chance to read the policy. I gave it to you if you remember. If the assured dies by his own hand after the policy has been in force for a year, the company does pay out.'
The look of hatred she gave him sent a creepy sensation up my spine.
'But don't imagine you can get away with that now,' he went on, leaning back in his chair. 'I have fixed it that in the event of my killing myself there will be no payout. Yesterday, I flew up to San Francisco and met the man in charge of the claims department of the National Fidelity: a man named Maddux. I must say he impressed me. He has a big reputation in the insurance world. He is smart, tough and extremely efficient. It is said of him that he knows instinctively when a claim is a fake or not. He has been with the National Fidelity for fifteen years, and during that time he has sent a large number of people to jail, and eighteen people to the death cell.'
He paused while he took a drink, then he topped up the glass with more whisky.
'I went to see this man with the intention of cancelling the policy. But on the way up I had an idea. I am probably being vindictive, but after all you ruined my life and the setup that came to me is the kind that would make a good movie - you mustn't forget I've been a good movie maker in my time. Since you have tried to murder me and you have never showed me any kindness, it occurred to me that you should be punished.'
She stiffened, her hands closing into fists.
'Don't be alarmed,' he said, watching her. 'Even if I wanted to, I couldn't take police action against you. I have no proof. And I don't want to punish you myself. I've thought of a way to give you the opportunity to punish yourself.'
'I'm not going to listen to much more of this nonsense,' she said angrily.
'You should listen because you still have a chance of getting your pretty claws on all that money: not much of a chance, but still a chance.'
It was now my turn to stiffen to attention.
'Let me tell you about my interview with Maddux,' Dester went on. 'When I got this idea about you punishing yourself, I realized I couldn't tell him the truth. I was anxious to get the suicide clause altered because that would make things too easy for you if I didn't. So I told him I was an alcoholic with suicidal tendencies, and as I was most anxious that you should come in for the insurance money and that I was also anxious in my sober moments not to kill myself, I thought it would act as a curb if the clause covering payment on suicide was cancelled. I don't think he believed this explanation, but he was quick enough to cancel the clause.' He paused to take another drink, and I noticed his hand was very unsteady.
'So the position is now that if I kill myself or if you murder me and make it look like suicide the company won't pay out. Do you understand that?'
She didn't say anything. She was staring at the opposite wall, her brows creased in a frown: but she was listening.
'Some weeks ago,' he went on, 'I decided that when my contract ran out I would shoot myself.'
She reacted to this as I did. She looked quickly at him.
'I realized once my contract ran out, I would have no future,' he went on calmly. 'I should be without funds and heavily in debt. I shrank from the idea of bankruptcy. Well, my contract has run out, there is no money and I am still very much in debt, so sometime tonight I am going to end my life.'
'I don't believe you,' Helen said, her voice harsh. 'Anyway, do you think I care what you do?'
'No, I don't think you do,' he returned. 'That is not the point. Very soon now I shall shoot myself in this room. It is unlikely that anyone except you and Nash will hear the shot. Now listen to this very carefully: you will have a few hours - not more - to turn this suicide into murder. You won't be able to turn it into an accident: people don't accidentally shoot themselves through the head.'
She was staring at him now as if she had thought he had gone crazy.
'If the police say I have
The look of hatred she gave him sent a creepy sensation up my spine.
'But don't imagine you can get away with that now,' he went on, leaning back in his chair. 'I have fixed it that in the event of my killing myself there will be no payout. Yesterday, I flew up to San Francisco and met the man in charge of the claims department of the National Fidelity: a man named Maddux. I must say he impressed me. He has a big reputation in the insurance world. He is smart, tough and extremely efficient. It is said of him that he knows instinctively when a claim is a fake or not. He has been with the National Fidelity for fifteen years, and during that time he has sent a large number of people to jail, and eighteen people to the death cell.'
He paused while he took a drink, then he topped up the glass with more whisky.
'I went to see this man with the intention of cancelling the policy. But on the way up I had an idea. I am probably being vindictive, but after all you ruined my life and the setup that came to me is the kind that would make a good movie - you mustn't forget I've been a good movie maker in my time. Since you have tried to murder me and you have never showed me any kindness, it occurred to me that you should be punished.'
She stiffened, her hands closing into fists.
'Don't be alarmed,' he said, watching her. 'Even if I wanted to, I couldn't take police action against you. I have no proof. And I don't want to punish you myself. I've thought of a way to give you the opportunity to punish yourself.'
'I'm not going to listen to much more of this nonsense,' she said angrily.
'You should listen because you still have a chance of getting your pretty claws on all that money: not much of a chance, but still a chance.'
It was now my turn to stiffen to attention.
'Let me tell you about my interview with Maddux,' Dester went on. 'When I got this idea about you punishing yourself, I realized I couldn't tell him the truth. I was anxious to get the suicide clause altered because that would make things too easy for you if I didn't. So I told him I was an alcoholic with suicidal tendencies, and as I was most anxious that you should come in for the insurance money and that I was also anxious in my sober moments not to kill myself, I thought it would act as a curb if the clause covering payment on suicide was cancelled. I don't think he believed this explanation, but he was quick enough to cancel the clause.' He paused to take another drink, and I noticed his hand was very unsteady.
'So the position is now that if I kill myself or if you murder me and make it look like suicide the company won't pay out. Do you understand that?'
She didn't say anything. She was staring at the opposite wall, her brows creased in a frown: but she was listening.
'Some weeks ago,' he went on, 'I decided that when my contract ran out I would shoot myself.'
She reacted to this as I did. She looked quickly at him.
'I realized once my contract ran out, I would have no future,' he went on calmly. 'I should be without funds and heavily in debt. I shrank from the idea of bankruptcy. Well, my contract has run out, there is no money and I am still very much in debt, so sometime tonight I am going to end my life.'
'I don't believe you,' Helen said, her voice harsh. 'Anyway, do you think I care what you do?'
'No, I don't think you do,' he returned. 'That is not the point. Very soon now I shall shoot myself in this room. It is unlikely that anyone except you and Nash will hear the shot. Now listen to this very carefully: you will have a few hours - not more - to turn this suicide into murder. You won't be able to turn it into an accident: people don't accidentally shoot themselves through the head.'
She was staring at him now as if she had thought he had gone crazy.
'If the police say I have
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