by Andrew Garve
‘What? – and invite a five-year jail sentence…? It wasn’t very likely, was it? – not after the first shock … No one ever has!’
‘You mean you’ve worked this before?’
Sherston’s grin broadened. ‘Well there are one or two other chaps around who firmly believe they killed Roscoe in a fight – aren’t there, Frank?’
‘There are,’ Roscoe said. He had lit a cigarette and was beginning to look more at ease. ‘You’re not the only sucker in the world, Mellanby. One born every minute, you know! Not all suitable material for this particular routine, of course – but then we’ve got other lines …’
‘It seems a very tortuous way of making seven thousand, pounds,’ Mellanby said.
‘Do you know a better one? It came off, didn’t it? – or would have done if it hadn’t been for that damned road of yours … That’s the acid test – does it work? And seven thousand pounds in a month is hardly to be sneezed at – all tax free, don’t forget …! Is it, Charles?’ Roscoe’s hand dropped heavily on Faulkner’s shoulder. ‘This is the real rascal, Mellanby. Never sailed under a flag in his life, of course, unless it was the Jolly Roger – but looks so much the part, don’t you think? Can’t you just see him at the Captain’s table? A great actor … But then we’re all quite proficient wouldn’t you say?’
‘Oh, you’re proficient, all right,’ Mellanby said. He was realizing more and more the consummate skill that had gone into the plot – the brilliant foresight … Roscoe giving precise details of his Army career, because he wanted to be exposed as a fraud … Roscoe making himself out to be footloose and friendless, so that when the time came his disposal would seem safe … The delicately poised Jekyll-and-Hyde act, to make sure he wasn’t thrown out too soon … Eve’s build-up of the jealous husband … Sherston’s roughness and toughness … Faulkner’s reluctance over the cheque … They hadn’t missed a thing.
‘You’re a fine, predatory gang!’ Mellanby said.
‘That’s it,’ Roscoe agreed. ‘That’s what we are. Opportunityhunters on perpetual safari …! Merchant adventurers …! And you’d be surprised what a lot of opportunities there are, Mellanby. All you need to do is get to know the right people – and believe me, you don’t have to have introductions. You just look around to see who you can do a good turn to – the world’s full of rich people who need helping in some way … Rescuing your wife and kid was just a lucky break, of course – that kind of chance doesn’t often happen. But if you keep your eyes open you can always find people who need a bit of a leg-up. You can put them in your debt and you move on from there. If they turn out to be foolish, easily-hoodwinked people, you use Plan I – that’s the straightforward confidence stuff. If they’re sensitive, complex characters with consciences, you try Plan II – that’s the one we used on you.’
‘You’re very frank,’ Mellanby said.
‘Well, old man, considering what you know about us already there’s not much point in being anything else, is there? It’s what they call a fair cop …! Not that we’re in any real danger, mind you – we’ve always got our bolt holes open. If you showed any signs of causing trouble we’d scatter at once. We’d be out of the country before the police had even got the particulars down. But I’m sure that’s not going to arise – you’re not going to give us away.’
‘What makes you think that?’
‘My dear fellow, what would you gain by it? It’s the same question you had to ask yourself when you thought you’d bumped me off – and the answer’s the same. Absolutely nothing! Not even the satisfaction of getting your own back on us, because as I say we wouldn’t be here … Of course, if we did happen to muff the get-away we’d be jailed for years – but then we’ll probably be jailed in the end, anyway. It’s an occupational risk, we know that … Why should you ruin yourself trying to hurry things up?’
‘Ruin myself?’ Mellanby looked startled.
‘Well, wouldn’t you? Aren’t you a respected figure in Bath – prominent on committees, looked up to by everyone, wife with hosts of friends, growing children socially welcomed – all that sort of thing …? What do you think would happen if you told your story in court? Maybe you haven’t thought what it would sound like?’
‘As a matter of fact I haven’t,’ Mellanby said.
‘Then, you’d better think fast, chum. I can just see your evidence spread all over the local paper – how you thought you’d killed a man, a man who’d saved the lives of your wife and child, so you let your accomplice bury him secretly and told a lot of lies about how he’d gone away, and kept the facts from the police … And how you planned to dig up the body when things got too hot for you …! Oh, yes, all your friends are going to like that a lot – you’ll look such a fine citizen, such a law-and-order man …’
‘I’ll be able to explain everything,’ Mellanby said uncertainly. ‘The position I was in … It’s not as though I committed any crime.’
‘A fat lot of good that’ll do you! – you behaved as though you had. I tell you your name would stink. You’d be finished, Mellanby … And for what?’
Mellanby mopped his damp forehead. ‘I suppose it wouldn’t sound very nice …’
‘Nice! – it would sound bloody awful …! And that’s not all – you’d be a laughing stock … You’ve been a frightful sap, Mellanby, let’s face it – and that’s exactly what you’d look – a sap. Naïve and credulous. Believing everything you were told. Playing along with a bunch of crooks and not realizing it … And those pathetic attempts of yours to defend yourself – I’d take good care that all that came out you know. Getting knocked around your own sitting-room and not being able to raise a finger! Falling for a lot of melodramatic threats! Too scared even to get the police in! Why, the other kids would be calling after yours in the streets – “How’s your sissy father?” You’d never have any respect from them again. They’d suffer, too. And all the other wives would be looking pityingly at your wife and thanking God they didn’t marry a cowardly weakling like you …’
‘Stop!’ Sally was on her feet, her eyes blazing. ‘It’s not true what you’re saying – any of it. He’s not weak, and I’m proud of him, and so would anyone else be. He did everything he possibly could – more than he could. Didn’t he try to stand up to you even though you’re twice his size? It’s you that should be ashamed … He wasn’t scared of going to the police – it was me. Everything he did was for me. God, how you’ve twisted things …!’
‘I’ve put things the way your friends and neighbours will see them,’ Roscoe said contemptuously. ‘Do you imagine they’ll go around making excuses for him? Not on your life! They’ll crucify him … I tell you, Mellanby, if you don’t keep your mouth shut you’ll be changing your name and emigrating inside six months. On the evidence, there isn’t a hope for you.’
Mellanby looked at Sally. ‘I’m afraid he may be right, darling …’
‘But, John …’
‘After all,’ Roscoe interrupted, ‘this won’t be the first time you’ve kept discreetly quiet for the sake of your family and your reputation, will it? You hushed things up when you thought you’d killed a man, which was a pretty big decision – it would be just plain bloody stupid to talk now … Of course, we wouldn’t let you be the loser – you can have your seven thousand back. That goes without saying. You found us out so it’s only fair … Anyway, we want to make things easy for you …’ Roscoe looked around the watchful circle of conspirators. ‘All right with you, George …? Eve …? Charles …?’
There were nods from each of them in turn.
‘That’s settled, then … We won’t have made a penny out of the thing ourselves, Mellanby, and you won’t have lost anything – so what is there for you to worry about …? As a matter of fact, we’ll be really generous …’ Roscoe stepped over to the caravan and took out a cheque book and wrote out a cheque against the wall. ‘There you are – eight thousand pounds! A thousand extra for pain and suffering!’
Mellanby looked at the cheque.
‘You think a thousand pounds covers what we’ve suffered!’
Roscoe grinned. ‘I’d suffer a lot for that myself! It’ll pay for a nice long cruise for the whole family, anyway – help you to get over things.’
‘Will it be honoured?’
‘It’ll be honoured, all right. We’ve pulled off several lucrative deals lately, haven’t we, George?’
‘We have,’ Sherston said. ‘You needn’t worry, Mellanby – it won’t bounce.’
Mellanby hesitated. ‘If I do take it, it won’t mean I condone anything you’ve done …’
‘You don’t have to,’ Roscoe said. ‘Take it, you damned fool – and thank your stars that’s the end of the business.’
‘Well …’ For a moment Mellanby still held back. Then, with a shrug, he took it. ‘It is my own, after all … And I don’t see why I should wreck my life on account of a pack of scoundrels.’
‘John …!’ Sally said, in a voice of anguish.
Mellanby looked at her stonily. ‘Haven’t we been through enough, Sally? – do we have to be pilloried as well …? It’s no good – I just can’t stand any more trouble … Come on, let’s go home and try to forget all about it.’
He turned away before she could say any more, and started to walk towards the car. Sally followed, a dejected pace behind. The others went along, too. Mellanby dropped heavily into the driving seat. In silence, Sally took the seat beside him. The engine sprang to life. Mellanby stuck his head out of the window. ‘You will all be jailed in the end, I’m sure of that … Someone will get you … And, by God, you’ll have deserved it.’
He let in the clutch, and the car moved away up the slope. The last thing he saw in the driving mirror was Eve moving towards Roscoe, smiling. They were all smiling …
Chapter Forty
Sally was quiet till they reached the top of the bill. Then she suddenly exploded. ‘John, stop! We’ve got to talk.’
With a readiness that surprised her, Mellanby swung the car off the track into the trees and turned the engine off. ‘What is it?’
‘John – we’ve got to tell the police.’
His face was expressionless. ‘You think so?’
‘We’ve got to, darling … We were wrong to keep quiet before – I can see that now. I know it was all my fault, but we were wrong … We can’t do it again. We mustn’t!’
‘Are you sure?’ Mellanby said. ‘It couldn’t have been made easier for us, you know … It won’t be like the last time – there’s no danger any more, nothing to worry about. If we keep our own counsel now, nothing more can possibly happen. It really is all over …’
‘It’s not all over, John – only for us … You heard what they said – they’ll do it again. They’ll go on doing it. They’ll make other people suffer, just as we did … Darling, someone’s got to stop them. Don’t you see? – they’re relying on people not telling – on everyone just thinking about themselves and taking the easy way … You said yourself that if everyone did that, the world wouldn’t be fit to live in – and you were right, darling, you were so right … John, why do I have to say this? Surely you agree?’
Mellanby said quietly, ‘Of course I agree.’
She stared at him. ‘But – you talked as though you didn’t … You let them go on and on, persuading you … You took the cheque as though it settled everything …’
‘I had to, Sally. If they’d had the slightest doubts about me, they’d have cleared off and got clean away … I had to make them feel absolutely sure and safe, so that they’d stay … That’s all. I couldn’t let you know, could I …?’
‘Oh …’ Tears suddenly glistened in her eyes – tears of relief. ‘Oh, I’m so glad … I didn’t realize. I couldn’t understand what was happening to you – you seemed like a stranger … You were so terribly convincing.’
‘Then with luck,’ Mellanby said grimly, ‘they will be there when the police come. I thought I was being rather ham myself …’ His hand closed on Sally’s. ‘It’s going to be pretty tough for us, Sally darling – you do know that?’
‘Yes, I know … Will it be as bad as Roscoe said?’
‘Well – somehow, I doubt it. Roscoe doesn’t know much about decent people – they often don’t behave the way you might expect … Do you remember reading about a boy who was court-martialled a few years ago because he sat down in a trench and wouldn’t fight? He was a nice lad – he just couldn’t take it. He went back to his village to face the contempt of his friends – and blow me if they didn’t put the flags out for him all along the street …! You can never tell.’
‘I don’t think they’ll put any flags out for us!’
‘No, they won’t — but they may not actually throw things …!’ Mellanby gave a rueful smile. ‘After all, there are worse things in the world than being a sap!’ He leaned forward and switched on the engine. ‘If I’m wrong – well, we’ll just have to see it through, that’s all.’
‘Yes, darling,’ Sally said. Her face was clear, her eyes untroubled. ‘We’ll see it through … Oh, John, isn’t it wonderful to have absolutely nothing to worry about!’
Copyright
First published in 1960 by Collins
This edition published 2012 by Bello an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR Basingstoke and Oxford Associated companies throughout the world
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Copyright © Andrew Garve, 1960
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