1965 - The Way the Cookie Crumbles (16 page)

‘Somewhere where we can talk.’

He stared uneasily at her, not sure how to handle her. This was an entirely new Ira to him. Baffled, he lit a cigarette and slumped into a surly silence.

It took them a little more than an hour’s fast driving to reach the beach cabin. By then it was dark and the beach deserted.

The cabin was a luxury three-room pine wood structure that stood in the shade of three palm trees and was set well away from the other beach cabins which were in darkness. It was Club night, and none of the regulars came to the beach this night.

‘Here we are,’ she said, getting out of the car. ‘Hungry?’

‘What do you think?’ He got out of the car and looked at the cabin, distrust and suspicion in his eyes. ‘You going to bust in?’

‘I have the key.’ She went on ahead, unlocked the door, switched on the light and motioned him in.

He walked into the big lounge with the suspicious movements of a cat, entering a strange room. Crossing to the windows, she quickly drew the curtains.

‘Well, what do you know!’ he exclaimed, staring around the room. ‘Quite a joint! Who does it belong to?’

‘That’s part of the story,’ she said. ‘Make yourself at home. I’ll get some food.’

While she was preparing a cold meal from the well-stocked refrigerator, she wondered just how much she should tell him. She knew it would be dangerous to let him know the amount of money Edris hoped to steal from the bank. This she would play down, but the rest of it, if he was going to help her, he had to know. She now regretted asking him to come out here, but she had to have help, and he was the only one available who might help her.

During the meal, she told him the whole story. He listened without interruption, savagely stuffing cold chicken into his mouth as if he hadn’t had a meal in days. When there was nothing more to eat, he lounged back in the chair, a cigarette hanging from his thin lips, still silent until she had finished her story.

‘Well, that’s it,’ she concluded. ‘I was crazy to have done it, and now I can’t get out of it. What am I to do?’

‘Why do you want to get out of it?’ he demanded.

‘I don’t need the money. I have everything I want now without taking any risk. Can’t you see that? If I go on robbing the bank, it’s bound to be found out and then I’m in trouble.’

‘How much is the bank job worth to you?’

‘About five thousand,’ she lied. ‘That’s what Edris promised me. At the time it seemed a fortune, but now . . . well, it wouldn’t last long and I would be on the run.’

A calculating expression came into Jess’s eyes.

‘What’s Edris getting out of it?’

‘Twenty thousand, something like that. I don’t know exactly how much.’

‘Yeah? I bet! Don’t tell me he would go to all this trouble for twenty grand. He’s fooling you. I bet every time Algir gets money out of that bank, it’s big money.’

‘He’s only taken one lot out and it was for five thousand, six hundred,’ Ira said, uneasy to see the greed that had lit up Jess’s face.

‘If he takes that out every day, it could soon mount up. No, they’re fooling you. The thing to do.’

‘I don’t care if they are fooling me!’ Ira broke in desperately. ‘I want to get out! I’m satisfied with what I’ve got! I want you to help me handle those two, Jess.’

He began to pick his nose, staring blankly at her. She could see he wasn’t listening to what she was saying.

‘Jess! Did you hear what I said?’

‘Aw, pipe down! Let a man think!’

She watched him and waited impatiently.

‘Do you have to do that?’ she said, revolted at what he was doing to his nose.

‘Shut up!’ An ugly gleam came into his eyes. ‘I won’t tell you again!’ He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit a cigarette. ‘You know that’s a smart idea. That guy Edris has got brains.’

‘What idea?’

‘That dead safe gimmick is fab. You’re nuts to want to quit.’

She drew in a long, deep breath. She might have known it, she thought bitterly.

‘But, Jess, can’t you see the risk? I could go to prison for years.’

‘Why didn’t you think of that before?’

He was staring at her, his eyes narrowed.

‘Because I wanted easy money and I got carried away. Now I don’t need money, I don’t have to take risks. How many more times do I have to tell you?’

He drew on his cigarette, letting smoke drift out of his nostrils.

‘So what’s in it for me? You quit and I get nothing. You stay with Edris, and we split.’

‘It’s too big for us, Jess. If you help me, I’ll get you some money. I promise. I’ll get you some.’

‘How much?’

‘I don’t know. It depends. I would have to get it from Devon. Three or four hundred, Jess.’

‘Don’t talk wet! You’ve just told me Edris has promised you five thousand. Now listen, you stick with him! Understand? I’m telling you! If he makes trouble for you, I’ll handle him, but he won’t if you do what he wants and that’s what you’re going to do! If you think I’m going to let five grand slip through our fingers because you’ve run out of guts, you’ve got another think coming!’

Ira turned white. She felt a sudden rush of fury sweep through her.

‘You don’t tell me what to do!’ she cried. ‘I’m not . . .’

His open hand moved so quickly she couldn’t avoid it.

His palm exploded on the side of her cheek with the noise like the bursting of a paper bag. She reeled over and sprawled flat on her back.

Dazed, she began to struggle up. He kicked her viciously, the toe of his boot thudding into her thigh.

Her eyes blazing, she squirmed out of range and scrambled to her feet. He was standing now, his eyes watchful, his hands hanging limply at his side: an attitude of watchfulness she had seen often enough in his street fights. She knew he was as quick and deadly as a mongoose in a fight and she checked the impulse to rush at him.

‘Get out of here!’ she exclaimed, pointing to the door. ‘I shouldn’t have brought you here. I don’t want any more to do with you. Ever! Get out!’

‘I’ll go when I’m good and ready.’ He slipped out of his leather jacket which he tossed on a chair. ‘You’re in for a beating. You’ve got a big head. This is Jess, remember? Get your clothes off! You’re going through the wringer!’

She faced him, her eyes glittering.

‘Get out! I’m not afraid of you, you stinker! I was crazy to have imagined a spineless layabout like you could help me! Get out!’

He took three quick shuffling steps towards her, avoided by a shift of his head her hook fingers that slashed at his face, then sank his fist into the arch below her short ribs with all the force of his lean, stringy muscles.

The agony of the blow dropped her to her knees. He lifted his fist and clubbed her on the side of the head. Dazed, unable to breathe, she collapsed on her back. She felt his fingers hook into the collar of her dress and she tried feebly to claw his hand. Then she felt a violent jerk and her dress ripped open. As she tried to roll away from him, his fist snapped against the side of her jaw, stunning her.

Cursing softly, his breath whistling through his clenched teeth, Jess ripped the rest of her clothes from her. She vaguely became aware of his weight on her and of pain, but she was too stunned to care. After a while his weight lifted off her.

‘Okay, baby,’ she heard him say. He sounded a long way off. ‘I’ll be seeing you. You do what Edris tells you or I’ll give it to you again. Hear me?’

She lay still, her eyes closed, pain in her head, her ribs, and her groin. She heard him moving about the cabin, but she hadn’t the strength to care what he was doing. Hot tears ran down her face, tears that surprised her because she had always imagined she was too tough to cry.

He came over to her and kicked her gently in her aching ribs.

‘I’ve taken your dough, baby,’ she heard him say. ‘You can get more. I can’t. So long.’

She heard him cross the lounge, open the door and go out into the night, slamming the door. Silence settled over the cabin, broken only by the soft despairing sound of her crying.

CHAPTER SEVEN

I
t was close on an hour later when Jess, hidden in the shadows of the palm trees, saw Ira come out of the cabin. She was now wearing slacks and a beach jacket and Jess grinned to himself. He watched her lock the cabin door and put the key on one of the rafters supporting the cabin’s roof. Then, moving slowly and painfully, she got into the T.R.4 and drove away.

Jess stood up and stretched. He felt satiated and relaxed and pleased with himself. He walked over to the cabin, took the key from its hiding place, unlocked the door and entered the living room. Turning on the lights, he tossed his duffle bag on the settee.

He felt in need of a drink. Going over to the cocktail cabinet he poured a stiff whisky into a glass. He went into the kitchen and got ice from the refrigerator, then he returned to the living room and dropped into one of the lounging chairs.

Jess, old pal, he thought, make yourself at home. You’ve got yourself into a sweet setup but you’ll have to be smart to handle it right. You’ve shown that doll you’re still the boss. She’ll give you all the money you ask for. If she doesn’t, all you have to do is threaten to talk to that punk Devon.

He gulped down the whisky, sighed and let the glass drop on the rug. May as well stay the night, he thought. Let’s take a look at the bedroom.

Humming under his breath, he walked across to the bedroom which had a double bed and was comfortably furnished.

Very nice, he thought, and stripping off his jacket, he tossed it on a chair. Then he went to the built-in closet, opened it and examined the beach wear he found in it. The clothes were all too big for his lean, narrow frame and with a grimace of disgust, he turned his attention to the chest of drawers.

The shirts, handkerchiefs and socks he found in the drawers were of no interest to him. He opened the last drawer and stiffened. Half hidden by a beach towel lay a .38 Colt automatic. For a long moment he stared at the gun, then with a prickle of excitement, he cautiously picked it up.

Ever since he had become the leader of the Moccasin gang, he had longed to own a gun. It had been his dream and his ambition. His breath whistled through his pinched nostrils as he examined the gun. After some moments, he discovered how to remove the clip and he found it held five cartridges. He sat on the bed, the clip in one hand, the gun in the other and stared with blank eyes at the opposite wall.

For a long time, he sat motionless, his mind busy, then finally a sly grin lit up his face and he nodded. He now knew what he was going to do. A gun, he thought, made him anyone’s equal. He could forget the small time stuff of getting money out of Ira. He was now in the position to make a big, quick killing.

Replacing the clip, he put the gun down on the bedside table and kicking off his boots, he flopped on the bed. He was still grinning as he reached out and snapped off the light.

* * *

Mel was finishing breakfast when Ira came into the lounge. He had been disappointed when he had returned the previous night soon after eleven o’clock to find the bungalow in darkness and Ira in bed. He had wanted to wake her up and tell her his news, but reluctantly decided not to disturb her. He had gone to bed much to Ira’s relief.

She had heard him come in and she had prayed he wouldn’t come to her room. She had passed a sleepless night, her mind tormented, her body aching. What was Jess now planning to do? she kept asking herself. She was sure he wouldn’t return to New York. She blamed herself for being such a fool as to tell him her story. She was now entirely in his hands. How could she have ever loved him?

Forcing herself not to think of Jess, she began to think of Edris. Here again, she could find no solution. She couldn’t even run away. Mel would immediately alert the police and if they found her, the whole story might come out.

Looking at her as she came in, Mel was startled to see how pale she was.

‘Hello,’ he said, lowering the newspaper he was glancing at. ‘You look a bit under the weather. Were you late last night?’

‘No.’ She sat down and listlessly poured herself a cup of coffee. ‘I’m all right. Don’t fuss.’ Forcing herself to look at him, she asked, ‘Well? What did Joy say?’

Mel grinned happily.

‘We’re getting married at the end of the month. I’ll have some free time then for the honeymoon. You won’t mind being left alone for four weeks?’

She immediately saw this could be her chance. With Mel out of the way, she would tell Mrs. Sterling she was going to stay with a friend and then quietly leave Paradise City. By the time Mel got back, she would be far away: just where she would go, she had no idea, but she would go.

‘No, of course not. Have you made plans yet?’

‘We’ll go to Venice, Italy. They say it’s just the place for a honeymoon.’

She finished her coffee.

‘Hmm. sounds nice. Well, my best wishes, Daddy.’

‘Thanks.’ He got up and came around to her. He rested his hand lightly on her shoulder. ‘You and Joy will get along fine together.’

He bent and kissed her on her cheek.

She stiffened, feeling a rush of emotion flow through her. Getting abruptly to her feet, she walked to the door.

‘I must get off. See you tonight, Daddy,’ she said and went quickly from the room.

Mel stared after her, a puzzled expression in his eyes, then with a shake of his head, he picked up his briefcase as he heard the T.R.4 roar away.

* * *

Soon after eleven o’clock, a tall, well-dressed woman came down the steps to the vault. She was Mrs. Marc Garland, the wife of the millionaire steel magnate. Ira had been alerted by one of the guards that she was coming.

‘She and her old man are leaving for New York this afternoon,’ he told her. ‘They cleaned up big at the Casino last night. I guess she’s going to stash her loot away. Watch her: she can get bitchy when she feels that way.’

Ira stood up as Mrs. Garland reached the bottom of the steps.

‘Good morning, Mrs. Garland,’ she said politely.

‘You’re Mel’s daughter, aren’t you?’ Mrs. Garland said, smiling. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ She sat down in the visitor’s chair by Ira’s desk. ‘I knew your mother years ago, Norena.’ She studied Ira. ‘You’re very alike. I hear Mel’s getting married. Will you like that?’