would release the dogs, and they would be on the prowl. When he had doped Marvin, Frost thought, he would have to leave his cabin around 02.00, walk along this path to the guardroom to neutralise the fence. The walk was roughly sixty yards. One or all the dogs could nail him before he reached the guardroom. He looked upwards. Could he reach the guardroom by climbing a tree, swinging himself on to the villa’s roof and down to the guardroom? He dismissed this thought immediately.

  He was no Tarzan, and anyway, there were no over-lapping trees. A problem!

  He found Marvin watching the end of a ball game on the box.

  ‘Hi, Mike.’ Marvin got to his feet and turned off the set. ‘Lousy game. Had a good day?’

  ‘Swimming,’ Frost said. ‘I’m starved.’ He pulled up a chair and sat at the table. ‘No excitement?’

  Marvin shook his head and sat opposite Frost.

  ‘The excitement will start on Saturday. The Big Shot arrives.’

  ‘So Old Creepy told me. Tell me about Grandi.’ Frost offered his pack of cigarettes. As the two men lit up, he went on, ‘How do you dig him?’

  ‘You and I have handled dozens of thugs in our day,’ Marvin said quietly. ‘Grandi is yet another thug, but gold plated. Watch it with him. He likes playing God. Don’t imagine because he gives you the big hello, he has taken a liking for you. I would rather deal with Old Creepy than Grandi. At least, you know Old Creepy is hostile. I’ve met Grandi twice, and twice is enough. I know because I’m an ex-cop, he hates cops. So watch it.’

  At this moment, Suka came in with the dinner trays.

  He sat them down on the table, bowed and went away.

  Frost looked at the thick pork chop with onions and french fried potatoes, and whistled.

  ‘We certainly don’t starve here. Tell me about Suka, Jack.’ He began to cut into the chop. ‘He never seems to stop working.’ Frost was now probing for information. ‘Does he sleep here?’

  ‘Suka’s special. He looks after us, Gina, Amando and the dogs. No, he doesn’t sleep in the villa. He has a cabin around the back by the lagoon. He packs up around 23.00, and he starts work at 07.30. He’s the only resident servant here. The rest of the staff leave before I release the dogs. They all live outside the estate.’

  ‘There’s no night staff then?’

  ‘For what?’ Marvin slapped mustard on his chop. ‘The girl goes to bed around 22.00. Amando goes to his room around the same time. They don’t need anything. But it’s different when Grandi arrives. The whole staff are on duty until he goes to bed which is around 02.00. They love him! To get the staff home, I have to recall the dogs.’

  Marvin shrugged. ‘He doesn’t often come, and he doesn’t stay long. He’ll be off on Monday morning, and then everyone can relax.’

  Frost now had some information, and knowing Marvin was an ex-cop, he decided it would be unsafe to probe further.

  Then he felt a sudden cold chill run up his spine as he looked across the table at Marvin’s relaxed, friendly face. This man was going to be murdered! Then he forced himself to think of the money he was going to pick up. Five million! Why the hell should he care about Marvin?

  The food had become dry in his mouth. He forced himself to eat while his mind continued to be active.

  ‘Have you got a girl, Jack?’ he said, chewing hard.

  ‘I’ve got something better than that,’ Marvin said with an expansive grin. ‘I�
�ve got a son.’

  For the next ten minutes while they finished their dinner, Frost was subjected to a glowing eulogy of Marvin’s son. According to Marvin, there had never been such a bright, smart phenomenon as Marvin junior. And as he listened, seeing the pride and happiness on Marvin’s face, he knew now why Silk had said Marvin would cooperate.

  ‘Who wants a woman when I’m so goddamn lucky to have a son like that?’ Marvin concluded. ‘I spend every hour when I’m off duty with him. I’ve got him well fixed. When the kid was born, my goddamn wife wouldn’t take care of him. All she thought about was movies, farting around, having what she called a good time. So I hired an old black mamma, and she is great! She takes care of the kid. I wouldn’t want for anyone better!’

  ‘Yeah,’ Frost said, pushing aside his plate. ‘You’re lucky. When you have a kid like that . . .’

  ‘I know it.’ Marvin got to his feet. ‘Time I got rid of the staff and let the dogs loose.’

  ‘You feed them, Jack?’

  ‘Suka does it. He has a way with dogs. He’s feeding them now.’

  ‘Well, so long. Happy dreams.’

  When Marvin had gone, Frost sat before the monitors.

  This day was Thursday. He had two more night duties.

  On Saturday, he would have to see Silk again. By Saturday, he would have to come up with the solution of his problems.

  He heard Suka come in to collect the tray and he looked around.

  ‘Fine meal, Suka,’ he said.

  The Japanese paused and regarded him, his face expressionless.

  Frost studied him. Instinct warned him that this little man with his wooden face could be dangerous.

  ‘I forgot to thank you for keeping guard, Suka,’ he went on. ‘You and I must try to keep Miss Gina happy.’

  Suka inclined his head, stared for a long moment at Frost, and then left the room.

  Frost grimaced, then shrugged, but again told himself that Suka could be yet another problem.

  Now to see if he could solve his problems.

  How was he going to dope Amando? This was the sixty-four thousand dollar question. The more he thought about it, the more complex the problem became. He had no information about Amando’s habits. On the night that Gina was to be snatched, Amando might be away on a business trip: he might be at the villa: he might . . . God knew!

  Frost rubbed his sweating jaw. A problem! He sat staring at the monitors and watched the dogs, sniffing around the trees. He thought of the moment when he would have to set off for the guardroom to neutralise the fence and he studied the dogs. . . all killers!

  Hell! he thought, have I problems!

  It wasn’t until after midnight that an idea suddenly occurred to him. He did have some information about Amando, and he had forgotten about it up to this moment!

  His heart beating with excitement, he snatched up the telephone receiver and dialled the Spanish Bay hotel. In a minute or so, he was connected with Marcia.

  ‘No talk, honey,’ he said, keeping his voice low. ‘Just say yes or no. Does Amando still come to you Saturdays?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘First Saturday in the month?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What time?’

  ‘Nine evening.’

  ‘Does he take a drink?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Okay, honey,’ and Frost hung up.

  The first problem solved!

  Now the dogs.

  He got to his feet and once again examined the control panel. He concentrated on the button that activated the silent whistle that recalled the dogs to their compound.

  If he could fix this, so when Marvin was doped, the whistle would get the dogs back into their compound, then the second problem would be solved. He knew nothing about electronics. He then remembered Umney had talked to the man who had fixed the alarm panel. Frost nodded to himself. Umney would have to talk to this guy again and find out how he (Frost) could fix the whistle button even if it meant twisting the guy’s arm. Maybe this would be the second problem solved.

  But how was he to dope Gina?

  As he thought about this, he realised that she presented a dangerous problem. When she came out of sedation after her release, she must not have any suspicion that he had engineered her kidnapping. She was an unknown quantity to him, but he had an instinctive feeling that she would throw him to the cops if she had the slightest suspicion he had been behind her kidnapping.

  Don’t rush this, he told himself. I have until Saturday morning. At least, I reckon I have two of the problems fixed.

  He switched his mind from Gina, and tried to relax, but then his mind switched to Marvin, doped, and at Silk’s mercy. You don’t have to worry about Marvin. I’ll take care of him.

  In his mind, Frost saw again Marvin’s proud face as he had talked happily about his son. Marvin will never be found. Silk would murder him and hide his body. Silk was a professional. When he said the body would never be found, he meant just that.

  Frost flinched and sweat beaded his forehead.

  Drawing in a deep breath, he forced himself to relax.

  Five million dollars! No more farting around, trying to scrape up a living! Five million, and the world was his!

  Too bad about Marvin.

  This was a once in a lifetime chance.

  Five

  The sound of the telephone bell brought Frost out of a heavy sleep. As he jerked upright, he looked at the wall clock. The time was 13.15. He grabbed up the telephone receiver.

  ‘Mike?’ Marvin’s voice. ‘Hustle into your uniform and come to the guardroom.’ There was a note of urgency in his voice. ‘Grandi’s arrived, and it’s action stations.’ He hung up.

  Grandi? Here? The fink was supposed to be arriving tomorrow!

  Frost, cursing, rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom. In under fifteen minutes, he was shaved, showered and dressed, and he walked fast from his cabin to the guardroom.

  He found Marvin waiting for him outside the guardroom door. Marvin gave him a crooked grin.

  ‘Sorry about this, Mike,’ he said. ‘He crept up on us. Right now he is talking to Old Creepy. You stay here. I’m doing the patrol. Look busy.’ He eyed Frost over.

  ‘Watch it. He’ll want to see you,’ and he started off along the path leading to the lagoon.

  Frost entered the guardroom and sat down. Through the open door, he saw the three Chinese gardeners were working with frantic haste. Usually, they plucked a weed, sneered at it, ruminated, then plucked another weed. Now, they were really sweating it out. Frost sensed an electrifying change in the atmosphere. Grandi had arrived!

  As he sat before the TV monitors, he occasionally caught a glimpse of Marvin, patrolling the estate. Marvin looked tense.

  There came a tap on the door and Suka came in with coffee and two beef sandwiches.

  ‘The boss is here,’ he said, as he set down the tray.

  Frost thought even the unflappable Suka looked tense.

  ‘You eat fast.’

  But it wasn’t until four hours later that Frost received his summons, and by then, he found he was also tense.

  Suka came into the guardroom.

  ‘The boss wants you,’ he said. ‘Come with me, please.’

  He led Frost to a room that led off the stairway to the upper floor. He stood aside and waved Frost forward.

  The room was big with lounging chairs, a six-seater settee, a vast desk, a cocktail cabinet and occasional tables.

  At the desk sat a squat, broad-shouldered man in his late fifties. He was wearing a T-shirt and bottle green slacks. His hairy, brown, muscular arms rested on the desk.

  Marvin had described Grandi as a gold-plated thug.

  Looking at him as he approached the desk, Frost decided Marvin’s description hit the nail squarely on the head.

  The fat, swarthy evil-looking face with its small restless eyes, the short blunt nose, the thin lips, the high forehead, the shock of iron-grey hair made a picture of ruth
lessness, power and cruelty.

  ‘Sit down!’ Grandi snapped, and waved to a chair by his desk.

  Frost sat down, sitting upright, his hands on his knees.

  There was a pause while the two men regarded each other, then Grandi said, ‘I have studied your dossier. You have worked for the F.B.I. While working with them, did you have a kidnap problem?’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Frost said. ‘I worked with others on the Lucas kidnapping.’

  Grandi’s eyes narrowed as he thought.

  ‘Lucas? A girl? Yes . . . Lucas paid a million to get her back. The snatchers were caught. . . right?’

  ‘Correct, sir. Three of them were caught. The fourth got shot. I shot him.’

  Grandi paused to study Frost. His restless eyes probed.

  ‘Marvin has had no experience of kidnapping,’ he said. ‘What do you think of Marvin?’

  Frost saw his chance, but he warned himself to play this one slow.

  ‘Excuse me, sir, but I don’t understand the question.’

  Grandi shifted in his chair. His little eyes snapped.

  ‘With your record, you can’t be a fool.’ His voice was a bark. ‘I’m asking you your opinion of Marvin whose job is to protect my daughter. Don’t prevaricate!’

  Frost was sure Grandi had asked Marvin the same question about himself.

  ‘Marvin is a dedicated ex-policeman, sir. He has a top class record. If I were in your place, I would have picked Marvin.’

  Grandi nodded.

  ‘He said the same about you, but he has never handled a kidnapping case, but you have. I believe in using men of experience. You have worked with the New York police and the F.B.I. It seems to me you have much more experience than Marvin has who has been just a State trooper. I am more interested in your opinions than Marvin’s.’ Again a pause while Frost looked directly at him. ‘Very well, Frost, what do you think of the present security measures to protect my daughter from kidnapping?’

  ‘Ninety-seven percent perfect,’ Frost said.

  Grandi opened a box on the desk and took from it a cigar. He bit off the end, then lit it, puffing smoke at Frost.