The Paw in the Bottle
- Автор: Чейз Джеймс Хэдли
- Год: 1949
- Язык: английский
- Год: Jarrolds
- Жанр: Криминальные детективы
Электронная книга - «The Paw in the Bottle». Краткое содержание книги:
‘Now look, Mother, you don’t mean
‘Shut up!’ Mrs. French said, and turned back to the window.
IV
On the following afternoon Detective Inspector Dawson was at work in his office when Wesley was announced. Dawson nodded to the police constable, pushed back his chair as Wesley came in.
‘There’s a chair just by you, Mr. Wesley,’ he said, signaled to the constable who pushed the chair against the back of Wesley’s knees. Wesley sat down.
‘Well, I hope you’re ready for them this evening,’ Wesley said quietly. ‘I thought I’d look in just to check over any last-minute details.’
‘It’ll be all right, sir,’ Dawson returned, sat down and stared thoughtfully at Wesley. ‘Everything arranged. There won’t be any trouble.’
‘Now what in the world is a fellow like this doing fooling around with that Holland girl,’ he was wondering. ‘Not as if he could see her and be infatuated by her looks. She’s a nice-looking girl; I’ll say that for her, but there’s nothing else to her. This chap’s got a lot of money, plenty of education and culture. They’ve got absolutely nothing in common. I wonder what the idea is?’
He had been intrigued by the plain-clothes detective’s report, but realized that it was no business of his. It had just so happened that in keeping an eye on Julie, Clegg had spotted what was going on between these two. Although it wasn’t his business, Dawson couldn’t help being puzzled and interested.
‘You’ll have a clear field,’ Wesley said after a moment’s hesitation. ‘My wife and I are going to the theatre. I don’t usually go to the theatre, but it’s the only way I can get my wife away from the flat. I am most anxious she should know nothing of what’s happening to-night.’ He made a quick impatient gesture. ‘She would insist on being there, and that would make things very difficult.’ He moved uneasily, went on: ‘You think no harm will come to Miss Holland?’
‘None at all,’ Dawson returned. ‘She tells me they plan to leave her tied up when the robbery’s over. Anyway, we’ll be at hand and she’s only got to scream.’
‘Exactly where will your men be?’ Wesley asked.
‘We’ll have a couple in the hall. Two in the alley at the back, another two on the landing outside the flat, and two more on the roof. As soon as we know they’re inside we’ll throw a cordon right round the building. We’re not taking any chances.’
Wesley nodded.
‘That sounds all right,’ he said, and got to his feet. ‘You won’t be able to contact me until after the theatre. We’re going to the Hippodrome, but I don’t suppose you’ll want me. I’ll ring you in the interval which I believe is around eight-forty. Will that do?’
‘It should do,’ Dawson said. ‘But there’ll be nothing to worry about.’
‘Thank you,’ Wesley said, offered his hand. ‘Then I won’t keep you any longer. I’m sure you have plenty to do.’
‘Well, I keep pretty busy, sir,’ Dawson said, shaking hands. But this little job is a real holiday. It couldn’t be better arranged for us. It’s not often we get the chance of a tip-off like this, you know.’
‘Make sure they don’t slip through your fingers,’ Wesley returned quietly.
‘No fear of that. We’ll have ’em all right.’
‘I suppose you’ll want Miss Holland as a witness?’ Wesley asked. ‘I’d prefer not if you can avoid it. I don’t want any publicity about her if I can help it. Is it necessary, do you think?’
‘Was this why he’s come?’ Dawson wondered, said, ‘I don’t think we’ll need her. If we nab them with the goods it’ll be plain sailing. We’ll need you, of course.’
‘Oh yes, that’s quite all right,’ Wesley said. ‘You see, the girl has an odd background. But then you know all about that. I’d like her to have a fresh start if I could arrange it. If it gets known it was through her the gang was caught there might be trouble from her old associates.’
‘There might be,’ Dawson agreed. ‘I won’t call her unless I have to, sir.’
Wesley nodded.
‘Good.’ Still he didn’t make a move to go. ‘Inspector, Miss Holland interests me,’ he went on after a pause. ‘You’re a man of the world and will know what I mean by that. I’m taking care of her when this business is over. So you see, the least publicity might be embarrassing.’
‘Well, that’s hardly my business,’ Dawson said, taken aback. It was the last thing he expected.
‘Oh, I know.’ Wesley smiled. ‘But she has been associating with criminals, hasn’t she? I wouldn’t want you to be interested in her when this is over. I shall look after her and see she doesn’t get into any further trouble. I’ll make her my responsibility.’
‘I wouldn’t be interested in her unless she did get into further trouble,’ Dawson said, a shade coldly. ‘There was no need to tell me any of this, sir.’
‘But I wanted you to know. I hope I shall not be followed by a plain-clothes man in the future, Inspector,’ Wesley said, and his mouth tightened. ‘It is an experience I can well do without, and if repeated I shall take prompt action.’
Dawson grimaced.
‘Got me there,’ he thought. ‘No wonder he’s been so frank. I suppose that blasted girl spotted Clegg.’
‘That was an accident, sir,’ he said quietly. ‘I must apologize. We were giving Miss Holland police protection and happened to run into something that didn’t concern us.’
‘So it seems,’ Wesley said. ‘In the future when your man sees Miss Holland and me together, will you instruct him to leave us alone?’
‘I hope there won’t be any occasion to watch Miss Holland after this evening,’ Dawson pointed out.
‘Of course not,’ Wesley said, and smiled. ‘I’ll telephone you some time this evening. Could your man kindly show me to my taxi?’
When he had gone, Dawson ran his thick fingers through his hair.
‘I wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of that chap,’ he thought. ‘His bark is quiet enough, but I bet his bite is hell.’ He went to the window to watch Wesley’s taxi drive away. ‘Don’t exactly blame him. He’s a good bloke; lots of guts; V.C. and blind. Well, if he gets a bit of fun out of that girl — good luck to him.’
And he settled down once more to his work.
V
Julie was pacing up and down in her room. It was a few minutes to seven o’clock, and in another hour Harry would arrive. The suspense of waiting was becoming unbearable. All the previous night and during the day she had tried to screw up her courage to warn him the police were waiting for him, but every time she moved to the telephone she remembered Theo’s threat, and the ghastly photographs of the women he had shown her. If she saved Harry, Theo would come after her, and besides, Wesley wouldn’t like it. Now that Harry had told her he loved her some of the old attraction she had had for him returned. If Wesley had been nicer to her she wouldn’t have thought of Harry, but it was all too plain that Wesley was bribing her to keep quiet. He wasn’t in love with her as Harry was, and a girl needed love, she told herself. Her mind was in an agony of indecision. Even now she was still in two minds as to what to do, although she knew the chance of getting Harry on the telephone was remote. She had left it too late.
A soft tap sounded on the door, making her start. Wesley came in. He was in evening dress, and in spite of the black-lensed glasses Julie thought he looked very handsome.
He closed the door gently, set his back against it and smiled at her.
‘Scared, Julie?’ he asked. ‘Heart going like a trip-hammer?’
She nodded miserably.
‘It’ll soon be over,’ he assured her. ‘I wish I could see you through it, but it’s the one thing you’ll have to do on your own. But it’ll be worth it, Julie. Once you’re free of these people you can begin your new life and I’ll do my best to make it a happy one.’