1953 - This Way for a Shroud

by James Hadley Chase

  “You love me? You? I didn’t think . . . I had no idea.”

  “I don’t suppose you had,” Conrad said quietly. “I didn’t intend to tell you, but I can’t have you thinking you’re not safe. You’re more precious to me than my own life. You don’t have to be scared of Madge or the other two. They’re all right. Honest, they won’t let anyone near you, nor will I.”

  She pulled away from him.

  “But how can you love me?” she said, half to herself. “You know about me. You can’t love me.”

  “Now look, Frankie, you’ve got to stop this nonsense. You’re not to blame for what your father did, and you’ve got to stop believing you are.”

  She looked at him, her eyes shadowy with bitterness.

  “So easy to talk,” she said. “So very easy to talk. You don’t know what it is like to have people point at you, to whisper about you, to pull their children out of your way. You don’t know what it is like to be hunted by a screaming, infuriated mob as I was hunted the night they killed my father. And now it’s going to start all over again. What a fool I was to have told you anything! What a stupid fool I was!”

  He knelt beside her.

  “Frankie, if you’ll let me, I’ll take care of you. I’ve got it all figured out. I’ll take you away when the trial’s over. We can start a new life together. I want you to marry me. No one will know who you are where we’ll go. We’ll go to England. I have a friend who wants me to sink some money in his farm. He wants me to be his partner. There’s a house for us, and no one will know you. Will you let me take care of you? Will you let me build a new future for you?”

  She got up abruptly and without looking at him, she went over to the window.

  “Future?” she said. “But I haven’t a future. I know I haven’t.” She stared at the red ball of the setting sun as it slowly sank below the horizon, casting a red glow over the sea. “My time’s running out, Paul. There’s no future for me, only a very immediate present.”

  II

  It’s got to look like an accident, Jack,” Gollowitz said. “It’s got to. If there’s the slightest suspicion of murder, we’re finished. A full-scale inquiry would put us out of business. Someone is bound to talk once the pressure’s on. It’s got to look like an accident.”

  Maurer sat hunched up over his desk, his small eyes gleaming angrily. For ten days now he had racked his brains for a way to get at Frances, but the solid wall of defence that Conrad had erected baffled him.

  “She’s got to die!” he snarled. “The only way to get at her is to set fire to the hotel. Then when they bring her out, we’ll swarm all over them.”

  Gollowitz spread out his fat hands pleadingly.

  “We’ve got to think of another way. We can’t do it like that. It’d finish us.”

  Maurer got up and began to pace the floor.

  “What other way? Goddamn it! There is no other way! How are we to get at her unless we smoke her out? How the hell can we make it look like an accident?”

  Gollowitz wiped his glistening face. The past ten days had been dangerous and difficult for him. It had come as a great relief when Maurer had sent for him and had told him to forget what he had said at their last meeting. He realized now Maurer couldn’t do without him. The problem was too big for Maurer to handle himself.

  “Ferrari could do it,” Gollowitz said. “I’m sure he could.”

  Maurer paused to stare at Gollowitz.

  “Is he still in town?”

  Gollowitz, who had expected an explosion, nodded eagerly.

  “He’s in the bar right now.”

  “We’re admitting failure by using him, Abe,” Maurer said. “You realize that?”

  “We have failed. I wouldn’t have brought him in if we hadn’t failed to get Weiner. I know you blame me, but there was no alternative as there is no alternative now. If anyone can get at that girl, Ferrari can.”

  Maurer came back to his desk and sat down. He stared down at his snowy blotter, his forehead furrowed, his eyes narrowed. He sat like that for some minutes. Then he picked up the receiver.

  “Louis? Ask Ferrari to come to my office. He’s in the bar.”

  Gollowitz sat back. It was a moment of triumph for him. He felt vindicated. Maurer was now doing what he had had to do.

  “You’re playing this right, Jack,” he said. “It’s the only way.”

  Maurer looked up.

  “You’re kidding yourself, Abe,” he said softly. “You think I’m playing it your way, but I’m not. Ferrari is going to take care of the girl, then I’ll take care of Ferrari. That’s the difference between running this organization and letting the organization run you!”

  Gollowitz stiffened.

  “Take care of Ferrari ? What do you mean ?”

  Maurer showed his teeth in a grin that made him look like a wolf.

  “Wait and see, Abe.”

  They sat looking at each other for several long minutes, then the door opened and Ferrari came in. He walked silently across the room, climbed into an armchair, wriggled back until he was comfortable and looked at Maurer with alert bright eyes.

  “About this girl,” Maurer said. “It’s got me beat. Abe says you can handle it. Can you?”

  Ferrari lifted his eyebrows.

  “Of course. It’s my job to handle it.”

  Maurer’s eyes snapped, but his face remained impassive.

  “I’ll pay ten grand.”

  Ferrari shook his head.

  “Twenty. If it was worth only ten grand you’d be able to do it yourself.”

  Maurer shrugged.

  “Okay, I don’t haggle. Twenty, then. What makes you so sure you can handle it?”

  “I’ve never failed, and I don’t intend to fail now,” Ferrari said. “You look for difficulties, I look for solutions.”

  “It’s got to look like an accident.”

  Ferrari nodded.

  “It will be an accident.”

  Maurer’s face turned a purple red.

  “You don’t even know where she is! You don’t know a thing about the set-up. How the hell can you talk like this?”

  Ferrari gave him a sneering little smile.

  “She’s at the Ocean Hotel, Barwood. She’s on the top floor, facing the sea. There are twenty guards; five of them in the grounds, five guarding the top floor, five in the three rooms below her windows, and five off duty. No one can enter the hotel without a security check. No one is allowed near the top floor. The elevators only travel to the ninth floor. Three police women remain with her day and night and never let her out of their sight. When she takes a bath the door is left open and one of the police women sits just outside. She isn’t allowed to leave her room. There is no means of climbing up to her window as the windows below are guarded. The roof is perpendicular, and the only skylight to it is guarded day and night. What makes you think I don’t know the set-up?”

  Maurer felt a cold chill run down his back. He stared at Ferrari as if he had been suddenly transformed into a snake.

  “You’re lying! How the hell do you know all this? I’ve had the place watched for days and I haven’t even found her room!”

  Ferrari smiled.

  “But then you are an amateur, and I am a professional.”

  Maurer swallowed this insult as he felt it was justified.

  “But how do you know?”

  “I’ve been up to the tenth floor. I’ve listened end I’ve watched. I’ve even seen her.”

  Maurer gaped at him.

  “You’ve been up there! How did you get there?”

  “That’s my secret,” Ferrari returned.

  There was a long pause, then Maurer said, “Well, okay, then tell me how she’s to the accidentally.”

  Ferrari crossed one short leg over the other. He yawned, stretched, then folded his hands in his lap.

  “It’s an interesting problem, not impossible, but difficult. I believe I am the only man in the world who can do it.”

  “You reall
y can do it?”

  “I stake my reputation on it. If I fail, you don’t pay me a dime. That’s fair enough, isn’t it? But you’ll pay me. I don’t intend to fail.”

  “But how will it be done?”

  “That you must leave to me. I never discuss my plans. There are two things I need. I haven’t the time to bother with them myself. Maybe you can take care of them for me?”

  “What things?”

  “I’ll need an aircraft and a stunt flyer.”

  Maurer’s eyes bulged.

  “A stunt flyer? You’re not suggesting he should land on the roof, are you?”

  Ferrari smiled.

  “Nothing so obvious. I merely want him to divert attention. The trick is really very simple. You have seen a good conjuror? When he does a trick he makes sure the audience is looking at something else and not at what he is doing. The stunt flyer will do just that and give me my chance to strike.”

  “I’ll get you an aircraft and a stunt flyer. When do you want them?” Maurer asked.

  “Today is Wednesday. Shall we say Friday? I must talk to him. There are certain things I have to tell him.”

  “When does she get hit?” Maurer demanded.

  “Saturday night. It is a good night. The hotel laundry is delivered on Saturday night.” Ferrari slid out of his chair. “Another useful piece of information I picked up.”

  “The laundry? What’s that to do with this business?” Maurer asked blankly.

  “It has everything to do with it,” Ferrari returned and walked over to the door. “I’ll be here Saturday morning. Have the flyer for me to talk to.”

  He went out and shut the door.

  Maurer drew in a long deep breath.

  “What do you think, Abe?”

  “He’ll do it,” Gollowitz said.

  Maurer nodded.

  “I guess that’s right. Smart little snake, isn’t he?” He got up. “I’ve got things to do, Abe. Ask Louis to come here, will you?”

  Gollowitz gave him a hard, searching look, but gathered nothing from Maurer’s deadpan expression. He went out.

  Maurer began to pace up and down.

  After a few minutes Seigel came in.

  “You wanted me, boss?”

  “Yeah,” Maurer said. “Sit down, Louis.”

  Seigel sat down. He looked at Maurer nervously.

  “I’ve got a job for you, Louis,” Maurer said softly. “Ferrari’s going out to the Ocean Hotel, Barwood, on Saturday night. You’re going out there too. On his way back, you’re going to run into him. You’re going to take care of him for me.”

  Seigel stared at Maurer.

  “Ferrari?”

  “That’s right.”

  “You want me to hit him?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “For God’s sake, Mr. Maurer . . .!”

  “That’s what I said,” Maurer repeated. “It’s either he or you Louis. Please yourself.”

  III

  The Ocean Hotel was always crowded at the weekends, and on this Saturday afternoon the bathing pool and the vast stretch of lawn was packed solid with people who had come down from San Francisco and up from Los Angeles for a weekend of swimming and lounging in the sun.

  Conrad sat in a tub chair under a shady tree and watched the crowd as it played, lounged and gossiped around the swimming pool. He kept an eye on the long drive that led to the hotel, watching for Forest’s car.

  Around four-thirty, he spotted the car coming up the drive. He stood up and waved. The car slowed down and stopped. Forest got out, said something to his chauffeur, then came across the lawn towards Conrad. The car went on towards the hotel.

  Forest wended his way through the sunbathers until he reached Conrad’s isolated shade under the tree.

  “Hello, there, Paul,” he said. “Seems you’ve picked yourself a good spot. Plenty of pretty girls and plenty to keep your eyes busy.”

  “Too much,” Conrad said, pulling up another tub chair. “I had no idea this place got so crowded over the weekend. My boys are going crazy trying to keep a check on everyone.”

  “Are they doing it?”

  “Out here it’s hopeless, but no one enters the hotel without being scrutinized.”

  Forest sat down.

  “How’s it going?”

  Conrad pulled a face.

  “She’s safe enough, but she’s getting depressed. I’m afraid Weiner sowed a lot of seeds of doubt in her mind. Now she has had time to get over the shock of his death, she’s regretting having talked. We may have trouble with her later. She may even try to back out giving evidence.”

  “Have you got her statement signed yet?”

  Conrad shook his head.

  “No. She won’t sign it. She thinks so long as she doesn’t sign the statement Maurer won’t go for her. It’s cockeyed reasoning, of course. Maurer is far more likely to try to get at her before she signs the statement than after she’s signed it. I’ve told her that until I’m blue in the face, but I guess she isn’t in a reasonable mood. The fact is she’s getting scared. She talks about waiting it out. I wish you would see her and see if you can put some sense into her. I can’t.”

  Forest looked at Conrad quickly, then he leaned forward and tapped Conrad on his knee.

  “Does this girl mean anything to you, Paul?”

  “That’s pretty cute of you, sir,” Conrad said with a wry smile. “Well, you may as well know. She does mean a hell of a lot to me. I’ve asked her to marry me. I’m crazy about her.”

  Forest nodded, took off his hat and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief.

  “Is she as crazy about you?”

  Conrad shook his head.

  “I guess not. She’s not in the mood to think of me. She insists she has no future.”

  Forest stared across the lawn at a tall, slim girl in a white swimsuit who was lying on her back, her eyes closed.

  “There are plenty of pretty girls to choose from, Paul. I wouldn’t like you to make a mess of your life. Miss Coleman’s not exactly a happy choice.”

  “You mean because of her father?”

  “Yes; because of her father. I have a high opinion of you, Paul. One of these days you’ll be a D.A. If you saddle yourself with a wife whose past doesn’t stand scrutiny, you won’t get far in a career.”

  Conrad stirred restlessly.

  “I know you’re thinking of my interests, sir, and I appreciate it, but a career doesn’t seem to me to be all that important when it comes to picking a girl you want to spend the rest of your days with. The career’s got to go. That’s how I see it.”

  Forest selected a cigar, bit off the end and lit it.

  “Well, okay, that’s up to you, Paul. What are your plans, then?”

  “I haven’t any at the moment, I had hoped to take her to England after the trial. I’ve had a talk with her about going there, but she just won’t get her mind on the future. She says all she has left is a very immediate present. She won’t give up this morbid obsession that she’s going to die.”

  “I can’t say I blame her,” Forest said quietly. “She’s bucking the most dangerous organization in the country. Her evidence will smash a billion dollar racket, and Maurer’s not going to let go of a kingdom that big if he can help it. Frankly, Paul, I wouldn’t give her more than an even chance of surviving.”

  Conrad clenched his fists.

  “They can’t get at her here. The real danger will be when she goes to the courthouse.”

  “Are you quite sure she’s safe here?”

  Conrad nodded.

  “Yes.” I’m sure. For a start they don’t know she’s here.”

  “Are you sure of that too?”

  Conrad stiffened and looked at Forest.

  “What’s on your mind, sir? Do you think they know where she is?”

  Forest lifted his heavy shoulders.

  “I don’t know, but Maurer’s no fool. Did Janey know about this hotel, Paul?”

  “Janey? Why do yo
u ask that?”

  “Did she know about the hotel?”

  “I had to give her the telephone number. She was all on her own, sir. I didn’t want her to think she was completely cut off from me. I impressed on her how secret it was.”

  “So she had only to call the number to find out it was the Ocean Hotel,” Forest said, blowing smoke into the still, hot air.

  “I don’t get your drift,” Conrad said sharply. “For all her faults, Janey would never have talked about anything connected with my work.”

  “I’m just warning you, Paul. We mustn’t assume anything if we want to keep this girl safe. Your wife was seen at the Paradise Club, Maurer’s headquarters. She knew where Miss Coleman was hidden, and now she’s dead. I may be talking nonsense, but for goodness sake don’t let yourself be lulled into a sense of false security. Security doesn’t exist so long as Maurer’s running the organization.”

  “I know the danger,” Conrad said. “But you can count Janey out. Her death was an accident. I’ve warned her a dozen times about the hem of her wrap. She was always treading on it and tearing it, but she could never be bothered to mend it. I am quite sure, too, she would never give this place away. I can’t do more than I have done to keep Frances safe. There isn’t anything more I can do. You’ll see for yourself when you get upstairs, but if you do think I’ve slipped up on something, then I’ll put it right.”

  Forest grunted. He watched a large white van coming up the drive. Across the side of the van, picked out in chromium letters, was the legend:

  BARWOOD HYGIENIC LAUNDRY SERVICE

  “If you’re satisfied, then I’m sure I will be,” he said. “But it worries me sometimes when I think how much depends on this girl’s evidence. This is the first time since Maurer got into the saddle that we’ve had the ghost of a chance of bringing him to trial.”

  Conrad followed the direction Forest was looking in, and he, too, idly stared at the laundry van as it turned the bend in the drive and disappeared around to the back of the hotel.

  “We’re taking a hell of a time to catch him, aren’t we?” he said. “So long as he’s at large, we’ll have to keep Frances here.”