I let him go, and when I was sure he had gone upstairs I gumshoed to the foot of the stairs and flapped my ears.
I heard his voice. He was putting the problem forward in a low voice. I could just catch a word here and there, but nothing more. There was a moment’s silence, then a woman spoke. She just said: “Very well, if you think it is safe,” but it was not what she said that made me stiffen. It was the voice. I’d know that voice anywhere. The cold, hard, metallic ring in it.
Colonel Kennedy’s girl friend was the woman who had called me up twice on the telephone. The woman who had sent me five thousand bucks.
I said, “Well, well,” to myself and walked slowly back to the big room.
CHAPTER EIGHT
KENNEDY CAME down again after five minutes or so. He went to the window and looked out, then he turned round to me. “I’ve talked to her,” he said uneasily. “She wants you to get the car ready and have it drawn up outside. Then she’s going to make her getaway by herself.”
This didn’t suit me. I was looking forward to a long drive with this dame. “What happens to the car?”
A little frown settled on Kennedy’s face. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he said. “I just want you to do that… nothing more. Will you do it?” There was a touch of the soldier in his voice.
I said: “Sure… anything you say.’
He looked relieved. “You go and call these fellows in. Once they’re in, you go round to the back and get the car out. Then come back here.”
I told myself I was at least going to have a peep at this dame. “Okay. Shall I start now?”
“Just wait a minute.” He went out into the hall. I heard him call up the stairs. “Come down now.”
It wasn’t possible for me to go to the door and watch because he would have seen me, and I certainly was burnt up to stand there and let that dame get away with it.
I heard someone run down the stairs quickly and walk with clicking heels down the passage. Then Kennedy came back. He nodded to me. “Fetch ’em in,” he said.
I walked to the front door and flung it open.
The boys came running. They looked like the Klondyke gold rush.
“The Colonel will see you now,” I said. “Take your hats off, wipe your feet, an’ for Gawd’s sake behave like gentlemen.”
They crowded past me and barged into the big room. I certainly handed it to Kennedy. He stood at the end of the room, looking at them coldly, not a muscle of his face moving. As soon as the last one had piled himself into the room I quietly shut the door.
I ran down the passage, keeping my eyes open, but I didn’t see a sign of her. There were a couple of doors on each side, and she might have been behind either of them, but I couldn’t very well look and see.
At the far end of the corridor was a door leading to the back of the grounds. I opened it and looked out cautiously. There was no one about. I hadn’t put it past Ackie to leave one of the boys snooping outside. Maybe they didn’t think I’d pull it off, and the surprise put it out of their heads.
I ran over to the garage and pulled open the doors. There were two cars. I chose the small one. It didn’t take me a moment to run it out facing the exit. Then, leaving the motor running, I hurried back to the lodge.
As I came down the passage, Ackie stepped out of the big room. He was looking suspicious.
“What the hell are you doin’?” he asked.
I kept on coming at him. If that guy could read my thoughts he’d have curled up and busted right away.
“I just had a look outside to see if any of the boys were left out of the prayer meetin’,” I said.
Ackie said, “Oh yeah?” and made to step past me.
I put out an arm and collared him. “Come on, Mo,” I said. “I wantta hear what the Colonel’s sayin’.”
Ackie stiffened, but he couldn’t break my hold.
He said furiously: “You’re double-crossin’ me!”
I grinned down at him and walked him away from the back door towards the big room. “I got you into here to see the Colonel,” I said. “Well, you’re goin’ to see the Colonel… that’s all.”
I heard a door shut behind me. If Ackie hadn’t barged in I’d have seen her. I loved Ackie a lot right then. He tried to turn but I still held him tight. I shifted my grip a little and suddenly put on some pressure. He gave a squawk.
“You’re breakin’ my arm,” he howled.
I said evenly: “I’d like to break your neck.”
Faintly I heard the door of the car slam and the sudden sound of a car accelerating. Ackie opened his mouth to yell, but I clapped my hand over it.
“Shut up!” I said sharply. “You start anythin’ an’ I’ll smash you.”
I waited out in the hall until I, was sure she’d got away, then I released him.
He stood glaring at me furiously. “What a pal,” he spluttered. “Think you’re gettin’ that hundred? What a laugh.”
“Now listen, Mo,” I said quietly, “there is more in this than meets the eye… you’re right. But it ain’t the sort of news you can print. If I’d let you go ahead just now your rag would be up to its ears in a libel suit. A libel suit with Kennedy on the wrong side would put your crowd out of business. If you’re a good boy and keep your trap shut, I’ll give you the inside dope… it ain’t to be printed, though.”
Ackie could never stay mad for long. He scowled at me, then his face cleared. “I might have known it,” he grumbled. “Of all the double-crossin’ punks, you are the biggest. All right, I’ll keep it quiet. Now what’s it all about?”
I lowered my voice. “Seems like the Colonel got too ambitious. You know what he is with dames. Well, this one wasn’t playin’, an’ what’s more she outs with an equaliser an’ starts poppin’. This dame is one of the upper crust. Even I don’t know who she is. I agreed with Kennedy to smuggle her out while you boys were talkin’.”
Ackie brooded. “No one got hurt?” he asked bitterly.
I shook my head.
“Hell! There ain’t a story at all. Everyone knows about Kennedy an’ his women. That ain’t news. Pity she didn’t drill him. Boy! That would have been a front-page splash!”
I looked at him with distaste. “Ain’t you a nice guy?” I said. “But now you know. You can see it wasn’t worth the fuss.”
Ackie glanced at his watch. “I guess I’m beatin’ it,” he said. “Maybe I was a little hasty about the hundred bucks. I’ll see you get it.”
I grinned. “Suppose we split it?” I said. “Send me fifty an’ I’ll receipt the hundred.”
Ackie nodded. He looked quite happy again. “You ain’t such a bad punk,” he said. “Maybe you’ll play straight one of these days, an’ then I’ll quite like you.”
The other boys began to crowd out of the room. They looked at us curiously, but Ackie didn’t let on. He took them off to the waiting cars.
“You wantta come?” he asked over his shoulder.
I said, “Sure… I ain’t got any reason to walk.”
Kennedy appeared at the doorway. “No,” he said, “You stay. I want to talk to you.”
I was glad. I liked this guy, and I was getting mighty hungry.
As soon as the last car had driven off, Kennedy came back from the porch and shut the front door. He grinned at me. “Well, that was a nice bit of work,” he said approvingly. “You sure pulled me out of a jam. It seems that I’m continually getting into your debt.”
I said hastily, “Forget it, will you? That sort of talk gives me the itch.”
He laughed. “I haven’t seen you for so long, I guess we got plenty to catch up on. You’re going to stay with me for a few days. What do you say?”
I hesitated, but he shook his head. “You’re staying, Mason, so make up your mind.”
I grinned. “It’s okay with me,” I said.
