Lay Her Among The Lilies

I was sweating and worried. I had to get him out of sight before anyone else showed up.

Right by me was a door. I took a chance, turned the handle and looked into an empty cabin.

Probably it was his cabin, and he had been going to it.

I caught him up under his arm-pits and dragged him into the cabin, shut and bolted the

door.

Working fast, I stripped him, took off my clothes and put on his.

His peaked yachting-cap was a little big for me, but it hid my face.

I gagged him, rolled him in a sheet and tied the sheet with his belt and a length of cord I

found in a cabin. Then I hauled him on to the bunk, left the Sten gun beside him, shoved my

.38 down the front of my pants and went to the door.

I listened, heard nothing, opened the door a crack and peered out. The corridor was as

empty as a dead man’s mind, and as quiet. I turned off the light, slid out of the cabin and

locked the door after me.

I looked at my watch. It was twenty-five minutes past eight. I had only thirty-five minutes

before Kerman showed up.

198

James Hadley Chase – Lay Her Among The Lilies – Chapter VI

Chapter VI

I

I stood in the shadow of a ventilator and looked along the boat-deck. Overhead a cream and

red awning flapped in the stiff breeze. The whole length of the deck was covered with a

heavy red pile carpet, and green and red lights make a string of glittering beads along the rail.

Beyond the bridge-deck I could see two immaculately dressed sailors standing under arc

lights at the head of the gangway. A girl in evening-dress and two men in tuxedos had just

come aboard. The sailors saluted them as they crossed the deck to disappear into the

brilliantly-lit restaurant, built between the bridge and the f’cle-decks. Through the big,

oblong-shaped windows I could see couples dancing to the strains of muted saxophones and

the throb of drums.

Above me on the bridge-deck three white-clad figures hung over the rail, watching the

steady flow of arrivals. It was dark up there, but I saw one of them was smoking.

No one paid me any attention, and after a quick look to right and left I slid from the shadow

of the ventilator across the pile of the carpet to a lifeboat; paused, listened, looked to right and

left again, and then made a silent dart to the shadows immediately beneath the bridge-deck.

“They keep coming,” a voice drawled above me. “Going to be another good night.”

“Yeah,” said another voice. “Look at that dame in the red dress. Look at the shape she’s

wearing. I bet she …”

But I didn’t wait to hear what he bet. I was scared they might look down and see me. Right

by me was a door. I slid it back a couple of inches and looked down a ladder to the lower

deck. Not far off a girl laughed: a loud, harsh sound that made me glance over my shoulder.

“Tight as a tick,” one of the men on the bridge-deck said. “That’s how I like my women.”

Three girls and three men had just come aboard. One of the girls was so drunk she could

scarcely walk. As they crossed to the restaurant I slid down the ladder to the lower deck.

It was dark and silent down there. I moved away from the ladder. The moonlight, coming

from behind a thin haze of cloud, was just bright enough for me to see the deck was deserted.

5

LAY HER AMONG THE LILIES

One solitary light came from a distant porthole as conspicuous as a soup stain on a bridal

gown.

I made my way towards it, moving cautiously and making no sound. Halfway along the

deck, I paused. Ahead of me appeared a white figure, coming towards me. There was

nowhere to hide. The deck was as bare of cover as the back of my hand. My fingers closed

over the butt of my gun as I moved over to the deck-rail and leaned against it.

A tall, broad-shouldered man in a singlet and white ducks came into the light from the porthole,

moved out of it towards me. He went past, humming under his breath, without even

looking at me, and climbed the ladder to the upper deck.

I breathed heavily through my nose, and headed for the porthole again, paused beside it,

and took a quick look inside. I very nearly let out a cheer.

Paula was sitting in an armchair, facing me. She was reading a magazine, a worried little

frown on her face. She looked very lovely and lonely. I had hoped to find her on this deck. I

couldn’t think where else they could hide her, but I hadn’t expected to find her so quickly.

I examined the door of the cabin. There was a bolt on the outside and it was pushed home. I

slid it back, turned the handle and pushed. The door opened and I went in. It was like walking

into a glass-house in mid-summer.

Paula started up out of her chair at the sight of me. For a moment she didn’t recognize me

in the white ducks and the cap, then she flopped limply back in the chair and tried to smile.

The look of relief in her eyes was a good enough reward for that trip I had made in the

packing-case.

“How are you getting on?” I said, and grinned. If she hadn’t been so damned self-controlled

I would have kissed her.

“All right. Did you have any trouble getting here?” She tried to sound casual, but there was

a shake in her voice.

“I managed. At least they don’t know I’m here yet. Jack and Mike will be out around nine.

We may have to swim.”

She drew in a deep breath and got to her feet.

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LAY HER AMONG THE LILIES

“I knew you’d come, Vic.” Then just when I thought she was going to let her hair down,

she went on, “But you shouldn’t have come alone. Why didn’t you bring the police?”

“I didn’t think they would come,” I said. “Where’s Anona?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think she’s here.”

The heat in the cabin made me sweat.

“What happened? Let’s have it quick.”

“The bell rang and I went to the door,” she told me. “I thought it was you. Four Wops

crowded me back into the lobby. Two of them went into the bedroom and I heard Anona

scream. The other two said they were taking me to the ship. One of them threatened me with

a knife. I had an idea he would use it if I gave him the slightest chance.” She made a little

grimace. “They took me down in the elevator out into the street. All the time one of them

pressed the knife into my side. There was a car waiting. They bundled me in and drove off.

As we were driving away I caught sight of a big. black Rolls pulling up outside the

apartment. One of the Wops came out with Anona in his arms. This was in broad daylight.

People just stared, but didn’t do anything. They put her in the Rolls and I lost sight of her. I

was brought here and locked in. They said if I made a noise they’d cut my throat. They’re

dreadful little men, Vic.”

“I know,” I said grimly. “I’ve met them. That Rolls belongs to Maureen Crosby. Maybe

they’ve taken Anona to her house on the cliffs.” I thought for a moment, asked, “Has anyone

been near you?”

She shook her head.

“I want to take a look around the ship before we go. Maureen may be on board. Think it’ll

be safe for you to come with me?”

“If they find me gone they’ll raise the alarm. Perhaps I’d better stay here until you’re ready

to go. You’ll be careful, won’t you, Vic?”