1956 - There's Always a Price Tag by James Hadley Chase Page A
Authors: James Hadley Chase
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killed myself, the insurance company won't pay out. But if the police say I have been murdered, then the insurance company will have to pay out. Are you following all this? Can you see the trap I am setting for you? Now do you see what I mean when I told you I am giving you the opportunity of punishing yourself? The bait in the trap is worth three-quarters of a million. You have only to fake clues, tell enough lies to turn my suicide into a murder, and then - if you have been very clever and you haven't made any mistakes - you will get the money.'
Something cold dropped on to my hand. I found I was sweating. Looking across at Helen, I saw her face was white and she was as rigid as a statue.
'I don't know what happens when one dies,' Dester went on, 'but odd things can happen. It may be I shall be able to watch you after I am dead. I hope so for it will be amusing.' He lit another cigarette while he stared at Helen. 'I have an idea you won't be able to resist the bait. You will try to turn my suicide into murder. I don't think you are clever enough to pull it off, not against a man of Maddux's brains. It is only fair to warn you that he is exceptional. You could so easily make a mistake and you might then find yourself charged with my murder, which would be rather funny considering you have already tried to murder me, wouldn't it? I have made it still more complicated for you by asking Nash here to listen to all this. But he may not be impossibly difficult. You have a way with men, and it is possible you may persuade him to keep his mouth shut or even help you. After all, three-quarters of a million is a very large sum, and in return for a share in the money, he might be persuaded to help you.'
Helen jumped to her feet
'I'm not listening to any more of this!' she exclaimed. 'You drunken fool! You wouldn't have the nerve to kill yourself. Keep your rotten money! I don't want it! There are plenty of other fish in the sea besides you! Go to hell and stay there!'
She flung back the door and stormed out into the hall. I watched her run up the stairs, and a moment later, a door slammed violently.
I got up. I was sweating and shaking.
'And I guess I don't want to hear any more either,' I said, and without looking at him I walked into the hall, jerked open the front door and walked down the steps.
I was halfway to the garage when I heard the sound of a shot. The bans rattled the windows of the house and stopped me as if I had walked into a wall.
For a long moment I stood motionless, then turning, I ran back to the house and up the steps and into the hall.
At the head of the stairs, white-faced, her eyes wide, was Helen.
I looked up at her.
'Go and see,' she said in a hoarse whisper. I braced myself, then crossed the hall and opened the study door.
chapter six
D ester had fallen forward across the desk. Blood from his smashed skull made a growing pool on the blotter that was absorbing most of it. The .38 automatic I had seen him with lay on the floor near his feet.
I didn't have to touch him to know he was dead. With such a terrible head injury he had to be dead.
I stood staring at him, my mind vacant with horror. I couldn't believe he had done this thing, then jerking my eyes away, I walked to the door and out into the hall.
Helen had come down the stairs. She stood motionless, staring at me.
'Is he dead?' she asked.
'Yes.' My own voice was as shaky as hers.
'The mad, drunken fool! I thought he hadn't the nerve to do it.'
She went past me and into his study.
I felt a trickle of cold sweat run down the side of my face, and I put my hand in my pocket for my handkerchief. My fingers touched the envelope containing the letter he had asked me to post. I pulled it out, stared at it for a long moment, then I slit the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. I read the letter, my mind only half aware of its meaning. Then I read it again:
From Erle Dester June 19th
256 Hill Crest Avenue
Hollywood
My Dear
Something cold dropped on to my hand. I found I was sweating. Looking across at Helen, I saw her face was white and she was as rigid as a statue.
'I don't know what happens when one dies,' Dester went on, 'but odd things can happen. It may be I shall be able to watch you after I am dead. I hope so for it will be amusing.' He lit another cigarette while he stared at Helen. 'I have an idea you won't be able to resist the bait. You will try to turn my suicide into murder. I don't think you are clever enough to pull it off, not against a man of Maddux's brains. It is only fair to warn you that he is exceptional. You could so easily make a mistake and you might then find yourself charged with my murder, which would be rather funny considering you have already tried to murder me, wouldn't it? I have made it still more complicated for you by asking Nash here to listen to all this. But he may not be impossibly difficult. You have a way with men, and it is possible you may persuade him to keep his mouth shut or even help you. After all, three-quarters of a million is a very large sum, and in return for a share in the money, he might be persuaded to help you.'
Helen jumped to her feet
'I'm not listening to any more of this!' she exclaimed. 'You drunken fool! You wouldn't have the nerve to kill yourself. Keep your rotten money! I don't want it! There are plenty of other fish in the sea besides you! Go to hell and stay there!'
She flung back the door and stormed out into the hall. I watched her run up the stairs, and a moment later, a door slammed violently.
I got up. I was sweating and shaking.
'And I guess I don't want to hear any more either,' I said, and without looking at him I walked into the hall, jerked open the front door and walked down the steps.
I was halfway to the garage when I heard the sound of a shot. The bans rattled the windows of the house and stopped me as if I had walked into a wall.
For a long moment I stood motionless, then turning, I ran back to the house and up the steps and into the hall.
At the head of the stairs, white-faced, her eyes wide, was Helen.
I looked up at her.
'Go and see,' she said in a hoarse whisper. I braced myself, then crossed the hall and opened the study door.
chapter six
D ester had fallen forward across the desk. Blood from his smashed skull made a growing pool on the blotter that was absorbing most of it. The .38 automatic I had seen him with lay on the floor near his feet.
I didn't have to touch him to know he was dead. With such a terrible head injury he had to be dead.
I stood staring at him, my mind vacant with horror. I couldn't believe he had done this thing, then jerking my eyes away, I walked to the door and out into the hall.
Helen had come down the stairs. She stood motionless, staring at me.
'Is he dead?' she asked.
'Yes.' My own voice was as shaky as hers.
'The mad, drunken fool! I thought he hadn't the nerve to do it.'
She went past me and into his study.
I felt a trickle of cold sweat run down the side of my face, and I put my hand in my pocket for my handkerchief. My fingers touched the envelope containing the letter he had asked me to post. I pulled it out, stared at it for a long moment, then I slit the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. I read the letter, my mind only half aware of its meaning. Then I read it again:
From Erle Dester June 19th
256 Hill Crest Avenue
Hollywood
My Dear
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