No Business Of Mine Page 13

  she liked it.

  “I’d forgotten,” she sighed, holding me close. “Much more,

  please.”

  I had a sudden idea. “‘Fell me, honey, did you ever meet a guy

  named Jacobi at the club?”

  She shook her head. “You mean the one who was murdered? “

  Oh, no, I didn’t know him, but I knew his wife, Selma. She used to be

  one of the girls at the club before she married him. She was a sweet

  kid and crazy about George. I haven’t seen her since he was killed. I

  don’t know where she’s living. I wanted to see her because I knew

  she’d be terribly cut-up at losing George, although he wasn’t a great

  loss as far as I could see.”

  “Selma Jacobi,” I said thoughtfully, “maybe she fits in this puzzle,

  too.”

  Crystal tightened her grip around my neck. “Could we forget all

  this just for a little while?” she pleaded. “I don’t believe you care for

  me one little bit. All you’re interested in is your horrid old puzzles.”

  “Not all the time,” I said.

  “Could we have a little fun this very moment?” she asked, pressed

  her lips on mine.

  We had fun.

  Chapter XIV

  THEY were waiting for me as I came out of Crystal’s flat. I guess I

  asked for it. I should have been on my guard after Bradley’s threat,

  but the hectic couple of hours I’d spent with Crystal had numbed me,

  and I stepped into the dark street without the slightest suspicion of

  what was coming to me.

  It happened so quickly that I could only give a strangled shout

  before something crashed down on my head and I blacked out.

  I recovered to find myself lying on the floor of a fast moving car,

  an evil smelling rug over my head and shoulders, someone’s heavy

  feet on my chest. My head ached, and the rug threatened to stifle me.

  I lay still, tried to make out what had happened. I guessed this was

  Bradley’s idea of teaching me to mind my own business. I wasn’t

  happy, wondered where I was being taken, and if I was going to have

  my throat slit. Cautiously I moved my hands. They were free and so

  were my legs. Maybe whoever had cracked me on the head had

  underestimated the thickness of my skull.

  The two feet lifted, thumped down on me again.

  “Keeps quiet, don’t he?” a voice said.

  “I ‘ope you didn’t bash ‘im too ‘ard, Joe,” another voice said.

  “Not me,” Joe said. “I only patted ‘is ‘ead with my fist. ‘E’ll be orl

  right once I tug ‘is ears a bit.”

  I grimaced. Having my ears tugged was not one of my favourite

  pastimes.

  “We oughter be there by now,” the second voice went on. “ ‘Ere,

  Bert, ‘ow much farther is it?”

  “Just ‘ere,” the first voice said. “This’ll do, won’t it?”

  “Yes, this is orl right,” Joe said.

  The car slowed, bumped over uneven ground, stopped. “Nice

  quiet spot wid no one to interfere wid us,” Bert remarked.

  Three of them, I thought. Well, three were better than four. I lay

  still, waited developments.

  Boots trod on me; the car doors opened; feet scraped on gravel.

  “Get ‘im out, and be careful ‘e ain’t foxing,” Bert said. ‘Ere, Joe,

  you ‘andle ‘im. Ted and me’ll stand by just in case ‘e stares any funny

  business.”

  “I ‘ope ‘e does,” the man called Joe replied. “I don’t like bashing a

  bloke in cold blood.”

  I began to like Joe a little.

  The other two laughed. “That’s a good ‘un,” Bert sneered. “I ain’t

  so particular, nor’s Ted. Are you, Ted?”

  “I’m looking forward to bashing the

  ,” Ted said cheerfully. “I

  ain’t ‘ad any exercise for the past two weeks.”

  Hands grabbed my ankles. I was dragged bodily out of the car. My

  shoulders hit on the running-board, but I managed to keep my head

  clear as I thudded to the ground. I remained still, waited patiently for

  someone to take off the rug.

  “You sure you didn’t ‘it ‘im too ‘ard?” Ted asked. “ ‘E’s a bit

  quiet.”

  “But not for long, matey,” Joe said. “Let’s ‘ave a look at ‘im.”

  The rug was dragged off. I felt the cool night air on my face.

  Cautiously I looked between half-closed lids. I could see three massive

  figures standing over me, stars and a dark sky above me, trees and

  bushes near by. It seemed to me I was on some sort of common.

  “Strike a match, Ted,” Joe growled, bending over me, “and let’s

  ‘ave a look at ‘im.”

  I tensed my muscles, waited.

  The feeble flickering light from the match lit up Joe’s broad,

  broken features. He looked like an all-in wrestler. He had the kind of

  puss you dream about after a lobster supper. He knelt beside me,

  took hold of my chin between fingers that felt like iron. I didn’t dare

  wait any longer. Whipping back my knees and twisting sideways, I

  jack-knifed into him with my feet, catching him in the middle of his

  chest. It was like kicking a brick wall.

  With a roar of rage and surprise, he shot over backwards.

  I squirmed around, got up on my hands and knees.

  One of the other massive shapes came at me. He leapt high into

  the air and descended feet first-the old, spectacular all-in wrestling

  pounce that looks so easy but isn’t. I had a split second to get out of

  the way. I managed it, swung a wild punch at the man’s head as he

  thudded into the soft soil a half a foot away from me. The guy’s skull

  was made of stone, and I felt a jar run up my arm as my fist

  connected.

  I was on my feet now. The third man had arrived with a crouching

  rush. He caught me on the shoulder with a half-arm swing that sent

  me spinning backwards. I steadied up, ducked a haymaker that

  started from his ankles, socked him in the left eye with everything I

  had.

  I didn’t wait to see the effect, but turned on my heel and

  scrammed across the thick grass.

  The common was as flat as a plate, seemed to stretch for miles.

  Apart from bushes and an occasional tree there was no cover,

  nowhere to hide. It looked as if my only chance of escape was to run

  and keep running. I dug my elbows into my sides, tore across the

  grass, hoped -I was in better condition than the other three.

  Wild yells and oaths followed me, then silence. I ran on until I

  heard the car start up, then looked over my shoulder.

  They weren’t going to run after me. They preferred the easy way.

  They were coming after me by car.

  Although the grass was thick, it was quite possible to drive a car

  over it. I knew in less than a couple of minutes they’d be all over me.

  I slowed down, but kept moving. I didn’t want to be breathless

  when they did catch up with me, but I wasn’t anxious to come to grips

  with them any sooner than I could help. My future didn’t look too

  good. Maybe they wouldn’t kill me, but they’d do the next best thing.

  I thought of Bradley, waiting for these thugs to tell him what they had

  done to me, and I cursed him.

  The
car was only a few yards off now. Joe and Ted were hanging

  on, standing on the running-boards. As soon as they got within reach

  of me, they jumped off, and closed in on me.

  I dodged Joe, ran in the opposite direction. Ted came rushing

  after me. I slowed, let him come up, then dropped on hands and

  knees. His knees cannoned into my side and he went head first into

  the grass. Before Joe got within reach I was off again, but this time

  Bert had manoeuvred the car so I was sandwiched between the car

  and Joe,

  I wheeled around, waited for Joe who came at me, cursing and

  waving his arms. I ducked under them, straightened, caught him a

  clout on the end of his nose which sent him reeling back.

  But I couldn’t keep this dodging up for ever. They would catch me

  in the end, and by that time I’d be so winded I’d be at their mercy. A

  big tree a few yards away decided me. I swerved past Bert who came

  lumbering up, ran across to the tree, set my shoulders against it,

  waited for them.

  I had time to look around the expanse of ground. There was not a

  house or building to be seen, nor could I see any car lights to indicate

  a main road. The spot was as bleak and as lonely as a Welsh

  mountain.

  The three men sorted themselves out, came forward, stopped

  before me.

  As I surveyed them I thought the dying gladiator was a happy man

  beside me. I lifted my fists to show them they weren’t going to have it

  all their own way, waited.

  Bert and Ted stood to my right and left. Joe was in the centre.

  “Now, chum,” Joe said, drawing near, “we’re gonna bash you, and

  then you’re getting outa this country, see? If you don’t, we’ll collect

  you again and bash you some more, see? Arid we’ll go on bashing you

  until you do go, see?”

  “I get the idea,” I said, watching them closely. “But don’t blame

  me if you guys get hurt. I don’t usually fight with guys below my

  weight and strength. It’s against my principles.”

  Joe roared with laughter. “That’s a ‘ot ‘un,” he said. “We know

  ‘ow to take care of ourselves, matey. It’s you who’re going to get

  ‘urt.”

  I had an uneasy feeling that he wasn’t going to be far wrong. “Go

  on, paste ‘im, Joe,” Ted urged. “When you’re through wid ‘im I’ll ‘ave

  a go.”

  “There won’t be much left of ‘im by the time I’m through,” Joe

  said, doubling his fists.

  “I ain’t particular,” Ted said. “Just so long as you leave me

  something to work on.”

  Joe slouched forward, his bullet head low, his thick lips drawn off

  his teeth. He looked as attractive as a gorilla, twice as dangerous.

  I waited for him in the shadow of the tree, glad the moon was

  behind me.

  He kept coming, his big feet shuffling over the grass, making a

  slight swishing sound. He wasn’t quite sure of me, didn’t know if I

  could hurt him or not. He wasn’t taking any chances.

  “Don’t take all night,” Ted called impatiently. “I wanna go ‘ome

  even if you don’t.”

  “Don’t rush him,” I said, suddenly waving my arms, and made a

  move towards Joe, who cursed, stepped back, then darted forward,

  his left list shooting towards my heal. I slipped the punch, hit him in

  the ribs, swung a right to his jaw. He backed away with a grunt, came

  at me again. A haymaker whistled past my head, a left grazed my ear.

  I uncorked a right that caught him in the throat, lifted him off his feet

  and stretched him flat on his back.

  I blew on my knuckles, stepped back against the tree, looked over

  at Ted.

  “You’re next, son,” I said. “I treat ‘em all the same, no favouritism,

  no waiting.”

  Ted and Bert gaped at Joe, then, together, rushed at me.

  I thought at least I’ve hurt one of the punks, hit Bert on the nose,

  collected a punch on the side of the head from Ted that made my

  teeth rattle. Bert flung himself on me, snarling, his great fists thudded

  into my body. He was quite a hitter. I felt as if Tower Bridge had fallen

  on me. I shoved him off, measured him, socked a couple of lefts into

  his flat, ugly puss. Ted came up, caught me with a right, and I

  countered with a left. Then suddenly a light exploded inside my head

  and I felt myself falling.

  I came to a moment or so later. I was lying on the grass, someone

  was kicking my ribs very hard. I rolled away, tried to get up, but

  another lick sent me flat again.

  I heard Joe bawling savagely, “Lemme get at him.”

  I had time to see him rushing at me, leap high into the air. I

  managed to twist sideways, grab his foot. He tried to pull away, but I

  had a hold. I turned his foot, wrenched it, threw my weight on it. I had

  the satisfaction of hearing a bone go, and Joe’s howl of pain, then a

  hand seized my hair, and a fist like a lump of iron crashed on my chin.

  I felt myself rise in the air, and I landed on the thick grass with a

  thump that knocked the wind out of me.

  I was now half crazy with rage, and struggled to get up, but found

  I hadn’t the strength to support myself. I fell forward on hands and

  knees. A great crushing weight dropped on me and I went flat.

  Although I knew what followed, I couldn’t do anything to stop them,

  couldn’t defend myself.

  Two of them systematical y beat me up. One dragged me to my

  feet, held me upright, while the other bashed my face and chest with

  his fists. They made a boxing sack out of me. When one got tired, the

  other took over. It seemed to go on for a long time. There was nothing

  I could do but take it. So I took it.

  At last, they were through. They left me lying on my back blood

  running into my eyes, my body pulverized. I felt little pain. That would

  come later. At the moment, I could see the moon through swollen

  eyes, hear what was going on as if the sounds were coming to me out

  of a fog.

  I was still half crazy with temper, and after a few minutes, I

  managed to hoist myself to my feet. I reeled around like a drunk, fell

  down again. My hand closed over a big round flint stone. That gave

  me a little incentive.

  Crawling upon my hands and knees, holding the flint tightly,

  feeling its sharp edges digging into my fingers, I peered around until I

  located the three men a few yards from me.

  Ted and Bert were giving first aid attention to Joe’s ankle. It was

  nice to hear his curses as they probed the swollen member with their

  thick, unfeeling fingers.

  I levered myself to my feet, swayed backwards, recovered, set out

  across the grass towards them. It took me a little time, and it was like

  walking against a strong wind. Ted heard me when I was a few feet

  away, turned.

  “For crying out aloud!” he exclaimed, “I’ll bust my mit on his ugly

  snug this time, s’welp me if I don’t.”

  I found I couldn’t get any farther, so I waited patiently for him to

  come to me. He sauntered up, flexing his right arm. Bert and Joe

  turned their heads to wat
ch. Bert was grinning; Joe was snarling at

  me.

  Ted planted himself in front of me, set himself.

  “Now, chum,” he said, “I’m about to demonstrate ‘ow I put Little

  Ernie to sleep in the first round. If this smack you’re going to run into

  don’t take your ‘ead off your neck, then may I be.”

  I collected all my remaining strength, shot the flint into his face as

  his right hand began to move.

  The flint caught him an inch or so below his right eye, ripped his

  cheek open to the bone.

  He gave a startled howl, stepped back, tripped and fell. He began

  to bleed into the grass.

  That was about all I could do. I’d broken Joe’s ankle and scarred

  Ted for life. It was a pity I couldn’t do more for Bert, but I just hadn’t

  the guts to stand any longer on my feet. I staggered forward, heard a

  violent oath from Bert, saw him rush at me.

  I took his punch on the point of my jaw, went out like a snuffed

  candle.

  Chapter XV

  CRYSTAL was saying, “You may think it odd I should have married

  such a wreck, but he didn’t always look like that. When we first met,

  he was almost handsome.”

  I opened my eyes, found I could scarcely see, stared up at the

  ceiling. There was a smell of antiseptics and flowers in the room. I felt

  as if I’d been run over by a steam-rol er, but the bed felt fine.

  A woman’s voice said, “You may sit with him for a little while,

  Mrs. Harmas. He should recover consciousness any moment now, but

  please don’t excite him.”

  Crystal said airily, “Oh, we’re old married folk now. He doesn’t get

  excited when he sees me, worse luck.”

  A door shut, and Crystal, looking cute in a blue and white check

  frock and a white turban, moved into my vision. She drew up a chair,

  began to put her bag on the bedside-table.

  I reached out, pinched her. She gave a sharp squeal, jumped,

  turned.

  “I’ve recovered consciousness,” I announced.

  “Oh, darling, you gave me such a fright,” she exclaimed, furtively

  rubbed the spot where I’d pinched her, “and you really shouldn’t do a

  thing like that. It’s very uncouth.” She took my hand, fondled it,

  looked down at me with adoring eyes. “I’ve been so worried about

  you, precious. You’ve no idea. I’ve been simply frantic.”

  “That makes two of us,” I said, squeezing her hand. “I’ve been