1965 - The Way the Cookie Crumbles (22 page)

Ira sat for a long moment, motionless. If she could only get rid of these two animals, she told herself, she would do anything!

Finally, she nodded.

‘I’ll try,’ she said, not looking at him.

‘You’ll do better than that. Listen carefully: as soon as the vault is open, get the money. Stick it in your pants. Tell whoever it is you have to tell you’re feeling sick. You’ve eaten something bad or something. Ask to go home. I’ll be waiting right here. Give me the money and go home and you’ll be in the clear. Phil and I will be out of Paradise City by eleven. Do you dig all that?’

She was getting over the shock now and her panic was subsiding. This was an all or nothing chance, she told herself. Once she was rid of these two, she might even be able to hold onto this new way of life she loved so much.

‘I’ll do it,’ she said breathlessly. ‘I’ll get you the money,’ and she stood up.

Edris stared at her.

‘I’ll be waiting, baby. Remember, you slip up and we’re all done for, remember that.’

She walked unsteadily out of the cafe and across the street to the bank. She was sick with fear. She was only just beginning to accept the fact that Algir had actually murdered Mel’s daughter. She was sure if Mel ever found out, he wouldn’t believe she had had no part in the murder.

She had to get the money to get rid of these two. If they were caught! She shivered at the thought of trying to explain and convince Mel and the police she hadn’t known that Algir had murdered Norena. She knew Edris was right, they would never believe her.

The next hour passed agonizingly slowly. She sat at her desk in the accounts department aimlessly turning sheets of paper, too fearful to know what she was doing. One of the girl clerks, passing, stopped to ask her if she was all right.

‘You look terrible, Norena. Don’t you think you should go home?’

‘I’m all right,’ Ira said curtly. ‘Don’t fuss.’

The girl looked at her again, then shrugging, she went away.

As the hands of the wall clock slowly moved to 09.45 hours, Ira got up and walked across the main hall towards the vault. Aldwick wasn’t there and this surprised her. The other guard was unlocking the grill.

‘Where’s Aldwick?’ she asked, pausing as he slid back the grill.

‘Busy,’ he said curtly and handed her the pass key.

She went quickly down the steps, snapping on the lights of the vault. Reaching her desk, she paused for a long moment to listen, aware that her heart was hammering and her mouth was unbearably dry. Hearing only the hum of voices and the shuffling of feet from the main lobby, she walked quickly down the lane that led to the Garland safe.

Taking the key Edris had given her from her pocket, she pushed it into the first lock and turned the key. Then using her pass key, she unlocked the second lock. She looked back over her shoulder down the long lane, then seeing no one, she opened the safe door, snatched out the bulky envelope which she had put into the safe only a few days ago, shut the safe door and relocked it.

She pulled up her skirt and slipped the envelope inside her panties, flattening the envelope against her stomach. She adjusted the elastic band so that it was firmly against the envelope, then she dropped her skirt.

She walked quickly back to her desk, her face white, her hands trembling. She put the pass key into the desk drawer and locked the drawer. As she did so, Aldwick, the guard came down the steps.

‘Morning, Miss Devon,’ he said and looked sharply at her. ‘Mr. Devon is asking for you. He wants you right away.’ He looked at her again. ‘Something wrong, Miss?’

‘It’s all right. I’m - I’m not feeling very well. My father wants me?’

‘Yes, miss.’

‘The pass key is in this drawer. I’ll leave the key in the lock,’ she said, and nodding, she hurried up the steps and into the main hall. She made her way to Mel’s office, rapped on the door and entered. She came to an abrupt standstill when she saw Mel wasn’t alone. With him was

Detective 2nd Grade Tom Lepski who was standing by the window, looking towards her. She knew at once he was a detective, and it was only by an effort of will that she came further into the room.

‘You - you wanted me, daddy?’

‘Yes,’ Mel said, getting to his feet. ‘This is Detective Lepski of police headquarters.’ Seeing her white, frightened face, he went on, smiling, ‘Nothing to be worried about, my dear. He thinks you might be able to help him . . . just a few questions.’

Lepski was a little puzzled. Why was the girl so obviously scared? She looked ill, as if she might faint at any moment. Why?

‘Sit down, Miss Devon,’ he said, softening his usual tough cop voice. ‘I won’t keep you long.’

This was the girl, he was thinking, who needed to wear spectacles all the time, and yet she wasn’t even wearing them in the bank!

Ira sat down on an upright chair near Mel’s desk. She gripped her trembling hands firmly between her knees and forced herself to meet Lepski’s cop stare.

‘You have seen this man?’ Lepski asked, producing a photograph of Algir and handing it to her.

Ira stared at it and nodded.

‘Yes. It’s Mr. Forester.’

‘How often did he come to the bank, Miss Devon?’

Lepski returned the photograph to his wallet and produced a notebook.

‘Every day.’

‘You went with him to unlock his safe?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Did you ever have the opportunity of seeing inside his safe?’

‘No. When I had unlocked the first lock, I always left him.’

‘Did he ever give you any idea what he was putting in or taking out of his safe?’

‘No.’

While he was asking these questions, Lepski was writing both questions and answers in his notebook. He had had a sudden idea and he wanted to put it to a test.

‘He left the Regent Hotel on 9th of this month, Miss Devon. He didn’t give you a change of address?’

‘No.’

‘Did he ever mention any of his friends by name?’

‘No.’

Lepski slipped in his catch question.

‘Did he ever mention a Dr. Weidman of Miami?’

‘No.’

‘Do you know Dr. Weidman, Miss Devon?’

Ira stiffened. She looked at Lepski who was writing in his notebook, his face expressionless.

‘No, I don’t.’

‘You have never heard of him?’

‘No.’

Well, what do you know? Lepski thought. Weidman had Norena’s card on his files. He had tested her for glasses and here she was saying she had never heard of him. What the hell was all this?

Play it cool, he told himself. Don’t start anything you can’t finish. He was aware that Mel was looking at him with a puzzled stare.

‘When Forester came to the bank, he always had a briefcase with him?’

‘Yes.’

‘You have no idea what was in the briefcase?’

‘No.’

Lepski wrote for a moment, then looked up and smiled.

‘That’s all, Miss Devon. You might just look at this and see if I’ve got it right. If I have, will you initial it?’

He handed the notebook to Ira who took it reluctantly.

‘What’s the idea?’ Mel asked sharply. ‘She hasn’t made a statement. What do you want her to initial it for?’

Lepski gave him a guileless smile.

‘It’s a new police regulation, Mr. Devon. Nothing to it. Just to keep our record straight.’

Mel shrugged and smiled reassuringly at Ira.

‘Read it through then, hon and initial it.’

Ira read the tiny, neat handwriting. Her instinct for danger was sounding an alarm bell. She had a feeling that she was walking into some kind of trap, but she had no idea what the trap was.

‘Yes, it’s all right,’ she said and took the ballpoint Lepski handed her. She scribbled her initials at the bottom of the page.

Lepski got to his feet, took the notebook from her and thanked her.

There’s nothing the matter with this girl’s eyesight, he was thinking. Just what could this mean?

‘Oh, one more question, Miss Devon. Have you ever heard of a girl named Ira Marsh?’

Ira seemed to shrink in her chair. Her face turned so white Mel jumped to his feet.

‘No - no. I’ve never heard of her!’

‘Norena! Aren’t you well?’ Mel asked, coming around his desk and reaching her.

‘No, daddy. I feel awful,’ Ira said. ‘I ate something last night, may I go home? I’ll be all right if I just lie down.’

Mel looked at Lepski.

‘Will you run along officer? You see how it is.’

‘Sure, sure,’ Lepski said. ‘I’m sorry,’ and with his eyes glittering with excitement, he left the room.

‘I’ll get someone to take you home, darling,’ Mel said. ‘I’m so sorry. Now, don’t you worry.’

‘Oh, don’t fuss!’ Ira said, pulling herself together. She got to her feet. ‘I don’t want anyone to see me home. I’m not dying!’ and turning, she went quickly from the room, leaving him staring blankly after her.

* * *

Ticky Edris sat with his little legs dangling, his face a mask of sweat, his shifty eyes constantly going to his watch. How much longer was she going to be? He wondered. It was now 10.43 hours. Had something gone wrong? Had someone caught her opening the safe?

Then he saw her. She came into the bar, upright, arrogant, her chin thrust out, her face white, her eyes steady. She came down the aisle between the tables without hurrying. He was suddenly reminded of her when he first met her: hard, confident and as tough as tempered steel. He wiped his sweating face as he stared up at her.

She put both hands on the table and leaned towards him, her blue eyes glittering.

‘Did you get it?’ Edris asked, wondering what had come over her, vaguely frightened by this change in her.

‘I’ll ask the questions,’ she said. ‘You murdered my sister, didn’t you?’

Edris flinched. He showed his teeth in a snarl.

‘What the hell’s that to do with it?’ he demanded. ‘She was dying. I didn’t murder her! I helped her on her way out. What do you care? Did you get it?’

‘That suicide note. Did you write it?’

‘Yeah. so what? I wrote the other letters the cops found in her apartment so the handwriting matched. So what? Did you get the money, damn you!’

‘You murdered her lover too, didn’t you?’

‘Oh, knock it off! If you must know, Phil did it. We had to set up this thing, baby. They were both in the way.’ He banged the table with his small fist. ‘Did you get the money?’

‘I got it. A cop was in the bank. He asked me if I knew a girl named Ira Marsh.’

Edris’ face went slack.

‘Yes, little man,’ Ira said softly. ‘It won’t be long now. How crazy could I have been to have done this thing with you? How crazy? They know. Well, a few more hours, not longer.’

Edris slid off his chair.

‘Give me the money! You come with me, baby. You and me can get out of here! We’ve still got a chance. Come on, give me the money!’

‘I put it back in the safe. Why should I make more trouble for myself? So long, Ticky. It won’t be long. We’ll meet again in the cop house,’ and turning, she walked swiftly out of the cafe and into the glare of the sun.

* * *

Jess Farr, seated in the rented Ford, his hands resting lightly on the steering wheel, a puzzled expression on his face, watched Ira leave the cafe opposite the Florida Safe Deposit Bank.

He had been parked under the palm trees now for the past hour. He had seen Ticky Edris arrive. He had seen Ira enter the cafe and after a few minutes come out, looking as if her world had fallen apart. He had watched her enter the bank.

He waited impatiently for Edris to appear, but he didn’t. All this puzzled Jess. Why had Edris turned up instead of Algir? It never occurred to Jess to buy a newspaper. He never read newspapers: he never read anything.

He lit a cigarette and settled himself more comfortably and continued to wait. An hour and three-quarters crawled by and he began to lose his nerve. If he remained much longer parked here, he thought, some cop would start to get nosey and then he could be in trouble. Then just as he was deciding to change his parking place, he saw Ira again come from the bank and walk quickly over to the cafe. He stiffened to attention because there was a marked change in Ira’s appearance. This was the old Ira he had known in New York. That walk. that tense, hard expression, that set of her shoulders. He flicked the butt of his cigarette out of the car window as he watched her enter the cafe. She had got the dough, he thought. He was sure of that, and he reached forward to switch on the ignition. She only remained in the cafe for a few minutes. She came out and hurried to the parking lot behind the bank. As he lost sight of her, he saw Edris come trotting out of the cafe.

He stared at Edris as other people, passing along the sidewalk, were staring. The dwarf looked half demented. His face was the colour of wax. His small mouth was twitching. His stumpy hands flopped against his sides like newly landed fish as he bounced and hopped towards his parked Mini.

What the hell was up? Jess asked himself, pressing down the starter. As Edris got into his car and slammed the door, Jess began to edge the Ford out of the parking bay. The Mini took off and headed towards Seacombe.

Jess went after it.

* * *

Lepski stood by his car, hesitating. There was one small chance he could take to set his mind at rest. Should he take it? If it didn’t come off, the Chief wouldn’t be pleased, but if it did . . .!

Lepski abruptly made up his mind. He got into his car, started the engine and swung the car into the traffic. Driving carefully and fast, he headed for highway 4A and for Miami.

Once free of the traffic congestion and when he had reached the beginning of the highway, he glanced at his watch. The time was 10.36 hours. He was due back at headquarters at 11.30 hours. He would certainly have to shift if he hoped to be back anywhere near that time. He spotted a patrol officer, sitting astride his parked motorcycle, checking the busy traffic. He pulled up beside him.

‘Hi, Tim,’ he said. ‘I have an emergency in my hair. Will you open up the way for me? First stop Graham Co-Ed School, Miami. Let’s get there in thirty minutes flat.’

The traffic cop grinned as he gunned his engine to life.