1945 - Blonde's Requiem

by James Hadley Chase

It took me twelve minutes’ furious driving to reach the printer’s shop. I pulled up with a squeal of brakes and paused long enough to make certain she was still unconscious before running across the sidewalk. I hammered on the door.

  As luck would have it, Reg Phipps opened the door himself. I grabbed hold of his arm. “Come on,” I said. “Starkey’s got Audrey Sheridan.” Without giving him a chance to say anything I rushed him over to the car. “Get in and drive,” I said, and climbed in the back.

  He gaped at Edna Wilson, but he didn’t start talking. He drove away fast.

  “Where to?” he said.

  “Now listen, Reg,” I said, leaning forward, “this kid is Starkey’s daughter. She’s working for Wolf, and among other things she’s spying on him. Maybe Starkey likes her enough to trade her for Audrey. Anyway, that’s the way I’m playing it. Have you any place where you can hide her up until I can talk to Starkey?”

  “Me?” Reg gasped. “Hell, brother, that’d be kidnapping! There’s a long stretch hanging to kidnapping. They might even fry me for it.”

  “Don’t talk like a dope,” I snapped. “The only way to talk to these thugs is in the language they understand. You don’t want Audrey left in their hands, do you?”

  “Okay, okay,” he said. “I always was a sucker. Yeah, I can hide her up. How long for?”

  “Maybe only for a couple of hours,” I said. “Maybe a day or so.”

  “I know a guy who runs a little hotel on North Street,” Reg said. “He’ll rent me a room and not ask questions.”

  “Okay, do that. What’s the name of the hotel?”

  “Fernbank. It’s in the book.”

  “Drop me off at Starkey’s headquarters and then go on to the hotel. Get this kid under cover before she comes to the surface and for God’s sake keep her under cover. I’ll ring you when I want her. Don’t bring her unless I say something about your line being bad. Maybe Starkey will get the drop on me, and I don’t want you to make any mistake.”

  “You ain’t going to tackle him alone, are you?”

  “I haven’t time to do anything else. Suppose you ring Latimer when you get to the hotel and tell him what’s cooking. Maybe he’ll feel like sticking his heck out. If he does I could use him.”

  “Let me come with you,” Reg said earnestly. “We’ll tie this dame up and—”

  “No,” I said. “You stick with her. She’s our trump card.”

  Reg slowed down. “Starkey hangs out a block from here. It’s a poolroom downstairs, but he’s got rooms on the second floor. There’s a fire escape at the back. That’s your way up.” He pulled in to the kerb and I got out.

  “Thanks a lot, Reg,” I said, patting his arm. “Look after this babe.”

  I left him, walked down the street until I reached the next block, then turned down a dark alley. I kept on and came to a five-foot board fence. I climbed over the fence and went across a vacant, weed-grown lot towards the rear end of the building that housed Starkey.

  Its three storeys were dark and forbidding. I went close to the building, making no noise, my gun in my right fist. Looking up, I could see the vague outline of a fire escape against the sky.

  I felt my way along the wall of the building until I was under the free-swinging end of the fire escape. It was almost four feet beyond my reach. I stepped away and jumped for it. My second attempt was lucky and I hooked my fingers in the ironwork. The fire escape came down, creaking as it did so, but not too loudly.

  I climbed to the first landing and eased the free-swinging part of the escape back into position so that it came up quietly. Then I continued up the escape until I reached the flat roof. There was a big skylight in the centre of the roof and from it came a bright light.

  Stepping softly, I moved forward and peered down. Jeff Gordan was sitting behind a table, his chair tilted against the wall and his hat at the back of his head. He was reading a newspaper. A cigarette hung limply from his great coarse lips. Audrey Sheridan lay on a bed on the other side of the room. Her arms were above her head and her wrists were fastened to the bedposts. Her ankles were tied with cord, which was looped around the foot of the bed. She seemed to be asleep.

  I wondered how many more of Starkey’s thugs were in the building and what chance I had of getting Audrey out alive. I sank on to my knees and pressed the crosspiece of the skylight gently with my thumb. It seemed to have little resistance. As I was deciding what to do, the door opened and Starkey came in.

  Jeff threw his paper aside and stood up. He grinned at Starkey and together they went over to where Audrey was lying. Jeff shook her and she looked up blankly, then, when she saw Starkey, she tried to sit up and began to struggle against the cords that bound her.

  Starkey sat on the bed beside her and lit a cigarette. He began talking to her. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but from the look on Jeff’s face I could make a guess.

  Audrey shook her head.

  Starkey went on talking, but I could see Audrey wasn’t going to do what he wanted. He finally gave up and sat staring at her with hot, angry eyes.

  Then he stood up and shrugged. He said something to Jeff, who nodded his great head. Starkey went out and closed the door, leaving Jeff and Audrey looking at each other.

  Jeff stood over her, flexing his thick fingers. Audrey stared back at him, her face white, but her eyes steady.

  I drew a deep breath and as Jeff reached for her I put my foot lightly on the centre of the crosspiece of the skylight and then suddenly shifted the whole of my weight onto it.

  I crashed into the room amid flying pieces of glass and woodwork. I landed on my feet, staggered, recovered my balance and threatened Jeff with my gun.

  He stood gaping at me half in terror, half in vicious, baffled rage.

  “Get your hands up or I’ll spread your insides on the floor,” I said.

  His hands went up fast.

  “Up against the wall and face it,” I said, hearing feet pounding up the stairs.

  As he did so, I backed to the door and turned the key. It was a good, strong door and I thought it’d hold. Then I ran over to Audrey, slashed at the cords, and jerked her up.

  “Get over there by the door,” I said, shoving her as she staggered to her feet. “They’ll start shooting in a minute.”

  Just then fists pounded on the door and a voice yelled: “What’s going on in there?”

  I fired once at the door. There was a startled yell and then a scurry of feet.

  “That’ll hold ‘em for a minute,” I said. “You all right, kid?”

  She smiled wanly. “I wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t’ve come,” she said. “I—I’m glad you came.”

  “Take it easy,” I said, and went over to Jeff. “Turn around, you fat slob. I want to talk to you.”

  He turned and snarled at me.

  “You’re a fall-guy,” I said, speaking very rapidly. “I’m tipping you off because I don’t like Macey and I don’t like your boss. They’re framing you for Dixon’s murder. I was with Macey this afternoon. He’s after you. There’s a warrant out for you, and Starkey is playing with him.”

  His apish face went sullen. “You’re nuts,” he said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You killed Dixon to get those pictures. You killed him on Starkey’s say-so. You thought Starkey would keep you covered—so he would have, only the Gazette’s got a picture of Dixon’s body showing he was strangled. Macey knows the only way he can save his hide is to get the murderer. Starkey’s agreed to sell you out. Don’t believe it if you don’t want to, but I’m telling you the cops are out now looking for you.”

  As I finished speaking a bullet crashed through the door and brought down a thin trickle of plaster. We were all away from the door and none of us stood a chance of being shot. I banged another slug back and I heard a man curse and move away.

  Jeff stood glaring at me, doubt in his little eyes, his mouth twisted with rage and fear
. “You’re lying,” he snarled.

  I sneered at him. “What good are you to Starkey, you big moronic dolt? What the hell good are you to anyone? If Starkey turns you over to the cops, he’ll cash in for the election: Do you think he’s going to gum up his chances because of you?”

  His great fists clenched and unclenched. “She’s got the picture,” he said, pointing at Audrey. “You can’t bluff me, you punk.”

  I grinned at him. “We took two pictures,” I told him. “I’ve got one and she’s got the other. I don’t want the cops to catch you. It’d be too easy. I want Macey and Starkey to be in a spot when the Gazette breaks the story. That’s why I’m letting you duck out.” I nodded to the skylight. “Do you think you can get out that way?”

  Before he could reply three bullets crashed through the door, but neither of us paid any attention.

  “What’s the idea?” he said, his feeble little brain struggling to understand.

  “Hell!” I exclaimed. “What more do you want me to say? Beat it before the cops get hold of you. Get the hell outta town. If you’re smart and careful you should beat the dragnet they’ve put out for you.”

  I could see that my bluff was shaking him. “Dragnet?” he repeated stupidly.

  “Listen, you big stupid dope,” I said, throwing the words at him. “Starkey has sold you out. The cops are after you and I’m giving you a break to get away. Now do you understand?”

  He looked at the door and his face went a deep purple. “The yellow-gutted heel,” he said under his breath. “So that’s the way he’s playing it.”

  “Come on, you punk,” I said. “Get going. I want to talk to Starkey.”

  “So do I,” he said under his breath, and springing up he caught the edge of the skylight and hauled himself up. As he did so a faint wail of a police siren sounded. It couldn’t have been timed better.

  I called after him: “Get going. Here they come.”

  I heard him curse, then I heard the sound of his feet running across the roof; a moment later he scrambled down the fire escape.

  Audrey was staring at me her big eyes bewildered and curious. I went over to her and took her hand in mine. “Take it easy,” I said, smiling at her. “We’ve still got a job to do.”

  “But what are we going to do?” she said. “They’ll never let us out of here.”

  “You’ll he surprised,” I said and leaving her, I edged to the door. Keeping against the wall, I reached for the key, turned it and threw the door open. “Tell Starkey to come up here.” I yelled. “I want to talk to him.”

  The narrow passage crashed with gunfire and more plaster trickled from the opposite wall.

  “Hey!” I shouted. “Cut it out. I want to talk to Starkey.” There was silence for a moment. I could hear men muttering.

  The sound of the police siren came nearer. Then someone said: “Throw your rod outside and come out with your hands up.”

  Audrey said: “No.”

  I smiled at her, tossed my gun through the open door, and heard it clatter to the floor. I walked out with my hands in the air.

  A gun was rammed into my back. Four men were standing at the end of the corridor. Starkey was with them. The guy with the gun was a small, mean-faced gunsel, dressed in a shabby black suit. He snarled at me as I looked over my shoulder at him.

  Starkey came up, his thin white face puzzled.

  “Frisk him,” he said, his voice shrill and excited.

  The gunsel ran hands over me and shook his head. “He’s okay,” he said, and stepped away from me. His gun covered me from a distance.

  “I want to talk to you,” I said to Starkey. “Just you and me and the girl.”

  Maybe he didn’t like the way I said it. Maybe he was just curious, but he walked into the room and I followed him. At the door he said: “Stick around and come in fast if this jerk starts anything.” Then he took the key out of the door and gave it to the gunsel.

  We stood in the middle of the room, the door closed and we eyed each other.

  Audrey waited near the bed. She was very tense, but curious. “Listen,” I said, “we’re going to do a deal. I’ve got your kid Edna.”

  If a horse had kicked him in the face I couldn’t have hoped for a better effect.

  We stared at each other for a long moment. His face had turned yellow and his eyes were wide and dull. Then he walked over to the bed and sat down.

  “You shouldn’t have told me that,” he said, speaking at his feet. “That puts you in the worst goddam jam you’ve ever been in in your life.”

  I found a cigarette and lit it. “Wake up,” I said gently. “You’re the guy who’s in a jam. You turn this girl loose or Edna’s for the high jump.”

  He looked up. His eyes burned. “Where’ve you hidden her?”

  “Somewhere safe,” I said, sitting on the table and blowing smoke at him.

  “You’re going to talk,” he said viciously, “and you’re going to talk fast. I’ve got ways of making a rat like you loosen up.”

  “What do you think I am?” I said. “If I don’t phone the guys who are looking after me in ten minutes they’ll take Edna apart. And let me tell you, it won’t be hard labour doing just that little thing.”

  He stared at me and then he shifted his eyes. I could see I’d made myself clear on that point.

  “Now listen,” I said, speaking fast, “you can’t sidestep this set-up. I want someone for Dixon’s killing. It’s going to be Jeff. Play it my way and it won’t hurt you. Start something I don’t like and I’ll throw you as well as Jeff to the wolves.”

  “Dixon died of heart failure,” he said without any conviction.

  “You’re still out of the picture,” I said, sliding off the table and going over to him. “I’m a peaceful guy until someone tramples on me. I’ve had enough of Cranville and I’m going to blow it sky-high. If you don’t like it, you’ll go up with the rest of them. I don’t give a damn. Dixon was knocked off by your stooge. He was acting on your orders. I’m not ready to take you yet. There’re other things you’ve got to do before I put a rope around your neck. So I’m making, Jeff the fall guy. Give him to Macey and your stock’ll go up in Cranville. If you don’t, then I’ll do it and fix it so they’ll all know you told Jeff to do it. Don’t think Macey’s the only guy in town with any power. The Federal Agents will jump in if I call Washington, and that’s just what I’m going to do if you don’t play. If you plan to rub me out, take another think. My mob’s got Edna, and they don’t go for skinny dames. They’ll pull her apart and host the parts to you if you try to get rough with me. That’s the way it goes and you’re going to like it.”

  He looked like he was going to jump me, but I didn’t move. I just stared at him and after a moment he quieted down. “You’re crazy,” he said. “You can’t pull a fast, one like this on me.”

  I looked at my watch. “Maybe I’d better call my mob,” I said thoughtfully. “It’s a little over ten minutes and I don’t want them to start something you’d be sorry about.”

  He didn’t stop me when I picked up the telephone. There were little sweat beads on his top lip and he was looking sick.

  I dialled. Reg came on the line.

  “I’m with Starkey now,” I said. “He’s going to play. Don’t touch that dame until I ring you again. I’ll be through in another fifteen minutes. If you don’t hear from me cut her goddam ears off and send ‘em to this punk,” and I hung up.

  We looked at each other and I could see he was licked.

  “Come on,” I said. “You and me and the girlfriend are going over to see Macey. You’re going to tell Macey how Jeff killed Dixon and I’m going to give him the photograph.” I turned to Audrey. “Come on, sweetheart, you and we’ll soon be home.”

  I went to the door with her and opened it. “Come on,” I said to Starkey.

  He stood up, jerked his hat over his eyes, hesitated and then walked to the door.

  “You go first,
pal,” I said. “just in case your boyfriends speak out of turn.”

  We walked down the passage, past the four men, who stared at Starkey curiously, and down the stairs. Starkey didn’t say anything until he reached the lobby of the poolroom. Then he paused, turned and said: “Maybe we could do a deal.”

  I eyed him. “We are doing one now,” I reminded him.

  “Keep the twist and I’ll give you two grand. You hand Edna over and forget about Dixon.”

  I shook my head.

  “Five grand,” he said tersely.

  Again I shook my head. “We’ll keep to the original idea,” I said. “I want to square things for Dixon . . . he wasn’t a bad old guy.”

  Starkey hesitated and then shrugged. “You’ll be sorry for this,” he said half under his breath, and we went on to the street door.

  “We’ll wait here,” I said, putting my hand on Audrey’s arm, “while you organize a cab.”

  He didn’t see anything wrong in that and opened the door. As he stepped into the street I shoved Audrey hard to the right, away from the door. Gunfire crashed from the darkness outside and yellow flashes lit the night.

  There was a door nearby. I opened it, pushed Audrey into an empty office and closed the door.

  More gunfire came from the street. There was also a lot of noise of shouting and pounding feet in the building.

  “What’s happening?” Audrey said, white-faced and scared.

  “I think we’ve lost our little friend,” I said, crossing the room to another door. I opened it, looked cautiously into the now deserted poolroom. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

  Taking her hand, I ran with her across the large, smoke-laden room, twisting between the brilliantly lighted billiard tables to a window that looked on to the vacant lot at the back of the building. I opened the window and stepped on to the fire escape. Audrey joined me and together we pelted down the iron staircase.

  More shots were coming from the front of the building and police whistles and sirens were sounding.

  We ran across the weed-grown lot, hoisted ourselves over the five-foot fence and kept on until we neared the street. Moving cautiously, we edged from the mouth of the alley. There was a big crowd in front of the poolroom. Police cars were parked on the opposite side of the street and I could see a number of cops trying to force their way through the crowd.