The car was level now. It slowed slightly. I saw Malroux make a movement, then with an effort, he tossed a bulky briefcase out of the window. It landed with a thud in the road within ten feet of me.
The Rolls gathered speed and swept on, heading for Lone Bay.
I remained squatting behind the bush, staring at the briefcase lying on the road for several seconds, scarcely believing the money was there, and within my grasp.
I looked down the road. The red tail lights of the Rolls were fast disappearing in the distance. I stood up, grabbed the briefcase and ran back to the Packard. I threw the briefcase on the back seat, slid under the driving wheel and drove fast towards the beach cabin.
I was elated. It had turned out to be the easiest job in the world, and now I was worth fifty thousand dollars!
I reached the cabin as the hands of the clock on the car’s dashboard showed twenty-five minutes to three. I parked the car and got out, reaching into the back for the briefcase. Then I paused to look around. There was no other car in the park, and that surprised me.
Rhea should have been here by now. She couldn’t have walked. Then where was her car?
Maybe, I told myself, she had had trouble getting away. Maybe O’Reilly had been on the alert, and she would be late. That wasn’t my funeral. I wasn’t going to wait for her. I would take my cut, give the rest to Odette and get home.
I hurried across the sand to the cabin which was in darkness. That wasn’t unexpected. Odette would be sitting on the veranda waiting for me. She wouldn’t have put on the lights in case someone, passing, might wonder what was in the cabin at this late hour.
But when I walked up the veranda steps there was no sign of her. I paused, suddenly uneasy.
‘Odette!’
No sound came to me. The air conditioner was on. Cold air came out of the cabin and dried the sweat on my face.
I entered the cabin, shut the door, put the briefcase on the table and groped for the light switch. I turned on the light.
The room was just as I had left it a few hours ago.
I listened, puzzled and very uneasy.
‘Odette!’ I raised my voice. ‘Hey! Are you there?’
The silence in the cabin was now frightening me. Had she lost her nerve and bolted? Or maybe she had fallen asleep while waiting for me.
I crossed the room and opened the bedroom door. My hand ran down the wall until my fingers found the light switch. I flicked it on.
Just for a brief moment I relaxed when I saw her lying on the bed. Her face was turned away from me. Her black hair was spread out on the pillow. The red wig lay on the floor at the foot of the bed.
‘Hey! Wake up! I’ve got the money!’ I said, then a cold chill began to crawl up my spine.
Twisted tightly around her throat, cutting into her flesh, was something that looked like a nylon stocking.
I took two, slow hesitant steps forward and I peered at her. I caught a glimpse of the blue skin, the protruding tongue and the flecks of white foam around her lips. Shuddering, I stepped hurriedly back.
I just stood there, my heart scarcely beating, while I tried to accept the fact that she had been brutally and horribly strangled.
II
This was murder!
With my mind paralysed with shock, I walked unsteadily into the lounge and across to the bar. I poured myself a shot of Scotch. It helped steady me.
Where was Rhea? I looked at my watch. It was now three minutes to three. Why hadn’t she come? I had to know if she was coming.
After hesitating for some moments, I reached for the telephone and called her house.
I recognised the butler’s voice as he said, ‘Mr. Malroux’s residence. Who is this, please?’
He didn’t sound as if he had been dragged out of bed. Probably, he was sitting up, waiting for Malroux to return.
‘Mrs. Malroux,’ I said. ‘She is expecting me to call. Tell her it is Mr. Hammond calling.’
‘I am sorry, sir, but Mrs. Malroux is asleep. I can’t disturb her.’
‘I must talk to her. She’s expecting me.’
‘I’m very sorry, sir.’ He almost sounded sorry. ‘Mrs. Malroux isn’t well. The doctor has given her a sedative. She is not to be disturbed.’
‘I didn’t know. Well, thanks,’ and I hung up.
What did this mean? I asked myself. Was her illness an excuse so she could slip out of the house and not be missed or had she become really ill?
I wiped my sweating hands.
By now Malroux would be at the Lone Bay parking lot, and waiting. When Odette didn’t show up, he would return home. How soon would it be before he alerted the police?
Then a sudden horrible thought dropped into my mind that set my heart pounding. Those two tapes, so safely lodged in the bank, were useless to protect me now. A faked kidnapping was one thing, but murder was something else. This murder could be pinned on me. The police would say Odette and I had quarrelled over dividing the money, and I had killed her.
I couldn’t leave her body here. I would have to get rid of it. If I left it here, Bill Holden would find it and call the police. They would want to know who had rented the cabin and he would name me. They would want to know why I had rented this de luxe cabin for close on two weeks when I had been out of a job and had no money. They would want to know where I had been this night. Tim Cowley had seen me with a girl. I had introduced her to him as Ann Harcourt. The police would check, and when they found Ann Harcourt didn’t exist, they could easily put two and two together and make her Odette Malroux.
How would Rhea react when she learned that Odette had been murdered? Would she admit planning a faked kidnapping and accuse me of killing Odette? I had to talk to her!
But first I had to get rid of Odette’s body.
The thought of touching her made me feel sick, but I had to do it. I would have to dump her somewhere where she wouldn’t be found until I had had a chance to talk to Rhea.
I decided to take the body to an old worked out silver mine, a mile off the highway. It had the advantage of being on the road home and was a very unfrequented spot. Out there, she could remain undiscovered for months: maybe no one would ever find her.
I hated to do such a brutal thing to her, but I had to think of myself. I took another drink, then bracing myself, I went out and moved the Packard closer to the cabin. I unlocked the trunk of the car and opened it. Then I returned to the cabin and went into the bedroom.
Without looking at her, I flicked the bed cover over her and picked her up. She was surprisingly heavy. I carried her out to the car and slid her into the trunk, then as gently as I could, I pulled the bed cover from under her and then closed the trunk.
By then I was feeling pretty bad. I went back to the cabin and took another drink, then I went into the bedroom, straightened the bed and put the cover on. I put the red wig in her suitcase and checked to make sure there was nothing else belonging to her I had overlooked. Satisfied, I went into the lounge.
As I was crossing to the door, I saw the briefcase on the table. I had completely forgotten about the money. I was no longer interested in it anyway. I didn’t dare touch it. It was murder money. It would have to be dumped with Odette’s body.
I grabbed up the briefcase, then turned off the light and locking the cabin, I got in the car.
I had a three mile drive. Before reaching the mine, I had to pass through Palm Bay. The mine was between Palm Bay and Palm City. The time was now ten minutes after three. There would be no traffic, but there would be patrolling cops. I would have to be carefuclass="underline" no fast driving. I mustn’t do anything that would attract attention to myself.
I drove onto the highway.