‘How about Maxie?’ Dedrick asked. ‘We’re wasting time, Jeff.’
‘Get him up here,’ Barratt said, and kicked me again.
Dedrick picked up the telephone receiver.
‘Mr. Barratt is asking for you,’ he said into the mouthpiece. ‘Please come up.’
Barratt grabbed me by my coat front, hauled me to my feet and slammed me into the armchair.
‘We’ll fix Maxie, and then we’ll blow,’ he said. It’s time I changed my address. Leave him to me.’
He stood against the wall by the door.
Dedrick faced the door.
There was perhaps a five-minute wait, then a rap came on the door.
‘Come in,’ Barratt said.
The door pushed open. Maxie came in. His round, fat face was sullen, and his lower lip was pushed out aggressively.
Dedrick kept the .45 down by his side, out of sight.
‘Come in and shut the door,’ he said.
Maxie gaped at me, changed colour, came into the room and shut the door.
‘What goes on here?’ he demanded.
Dedrick raised the gun and pointed it at Maxie’s paunch.
‘Did you give him the pass-key?’
Maxie glared at me.
‘If he said that, he’s lying. What are you pointing that gun at me for? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?’
‘It’ll probably be fatal,’ Dedrick said, and smiled.
Barratt moved silently up to Maxie and tapped him on the shoulder.
‘Hello, little brother,’ he said.
Maxie nearly jumped out of his skin.
‘Hey! What’s the idea? Who’s this guy with the gun?’ He tried to make his voice sound tough, but his eyes showed alarm. ‘Guns ain’t allowed in this building. I’ll have to report it.’
‘I’m afraid you won’t have the time,’ Barratt said. ‘I’m a little sick of you, Maxie. Now Gracie’s gone, I think we might get rid of you too.’
Maxie’s mouth fell open. He looked with horror first at Dedrick and then at Barratt. Hurriedly he put up his hands.
‘I won’t make any trouble, Mr. Barratt,’ he said. ‘You can rely on me…’
He caught his breath in a strangled gasp when he saw the knife in Barratt’s hand.
‘Sorry, Maxie.’ Barratt poked the knife into Maxie’s side,. ‘You’ve seen too much, and you’re too great a nuisance. Go into the bathroom.’
Maxie fell on his knees, his face turning green.
‘Don’t touch me, Mr. Barratt,’ he said between locked teeth.
‘I promise you…’
Barratt clubbed him over the head with the gun-butt, driving him to the floor.
Maxie fell forward on his hands, shaking his head, groaning.
‘Give me a hand with him,’ Barratt snarled.
Dedrick and he grabbed Maxie and hauled him across the room to a door that led into the bathroom.
As Dedrick released Maxie to open the door, Maxie suddenly stumbled to his feet, hit out at Barratt and made a staggering rush to the door of the apartment.
Barratt swung his gun and clubbed Maxie to his knee again. They dragged him into the bathroom. There was a struggle, and Maxie began to yell. The dull, heavy sound of a blow stopped the yelling. There came a rasping, choking gasp and Dedrick backed out of the bathroom, his face white and set.
The gasping noise continued, making me feel sick. After a while the sound petered out
Barratt appeared in the doorway. He looked at me and showed his teeth.
‘It’ll be your turn in a little while, my friend,’ he said. ‘But you won’t get it the easy way.’ He turned to Dedrick, who was watching him. ‘All right, take him away. Careful how you go. If you run into trouble, shoot him.’
‘You don’t expect me to take him alone, do you?’
‘Why not? I’ve got to get rid of Maxie. We’ll have to move.
‘What are you worrying about? Shoot him if he tries anything funny.’
‘And get a load of law on my neck.’
‘Shoot them too,’ Barratt said and laughed.
Dedrick hesitated, then shrugged.
‘Better lend me a coat to hide his hands. I’ll bring it back when I’ve planted him.’
Barratt went into the bedroom, came out a moment later, carrying a light overcoat.
Dedrick hauled me to my feet.
‘I’ll be using your car,’ he said. ‘One false move, and I’ll blast you.’
Barratt draped the coat over my shoulders, and wrapped a silk scarf around my mouth to hide the tape.
‘We shan’t meet again, Malloy,’ he said to me. ‘Maybe I’ll see you, but you won’t see me.’ He shoved me towards Dedrick. ‘Get going.’
Dedrick took my arm and led me into the passage.
There was no one to see us get into the elevator. When the elevator came to rest at the ground floor, Dedrick dug the gun into my side.
‘Don’t forget, one false move and you get it,’ he said I could see sweat running down his face.
We walked into the lobby. He shoved me across the stretch of carpet to the front entrance, down the steps to the Buick.
Two girls were walking up the drive. They glanced at us without interest, passed us and entered the lobby.
Dedrick opened the rear door.
‘Get in!’
As I bent forward to get in the car, Dedrick smashed his gun butt down on my head.
III
My mind came fumbling out of a dark pit. Consciousness returned like a hangover on a foggy morning. First, I became aware of a throbbing pain in my head, then, as I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on my back, the beam of a flashlight playing on my face. I grunted, turned my head and tried to sit up. A hand on my chest shoved me back.
‘Stay parked,’ Dedrick growled. ‘I’m just bedding you down.’ His fingers picked the end of the tape loose that bound my mouth. When he had enough purchase, he gave it a quick hard pull, skinning it off my mouth. That hurt, and I grunted again.
The light was bothering me, but the dank, cold air and the darkness beyond the beam of the flashlight bothered me more.
‘What’s going on?’ I growled.
‘You’ll find out.’
I felt something tight around my waist. Bending my head I could see Dedrick fastening a thick chain, looped round my middle, with a padlock. I looked beyond him at the rough-hewn walls, supported by blackened props of wood.
‘Where’s this—the mine?’ I asked.
‘Yeah; a hundred feet below ground.’ He snapped the pad-lock shut and stood away. ‘This isn’t my idea, Malloy. You heard what he said. I’ve nothing against you. I’d put a slug through your head if it wasn’t for him. He’ll come and look at you tomorrow.’
‘Is he going to leave me here to starve to death?’ I asked, testing the tape that bound my hands. There was no give in it at all.
‘You won’t starve.’ He paused while he lit a cigarette. I saw his hand was unsteady. ‘You won’t have time to starve.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You’ll find out. If you give me your word not to start anything until I’ve gone I’ll undo your hands. At least, it’ll give you a fighting chance.’
I was beginning to feel spooked.
‘If I get my hands free, I’ll probably strangle you,’ I said ‘I scare easy, but not that easy.’
‘Don’t talk like a fool. You don’t know what you’re up against. Turn over. I’m going to free your hands.’
I turned over, and he shoved his knee in my back as he pulled the tape loose. He was out of range before I could grab him.
I pushed myself into a sitting position. I couldn’t stay upright: the chain holding me was too short, but it was a nice feeling to have free hands again.
‘I’ll leave you a light,’ Dedrick said. That’s about the best I can do for you.’
‘You have a bad dose of conscience.’ As I rubbed my wrists trying to restore the circulation, I stared up at him. ‘What’s going to happen?’