“For God’s sake, how many more times? Yes! Yes! Now are you satisfied? And where do you get all this ‘we’ stuff from? I’m not doing it. You’re not doing it. Doc, Gilroy and Rollo are doing it!”
Butch shrugged. “I’m going to be right there when the payoff takes place,” he said. “Weidmann’s worth a pile of jack. He could lose two million without going into a decline.”
“If you believe that, you’ll believe anything,” Celie said, reaching for a cigarette in the ebony box on the bedside table.
She glanced up, saw the tight, cruel mouth now set in a hard line and the small eyes like chips of ice and she realized that it wouldn’t be wise to goad him further. “Listen, Mike,” she said, resting back on her elbow, “you know I want to get out of all this when the time’s right. But this isn’t the time. We must wait. We can’t afford to take chances—”
“Aw, shut up!” Butch said viciously. “You’re trying to walk out on me. I know. I can smell it a mile away. Well, you’re not going to do it. I’ll kill you first. Do you hear?”
She smiled at him. “Don’t get mad, Mike, I’m not going to walk out on you.”
The cold look went out of his eyes, and he grinned. “I’d get a kick out of killing you, baby,” he said. “Know what? I’d break your back across my knee. You’d take a week to croak.”
Celie’s smile remained fixed. “Now we know,” she said.
“Yeah,” Butch returned. “But never mind that.” He tossed his cigarette butt into the fireplace and scratched his head.
“Maybe I’ll figure out a way to cut us in. Even I have ideas now and then.”
“Oh, forget it,” Celie said, suddenly standing up. “Go home, Mike. I’m tired.”
He pulled her to him, feeling her hard, thin back through the silk of her wrap. “You’re always tired when I come along, aren’t you? Well, that don’t matter. I can wait.” He let her push him away and then said suddenly, “Weidmann keeps his brother’s body in the house?”
Celie suddenly stiffened. “I don’t know,” she said “Why?”
Butch grinned. “I think I’ve gotta idea. Listen, suppose I went out there and snatched the body. Neither Rollo nor Weidmann could start anything then, could they? Maybe Weidmann would pay plenty to get the body back.”
Celie’s eyes were wide open now. “You’re crazy,” she gasped. “You couldn’t do a thing like that.”
“Why not?” Butch said, grinning at her. “It’s a pushover.” All I’d have to do would be to go out there one night, knock the body off and hide it some place. There might be a million in it!”
Celie turned away so that he could not see her alarm. If the fool did that he would upset everything. “You can’t double-cross Rollo,” she said, over her shoulder. “Don’t be a fool, Mike. That’s a crazy idea.”
“It’s a pip,” Butch said excitedly. “And you know it, only it don’t suit you to play along. Okay, baby, I’ll pull it without you.”
She spun round. “You dare!” she said, her voice rising.
Butch’s face became suddenly ugly with menace. As he lifted his hand to strike her, the front door bell rang.
Both of them remained still, rage draining from them. Butch slowly lowered his hand and jerked his head. “Rollo?” he whispered, his hand instinctively going to his hip pocket.
Celie shook her head. “He has a key,” she whispered back. “The door’s bolted, but we would have heard him trying to open it.”
Butch relaxed a trifle. “Expecting anyone?
Again Celie shook her head.
“Well, let ‘em ring,” Butch said savagely. “They’ll soon get tired of it.”
The bell was ringing incessantly now.
“I can’t stand this,” she went on, after a pause. “I’m going to see who it is. That bell’s driving me crazy.”
Butch pulled a snub-nose automatic from his pocket, “Careful who you let in,” he said, showing his teeth in a tight, mirthless smile.
“I’m not letting anyone in,” Celie snapped. “I won’t even take the chain off the door.”
Butch glanced at the big, glass-fronted wardrobe standing in a corner. “I can always duck in there,” he said. “But don’t let anyone in unless you have to.”
The bell was still ringing and with an impatient, nervous exclamation, Celie pulled her wrap more closely round her and ran downstairs,
She put the chain on the door before opening it, then she peered round the narrow opening, seeing the dim figure of a man standing in the shadows. “Who is it?” she demanded.
“Having a bath, Celie, or was it a lover who kept you so long?” Doc Martin asked.
“Doc!” Instantly Celie’s fears vanished and suspicion took their place. She hated Doc Martin, knowing he was the only person beside herself who shared Rollo’s confidences. “What do you mean by coming round here at this time of night?”
Doc leaned against the wall, “I want to talk to you, my pretty,” he said.
“I’m not going to talk to you now,” Celie snapped. “I’m not dressed.”
“I think I could bear that,” Doc returned with an irritating chuckle. “I could always close my eyes. What a skinny little rat you must look without your clothes, Celie.”
Celie caught her breath. “Get out, drunken old fool,” she exclaimed furiously. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“Dear, dear,” Doc sighed. “I don’t want to be unpleasant, Celie. Let me in, there’s a good girl”
“No! You’re not coming in. Will you please go away?”
“If I do go away, you’ll be sorry,” Doc returned. There was a sudden threatening tone in his voice.
Celie’s temper blazed up. “How dare you threaten me,” she exclaimed, jerking off the chain and throwing open the door. “Who the hell do you think you are, you washed-up quack? Get out or I’ll tell Rollo!”
Doc Martin swept off his hat and bowed mockingly. “I love a woman with spirit. Even if she has been dipped in coffee,” he said, grinning broadly. “Now, make up your mind. Either I come in or else I go straight to Rollo and tell him Butch is your lover. Please yourself, but make up your mind quickly. This damp air’s bad for my chest.”
Celie went cold. How did he know about Butch? Was he bluffing? She bit her lip as she suddenly saw what this might mean. If Rollo learned about Butch, he’d throw her out. She was sure of that and that’d mean no cut of Weidmann’s money.
“Why, Doc,” she said, trying to look amazed. “What are you talking about? Butch my lover? Are you crazy?”
Doc moved forward and shouldered her out of the way. “Let’s go upstairs, duckie,” he said, “and have a cosy little chat about it all.”
With a quick movement, half in fear and half in rage, she turned and ran upstairs. Butch had just time to slip into the wardrobe and pull the curtains across the glass doors before Doc wandered in.
As soon as Doc settled himself, Butch drew the curtain back a few inches so that he could see what was going on. He met Celie’s eyes and grimaced.
“An interesting meeting, wasn’t it?” Doc observed, placing his fingertips together and smiling at Celie. “Properly handled it should bring us a mint of money.”
Celie didn’t say anything. There was a cold, calculating look in her narrowed eyes and her heart thudded dully with apprehension.
“Unfortunately, although the money is pleasant to contemplate, it doesn’t help me. The truth is I’m in urgent need of immediate funds,” Doc went on, pursing his lips apologetically. “Even if this brilliant swindle we are preparing for our friend Mr. Weidmann is successful, I don’t imagine well see the colour of his money for a few weeks. It so happens I can’t wait. I have certain commitments and I can’t disappoint my creditors.” He glanced across at her and inclined his head. “I wonder if you’re intelligent enough to see what I’m driving at?”