1953 - The Things Men Do (24 page)

The next stage in this drama would take place inside the house, and I didn't intend to miss any of it.

I climbed in through the open window at the back, and took up my position at the door which I opened a few inches.

Then I waited.

After a few minutes I heard them come into the house.

They went into the front room.

"Give me a drink, Gloria," Dix said. "A good stiff one. Have one yourself."

"I wish we didn't have to wait so long," she said uneasily.

I heard the chink of glasses and the sound of liquor being poured. "We have nearly three hours and a half to wait. I wish Tom Was coming sooner."

"It's got to be dark. If he's spotted coming in, they might send a plane after us."

"Yes, but I wish we didn't have to wait so long. I shan't be happy until we're in Paris, Ed."

"Don't be too sure you'll be happy then," Dix grunted.

"What the hell am I going to do in Paris with this goddam face of mine?"

"We'll stay at Tom's place. It'll wear off in time, Ed. Don't worry about it."

"That's one place we're not going to stay at," Dix snarled.

"Tom's too keen on pawing you to please me. If I catch him . .

"Ed! Don't talk like that. Please."

"Give me another drink," Dix said irritably. "I'm warning you, Gloria. If Tom starts his tricks with you again, he's going to run into a pile of grief and so are you."

"Ed, do you think we should wait here?" Gloria asked after a short pause. "I keep thinking of Berry."

Dix swore.

"I was forgetting Berry. Okay, we'll get out to the field. There's plenty of cover in the woods. Maybe it will be safer than staying here."

"Let's do that," Gloria said eagerly. "I'll do it now."

"Give me time to finish my drink. No need to start a panic."

"If anything went wrong now . . ."

"Aw, shut up! Nothing's going to go wrong."

I heard Dix come out into the passage.

"Didn't they say they left the case in the back room upstairs?"

"Yes."

"I'll go up and get it."

I heard him mount the stairs. I peered around the door.

Gloria was standing in the passage, her back to me, looking up the stairs. I pulled back out of sight and waited.

I heard Dix suddenly curse obscenely and vilely, then his heavy tread thudded along the upper landing to the front room.

"What is it, Ed?" Gloria exclaimed.

There was a crash as he slammed back the cupboard door in the front room.

"What's the matter?" he shouted violently, coming on to the landing again. "It's not here!"

"It must be!"

"It damn well isn't!"

She ran up the stairs.

"Let me look."

"Go ahead and look," Dix said, his voice shaking with rage. "It's not up here!"

I heard her run into the back room, then along the passage into the front room

"It must be downstairs then," she said after a long pause.

"I'm sure Joe said it was in the back room, perhaps he meant the downstairs back room."

I moved over to the window and slid through it on to the path. Silently I crossed the path and took cover behind the screen of shrubs facing the window.

A minute or so later Dix entered the room and stood looking round.

"Nothing here."

"The kitchen then," Gloria said, her voice unsteady.

Dix shoved past her and went into the kitchen. He came back immediately, his eyes like chips of ice.

"Nothing there."

They looked at each other. Gloria was shaking.

"It must be in the barn."

"Then let's look in the bam," Dix said in a low, savage voice. I had the impression he was only holding himself in with a great effort. "Come on; let's look in the barn."

As they went along the passage to the front door, I ran around the back of the house and took up a position in the long grass where I could see all the out-buildings.

They came out of the house at a run. Gloria's face was white and drawn. She was the first to reach the barn. A few seconds were long enough to convince them the suitcase wasn't in there, and they came out.

"In one of these buildings," Gloria said frantically. "It must be, Ed."

"Go and look!"

He stood in the sunlight by the barn, his face now a mask of controlled rage. He watched her run to the cowshed, from the cowshed to the pig sties, from the pig sties to the stables.

She came out of the stables slowly, her face bewildered, her eyes frightened

"Not there," she said, shaking her head. "It's not anywhere."

"You'd better find it, Gloria," Dix said softly.

She gave a little start and stared at him.

"What do you mean, Ed?"

"What I say. You'd better find it and quick!" His voice came across the still quietness that hung over the hot garden quietly but full of menace and danger. "Where have you hidden it, Gloria?"

She stiffened as she faced him.

"Hidden it?" she repeated hoarsely. "Are you crazy? I haven't hidden it."

"Haven't you? You can't fool me. When I was asleep you shifted it from upstairs to where you think I won't find it. You and your goddam Hacket! I can see through your clever little plan. You got me to finish Joe and Louis; now you plan to finish me. Then you and Hacket will have the time of your lives. You don't think I know about you two. I've watched you. I know what you and he were up to last time you were in Paris.

I've watched you two together." He leaned forward, his blue-stained face contorted with rage. "Where have you hidden it, damn you!"

She started back. Fear and rage made her look suddenly old and ugly. I scarcely recognized her.

"That's a lie, and you know it! Tom means nothing to me! It's you who have hidden it. You're trying to gyp me out of my share the way you gypped Joe and Louis and Berry out of theirs. But you're not going to do it! I've stood by you, Ed. I saved you when you were blind and wandering about the streets. I fooled Joe and Louis so you and I could have their share. I've always stuck to you, Ed. You can't treat me like this now."

"Where have you hidden that case, Gloria?" Dix repeated and moved slowly towards her. "You'd better tell me."

She began to tack away.

"I swear I haven't touched it Ed! I Swear it!"

"Where have you hidden it damn you?"

He suddenly made a dart at her, but she slipped past him and began to run frantically towards the house. He went after her, his long legs taking one stride to her three. She began to scream wildly as he overtook her. He caught up with her and grabbed her, dragging her round to face him.

"Where have you hidden it?" he shouted, shaking her. "Or do you want me to beat it out of you?"

"Let me go!" She swung at him and clawed his face, ripping his flesh near his eyes. "Let me go!"

He caught hold of her throat and forced her down on her knees.

"No, don't, Ed!" she gasped. "I swear I didn't touch it. Those devils must have hidden it!"

He bent her back, his thumbs moving over her throat and settling into her windpipe. His expression was murderous.

"Where've you hidden it?"

She tried to scream, but his thumbs sank into her throat, cutting off the sound.

"I'll find it!" he snarled, shaking her savagely. "It can't be far away. I'll find it without you, you bitch!"

He bent her back, his blue-stained face glistening with sweat, his drawn-back lips showing his big, white teeth. He looked like something from the jungle.

She clawed desperately at his wrists, her eyes staring out of her head, her face congested I made a move to get up, but I had left it too late. In the hot silence I heard a bone snap, and I saw her go limp. Blood ran suddenly from her nose and spilt over Dix's great hands.

He threw her from him, straightened and stared down at her.

My hand was steady as I lifted the gun.

This act which I was about to do was what I had come here to do. It was no use thinking of Ann any longer. I had already lost her when I had gone back on my promise, and had sneaked round to Gloria's flat that night which now seemed so long ago.

I had a score to settle. I felt that when I had settled the score I should have succeeded in part in putting my house in order. I didn't care anymore what happened to myself. After this was over I would take the diamonds and drive back to London. I would see Rawson and tell him the story and give him the money. It was up to him then to do what he liked with me. I had no idea what he would do, nor did I care.

"Here he comes, Bill," I said softly. "He's in your charge now."

The gun sight was centred on the blue-stained face. It was steady; not a movement, as if the sight had been cemented to its target.

It was a long, tricky shot with a pistol, but I knew I wouldn't miss.

The blue-stained face suddenly turned and looked in my direction as if Dix had had a sudden premonition that he was only a heartbeat away from death. I saw the sudden fear in his eyes. His hand groped for the gun he had dropped; his fingers touched Gloria's dead face.

I looked along the barrel of the gun, then I gently squeezed the trigger.

The End