stood motionless, trying to control the trembling of her body, then she went quickly out of the room and up to Kit’s room. She turned the door handle, but the door was locked.
‘Kit… it’s me. I want to talk to you.’
There was silence.
She knocked.
‘Kit… please… I’m going away: please open up.’
A loud, drunken voice exclaimed. ‘Oh, go to hell for all I care! Go away and keep away!’
Iris stepped back, hesitated, then turned and went quickly down the stairs. Calvin was standing in the hall.
‘Well, so long,’ he said. ‘Have a nice honeymoon. I won’t embarrass the groom by coming out. You may not think it, but we’ll get away with this. There’s no opposition now. The boy who had me worried was your smart future husband.’
Iris picked up the two bags and without looking at him, went out to where Travers was impatiently waiting.
Calvin watched them drive away, then he walked upstairs and into his room. He sat down and lit a cigarette, he was much more confident now. Of course it was tiresome that Iris wasn’t taking the money out, but at least, he now only had an ageing sheriff and that fool Easton to worry about. There must be some way to get the money out. The great thing was he was rid of Travers.
Around eleven o’clock, he was still sitting, chain-smoking when the communicating door jerked open and Kit came in.
Calvin looked up.
Now for another scene, he thought irritably. She’s been howling her eyes out and she’s tight again.
‘Where’s Iris gone?’ Kit asked, standing in the doorway.
‘While you have been swimming in alcohol,’ Calvin said, stretching out his massive legs, ‘our problems have solved themselves. Iris very sensibly has decided to marry her cop who very sensibly, in view of the circumstances, has decided to resign from the police force. They have gone off together, and I imagine this will be the last time we see them. This is excellent for us because we now have a dotty old sheriff and a F.B.I. agent with stomach ulcers trying to solve the famous bank robbery. The chances of either of them solving it are remote, so for the moment we are sitting pretty.’
‘She’s marrying that boy?’ Kit said, coming into the room.
‘Why shouldn’t she? He’s smart. If I had a daughter, I’d be glad to see her marry our hero.’
‘I owe you something, don’t I?’ Kit said, sitting down and staring at him with hate. ‘How I wish I had never set eyes on you! You’ve spoilt my life. All I hope now is you’ll suffer the way you’ve made me suffer.’
Calvin stifled a yawn.
‘There’s a chance, but I hope not, but life’s damn odd. It catches up with you. Well, could you get over the dramatics? We have business to discuss. I have an idea.’
‘I don’t want to listen to any of your ideas!’
‘You’ll have to,’ Calvin said. ‘I told you: from now on we’re going to be Siamese twins whether you like it or not. Tomorrow I’m resigning from the bank. At the end of the week we’ll get married and who do you suppose is going to be our best man?’ He grinned at her. ‘This is where I’m playing it smart. Our best man is going to be our old pal, Easton. He’s not only going to give us away, but he’s going to put us on the train to Florida. How’s that for a bright idea? We’ll have him escort us to the train and he won’t stand any nonsense about searching our bags. That guy likes me. I can talk him into anything.’ Calvin’s grin widened. ‘Like it? It’s a winner. In ten days, baby, we’ll be out of here on our way to a spending spree.’
‘Suppose I don’t want to do it?’ she said in a low, hesitant voice.
‘You haven’t any choice. It’s either my way or you’ll land up before a judge. Come on, snap out of it! We’re going to get away with this… can’t you see? We’re nearly in the clear.’
‘But we’ll have to live with ourselves.’
Calvin leaned back in his chair. He drew in a slow, deep breath of exasperation.
‘Just what does that mean?’
‘You wouldn’t understand,’ Kit said. ‘I’m only just beginning to understand. We should never have done this thing.’
‘That’s a very bright remark. We did it, now we have to take it as it comes. Look, you’re drunk. You leave all this
