Sixty Days to Live

by Dennis Wheatley

  ‘Tell the agency to-morrow morning that you’re leaving. I’ll pay them compensation if necessary. Here’s a thousand dollars to pay any bills you may have and buy any odds-and-ends you want. Pack your bags and meet me here at 8 o’clock to-morrow night. The Normandie sails at 10 and I’m taking you with me to Europe.’

  Hemmingway’s big chance had come. He asked no questions, neither did he give way to the immense elation he felt and pour out a spate of jumbled thanks. He just gave that sudden radiant smile of his and said:

  ‘Thank you, sir. I’ll be here.’

  From that moment Hemmingway was made. On the voyage back Sam saw that he was no young man to put into an ordinary job, however good. He was so vastly knowledgeable, so sound in all his views, that he would be infinitely more valuable as an ideas man and an assessor before whom to place all sorts of knotty problems for a fresh, clear, logical opinion.

  When Hemmingway arrived in London he stepped into another world—the world he had dreamed of for years. Sam installed him in St. James’s Square, introduced him to his friends, and taught him the intricacies of his many businesses. Soon Hemmingway was formulating a score of new schemes for investing Sam’s surplus profits, and Sam found himself never taking any major decision without talking it over with him first.

  Very wisely Sam never made him a director of any of his companies, as he did not want Hemmingway’s energies dissipated in the tiresome routine of board meetings. He worked alone in his room at St. James’s Square and remained, outwardly, no more than Sam’s private secretary; but within a few months he had mastered the essentials of Sam’s innumerable interests, and in the following seven years he made him another million.

  His salary was princely and, with the handsome presents that Sam made him after every successful deal they pulled off together, he now had many thousands of pounds’ worth of investments of his own. That Sam would do nothing without him was known in big business circles; so, in spite of his lack of official position in any of the companies, he had power, influence and prestige.

  Hemmingway never forgot that he owed it all to Sam, and that was why he was so intensely worried about Lavina. He liked her personally for a variety of reasons. She was beautiful to look at, which pleased his artistic eye; and, although he had really seen very little of her, he had already discovered that she was much better read than most young women. Further, he had soon discerned that under her gay and almost flighty manner she possessed real character.

  Some people had shaken their heads when they heard that Sam was marrying a beautiful girl nearly twenty-five years younger than himself, but, as soon as Hemmingway had had a chance to sum Lavina up, he had come to the conclusion that Sam’s friends had no real cause to worry. Whether the marriage would prove lasting it was impossible to say, but he felt quite convinced that Lavina was intrinsically a decent person. Whatever she might do later if Sam proved incapable of holding her affections, she would not make a fool of him or get herself talked about behind his back; and that to Hemmingway was the really important thing about modern marriage.

  His may have been a cynical view, but it was based upon the only principle to which he had ever adhered: that it didn’t matter very much what people did providing they never betrayed a trust or let each other down.

  That was what troubled him so as he stood gloomily on the dockside in the early hours of the morning. Derek and Roy might be considered as the people really responsible for getting Lavina to Stapleton, but, since one was dead and the other hors de combat, that responsibility had, he felt, devolved on him the previous night.

  Sam so patently adored his young wife and Hemmingway knew him so intimately that he felt it would absolutely break him up if Lavina could not be found before the arrival of the comet. In his failure to trace her he was letting Sam down, and it was Sam who had given him everything for which he had always longed.

  The convoy of vans was now empty and the last of the women from them were making their way up the gangways of the ship. Should he get a lift on one of the vans, if they were going back to the Palace, or should he remain there at the docks watching the new arrivals? If he went back, he might pass Lavina in one of the numerous convoys which must be on their way to the East End at the moment. The journey back, too, meant wasting precious time when he might be scanning faces in the hope of finding hers; from that point of view it seemed better to remain where he was. On the other hand, it was improbable that all the convoys were arriving at the West India Dock. Many of them would doubtless be dispatched to others and he could not be at half a dozen docks at once.

  It was a horrible dilemma, but another convoy was already arriving, and with every batch of women that he could see there came another chance of spotting Lavina, so he walked over at once to the place where the new arrivals were unloading.

  As he reached them a big Buick drove up alongside of him. Its chauffeur was a naval Petty Officer and a naval Staff Captain jumped out of the back immediately it drew to a halt.

  Hemmingway’s face suddenly brightened. Here, at last, was somebody he knew, and he called out excitedly:

  ‘Renshaw! Renshaw!’

  ‘Why, if it isn’t Hemmingway Hughes!’ exclaimed the N.O. ‘What the devil are you doing here?’

  ‘I’m in the hell of a fix.’ Hemmingway grabbed him by the arm. ‘Sam Curry’s wife was arrested two nights ago because she happened to be at the Dorchester when a riot started. God knows where they’ve taken her! But I’ve got to find her somehow and get her down to Sam, who’s expecting us both in Surrey.’

  ‘I see.’ Captain Renshaw rubbed his nose thoughtfully with one finger. ‘D’you know where she was taken after her arrest?’

  ‘No. But, presumably, Buckingham Palace, as that was the nearest camp for women prisoners. I’ve spent the best part of the night in the grounds, but there’s such thousands of women there that I couldn’t have seen more than one in ten. Then I thought I spotted her being put into one of these vans and came down with the driver on the box. But it turned out to be the wrong woman.’

  ‘I wish I could help you, old chap, but I don’t see how I can.’

  ‘Are you in charge of things here?’

  ‘The Admiralty’s taken over all shipping and are responsible for this evacuation by water of the women in the camps. My job is to see the Buckingham Palace lot safely off.’

  ‘Are they all going from this dock?’

  ‘Lord, no! We’re using every dock in London.’

  ‘But not at the same time, surely?’

  ‘Oh, no. As soon as we fill a ship we direct the convoys by wireless to another dock.’

  ‘Then, at least you know where they’ll be embarking the women from the Palace when they’ve finished here.’

  ‘Yes.’ Renshaw shuffled some papers and looked at a list. ‘We’re filling the S.S. Halcyon in the East India Dock next. As soon as I’ve finished here you can come with me if you like.’

  ‘Thanks. That’s darn good of you.’

  For the next ten minutes Hemmingway stood aside while Renshaw received reports, checked lists, and signed documents. Then the two of them got into the Buick and drove round to the East India Dock.

  On the way Hemmingway said: ‘There’s another thing. If I do find her, she’ll still be under arrest. Is there any way I can persuade the authorities to release her?’

  Renshaw laughed. ‘My dear fellow, once the women are handed over to us by the Military on the dockside, I’m the authority concerned; so there won’t be any trouble about that. If she’s committed a murder or anything, I may be called on to answer for her afterwards, but I hardly think Sam’s wife would have done anything of that kind, so I’m game to chance it.’

  ‘Well, that’s a load off my mind,’ Hemmingway sighed. ‘The next thing is to find her. If only she hasn’t been shipped off before I got down here.’

  At the East India Dock more vans were already arriving and scores more women, some dumb with distress, others screaming protests, were being
embarked on another ship. There was a chance that Lavina might have been sent on board, but Captain Renshaw dealt with that possibility by walking over to a police car which had a loud-speaker attachment on its top.

  After a few words with the Inspector who was in it the loudspeaker began to boom: ‘Lady Curry! Lady Curry! Will Lady Curry report to this car at once if she is on S.S. Halcyon or on the dockside.’

  When the loud-speaker had been calling for a little time without result they came to the conclusion that Lavina was not on board, or else too distraught by her experiences even to be conscious that someone was searching for her.

  More and more convoys arrived, and as each was unloaded the loud-speaker blared its message again. For half an hour Hemmingway stood beside Captain Renshaw watching the embarkation; and then, at last, his heart gave a sudden thump of excitement. A slim, golden-headed figure detached itself from the crowd and came walking slowly towards them.

  ‘Lavina!’ he cried, as he ran to meet her. ‘Lavina!’

  She did not increase her pace. Under the arc-lamps he saw that her face was deadly pale and that her footsteps dragged wearily. As he reached her she halted, extended both her hands, gave a faint smile and suddenly collapsed upon his chest, weeping hysterically.

  He half-led, half-carried her to Renshaw’s Buick and, getting her inside, began to pat her hands and soothe her as well as he could.

  ‘It’s all right,’ he murmured. ‘It’s all right now we’ve found you. You’re with friends, and you’ve got nothing more to worry about.’

  ‘Oh, Hemmingway!’ she sighed, recovering a little. ‘I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you. I’ve had a frightful time, simply frightful! And poor Roy was killed. Did you know?’

  ‘Yes, yes. Derek told me all about it.’

  ‘Is he—is he all right?’

  ‘Yes. They took him to a camp in Hyde Park where he was half-murdered and robbed; but he managed to escape when everybody went wild just after sunset last night. I put him to bed when he got to St. James’s Square and came out to look for you myself.’

  ‘Oh, bless you!’ She turned a pathetic, tear-stained little face up to him, and her eyes seemed much larger than usual. ‘Sam always said that you were a wonderful person and now I know it’s true. I can’t think how you managed to trace me, but it’s heaven to see that big forehead of yours and those queer eyes you’ve got, again.’

  ‘I almost gave up hope when I started to hunt through that huge crowd in the grounds of Buckingham Palace,’ Hemmingway smiled.

  ‘You were there, then?’

  ‘Yes. I got in over the wall, but I couldn’t find you. Actually, we have to thank Captain Renshaw that you’re here with me now. We have to thank him, too, for having promised to release you from arrest.’

  Renshaw, who was standing by the open door of the car, touched his gold-braided cap and grinned. ‘I hope I’m not compounding the escape of a felon. You haven’t pinched the Crown Jewels or anything, have you?’

  She smiled at him and held out a slender hand. ‘No. I was only one of the drunks and disorderlies. If you’ll let me off, I’ll promise never to do it again. I’m most terribly grateful to you.’

  ‘Oh, it’s nothing,’ he took her hand and pressed it. ‘I’m delighted to have been able to help you, Lady Curry. Sam’s an old friend of mine. But may I ask what you mean to do now?’

  ‘Sam’s down at Stapleton, Lady Curry’s old home near Dorking,’ Hemmingway said. ‘He must be half-frantic by this time from not knowing what’s happened to her. Somehow or other I must get her down to Stapleton just as soon as I can.’

  ‘I wonder if that would be best?’ Renshaw said thoughtfully. ‘God knows what this comet’s going to do to us! I’m not in the habit of getting the wind up, but I did after sundown last night. We don’t often see an Admiral kissing his lady secretary before all and sundry; but that’s how it was. And when the telephone started to ring I picked it up and smashed the bally thing myself. Just couldn’t help it. I simply had to. They’ll dock it off my pay, I expect. But it’s a pretty unnerving business and, in my opinion, the safest place to see this party through would be in a ship.’

  ‘What d’you suggest, then?’ Hemmingway asked.

  ‘Well, anything might happen to you between here and Dorking, so, in my view, your best plan would be to take Lady Curry on board the Halcyon right away. She’ll be sailing in half an hour, and out in the estuary of the Thames you’ll be as well placed as anywhere when the comet does its stuff. I’ll see the Captain, if you like, and the N.O. who’ll be officially in command. We’ll fix it that they give you the best accommodation that’s to be had.’

  ‘But I must get back to Sam,’ said Lavina quickly.

  Hemmingway nodded. ‘Yes. That’s the trouble. And, as a matter of fact, we’ve got a sort of Ark down at Dorking—one of the new spherical life-boats that they’ve been using in the States. Our chances ought to be as good in that as anywhere; and I just can’t think what Sam might do if his wife was still missing when the party started.’

  ‘In that case,’ Renshaw agreed, ‘the sooner you get there, the better.’

  ‘Then we’ll be moving.’ Hemmingway disentangled himself from Lavina, and she followed him out of the car.

  They thanked Renshaw again, wished him luck, and began to walk towards the gates of the dock.

  It was now half-past five in the morning and dawn was breaking. Having found Lavina, and found her sane, Hemmingway was much more cheerful; but, as they advanced, he was aware that only the last shreds of her courage were keeping her from collapsing. Although she was clinging to his arm her feet faltered as she walked, and it was only with an effort that she could raise her head.

  ‘Did you get any sleep at all?’ he asked after a moment.

  ‘I don’t know. I think so, in between whiles. But I couldn’t get the sight—the sight of Roy, lying there dead on the floor of the ballroom, out of my mind. I’ve lost count of time entirely. I don’t even know what day it is. I didn’t cry, you know—not even once—until I saw you. Somehow I couldn’t. And now I have, I’m feeling better. But I’d give the earth just to tumble into bed.’

  Her utter exhaustion provided Hemmingway with a new problem. There was no public transport running by which he could get her back to St. James’s Square, and no possibility of hiring a car; yet she was quite incapable of walking such a distance. The only solution seemed to be the finding of some accommodation where she could get a few hours’ sleep while he went to St. James’s Square and collected his car.

  He thought of the Salvation Army Hostel outside the West India Dock, but Lavina’s footsteps were faltering, she was dragging on his arm, and the Hostel was a mile away; so even that seemed too far off. Coming out of the dock gates they turned left along the East India Dock road, and on a corner he saw a little hotel called the ‘Main Brace’. Its principal business was obviously done through its bar, but it had a sign hanging outside announcing ‘BED AND BREAKFAST.’

  He did not like the look of the place at all, as it was only the sort of water-front dive where, in that district, sailors of all nations normally congregate. But Lavina was now weighing on his arm so heavily that she obviously could not go much farther.

  The hotel was shut and no one was about, so Hemmingway went to the side door and rang the bell. He kept on ringing for some moments and was beginning to think that the publican had taken his family out of London and left the place untenanted; but at last there was a shuffling inside and a corpulent man in a greasy dressing-gown threw open the door.

  ‘Can you give this lady a bed for a few hours?’ Hemmingway asked. ‘She’s been through a great deal and I must leave her somewhere to get some sleep while I go and collect my car.’

  The fat man nodded. ‘She can have six beds if she wants ‘em. The ‘ouse is empty except for me and the Missis, now.’

  ‘One’s enough,’ Hemmingway smiled. ‘But let it be the best you’ve got; and I’ll make it well worth your wh
ile to see that she’s not disturbed till I get back.’

  ‘Oh, she’ll be orl right,’ the man shrugged. ‘Nobody’s goin’ to interfere with ‘er. Why should they? Two-and-six is the charge, pay in advance—unless she wants breakfast, and that’s another bob.’

  Comforted somewhat by the man’s apparent honesty, Hemmingway produced a ten-shilling note. ‘You can take this on account,’ he said, ‘and there’ll be another like it if the lady’s had a good sleep by the time I get back.’

  ‘Thanks, guv’nor.’ The publican thrust the ten shilling note into the pocket of his dressing-gown. ‘Follow me, will yer?’ He turned and led the way upstairs.

  The hallway smelt of stale cabbage. The stair carpet was threadbare and the paper on the walls faded with age. But the landlord led them to a room on the first floor overlooking the street, which, while unpretentious, looked reasonably clean.

  A big, old-fashioned, brass bedstead occupied nearly half of it while a marble-topped washstand with a jug of water and coarse-looking towels was wedged in one corner, Hemmingway noted with satisfaction that the door had a key on the inside. The second Lavina entered it, she collapsed upon the bed.

  ‘Poor lady’s in a shockin’ state, ain’t she?’ said the landlord. ‘Like me to get the Missis up an’ give ‘er a nice cup o’ tea or somethin’?’

  Hemmingway shook his head. ‘No, thanks all the same. All she needs is sleep.’

  The man nodded, and shuffled out of the door. ‘So long, then. Tell ‘er just to give a shout if she wants anything. You can find yer own way out an’ I’ll let you in again when you get back.’

  As the publican closed the door behind him, Hemmingway looked down at Lavina. Dark circles showed under her eyes and her eyelids were blue, as though she had made them up, but actually from exhaustion. She was certainly all-in.