“I’ve told you,” Gerald said. “The only ideas I have concern thirty-five thousand dollars in hard cash.”
Five minutes later they were in the taxi heading across town.
CHAPTER SEVEN
She lay sprawled out on top of the sheet, her eyes filled with hatred as he leaned over and spoke to her.
“I’m taking the gag out of your mouth,” he said. “If you yell, or make any trouble, I’ll knock your teeth down your throat. Just stay right where you are and be quiet. Someone is coming in to see you for a few minutes.”
She fought back the sudden fear, trying to understand. He’d told her that if she didn’t talk he’d bring someone in; someone who would do horrible things to her. Someone who would make his own cruelties seem like caresses by comparison.
“You’re not going to be hurt,” he said. “This man is just going to talk to you.” He sensed her fears and spoke quickly. “But remember, no yelling.”
She sensed relief then; he must be telling the truth. He wouldn’t be taking the gag from her mouth if anyone were going to hurt her. She wondered what would happen next. Wondered what they would eventually do with her. She knew the kind of man he was. She could guess.
Slaughter removed the gag and reached down, lifting her slender body so that she leaned back against the headboard. He turned and left the room, closing the door behind himself. For several minutes she just sat there and then, as she heard the sound of the footsteps approaching, her eyes once more went to the door, wide with fright.
Gerald entered the room and closed the door firmly behind himself. He walked over to the bed and leaned down, sitting on the edge of it. He spoke quickly, before she had a chance to say a word and while the expression on her face was rapidly changing first from fear to utter amazement and then from amazement to bitter amusement.
“Please don’t say a word,” he said. “I’ve only got a couple of minutes before he’ll be back and you have got to listen to me.”
She stared at him, wide-eyed.
“I might have guessed,” she began, “might have guessed that you…”
“Don’t guess anything,” he said quickly. “You’d be wrong. Just listen. If you are interested in saving your life, just do nothing and listen to me.”
“I don’t care what they do to me,” she said, half hysterically. “Sooner or later the police…”
“Shut up and listen to me,” he said, taking her by the arms and shaking her. “It isn’t only your life-it can be mine too. But if you do just as I tell you, we’ll both get out of this. We’ll not only get out of it, but you’ll get what you want.”
“You don’t know what I want,” she said, fiercely, trying to pull away from him.
“I do know what you want,” he said. “I know very well what you want. But you simply have to have faith in me. I can’t explain, I can’t tell you why. I can’t tell you anything. I haven’t time. But you must do exactly as I tell you.”
Watching her as he quickly spoke, he was glad to see her expression gradually change from antagonism to curiosity.
“Some of what I told you last night is true,” he said. “But there was a lot I didn’t tell you. A lot I didn’t know myself. I didn’t know that they were going to pick you up. I didn’t know…”
“Are you trying to tell me you aren’t in with…”
“Do please shut up,” Gerald said. “Shut up and listen. Don’t ask questions. I haven’t time to answer them. I’ve only got another minute. Listen.”
He still held her by the arms and he could feel her suddenly relax.
“I’ve made a deal. They’re getting the jewels and they’re letting you go free. On the understanding that you keep your mouth shut. That you never breathe a word of what has happened.”
“And you,” she began.
“Later,” he said quickly. “Later, when you are out of here and free, I’ll tell you all about myself. Right now please just trust and believe me. Do exactly what I tell you to do and I’ll promise that it will work out the way you want it to. You must absolutely convince them that if they let you go you will keep your mouth shut. Later, late today, Slaughter will bring you to a certain place. He’ll take the jewels and you’ll be released.”
“But why…”
“Look,” he said, “dear God, just promise to do what I ask.”
For a long moment she looked into his face, this time almost without expression. She half nodded her head.
“And you,” she said. “Just what are you going to get out of it?”
For a moment he stared back into her eyes and then he quickly leaned forward on the bed and his lips barely brushed her forehead.
“Me?” he said. “Why I’m going to marry you and live happily ever after.”
He stood up, watching her seriously as her mouth fell open in surprise.
“That’s right,” he said. “And I want you to know that I realize you wouldn’t marry a thief or a crook.”
Staring at him, she suddenly realized that he was dead serious.
“Why,” she said, “why you don’t even know me! You must be a little crazy. We don’t…”
His finger went to his lips and he moved toward the door silently.
“I don’t even know myself,” he said. “But I’m not crazy. Not a bit. I’m completely and beautifully sane-probably for the first time in my life.”
He opened the door slightly and called out.
“O.K., Slaughter, we’re all through.”
He made the reservation over the telephone, using a public booth in the rear of a midtown tavern. He hit the right combination on his third try. The desk clerk at the Metropole had exactly what he wanted-two rooms, separated by a bath. He explained that he would be using the suite overnight, sharing it with a business acquaintance. Room 508 he reserved for himself, giving his correct name and address. Room 510 he reserved under the name of Fred Slaughter.
“Mr. Slaughter,” Gerald said, “will arrive sometime early this evening. However, I’ll stop by within an hour and will pay for both rooms at that time. I’d appreciate it if the maid can have them made up as I’d like an opportunity to arrange my samples.”
He wanted to leave the impression with the clerk that he was a salesman.
He took a cab from the tavern to Grand Central. He was vaguely worried by the possibility of being picked up. There was a chance that the police could have found out about his leaving the office and he guessed that the moment he was reported missing, the pickup order would go out.
He hurried into the station and found the checkroom where he had left the brief case and the zipper bag on Saturday. It only took a minute or so to retrive them.
The next stop was at a luggage shop in the arcade. Here he purchased a fairly large leather suitcase. He had the clerk remove the price tag and he opened the bag and put both of his other burdens in it.
A door or two away was a haberdashery and he went in and bought several shirts, some socks and underwear. One more stop and he had added a shaving and toilet kit to his luggage. And then he took a cab to the Metropole.
It was a rather small, very respectable semiresidential hotel in the Murray Hill section. The clerk greeted him with a smile when he identified himself. After Gerald had signed the register, he started to reach for his wallet.
“You can take care of it when you are ready to sign out,” the desk clerk said.
Gerald nodded and thanked him.
“I’ll go on up now,” he said, “but I’d like to leave Mr. Slaughter’s key for him to pick up himself when he comes in. I’ll probably be in and out of my room and I want to be sure…”