I Would Rather Stay Poor (27 page)

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Authors: James Hadley Chase

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‘But where do we go?’ Iris asked. ‘I haven’t any money
…
We just can’t go.’
‘I have some money,’ Travers said. ‘It isn’t much but it’s enough to keep us going for three or four months. We’ll take the eleven fifteen train to
’
Frisco. In the morning, we’ll get married, then I’ll start looking around for something to do.’
Iris hesitated, then she nodded, gripping Travers’s hand.

‘All right. I’ll come with you. Whatever you say, I’m sure you’re right.’

‘Fine.’ Travers took the engagement ring from his pocket. He offered it to her. ‘Do you want your ring back, Mrs. Travers?’
At half past nine, Sheriff Thomson was a
bout to settle down to watch a W
estern on TV when the front door bell rang. He looked at his wife, grimaced, the
n hauled himself out of his arm
chair and went to the door.
‘Why, hello, Ken,’ he said when he saw who it was. ‘Don’t tell me we’ve got an emergency on?’
‘It’s all right, Sheriff,’ Travers said, following the sheriff into the small sitting-room. ‘It’s not that kind of an emergency.’ He put his deputy’s badge and his .45 revolver on the table. ‘I’m resigning from office as from this minute. I’m sorry to spring this on you, but there are special circumstances. Iris and I are leaving tonight for
’
Frisco. We’re getting married tomorrow. I’m quitting because I don’t want to be a police officer when I marry her.’
The sheriff stared at Travers, then he walked heavy-footed to an armchair and sat down.
‘Well! Do you have to drop this kind of bombshell in an old man’s lap as late as this? What’s wrong with being a police officer? Why can’t you marry her and still remain a police officer?’
‘Special circums
tances,’ Travers said woodenly.

‘They must be. Don’t you think I’m entitled to know what the circumstances are?’

‘Yes, I do, but I’m sorry, Sheriff
… I can’t tell you.’

The sheriff pulled at his moustache.

‘Look, son, you and I have worked together now for more than five years. I’ve known you since you were a kid. Let’s have the truth. What’s gone wrong?’
‘I can’t tell you,’ Travers said. ‘I’ve got to quit and that’s all there is to it.’
‘You’ll be sheriff next year. You can’t throw up your career this way, Ken. Have you thought of that?’

‘Of course I have,’ Travers said a little impatiently. ‘I know what I am doing. I’ve got to quit, and I’m quitting.’

The sheriff shrugged.
‘Well, okay, I guess I can’t stop you.’ He waved to the badge and the gun. ‘They’re still yours. You can’t walk out of the force in five minutes. It’ll take a couple of weeks before you are officially free of us, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop you quitting tonight if it’s that urgent. All the same, hang on to the gun and your badge until your papers come through.’
‘I don’t w
ant them,’ Travers said. ‘As far as I’m concerned, I’m officially off the force as from now.’
The sheriff got to his feet.
‘Sure you don’t want to tell me? You can trust me, Ken. I think you could do with some help.’
Travers smiled tigh
tly. He held out his hand.

‘Thanks, Sheriff, but there’s nothing I want to say.’

The two men shook hands.

‘I guess this damn bank robber is going to get away with it,’ the sheriff said gloomily. ‘I was counting on you to get him. This job is way out of my class and out of Easton’s class too.’

‘If he’s to be caught, he’ll get caught,’ Travers said woodenly. ‘I’ll get in touch with you. So long for now and thanks for everything.’

He went out to the waiting car. Iris looked questioningly at him as he got in beside her.
‘That’s number one problem out of the way. He took it all right. Now we’ll go to your home for you to pack a bag. I’ll wait outside. If there’s trouble, you call and I’ll fix it.’
‘There won’t be any trouble,’ Iris said.

Ten minutes later, they pulled up outside the rooming-house.

‘Go ahead and pack what you want,’ Travers said. ‘We should be m
oving in about an hour. If you w
ant me, I’m right here.’
As Iris entered the hall, she heard music from the TV filling the house. She went quickly up the stairs to her room. Shutting the door, she found a couple of suitcases and hastily began to pack them. This took a little time, but finally she finished. As she was trying to shut the lid of one of the cases, Calvin said, ‘Can I help?’
She spun around, her heart missing a beat. He was standing in the doorway, watching her, a fixed, ugly grin on his face.
She backed away as he moved into the room and shut the door.

‘Go away!’ she said, terrified.
‘Don’t come near me!’

‘What’s all the excitement about?’ he asked mildly. ‘What’s all the packing for? You’re not leaving, are you?’

‘I’m leaving with Ken tonight,’ Iris said, trying to steady her voice. ‘He’s outside
…
waiting for me. Now get out!’

‘You have a little job to do for your mother tomorrow. You can’t leave until then.’
‘I’m not doing it! Ken knows
…
get out!’
Calvin moved to the window and looked down at the waiting car in the drive. A hot, scalding rage ran through him.
‘What is he planning
…
to ja
il your mother?’ he asked, turn
ing and staring at her.

‘He’s resigning from the police. We’re getting married. Please, go away!’

‘You mean he isn’t goi
ng to do anything about Kit nor me?’

‘That’s what I mean.’

Calvin thought for a long moment, then he switched on his charm.
‘Why, that’s wonderful. Maybe it’s better for you two to be out of the way.’ He crossed the room and shut the lid of the suitcase with a squeeze from his powerful fingers. ‘I’ll carry your bags down.’
Iris didn’t say anything. She watched him pick up the two bags and walk out of the room. For a moment she stood motionless, trying to control the trembling of her body, then she went quickly out of the room and up to Kit’s room. She turned the door handle, but the door was locked.
‘Kit
…
it’s me. I want to talk to you.’

There was silence.

She knocked.

‘Kit
…
please
…
I’m going away: please open up.’

A loud, drunken voice exclaimed. ‘Oh, go to hell for all I care! Go away and keep away!’
Iris stepped back, hesitated, then turned and went quickly down the stairs. Calvin was standing in the hall.
‘Well, so long,’ he said. ‘Have a nice honeymoon. I won’t embarrass the groom by coming out. You may not think it, but we’ll get away with this. There’s no opposition now. The boy who had me worried was your smart future husband.’
Iris picked up the two bags and without looking at him, went out to where Travers was impatiently waiting.
Calvin watched them drive away, then he walked upstairs and into his room. He sat down and lit a cigarette, he was much more confident now. Of course it was tiresome that Iris wasn’t taking the money out, but at least, he now only had an ageing sheriff and that fool Easton to worry about. There must be some way to get the money out. The great thing was he was rid of Travers.
Around eleven o’clock, he was still sitting, chain-smoking when the communicating door jerked open and Kit came in.
Calvin looked up.

Now for another scene, he thought irritably. She’s been howling her eyes out and she’s tight again.

‘Where’s Iris gone?’ Kit asked, standing in the doorway.

‘While you have been swimming in alcohol,’ Calvin said, stretching out his massive legs,
‘our problems have solved them
selves. Iris very sensibly has decided to marry her cop who very sensibly, in view of the circumstances, has decided to resign from the police force. They have gone off together, and I imagine this will be the last time we see them. This is excellent for us because we now have a dott
y old sheriff and a F.B.I.
agent with stomach ulcers trying to solve the famous bank robbery. The chances of either of them solving it are remote, so for the moment we are sitting pretty.’
‘She’s marrying that boy?’ Kit said, coming into the room.

‘Why shouldn’t she? He’s smart. If I had a daughter, I’d be glad to see her marry our hero.’

‘I owe you something, don’t I?’ Kit said, sitting down and staring at him with hate. ‘How I wish I had never set eyes on you! You’ve spoilt my life. All I hope now is you’ll suffer the way you’ve made me suffer.’
Calvin stifled a yawn.
‘There’s a chance, but I hope not, but life’s damn odd. It catches up with you. Well, could you get over the dramatics? We have business to discuss. I have an idea.’
‘I don’t want to listen to any of your ideas!’
‘You’ll have to,’ Calvin said. ‘I told you: from now on we’re going to be Siamese twins whether you like it or not. Tomorrow I’m resigning from the bank. At the end of the week we’ll get married and who do you suppose is going to be our best man?’ He grinned at her. ‘This is where I’m playing it smart. Our best man is going to be our old pal, Easton. He’s not only going to give us away, but he’s going to put us on the train to Florida. How’s that for a bright idea? We’ll have him escort us to the train and he won’t stand any nonsense about searching our bags. That guy likes me. I can talk him into anything.’ Calvin’s grin widened. ‘Like it? I
t’s
a winner. In ten days, baby, we’ll be out of here on our way to a spending spree.’
‘Suppose I don’t want to do it?’ she said in a low, hesitant voice.
‘You haven’t any choice. It’s either my way or you’ll land up before a judge. Come on, snap out of it! We’re going to get away with this
…
can’t you see? We’re nearly in the clear.’
‘But we’ll have to live with ourselves.’

Calvin leaned back in his chair. He drew in a slow, deep breath of exasperation.

‘Just what does that mean?’

‘You wouldn’t understand,’
Kit said. ‘I’m only just beginning to understand. We should
never have done this thing.’
‘That’s a very bright remark. We did it, now we have to take it as it comes. Look, you’re drunk. You leave all this to me. All I ask you to do is to stay sober enough to go through the motions. I’ll fix everything. You do as I tell you. Okay?’
As she didn’t say anything, Calvin went on, ‘We’ll get a quick sale of this house. I’ll put it in the hands of the agents tomorrow. Better break the news to the old dears. I’ll write to my pal in Florida. I’ll get him to send me a letter offering me a job. That’ll square the bank. We’ll have to get everything fixed as fast as we can. There’s always the chance the top boy will take Easton off the job and put som
eone on as smart as Travers.’
Kit got slowly to her feet and walked unsteadily to the door. She paused and stared at Calvin for a long moment. There was an expression in her eyes that sent a sudden feeling of fear and uneasiness through him.
She turned and still saying nothing, she entered her room and closed the door between them.
CHAPTER SEVEN

1

Calvin arrived at the bank early the following morning. He brought with him his hold-all and he parked his car close to the back entrance of the bank. He went immediately to the vault and packed the payroll into the hold-all.
The sight of the money restored his confidence. He went out the back way and locked the hold-all in the boot of his car.
That was the first step. He was sure he would be safe in moving the money now from the bank to the rooming-house. It was when he attempted to take the money out of Pittsville he would have to watch out.
He waited until nine o’clock, then he put a telephone call through to Marthy at head office. He explained that his replacement for Alice had suddenly gone off to get married and he needed another assistant in a hurry. Marthy promised to send someone as a temporary help on the next train. Then Calvin told him he had been offered a very good job in Florida. He intended getting married and had decided to give up banking. He said he would be glad if Marthy could release him at the end of the week.
Marthy immediately made difficulties. He pointed out that Calvin was under contract to the end of the month. The payroll robbery had still to be solved. Joe Lamb was still ill. It would be difficult to replace Calvin.
Calvin listened to all this with growing impatience.
‘Just the same,’ he said when Marthy had concluded, ‘I’m quitting. I’ll be out of here by the end of the week, and I’ll be glad to be shot of this one-eyed bank and this one-horse town. If you think you can stop me, go ahead and try.’

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