took. He was always talking about his uncle taking pictures. I could find a reporter on one of these tabloid scandal sheets. He’d probably give me some money for my story. And I’d tell it, and I’d say that somewhere in New York this famous man …”
“Not famous, Irma. Hardly famous.”
“Well—this rich man, then, or whatever. You’re dressed well. I can see you’re not poor. Anyway, I’d tell him, and he’d print the story and the pictures, and the police would be interested, of course, wouldn’t they? Because the statute of limitations might have applied in Ross’s case, but certainly not in yours. In that state, the statute of limitations doesn’t apply to kidnapping, Victor. And that’s what you did—you kidnapped me, all alone by yourself. Besides, the police might even think you killed poor Ross.”
“Why would they get that idea?”
“I don’t know. They’d be looking into all his old friends and connections. They’d find out what happened back there twenty-two years ago.”
“What do you want, Irma?”
“I told you. Money enough so that I can live for the rest of my days without ever having to worry. Without having to marry a guy I didn’t love. That’s what I’ve always wanted. I’d like to travel—maybe down to Mexico, or over to Europe. I’m getting old Victor. It’s so important to me to have security in my old age. And if there’s anybody who owes it to me, it’s you and Ross. The two of you. And’s he’s dead.”
“I can give you a little money, Irma,” Victor said, reaching into his pocket. He took out a wallet and pulled some bills from it. “Enough for your plane fare back to June.”
“Not a little money. Big money! The man that was here before—he’s going to come back tonight.”
“What man is that?”
“A man. I don’t know. He was on the radio last night. I heard him, and I sent him a telegram. I’ll sell my information to the highest bidder, Victor. I have no great loyalties to you anymore.”
He stood up and walked to her chair. “Irma, you couldn’t blackmail me.”
She looked into his eyes, and perhaps that was when she saw it, when she realised there was something just a bit frightening about the expression on his face. “You killed Ross Craigthorn, didn’t you?”
Victor Jones did not answer.
“Didn’t you? Didn’t you?” Her small fists were beating at his chest, reminding him. It might have been twenty-two years ago, and there she was in his arms once more.
“Ah … Irma … Irma,” he said, and slipped his hands up to her throat.
“No!” She broke away, squirming, agile now as a tiger—trying for the telephone.
But he was on her in an instant, grabbing the instrument from her hand. She opened her mouth to scream. He jumped on her, wrapping the telephone cord, in two quick motions, around her throat, choking off the scream before it could grow in volume.
“Victor…”
But it was a sigh rather than a scream. A sigh that died to a whisper.
He pulled the cord tight, looping it one more time, and kept on tugging. She may have said his name again, but he was not certain. It could have been in his memory. His memory of twenty-two years ago, when he’d held her in his arms for the first time.
14 Barney Hamet
B ARNEY SPENT MUCH OF the late afternoon in Harry Fox’s office, relating the events of the day. He trusted Harry, and so he told him about the visit to Irma Black and her demand for money.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and tapped his fingertips together. “I sure don’t think MWA is going to come up with a big chunk of money, Barney. They just don’t have it. You know better than I how much money’s in the till, but anything more than a few hundred would pretty much exhaust the treasury, I’d think. Why don’t you just take the police down there and scare her a bit?”
“I might have to do that,” Barney agreed.
“Do you think she’s really got something?”
“I don’t know,” he replied.
Harry
“Not famous, Irma. Hardly famous.”
“Well—this rich man, then, or whatever. You’re dressed well. I can see you’re not poor. Anyway, I’d tell him, and he’d print the story and the pictures, and the police would be interested, of course, wouldn’t they? Because the statute of limitations might have applied in Ross’s case, but certainly not in yours. In that state, the statute of limitations doesn’t apply to kidnapping, Victor. And that’s what you did—you kidnapped me, all alone by yourself. Besides, the police might even think you killed poor Ross.”
“Why would they get that idea?”
“I don’t know. They’d be looking into all his old friends and connections. They’d find out what happened back there twenty-two years ago.”
“What do you want, Irma?”
“I told you. Money enough so that I can live for the rest of my days without ever having to worry. Without having to marry a guy I didn’t love. That’s what I’ve always wanted. I’d like to travel—maybe down to Mexico, or over to Europe. I’m getting old Victor. It’s so important to me to have security in my old age. And if there’s anybody who owes it to me, it’s you and Ross. The two of you. And’s he’s dead.”
“I can give you a little money, Irma,” Victor said, reaching into his pocket. He took out a wallet and pulled some bills from it. “Enough for your plane fare back to June.”
“Not a little money. Big money! The man that was here before—he’s going to come back tonight.”
“What man is that?”
“A man. I don’t know. He was on the radio last night. I heard him, and I sent him a telegram. I’ll sell my information to the highest bidder, Victor. I have no great loyalties to you anymore.”
He stood up and walked to her chair. “Irma, you couldn’t blackmail me.”
She looked into his eyes, and perhaps that was when she saw it, when she realised there was something just a bit frightening about the expression on his face. “You killed Ross Craigthorn, didn’t you?”
Victor Jones did not answer.
“Didn’t you? Didn’t you?” Her small fists were beating at his chest, reminding him. It might have been twenty-two years ago, and there she was in his arms once more.
“Ah … Irma … Irma,” he said, and slipped his hands up to her throat.
“No!” She broke away, squirming, agile now as a tiger—trying for the telephone.
But he was on her in an instant, grabbing the instrument from her hand. She opened her mouth to scream. He jumped on her, wrapping the telephone cord, in two quick motions, around her throat, choking off the scream before it could grow in volume.
“Victor…”
But it was a sigh rather than a scream. A sigh that died to a whisper.
He pulled the cord tight, looping it one more time, and kept on tugging. She may have said his name again, but he was not certain. It could have been in his memory. His memory of twenty-two years ago, when he’d held her in his arms for the first time.
14 Barney Hamet
B ARNEY SPENT MUCH OF the late afternoon in Harry Fox’s office, relating the events of the day. He trusted Harry, and so he told him about the visit to Irma Black and her demand for money.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and tapped his fingertips together. “I sure don’t think MWA is going to come up with a big chunk of money, Barney. They just don’t have it. You know better than I how much money’s in the till, but anything more than a few hundred would pretty much exhaust the treasury, I’d think. Why don’t you just take the police down there and scare her a bit?”
“I might have to do that,” Barney agreed.
“Do you think she’s really got something?”
“I don’t know,” he replied.
Harry
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