1953 - The Sucker Punch (12 page)

I found Eve in her room.

"Thank God you did it!"

I went to her and took her in my arms. We strained against each other, my mouth crushed against hers.

Then Eve pushed me away.

"We mustn't."

"She's been sick and she wants you."

"I'll give her a couple of Veganin, and as soon as she's asleep I'll meet you at San Marco. Get a cabin gondola, Chad."

"I thought I was going out of my mind, waiting. If you hadn't done something…"

"You mustn't talk like that," she said sharply. "I warned you. This could happen again and again."

"I can't live without you, Eve!"

She pushed past me to the door.

"I must go to her."

"Get her to sleep quickly."

"I will."

She went along the corridor to Vestal's room.

I waited half an hour in the lounge, then went out to the gondola station.

The gondolier who had taken us before came up. He raised his hat and bowed.

I nodded and pointed to his gondola.

He cast it loose and rowed around to the San Marco steps.

I paced up and down on the waterfront and waited.

I waited an hour. Every minute of that hour was a torture to me.

Finally as Eve didn't come, I decided to see what was happening. I paid off the gondolier and went hurriedly back to the hotel.

I listened outside Vestal's door. I heard Eve's voice. Sick with rage, I turned the handle and went in.

Vestal was in bed. A handkerchief dipped in lavender water lay across her forehead.

Eve sat near her. She was reading aloud from a book of poems.

I was glad there was only one shaded lamp on, otherwise Vestal must have seen the fury on my face.

"Is that you, Chad?" she murmured.

"Yes. How are you?"

"A little better. The Veganin has taken my headache away."

Eve stared down at the book. Her face was pale.

"Hadn't you better try to sleep?" I said, coming to the foot of the bed, but keeping out of the direct light.

"In a little while. Eve's reading to me. Her voice soothes me."

I didn't dare look at Eve.

"I think you should settle down now. It's getting on for ten. You don't want to be tired tomorrow."

"Not yet. Chad, darling, would you mind sleeping in the other room tonight?"

My heart gave a sudden leap.

Eve and I could wait until she went to sleep, and then have the whole night together!

"Why no. I think I should. I don't want to disturb you."

She opened her eyes and looked at me.

"Thank you, darling. I knew you wouldn't mind. I've asked Eve to sleep here. She says she doesn't mind sleeping on the couch. It's nice to have her just in case I feel ill during the night."

Four more days crawled by.

How I concealed my feelings from Vestal during those four days and nights I shall never know.

On the fourth night I couldn't stand the strain any longer. We went up to change for dinner. I skipped my shower, flung on my evening things and was ready to go down before Vestal had even made up her mind what she was going to wear.

I put my head around her door.

"I'm just going down for a drink. Meet me in the bar."

She looked surprised.

"How quick you've been, Chad."

"You're being damned slow," I said, smiling, and what an effort it was to dig up that smile. "I'll have a Martini waiting for you."

"I won't be long, darling."

I closed the door and went down the corridor to Eve's room. I turned the handle and went in.

Eve was adjusting her stockings before the wall mirror. She had on only blue underwear pants and a brassiere.

"Chad!"

"You must give her that stuff again! Give it to her tomorrow!"

She backed away from me.

"Have you gone crazy?" she said fiercely. "She'll know you've been here."

"She's still changing. She'll be another half-hour yet. I told her I was going to the bar."

I went to her and slipped my arms round her. The feel of her body against mine set me on fire.

"'No! Can't you see how dangerous this is? Let me go!"

"You've got to do something, Eve! This is driving me out of my mind. Give her the stuff tomorrow."

"It's no use. It won't work anymore. If she's ill, I'll have to stay with her. She said so. It's no use!"

"Goddam her! What are we going to do then?"

"I warned you. You've got to keep away from me. I won't lose this job because of you!"

A tap sounded on the door.

We looked at each other. I felt the blood leave my face.

Eve grabbed my arm and shoved me across the room and behind the long window drapes that were half-closed.

The whole thing happened so quickly she was back by the dressing room as the door opened.

"I thought I heard voices," Vestal said.

"Why no, Mrs. Winters. I was humming to myself," Eve said quietly.

Her voice was steady and unflustered. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I didn't mean to disturb you," Vestal said. "Could I borrow your scent spray? Mine has broken."

"Of course. I'll empty it."

"Don't do that. I like the perfume you wear. It'll be a nice change."

I stood against the wall behind the curtain, feeling cold sweat run down my back. To be caught in this room with Eve clad only in her underwear would finish me. I cursed myself for being such a crazy fool to have taken such a risk. Eve had been right. This ghastly little bitch had a nose for secrets. Did she suspect anything ? Had she broken her scent spray or had it been an excuse to surprise Eve?

"Thank you so much," Vestal went on. "I must hurry. Mr. Winters is waiting for me in the bar."

I heard the door close.

I didn't move. My heart was hammering against my side. I had been one jump away from losing seventy million dollars. The thought made me feel ill.

Eve jerked back the curtain.

"Get out!"

Her face was chalk white, and her blue eyes blazed.

"That was close. That was too damned close," I said, coming into the room. I wiped my face with my handkerchief.

"I warned you! This finishes it for us, Chad. I mean it. I'm not seeing you alone again. Don't argue. I mean it. Now get out!"

"I'll find a way," I said as I went to the door.

"There is no way." She joined me at the door. "Let me look first."

She opened the door and glanced up and down the corridor.

"It's all right. Now go."

I slipped out of the room like a frightened thief, and went down to the bar.

Something had to be done. I wasn't going to give Eve up, and I wasn't going to give up my right to all that money.

There had to be a way out!

But why go on?

There was no way out. Each day began with a new hope that something would crop up and give me the opportunity of getting Eve to myself for an hour, but by nightfall the opportunity hadn't come.

The days drifted past. I lived in a kind of vacuum, waiting and waiting and waiting for something that never came.

There had to be an end, and finally Vestal decided it was time to go home.

We had been in Venice for three weeks: the longest three weeks I had ever lived through. Not once since I was nearly caught in her room did I have a private word with Eve. I had been badly shaken, and I was too scared to take risks.

We flew back to Los Angeles, and then drove to Little Eden.

Back at Cliffside I had every hope of finding the opportunity that had escaped me in Venice. I would have many hours away from Vestal when I was at the office. I would have to find an apartment where Eve and I could meet.

As we drove up the steep, winding cliff road, with Vestal looking down at the glittering ocean, and Eve sitting motionless in front of me, my mind plotted and planned.

As soon as we had changed, I left Vestal going through a large pile of mail that was awaiting her attention and went into the room she had given me as a study and called Ryan Blakestone. His report was reassuring. Since I had been away, he had made several successful transactions. I arranged to meet him for lunch the following day.

As I hung up, Vestal came in.

"Chad, darling, I've been invited to open the Shelley Lecture Hall at my old school the day after tomorrow. Father left money to build the hall and it's now completed. I want you to come with me."

"For God's sake!" I said. "Those kind of shindigs bore me stiff. You go without, me."

"But I'll be away for three days, Chad," she said, coming to sit on the arm of my chair. "You wouldn't want me to be away from you all that time?"

My heart skipped a beat, and then began to race madly.

Three days!

Two safe nights with Eve!

Then my mouth turned dry. Suppose Vestal took Eve with her? The chances were that she would.

"Where is your school then?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"San Francisco. I'll fly, of course, but there's a sports meeting the next day and they've asked me to give the prizes."

"I've got work to do," I said, patting her hand. "I'm most certainly not coming. I'm sorry, but that kind of thing isn't my line."

"I suppose not," Vestal said regretfully, "but I would like you to have heard my speech. I'll be taking Eve so I won't be lonely."

I very nearly struck her.

But she didn't take Eve.

At the last moment Eve suddenly went down with sickness and a violent headache.

"At least she might have waited until we got back," Vestal said crossly when she told me. "She's very inconsiderate."

"Take your maid," I said, and I had to make a tremendous effort to hide my feelings. "The girl can't help getting ill."

"I've a good mind not to go," Vestal said irritably. "Oh well, I'll have to take Marianne. She's a fool, but I'll have to put up with her."

She had been working all day on her speech and she had got it on the tape recorder. It is important that I should mention here that Vestal was crazy about tape recorders. She had one in her sitting room and she had given me one for my study.

She made me listen to her speech which was adequate enough, and I was careful to lavish praises on her.

She made three tape recordings before she was satisfied, and she took the machine along with her to the airport so she could play the record back just before she had to open the Lecture Hall.

I went with her to see her off.

"You'll behave yourself, Chad, won't you?" she said suddenly as we walked across the tarmac to the waiting plane. "Don't get into mischief while I'm away."

I forced a laugh.

"Tonight I'm dining with Blakestone. Tomorrow night I am dining with Sternwood. Can't see how I can get into much mischief with those guys."

"I was only joking, darling. Of course, I shouldn't really leave you alone with Eve."

I felt a little chill crawl up my spine.

"Can't say I'm exactly alone with her," I said, trying to sound casual. "There're ten servants and Hargis in the house with us: not entirely alone, Vestal."

"If she wasn't such a dowdy thing I'd be jealous," she said with a brittle little laugh.

I had an idea she was more serious than she made out.

"You're talking nonsense, and I don't like it," I said curtly. "If I were to be unfaithful to you I'd take a damn good care to find someone who doesn't live in the house."

She looked quickly at me; her pinched face alarmed.

"You—you're not going to, are you, Chad?"

"What's the matter with you? Of course not! Now get your mind off this subject. It's not even funny."

Her claw-like hand closed around my wrist.

"You won't ever do that to me, will you, Chad? I couldn't bear it. I—I'd feel so humiliated. I do so want our marriage to be a success."

"Quit talking like this," I said, pretending to be angry. "You have nothing to worry about. Have a good time and hurry home."

Her face brightened.

"You'll miss me then?"

"Sure, and I'll think of you."

It was as much as I could do to look down at her ugly little face and tell these drivelling lies.

"I wish I didn't have to go."

"You'd better get in. They're waiting for you."

She put her skinny arms around my neck and pressed her dry lips against mine.

It was bad enough to have to kiss her in private, but with a couple of dozen people looking on, seeing her ugliness and knowing I couldn't have married her for anything else but her money, it was sheer murder.

She got into the plane at last, and she was waving when it took off.

It would have given me the greatest possible happiness if the plane had suddenly stalled and crashed in flames. That's how much I had grown to loathe her.

There was no sign of Eve when I got back to Cliffside.

I casually asked Hargis where she was.

"She is in bed, I believe, sir," he said, lifting his bushy white eyebrows. "I understand she is unwell."

That jarred me.

I had forgotten she would have to remain in her room for at least this day. Hargis might report to Vestal that as soon as she had gone, Eve had apparently recovered.

I had no idea where Eve's room was in this great palace of a house. I went to my study and checked the house directory. I found her room number and put through a call.

She answered immediately.

"Tonight," I said, keeping my voice down. "At twelve. Will you come to me or shall I come to you?"

"I'll come to you," she said and hung up.

I wiped my sweating hands. I was shaking.

chapter ten

T
he illuminated hands of the bedside clock stood at ten minutes past two. We had been in this room together since midnight.

"It doesn't seem possible that two hours ago I was ready to walk up a wall," I said. "These past weeks have been hell. We've got to think of a way out of this mess. It mustn't happen again."

"Be happy with what you have had," she said. "There can be no easy way. Even this is dangerous. She might come back. She might walk in at this very moment."

"She won't do that. I've locked the door."