Barratt went into the bedroom, came out a moment later, carrying a light overcoat.
Dedrick hauled me to my feet.
‘I’ll be using your car,’ he said. ‘One false move, and I’ll blast you.’
Barratt draped the coat over my shoulders, and wrapped a silk scarf around my mouth to hide the tape.
‘We shan’t meet again, Malloy,’ he said to me. ‘Maybe I’ll see you, but you won’t see me.’ He shoved me towards Dedrick. ‘Get going.’
Dedrick took my arm and led me into the passage.
There was no one to see us get into the elevator. When the elevator came to rest at the ground floor, Dedrick dug the gun into my side.
‘Don’t forget, one false move and you get it,’ he said I could see sweat running down his face.
We walked into the lobby. He shoved me across the stretch of carpet to the front entrance, down the steps to the Buick.
Two girls were walking up the drive. They glanced at us without interest, passed us and entered the lobby.
Dedrick opened the rear door.
‘Get in!’
As I bent forward to get in the car, Dedrick smashed his gun butt down on my head.
III
My mind came fumbling out of a dark pit. Consciousness returned like a hangover on a foggy morning. First, I became aware of a throbbing pain in my head, then, as I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on my back, the beam of a flashlight playing on my face. I grunted, turned my head and tried to sit up. A hand on my chest shoved me back.
‘Stay parked,’ Dedrick growled. ‘I’m just bedding you down.’ His fingers picked the end of the tape loose that bound my mouth. When he had enough purchase, he gave it a quick hard pull, skinning it off my mouth. That hurt, and I grunted again.
The light was bothering me, but the dank, cold air and the darkness beyond the beam of the flashlight bothered me more.
‘What’s going on?’ I growled.
‘You’ll find out.’
I felt something tight around my waist. Bending my head I could see Dedrick fastening a thick chain, looped round my middle, with a padlock. I looked beyond him at the rough-hewn walls, supported by blackened props of wood.
‘Where’s this—the mine?’ I asked.
‘Yeah; a hundred feet below ground.’ He snapped the pad-lock shut and stood away. ‘This isn’t my idea, Malloy. You heard what he said. I’ve nothing against you. I’d put a slug through your head if it wasn’t for him. He’ll come and look at you tomorrow.’
‘Is he going to leave me here to starve to death?’ I asked, testing the tape that bound my hands. There was no give in it at all.
‘You won’t starve.’ He paused while he lit a cigarette. I saw his hand was unsteady. ‘You won’t have time to starve.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You’ll find out. If you give me your word not to start anything until I’ve gone I’ll undo your hands. At least, it’ll give you a fighting chance.’
I was beginning to feel spooked.
‘If I get my hands free, I’ll probably strangle you,’ I said ‘I scare easy, but not that easy.’
‘Don’t talk like a fool. You don’t know what you’re up against. Turn over. I’m going to free your hands.’
I turned over, and he shoved his knee in my back as he pulled the tape loose. He was out of range before I could grab him.
I pushed myself into a sitting position. I couldn’t stay upright: the chain holding me was too short, but it was a nice feeling to have free hands again.
‘I’ll leave you a light,’ Dedrick said. That’s about the best I can do for you.’
‘You have a bad dose of conscience.’ As I rubbed my wrists trying to restore the circulation, I stared up at him. ‘What’s going to happen?’
‘I don’t know.’ He looked down the long tunnel, lifting his torch and throwing the powerful beam into the inky blackness. ‘Take a look at that. Your guess is as good as mine.’
The beam of the torch rested on what looked like a heap of rags. I peered at it; saw bits and pieces of what once had been a lounge suit.
‘There’s a skeleton under those clothes,’ Dedrick said, and I heard his breath whistle down his nostrils. ‘We left him here for not more than twelve hours, and that’s what he turned into: rags and bones, and not a damn thing else.’
‘Who is it?’ My voice sounded hollow.
‘Never mind who it is.’
I decided it couldn’t be anyone else but Lute Ferris.
‘It’s Ferris, isn’t it?’
‘Just another guy who was a nuisance,’ Dedrick said, and wiped his face with his handkerchief. ‘Something’s eaten him.’ He looked uneasily into the darkness. ‘There’s some kind of animal down here: maybe a lynx.’ He took another flashlight from his hip pocket and tossed it to me. That’ll keep you company. If you hear Barratt coming, put it out of sight He’d murder me if he knew I’d left you a light.’
‘Well, thanks,’ I said, and flung the beam of the torch he had given me on to his face. ‘Why not go the whole way and let me free? You’re hating this, Dedrick. Come on; you might still beat the rap, and if you get me out of this, I’ll do what I can for you.’
‘Not a chance,’ he said. ‘You don’t know Barratt. He’s the last man anyone in their right minds would cross. So long, Malloy. I hope it’s quick.’
I sat still, watching the beam of his torch growing smaller and smaller as he walked down the long tunnel. And as the light grew fainter, the darkness around me came down with a choking thickness that brought me out into a cold sweat. I snapped on the torch. The white light sent the heavy, solid blackness back, almost as if it was alive. But it crouched just beyond the beam, waiting to pounce on me again.
My first move was to examine the chain locked around my middle. It was too strong to snap, and the padlock was solid and heavy. I traced the chain to the wall. It was fastened to a staple, embedded in solid rock. I caught hold of the chain in both hands, braced one foot against the wall and strained backwards. Nothing happened. I braced myself again and pulled until my sinews creaked. I might just as well have tried to pull over the Empire State Building.
I flopped back on the rock floor, panting, my heart going like a steam-hammer. If I was to get out of here, somehow or other, I had to work the staple loose. No one would ever think of looking for me here. Paula would go to the apartment house on Jefferson Avenue. She might find Maxie. But that wouldn’t get her very far, or me either. She’d go to Mifflin. But what could Mifflin do? Why should anyone look for me in the shaft of a disused, ruined mine?
I was getting into a panic now. It was like being buried alive. My eyes kept going to the heap of tattered clothes lying about ten yards from me: all that remained of Ferris.
All right, I admit it. I was ready to run whimpering into a corner if I could have run. I was ready to yell for help at the top of my voice if it would have done any good. I’ve had the shakes more than once in my life, but nothing like the shakes I was getting now.
For about a minute I sat as still as death, getting hold of myself, telling myself not to dive off the deep end, calling myself every insulting name I could think of, while I fought off the panic that sat on my shoulder and leered
