2
Four hours later, Kit was still up there and the crowd, still fascinated, remained in the congested street.
During these four long hours a police officer, a doctor and finally a priest had gone up in the crane bucket, one after the other, to try to persuade her to come down. All of them had failed. She had remained there, indifferent to what they said, smoking a cigarette after cigarette and looking down at the sea of up-turned faces without any show of emotional stress.
Calvin sat on the stone edge of the town’s fountain. From this vantage point, he could see Kit clearly. With him was the sheriff and a doctor from the hospital.
‘If she stays up there until it is dark,’ the sheriff said, ‘we plan to rig a net under her. Then some of the boys will go after her. It’ll be tricky. I guess I’ll put a searchlight on her to blind her. She mustn’t see the boys fixing the net.’
‘I don’t think she’ll jump now,’ the doctor said in professional, pompous tones. ‘The longer she stays up there, the less likely she is to take the plunge. I agree about the net, but we’ll have to wait until it’s dark.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Another five hours.’
Listening to them talk, Calvin thought: You two dopes don’t know Kit. She’ll jump, damn her! When she’s ready, she’ll jump and she won’t give you a chance to rig a net. This is her idea to make me suffer! I wish I knew if she had really written that letter! If she hasn’t I haven’t a care in the world, but if she has… I’m wasting time just sitting here. With all this fuss going on, I might be able to get out of town. I’d have a twenty-four-hour start on them. But could I get out? The road blocks are still in place. Without Easton to okay me, they’re certain to check the car, and then I’d be sunk.
He felt a sudden, over-powering urge to do something. The past four hours had strained his nerves to breaking point. He just couldn’t continue to sit there for another five hours before it was dark enough for them to try this cockeyed scheme of rigging a net.
He got to his feet. His fleshy face was congested, his eyes were wild.
‘I’m going up again,’ he said. ‘I can’t just sit here. This is driving me crazy.’
‘I don’t think it will serve any useful purpose,’ the doctor said. ‘I’d leave her alone, Mr. Calvin. When it’s dark…’
‘You’re not me!’ Calvin snarled. ‘That’s my future wife up there! I’m going to talk to her again.’
The doctor shrugged his shoulders.
‘Be careful. Standing like that in the hot sun for so long must have imposed a…’
‘Oh, stuff it!’ Calvin said and shouldering his way through the crowd he reached the bucket. The crane driver was still at his post, and as soon as he saw Calvin waving to him, he started the crane engine.
‘Hey! Calvin!’
Calvin turned. Easton, his fat face white, sweat streaming into his collar, came through the crowd and joined him.
‘I heard it on the radio,’ Easton spluttered. ‘I couldn’t believe it. I hopped in the car and here I am.’ He stared up. ‘Jeepers! What’s got into her?’
Calvin’s mind was busy. This was the man he needed to help him get out of Pittsville. He caught hold of Easton’s arm.
‘I’m glad you came,’ he said. ‘She’s gone crazy. She’s been up there four hours now. I’m going up there to see if I can persuade her to come down this time. I’ve already been up, but maybe this time, she’ll come down.’
‘Anything I can do?’ Easton asked, his eyes still rooted with horror at the figure perched far above him.
‘Maybe there is… will you stand by?’ Calvin said. ‘This is cracking me. I’m relying on you. Don’t go away.’
‘Like hell I won’t,’ Easton said, delighted that a guy like Calvin should want him. ‘You take it easy. I’m right with you.’
Calvin got into the bucket and waved to the crane driver. He was hoisted into the air. After what seemed an interminable time he was level with Kit. The sight of her alarmed him. The strain of standing for so long in that perilous position was telling on her. Her face was chalk white and drawn, but there was a hard glitter in her eyes that warned him she had still plenty of resistance left.
‘Hello,’ she said. ‘Are you enjoying yourself?’
‘Are you coming down?’ Calvin asked, a snarl in his voice. ‘Haven’t you had enough?’
‘Have you?’
‘Sure: I’ve had more than enough. Cut this out and come down!’
He saw her hesitate, then she said, ‘I don’t think I can. I’ve got cramp. I could use a drink!’ She stared at him. ‘If I come, will you help me?’
‘I’m not getting out onto those rods,’ Calvin said. ‘I wouldn’t trust you not to try to take me with you. I’m not helping you. You got yourself into this jam… get yourself out of it!’
‘I can’t. I’ll come if you’ll help me. I’m so stiff I can scarcely move. If you’ll help me, I’ll marry you and go away with you. I can’t get down without your help.’
Calvin stared suspiciously at her.
‘This is a sudden change of mind, isn’t it? I thought you intended to jump.’
‘I’ve been up here long enough to change my mind. If you’ll reach out, I can catch hold of your hand.’
‘Oh no. You’re not touching me. I’d rather trust a snake than you. I’ll get the police up here. They’ll get you down. I’m not helping you.’
The sudden blaze of hatred that lit up her eyes shocked him. He realised his instinct for danger had saved him. She had intended taking him with her.
‘Come here, you devil!’ she screamed. ‘Let me get my hands on you!’
‘Go to hell!’ Calvin snarled and waved to the crane driver to lower the bucket.
Even as the bucket began to sink, Kit left the safe apex of the steel rods and sprang forward, her face ghastly with frustrated fury. In horror, Calvin saw her questing hands miss the rim of the bucket by inches. Had she caught the edge of the bucket, she would have tipped him out. She gave a long wailing scream and was gone.
Shuddering, Calvin shut his eyes. The roar of the crowd came up to him, then the sound of a sickening thud as Kit’s body hit the sidewalk. The bucket swung down quickly.
Easton was waiting as Calvin climbed unsteadily out of the bucket, his face ashen. The fat Federal agent caught hold of Calvin’s arm, steadying him.
Fifty yards or so away, the crowd surged forward, their backs to Calvin. Two men in white coats tried to force their way through the crowd.
‘Get me out of here!’ Calvin gasped. ‘I’m going to pass out! Get me out of here!’
‘Okay, boy,’ Easton said, his own face whitish-green. ‘You hang on to me.’
Together, they fought their way through the crowd. No one paid them any attention. The crowd was only interested in seeing Kit.
‘My car’s right here,’ Calvin said. ‘Will you drive? Take me to the rooming-house.’
‘Sure,’ Easton said. ‘I’m sorry. What made her do it? I can’t say how sorry I am…’
Calvin slumped in the passenger’s seat and hid his face in his hands. He had quickly shaken off the shock of seeing Kit fall, now he wanted time to think what the next move should be.
This is it, he said to himself. If the bitch has left a letter, I’ve only got a few hours before they’ll come after me. I’ve got to get moving. The money’s in the boot. Easton’s driving. It’s a perfect set-up, but will he do what I tell him?
He sat back with a groan.
‘She was drunk,’ he said, his hand sliding to his hip pocket. His fingers closed around the cold butt of the gun. ‘I guess it was too much for her… she promised to give up drinking. But why she did that…’
‘I didn’t know.’ Easton shook his head. ‘Yeah, when they get drinking… can do anything.’