I Would Rather Stay Poor Page 19

  ‘Hello,’ Kit said. ‘I’ve been waiting for you. I knew you would come.’

  ‘Well, here I am,’ Calvin said, forcing his voice into steadiness. ‘What the hell’s got into you? Can you get over here? I’ll see you down.’

  Kit laughed.

  ‘Come and fetch me. You’ve only to get out of that ridiculous thing and walk along that rod and then duck under this one and you’re with me. Come on: you and I could take the quick way down.’

  Calvin wiped his face with the back of his hand.

  ‘What’s got into you? What’s the idea — puling a stunt like this?’ He scarcely knew what he was saying. ‘It’s not going to get you anywhere. Come on. Cut this out! I’ll help you if you’ll come.’

  ‘When I’m ready,’ Kit said, ‘I’m jumping, but I’m not ready yet. You’ve made me suffer, now I’m going to make you suffer. I’m staying here until I’m good and ready, then it’s going to be the quick way down. When I hit the ground, you’ll have about twelve hours — not more — of freedom. It’ll take my attorney about that long to remember the letter I left with him. When he opens it, you’ll be on the run. That’ll be the moment, when you begin feeling as I’ve felt these past weeks.’

  Calvin stared at the white, drawn face.

  ‘I have the money,’ he said. ‘Three hundred thousand dollars. It’s in the boot of my car. We can still get away with this, Kit. Easton has promised to be our best man. He’ll get us out of Pittsville. Tell you what I’ll do: I’ll give you three quarters of the money if you’ll chuck this and come down. How’s that?’

  Kit opened her bag and took out a pack of cigarettes. With a nonchalant disregard of her position, she lit a cigarette and then flicked the spent match down to the staring crowd.

  ‘Didn’t you hear what I said?’ Calvin said, raising his voice. ‘Think… by the end of the month, we’ll be out of this — you and I, with money to spend. Come on: what’s the sense of getting so far and then doing a thing like this?’

  She blew a long wisp of smoke at him.

  ‘I’ve told you… but you don’t seem to understand. I have to live with myself, and I find I can’t do it. I didn’t think it would be like this.’ Her pale lips parted in a cynical smile. ‘I have Alice on my mind: day and night. I see the poor thing in my dreams. I can’t get her out of my mind. So… I’m taking the way out that you’ll have to take before long.’

  ‘Okay, if you’re that gutless,’ Calvin snarled. ‘Go ahead, but why involve me? That letter of yours… do something about it. Look, I’ll…’

  Kit’s jeering laugh cut across his frenzied voice.

  ‘That’s the trick in this,’ she said. ‘You thought you had it all fixed, but you’re not getting away with it… as I’m not getting away with it. When I go… you’ll follow. You shouldn’t have involved Iris in this. That’s something I’ll never forgive you for. We’ll settle this thing together… I’ll go first, but make no mistake about it, you’ll go second.’

  Then for no reason that Calvin could see, her foot slipped and she dropped her bag as she snatched at the nearest steel pole. She missed and fell. Calvin involuntarily shut his eyes, feeling a cold wave of blood surge through him. He heard a loud moan come up from the crowd: a woman screamed. He forced himself to look.

  Kit had fallen no more than ten feet. She had caught hold of a scaffolding pole and was now hanging in mid-air.

  Calvin was now above her, looking down at her. He watched her swing herself from an impossible position into a safe position with the carelessness of a monkey swinging from tree branch to tree branch. In the moment that had chilled his blood, she was once again settling herself into the precarious safety of yet another apex of yet another triangle of steel.

  The crane driver, watching all this with morbid fascination, expertly lowered the bucket so Calvin was again on the same level and facing Kit.

  ‘Did you think I was going to die?’ she asked. He could see she was completely unshaken. ‘Heights mean nothing to me. When I’m good and ready, I’ll let go, but I’m not ready yet.’

  From her expression Calvin knew it was hopeless to try to persuade her into any sense. For a long moment, he tried to force himself to get out of the bucket and climb over the perilous rods to her, but he hadn’t the nerve. He was sure that if he did reach her, she would take him with her in a fatal drop to death.

  ‘For the last time, Kit,’ he said, ‘cut this out. We’ve everything to gain. Can’t you see… we can get away with it… it’s in the bag!’

  ‘Give me a cigarette,’ she said. ‘I’ve lost mine. I must have a cigarette.’

  With a shaking hand, he took from his pocket his pack of cigarettes and carefully tossed the pack to her. His spine tingled when she let go of the steel rod to catch the flying pack. For a moment, she wobbled uncertainly, then she recovered her balance.

  He pleaded: ‘Kit! Come on down. We can work this thing out together…’

  She suddenly screamed at him in a voice that reached the crowd below, ‘Get the hell away from me! You can’t talk me into anything. Get away or I’ll jump!’

  The sudden change of her expression, the glare in her eyes warned him he could do nothing with her. He waved to the crane driver, pointing down.

  The crowd below gave a satisfied, sadistic sigh as Calvin was slowly lowered to the ground. The show was to go on.

  2

  Four hours later, Kit was still up there and the crowd, still fascinated, remained in the congested street.

  During these four long hours a police officer, a doctor and finally a priest had gone up in the crane bucket, one after the other, to try to persuade her to come down. All of them had failed. She had remained there, indifferent to what they said, smoking a cigarette after cigarette and looking down at the sea of up-turned faces without any show of emotional stress.

  Calvin sat on the stone edge of the town’s fountain. From this vantage point, he could see Kit clearly. With him was the sheriff and a doctor from the hospital.

  ‘If she stays up there until it is dark,’ the sheriff said, ‘we plan to rig a net under her. Then some of the boys will go after her. It’ll be tricky. I guess I’ll put a searchlight on her to blind her. She mustn’t see the boys fixing the net.’

  ‘I don’t think she’ll jump now,’ the doctor said in professional, pompous tones. ‘The longer she stays up there, the less likely she is to take the plunge. I agree about the net, but we’ll have to wait until it’s dark.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Another five hours.’

  Listening to them talk, Calvin thought: You two dopes don’t know Kit. She’ll jump, damn her! When she’s ready, she’ll jump and she won’t give you a chance to rig a net. This is her idea to make me suffer! I wish I knew if she had really written that letter! If she hasn’t I haven’t a care in the world, but if she has… I’m wasting time just sitting here. With all this fuss going on, I might be able to get out of town. I’d have a twenty-four-hour start on them. But could I get out? The road blocks are still in place. Without Easton to okay me, they’re certain to check the car, and then I’d be sunk.

  He felt a sudden, over-powering urge to do something. The past four hours had strained his nerves to breaking point. He just couldn’t continue to sit there for another five hours before it was dark enough for them to try this cockeyed scheme of rigging a net.

  He got to his feet. His fleshy face was congested, his eyes were wild.

  ‘I’m going up again,’ he said. ‘I can’t just sit here. This is driving me crazy.’

  ‘I don’t think it will serve any useful purpose,’ the doctor said. ‘I’d leave her alone, Mr. Calvin. When it’s dark…’

  ‘You’re not me!’ Calvin snarled. ‘That’s my future wife up there! I’m going to talk to her again.’

  The doctor shrugged his shoulders.

  ‘Be careful. Standing like that in the hot sun for so long must have imposed a…’

  ‘Oh, stuff it!’ Calvin said and shouldering his way through th
e crowd he reached the bucket. The crane driver was still at his post, and as soon as he saw Calvin waving to him, he started the crane engine.

  ‘Hey! Calvin!’

  Calvin turned. Easton, his fat face white, sweat streaming into his collar, came through the crowd and joined him.

  ‘I heard it on the radio,’ Easton spluttered. ‘I couldn’t believe it. I hopped in the car and here I am.’ He stared up. ‘Jeepers! What’s got into her?’

  Calvin’s mind was busy. This was the man he needed to help him get out of Pittsville. He caught hold of Easton’s arm.

  ‘I’m glad you came,’ he said. ‘She’s gone crazy. She’s been up there four hours now. I’m going up there to see if I can persuade her to come down this time. I’ve already been up, but maybe this time, she’ll come down.’

  ‘Anything I can do?’ Easton asked, his eyes still rooted with horror at the figure perched far above him.

  ‘Maybe there is… will you stand by?’ Calvin said. ‘This is cracking me. I’m relying on you. Don’t go away.’

  ‘Like hell I won’t,’ Easton said, delighted that a guy like Calvin should want him. ‘You take it easy. I’m right with you.’

  Calvin got into the bucket and waved to the crane driver. He was hoisted into the air. After what seemed an interminable time he was level with Kit. The sight of her alarmed him. The strain of standing for so long in that perilous position was telling on her. Her face was chalk white and drawn, but there was a hard glitter in her eyes that warned him she had still plenty of resistance left.

  ‘Hello,’ she said. ‘Are you enjoying yourself?’

  ‘Are you coming down?’ Calvin asked, a snarl in his voice. ‘Haven’t you had enough?’

  ‘Have you?’

  ‘Sure: I’ve had more than enough. Cut this out and come down!’

  He saw her hesitate, then she said, ‘I don’t think I can. I’ve got cramp. I could use a drink!’ She stared at him. ‘If I come, will you help me?’

  ‘I’m not getting out onto those rods,’ Calvin said. ‘I wouldn’t trust you not to try to take me with you. I’m not helping you. You got yourself into this jam… get yourself out of it!’

  ‘I can’t. I’ll come if you’ll help me. I’m so stiff I can scarcely move. If you’ll help me, I’ll marry you and go away with you. I can’t get down without your help.’

  Calvin stared suspiciously at her.

  ‘This is a sudden change of mind, isn’t it? I thought you intended to jump.’

  ‘I’ve been up here long enough to change my mind. If you’ll reach out, I can catch hold of your hand.’

  ‘Oh no. You’re not touching me. I’d rather trust a snake than you. I’ll get the police up here. They’ll get you down. I’m not helping you.’

  The sudden blaze of hatred that lit up her eyes shocked him. He realised his instinct for danger had saved him. She had intended taking him with her.

  ‘Come here, you devil!’ she screamed. ‘Let me get my hands on you!’

  ‘Go to hell!’ Calvin snarled and waved to the crane driver to lower the bucket.

  Even as the bucket began to sink, Kit left the safe apex of the steel rods and sprang forward, her face ghastly with frustrated fury. In horror, Calvin saw her questing hands miss the rim of the bucket by inches. Had she caught the edge of the bucket, she would have tipped him out. She gave a long wailing scream and was gone.

  Shuddering, Calvin shut his eyes. The roar of the crowd came up to him, then the sound of a sickening thud as Kit’s body hit the sidewalk. The bucket swung down quickly.

  Easton was waiting as Calvin climbed unsteadily out of the bucket, his face ashen. The fat Federal agent caught hold of Calvin’s arm, steadying him.

  Fifty yards or so away, the crowd surged forward, their backs to Calvin. Two men in white coats tried to force their way through the crowd.

  ‘Get me out of here!’ Calvin gasped. ‘I’m going to pass out! Get me out of here!’

  ‘Okay, boy,’ Easton said, his own face whitish-green. ‘You hang on to me.’

  Together, they fought their way through the crowd. No one paid them any attention. The crowd was only interested in seeing Kit.

  ‘My car’s right here,’ Calvin said. ‘Will you drive? Take me to the rooming-house.’

  ‘Sure,’ Easton said. ‘I’m sorry. What made her do it? I can’t say how sorry I am…’

  Calvin slumped in the passenger’s seat and hid his face in his hands. He had quickly shaken off the shock of seeing Kit fall, now he wanted time to think what the next move should be.

  This is it, he said to himself. If the bitch has left a letter, I’ve only got a few hours before they’ll come after me. I’ve got to get moving. The money’s in the boot. Easton’s driving. It’s a perfect set-up, but will he do what I tell him?

  He sat back with a groan.

  ‘She was drunk,’ he said, his hand sliding to his hip pocket. His fingers closed around the cold butt of the gun. ‘I guess it was too much for her… she promised to give up drinking. But why she did that…’

  ‘I didn’t know.’ Easton shook his head. ‘Yeah, when they get drinking… can do anything.’

  Calvin eased the gun out of his hip pocket and laid it on the seat between Easton and himself, keeping his large hand on it, hiding it from Easton. He stared thoughtfully at Easton’s profile: the fat weak chin, the indecisive mouth. He decided he could take a chance.

  ‘Look, I’ve changed my mind,’ he said, ‘I want to get out of Pittsville. Drive me to Merlin Bay, will you? I feel I could do with the sight of the sea.’

  Easton slowed to stare at Calvin.

  ‘Why, that’s the best part of a hundred and fifty miles, boy,’ he said. ‘I can’t take you there. I’ve got work to do. Look, I’ll take you…’

  ‘You’ll take me to Merlin Bay,’ Calvin said, a grating note in his voice. ‘Unless you want a slug of lead in your fat belly.’

  He lifted the gun and dug it into Easton’s side. The car swerved and recovered. Easton started to pull up, but the gun dug deeper into his side.

  ‘Keep going… hear me?’ Calvin said. The tone of his voice sent a chill through Easton. He hurriedly increased the speed of the car. They were on the highway now. The time was just after five o’clock: too early for the rush hour home. Only one or two cars passed them.

  ‘Have you gone crazy?’ Easton gasped. ‘For Pete’s sake! What do you think you’re doing?’ He had already taken a quick look and satisfied himself Calvin was holding a gun.

  ‘Relax and do what I tell you,’ Calvin said. ‘Hasn’t it got through your thick skull that I grabbed the payroll and killed Alice Craig?’

  ‘Why… why…’ Easton was so shocked he lost his voice.

  ‘Kit Loring was in it too,’ Calvin went on. ‘That’s why she jumped, the stupid bitch. She’s left a confession with her attorney and that’s why I’ve got to skip. Make no mistake about this, Easton, you make a wrong move and you’ll get it… what have I to lose?’

  Easton said in a quavering voice, ‘You won’t get far. You’d much better give up. There’s a road block a mile ahead. Give me the gun and I’ll try to get the rap…’

  ‘Shut up!’ Calvin snarled. ‘You’re getting me through that road block! I have the payroll in the car boot and I’m going to get it through the road block if I have to kill you. You’re going to use your rank as a Federal agent to get me through. If you don’t, you’ll be the first to get it!’ Calvin dug the gun into Easton’s fat side. ‘Step on it. I’m not warning you again. If you can’t stop them searching this car, you’ll get lead in your fat gut. It’ll take you days to die. Hear me? Days!’

  His fat face like wax, Easton increased the speed of the car. In a few minutes, both men saw the road block ahead and three policemen waiting.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  1

  As the two interns slid the blanket-covered stretcher into the ambulance, Ken Travers came through the crowd. He stopped short at the sight of the str
etcher, then seeing the sheriff standing nearby, pulling at his moustache, Travers went over to him.

  ‘Is she dead?’

  ‘Hello, Ken, where did you spring from?’ the sheriff said, surprised. ‘I thought you were in ’Frisco.’

  ‘I heard it on the radio. I came straight back. Is she dead?’

  ‘Yeah. She jumped while Calvin was trying to talk her down. Where’s Iris?’

  ‘I left her at the hotel. I guessed she would jump. I didn’t want Iris here.’

  ‘You’re right… a terrible thing,’ the sheriff shook his head. He moved back as the ambulance began to edge through the crowd. ‘What got into her I can’t imagine.’

  Travers asked, ‘Where’s Calvin?’

  The sheriff looked vaguely around.

  ‘I guess he’s somewhere. Poor fellow! They had planned to marry this Saturday… then this happens.’

  Travers drew in a deep breath. Now Kit was dead, he was free to arrest Calvin. He could still earn the reward.

  ‘Sheriff… you’ve got Calvin wrong,’ he said. ‘He is the man we’re hunting for… Johnny Acres. I’ve enough proof to arrest him.’

  The sheriff gaped at him.

  ‘Hey, son! What are you saying?’

  ‘Lend me your gun, Sheriff. I’m not off the force yet. I want Calvin.’

  The sheriff hesitated, then seeing the expression on Travers’s face, he hauled out his .45 and handed it over.

  ‘Sure you know what you’re doing?’

  ‘I’m sure. Where is he?’

  The sheriff waved to a police sergeant who came over.

  ‘Seen Mr. Calvin around?’

  ‘He went off with Mr. Easton,’ the sergeant said. ‘They left together about ten minutes ago.’

  ‘In Easton’s car?’ Travers asked.

  ‘No… in Mr. Calvin’s, but Mr. Easton was driving. Mr. Calvin looked pretty bad. I guess Mr. Easton was taking him home.’

  ‘Do you want to come, Sheriff?’ Travers asked. ‘I’ll talk while you drive.’