‘Yes, of course.’ She got to her feet. ‘I’m sorry, Harry.’
I kissed her.
‘Go ahead and let’s eat,’ I said, then I crossed to the radio and turned it off.
When she had gone into the kitchen, I sat down and really bent my brains to the problem, but it wasn’t until we had made a poor meal in silence, that a sudden idea dropped into my mind.
Nina who kept glancing at me expectantly, saw by my sudden change of expression that I had an idea.
She began to speak, then remembering the microphone, she stopped. I put the radio on again.
‘I think I’ve got it,’ I said. ‘There is only one way to work it. I’ve got to trick him. I think I have an idea how I can do it, but everything depends on whether or not the money is in a left luggage station or a safe deposit. If it’s in the house, then I’m sunk, but I can’t believe it is in the house.’
‘What are you planning to do, Harry?’
‘Give me a moment.’
I went to my desk and taking a sheet of paper, I wrote out the following: NEWS FLASH.
I gave the sheet of paper to Nina who read it. She stared blankly at me.
‘I don’t understand, Harry.’
‘It’s my job to feed the local TV and radio stations with news of the kidnapping. They’ll broadcast this without question. I’m hoping when O’Reilly hears of this, he’ll stampede. He could lead me to the place where he has hidden the money.’
‘But you don’t know he’ll be listening in.’
‘He’ll be listening in all right. I’m going to tell him to listen in.’ I moved to the telephone, then paused. ‘They’ve probably tapped the line by now. I’ll have to use an outside line. If it got back to Meadows, he would stop it.’ I started for the door. ‘I’ll go to the drug store at the corner. I’ll be right back.’
‘Shall I come with you, Harry?’
‘Better not. You wait here for me.’
By now it was dark. I left the bungalow and strolled down the path to the gate. As I opened the gate, I glanced to right and left. The police car was parked about fifty yards up the road. The drug store was the other way. I didn’t have to pass the car. I set off, walking at a normal pace. I heard the car start up. I knew it was crawling after me, but I didn’t look back. My one fear now was that they would arrest me before I could put my plan into operation. If they did that, I was really sunk.
I went into the drug store and shut myself in a booth. I called the local TV station. I got through to Fred Hickson, the P.R.O. and my opposite number.
‘Fred,’ I said, ‘I have an important announcement for you. The D.A. wants it broadcast and put on TV
at eleven tonight. Can you do it?’
‘Sure: let’s have it,’ Hickson said.
I read the News Flash to him and he took it down.
‘That’s okay,’ he said. ‘We’ll interrupt both programmes at eleven o’clock. The D.A. certainly means business, doesn’t he?’
‘He sure does,’ I said. ‘Well, thanks, Fred – so long,’ and I hung up.
I looked at my watch. It was half past nine. I telephoned Malroux’s residence. After a delay, the butler answered.
‘This is police headquarters,’ I said. ‘We want to talk to O’Reilly. Is he there?’
‘I believe he is in his room,’ the butler said. ‘If you will hold on I will connect you.’
There was a clicking on the line, then O’Reilly said, ‘Hello! Who is it?’
Speaking slowly and distinctly so he couldn’t miss a word, I said, ‘Hello, sucker, how’s your conscience acting tonight?’
There was a sudden silence. I could imagine him at the other end of the line, his face hardening and his hand tightening on the receiver.
‘Who’s this?’ he demanded, a snarl in his voice.
‘The other sucker,’ I said.
‘Is that you, Barber?’
‘Yes. I’m tipping you off. The D.A. has at last come up with a bright idea. If you’re interested, and you’d better
