‘Have you thought more about the divorce?’ Chris asked abruptly. ‘Did you talk to your father?’
‘I don’t want a divorce, darling.’
His mouth twitched, and he suddenly looked irritable.?‘You haven’t been thinking about it. You mustn’t spend all your tine enjoying yourself… you must think sometimes.’
She recalled the long hours before lunch when she had sat on the beach after Hare had plodded away and what her thoughts had been.
‘I just don’t want to lose you, Chris.’?‘She’s watching us, isn’t she?’ he said. ‘She’s quite clever, she keeps out of sight, but I know she’s there. You must get a divorce, Val. I’ll never get any better.’
‘Oh, you will,’ Val said earnestly. ‘I know how you must feel. This is something that has happened… It could have happened to me. I would be so happy to know that if it had happened to me you would still want me as I want you.’
He didn’t seem to be listening. He stared across the close cu lawn, his face expressionless. ‘Well, all right, if you don’t want a divorce, then you have only yourself to blame,’ be said. ‘Yes, I know, Chris.’
There was a long, long silence, then Val said, ‘Have you thought about that night you went away… when you couldn’t remember anything?’
He leaned back in his chair She wasn’t sure if he had heard what she had said.?‘She’s still there, isn’t she? I won’t give her the satisfaction of looking at her, but she is still there?’
‘Yes.’
Val longed for a cigarette, but knowing Chris now no longer smoked, she resisted the urge. ‘That night, Chris …’
‘Why do you ask?’ He stared curiously at her.?‘I just wondered if you remember now what happened.’
He hesitated, frowning and not looking at her.?‘I suppose I do. It’s all rather confused.’ He glanced slyly over his shoulder at the nurse, then as the nurse paused in her knitting to look at him, he quickly turned away. ‘She’s always watching me,’ he went on, ‘like that other woman. She knew I wasn’t normal.’
‘What other woman, Chris?’?‘The one I met. I was sitting waiting for someone to give me a lift back to the hotel. I had smashed up the car. I think I must have gone to sleep or something. I came to when the car hit the tree.’ He rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes, frowning. ‘You don’t want to be bothered with all this. Have you heard from your father? Is he back in New York?’
‘Yes, he’s back,’ Val said quietly. ‘What happened when the car hit the tree?’?‘After waiting a bit, I started to walk. I walked some way. I tried to get cars to stop, but none of them would. I got bored and when I saw a car coming, I stepped in front of it. It was dark by then. I really hoped it would knock me down, I was so bored with myself, but it didn’t. There was this woman…’
Val waited, but he seemed to have forgotten what he was saying and just sat there limply, staring into space.
‘Tell me about her,’ Val said at last.?‘About who?’?‘This woman who stopped.’?‘There’s nothing to tell. She stopped… that’s all.’
Val had a sudden idea he was concealing something from her that frightened him. She regarded him, feeling a cold sensation building up around her heart.
‘Did she talk to you?’
He moved restlessly.
‘We drove some way. Yes, she talked. I can’t remember what about… I think I was sorry for her somehow.’
‘What was she like?’?‘I don’t know.’ He frowned. ‘It’s odd, but when I think of her, I think of elephants.’
She was startled.?‘But, why? Was she so big then?’?‘No… I don’t think so. I honestly don’t remember anything about her except the elephants.’ He looked over his shoulder at the nurse. ‘She thinks I could become violent. Did you know?’
‘Why should you become violent?’ Val! asked, her mouth suddenly turning dry.?‘People in my state often do.’
Val couldn’t bear to listen to this kind of talk.?‘Chris, I need some money. I haven’t enough in my account. Would you sign a blank cheque for me? I’ve brought your cheque book along.’
He sat motionless for so long she wasn’t sure if he had heard what she had said, then slowly, he turned his head and the suspicious expression in his eyes sent a chill up her spine.
‘How much do you want?’?‘Oh, a few thousand dollars.’ Val tried unsuccessfully to sound casual. ‘You see, Chris, we have a lot of expenses. I’ve decided not to let daddy pay the hotel bill and …’
‘You don’t have to lie about it,’ he said. ‘Exactly how much money do you want?’
Val sat motionless. She would have to ask her father, she told herself hopelessly. She could lie to him, but she had never succeeded in lying to Chris.
‘I can manage, Chris. Let’s forget it.’
He sat forward so abruptly, the nurse watching paused in her knitting, ready to rise to her feet.
‘Is someone blackmailing you about me?’ he asked, staring at Val. Is that it?’ She hesitated, then realising, he must be told, said, ‘Yes, Chris.’
He slumped down in the chair.?‘How much does he want?’?‘Twenty thousand dollars.’?‘It’s not much, is it? Well, we must tell the police. One should never pay blackmail. I’ll admit I did it, and that will be that. If we pay this man, he will go on making demands… blackmailers always do.’
‘Admit you did what?’ Val exclaimed, stiffening. ‘Whatever the man says I did. I told you, didn’t I, that I could have done anything… even murdered someone.’ He looked away from her, his long, slim fingers moving restlessly up and down his thighs. ‘Last night I dreamed I killed a woman. I expect that’s what I have done… killed some woman. Is that what he says I did?’
‘Stop it!’ Val said fiercely. ‘You don’t know what you are saying! You haven’t killed anyone!’
‘Is that what he says I did?’ he repeated, looking up at her. Then as she said nothing, he suddenly shrugged.
‘What’s money, anyway? Give me the cheque book.’
She took the cheque book from her bag and gave it to him with a pen. He signed three blank cheques and then handed her back the cheque book.
‘I’ll never come out of here, so you may as well have the use of my money. I leave it to you, Val. Clear the account and put the money in your account.’
Val] put the cheque book back in her bag. Her hands were shaking and she was very white. ‘Who was the woman I killed, Val!?’ he asked. ‘There was no woman. You didn’t do anything? I know you didn’t!’
‘I suppose it is better to pay blackmail. On second thoughts, your father would hate me to be tried for murder, wouldn’t he?’
‘You wouldn’t be tried for murder, darling. You haven’t done anything.’ ‘Who is this man who is blackmailing us?’?‘Oh, just a man. Don’t worry about him.’?‘If he hadn’t convinced you, you wouldn’t be paying him, would you?’
‘Don’t let’s talk any more about it. I’m going, but I’ll you tomorrow.’?‘You don’t really have to bother. I manage Sitting here or my own,’ he said indifferently and closed his eyes.
In despair, she turned and walked away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sam Karsh was waiting when Homer Hare came heavily into his office after a long and excellent lunch.
‘Well, I thought you were in jug by now,’ Karsh said. What happened?’?‘Sammy, you must learn to trust me. We’re on to a very good thing… like I told you. The little lady has everything to gain and a husband to lose.’
‘Yeah… from what I hear, she’s lost him already.’ hare dismissed this with a wave of his hand. ‘She’s in love with him,’ he said. ‘Knowing human nature the way I do, when a woman is stupid enough to fall in love, she is a sucker for me.’ He looked at the strap watch on his fat wrist, ‘I think I can call her now. She’ll have had dine to make up her mind.’
‘This idea of yours doesn’t jell with me,’ Karsh said uneasily. We’ve never stuck our necks out this far. Are
