Miss Callaghan Comes to Grief
Page 20
Raven broke away and swung his fist. It landed on her cheek−bone, high up. She staggered and, still screaming, fell to the ground. Raven knelt at her side, pinning her flat. “Shut up!” he said, gripping her arms viciously. “Make another sound an’ I’ll finish you.”
She stopped screaming, but she still fought, twisting and pulling, trying to get free.
He said, “Lie still. Do you heardamn you? Lie still.”
She went limp suddenly, throwing her arms wide. One of her hands touched a heavy stone and her fingers closed round it. She tried to get the stone out of the ground.
Something was happening to her. She said: “Nonono” But one of his hands gripped her throat, and then, with a tremendous effort, she swung the stone wildly and hit him violently on the side of his head.
21
January 3rd, 11.45 p.m.
SNOW FELL heavily, but there was quite a crowd outside the State Prison gates.
Hogarty and Jay pushed their way through and showed their passes to the guard. They were glad to get inside for warmth.
Jay said, “It gets me why the hell those guys come to stand outside.”
Hogarty took off his coat. “They’re hopin’ to catch a glimpse of the executioner. They don’t know, but they haven’t got a chance. He comes in a side entrance.”
Jay looked round the bare room nervously. “I’ll be mighty glad when this is over,” he said. “I never liked executions.”
Hogarty shrugged. “It’ll be a pleasure to see a rat like that burn,” he said. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“It’s a long time ago, isn’t it?” Jay said. “At least, it seems like it to me.”
Hogarty nodded. “Come on and meet Davies. I know him quite well.”
Jay hesitated. “Davies? You mean the executioner?”
“Yeah. Quite a guy. Come on an’ meet him.”
Jay followed him out of the room. One of the guards nodded to Hogarty. “What do you want, pal?” he said.
“Goin’ along to see Davies,” Hogarty said.
The guard told him where to go.
The execution−shed was across the courtyard, but they went round to it by a long passage and came in through a back door.
As they entered the little room Jay felt a slight sinking feeling. The chair stood opposite several wooden pews. A tall, thin man was standing by the chair, watching an electrician working. He glanced up when Hogarty crossed the room. His worn face lit up a trifle when he saw Hogarty. He shook hands. “This is your case, ain’t it?” he said.
Hogarty nodded. “I want you to meet Ellinger,” he said. “Ellinger, this is Davies.”
Jay shook hands.
“Ellinger was the guy who first got on to Raven. He’s one of us now,” Hogarty explained.
“Some case,” Davies remarked, chewing his long moustache. “I got a kick out of readin’ about it in the tabloids. You know, I’m glad I’m going to be the guy who sends him over. I’ve never felt more convinced that a man deserves this as this guy does. Some of those dames he handled had a mighty bad time of it.”
“Well, they avenged themselves all right. That Leroy dame caught him. We’d lost him all right when we heard shots, and when we got to them there she was half crazy, stark naked, running round in circles and he lying there knocked silly. Believe me, if she hadn’t popped with the gun, we’d have gone past.”
Davies grunted. He turned back to the chair. “I’ve just got to test this, if you boys’ll excuse me.”
The electrician handed him a board on which were a number of electric light bulbs. He put the board across the arms of the chair and then went over to the switch.
“Know anythin’ about this, mister?” he asked.
Jay shook his head.
“Take the switch. It opens in oil. See? That prevents it sparking. We use 2,000 volts. Now watch.” He turned the switch away from him. The bulbs across the chair−arms flashed up. “That means the juice is goin’
through all right. It’s the only way to test the current. Okay, Joe,” he said to the electrician. “You can disconnect.”
He picked up a small suit−case and opened it. “I always bring my own electrodes.” He took out a baseball helmet. “This is for the head. I’ve got an electrode in here, and, as you can see, the helmet is lined with sponge. The sponge is moistened with a saline solution. It stops burning. You gotta watch all that. You gotta watch sparks as well. Wouldn’t do to have burning an’ sparks; upsets the witnesses.”
He went over to the bucket and moistened the sponge.
Hogarty said in a low voice, “I guess we’d better sit down. The witnesses will be in in a minute.”
They took up their positions in the last pew. Jay said, “This is giving me a guts−ache.”
Before Hogarty could answer the door opened and a number of solemn−faced people filed in. There was a little confusion as they selected their seats.
Jay said suddenly, “For God’s sake,” and pointed with his eyes.
Sadie Perminger had just come in. She stood in the doorway, hesitating for a moment, and then she walked quickly to the front pew and sat down.
Jay had only a brief flash of her face, which was cold and bitter. She was dressed in black with a little black−and−white hat.
“How the hell did she get here?” Jay whispered.
“Raven asked her. You know the condemned can ask one person to see him go. Well, he asked her.”
Jay stared at him.
“Maybe he thought it would amuse her,” Hogarty said dryly.
Jay half looked over his shoulder. “They’re coming,” he said.
Down the corridor they could hear the steady tramp of feet. The door swung open and two guards came in.
Raven walked after them. The minister and the Warden came last.
Raven looked round the small room and walked to the chair. His face was the colour of a fish’s belly, but otherwise he seemed quite calm.
“That the guy?” he said, looking at Davies.
Davies came over to him and offered his hand. Raven looked at it, then shook hands.
“I’ll get it over quick, son,” Davies said in a low voice.
“Don’t rush yourself,” Raven said with a little sneer. “It’s all the time I’ve got.”
Two guards led him to the chair and he sat down.
The Warden came close to him and whispered. Raven said in a hard voice, “Sure, I’ll say somethin’.”
He looked slowly at each face in front of him, until his eyes met Sadie’s. She looked at him with cold, implacable hatred, and he grinned.
“Well, boys,” he said, still keeping his eyes on Sadie, “this is my last little speech. I’ve had a nice run for my money an’ I ain’t scared of goin’. You all know what my racket was. If you guys didn’t want women, my racket wouldn’t have lasted long. Don’t forget that. All you smug−lookin’ heels who’ve come to see me burn are as much to blame as I am. You get tired of your wives an’ you want to have a fresh girl. So you come to me. That’s all it is. The supply can’t meet the demand. As long as you guys have the itch for a fresh girl, so will this racket go on. Nothin’ can stop it. Cops certainly can’t stop it. You can, but no one else. When you’ve all made up your minds to spend the rest of your nights with your wives, then girls won’t have to trade their bodies. But you’ll never do that. When I’m gone, someone else will take my place. There’s always a demand and someone’s gotta supply that demand.”
He looked round the room again and then his eyes met Davies. “Come on, pal,” he said, “get me outta here quick. These punks make me sick.”
The guards, while he had been speaking, had already strapped him to the chair. Davies fixed the electrode to his leg and then swiftly the baseball helmet was fitted on his head.
Raven drew a long deep breath. “It’s a pity I’ve got to leave my trains,” he said. “Let her rip.”
Davies had already stepped to the switch. He glanced at the Warden, who nodded. The switch went
over and the lights dimmed. There came a sharp crackling sound and a whining cry of the current. Raven pitched forward, straining against the straps. A few sparks shot off the electrode on his leg, and a wisp of grey smoke appeared, coming from the top of the helmet.
Davies pulled the switch back so that Raven slumped limply in the chair, then, after a pause, the switch was thrown forward again. Raven once more plunged against the straps, only to sink back as the current was cut off.
Jay found he was trembling. He glanced over at Hogarty, who continued to chew, unmoved.
The doctor stepped forward and gingerly opened Raven’s shirt. Jay could see the flesh bright red and sweating. With a towel the doctor wiped the sweat away, then with his stethoscope he listened for heart−beats.
He stood up. “I pronounce this man dead,” he said.
The guards made signs for the witnesses to leave. As they were filing out Sadie suddenly turned back. Her face was still contorted with hatred, and now she looked a little mad. Before anyone could stop her she darted forward and spat in Raven’s face.
THE END
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