She bent over him and gently pulled out the glass. It was the most gruesome thing I’d ever
watched. I couldn’t look away, and the horror of it brought me out into an ice-cold sweat.
She squatted back on her heels, the splinter of glass between her finger and thumb, and
looked at the battered dead face, her brows drawn down in a frown of concentration.
“He could have been mauled by an animal,” she said softly. “And that’s what they are
going to think.” She glanced up. “Don’t you see the way out, Johnny? All we have to do is to
drop him into the lion’s pit. It’s as simple as that. He feeds them. He even goes into their
cages. Sooner or later there was bound to be an accident. Everyone knows the risks he took.
Hame knows, and that’s important. They won’t think anything of it if we don’t make
mistakes. It’s fool-proof.”
I could only sit and stare at her.
“You mean you’ve just thought that up?”
“Why not? You have only to look at him to see it’s the way out.”
Spider’s legs ran up my spine. She was incredible. The moment she was in a jam, her brain
devised a way out. Wertham hadn’t been cold before she had thought up how she could use
me to gain control of the casino. Reisner hadn’t stopped bleeding before she had a fool-proof
idea to explain away his death. And it was fool-proof if we could only get him to the pit
without anyone seeing us. She just wasn’t human.
“It’s all right, isn’t it, Johnny?”
She looked up at me, her black eyes glittering, her fingers blood-stained, and she was like a
lovely, gruesome ghoul.
“Yes, it’s all right if no one sees us.” Already I was beginning to breathe more freely, and
my heart eased off its violent hammering. “We can’t do it until after dark.”
“No. Stand up and let me look you over. Show me your hands.” Her examination was
searching and thorough, but finally she satisfied herself I had no blood on my clothes.
“You’re all right. Now, listen: go out into the grounds and be seen. Go and play a round of
golf. If you can get someone to play with you, so much the better. Don’t come back until
midnight. If anyone asks you where Reisner is, tell them he’s with me, and we’re not to be
disturbed.”
“Golf? Do you think I could play golf with this on my mind ?” I was almost yelling at her.
“Are you crazy? Haven’t you a spark of feeling?”
130
“It’s you who are crazy. If you can’t play golf, have a swim or walk around or go to the
bar! Do anything you damn well please, but get out of here and let them see you! You’ve got
to keep them away from here. That’s your job. You’ve got to make them think he and I are
too busy to be disturbed. Get a grip on yourself. Play this wrong, and we’re sunk!”
I drew in a deep breath.
“And what are you going to do?”
The awful little smile I had seen when she was a split second away from shooting me
flickered across her mouth.
“I’m staying here - with him. I’m making sure no one gets in and finds him. That’s what
I’m going to do.”
“You’ve got nine hours of it.”
“That won’t kill me. I’ve things to think about. You won’t think I’m scared to be alone with
him, do you? He’s dead. I’m not squeamish, even if you are. I’ve got my life to plan.”
I longed to get away from that ghastly room, from her, from him. I wouldn’t have stayed
with that battered body for nine hours for all the money in the world.
I moved to the door.
“And, Johnny …”
I paused.
