talking about,’ Lorelli said, with a kind of childlike obstinacy. ‘I don’t remember what you said about Bellman. You’re just trying to frighten me.’
Schultz forced the anger out of his eyes. He wanted to take her by her thick curls and smash her head against the wall. But he had to make sure.
‘I was forgetting,’ he said, slowly, turning the glass idly in his hand, ‘you don’t listen to what I say, do you?’ He shook his head and eased himself forward slowly in his chair.
Lorelli watched him nervously. ‘I don’t like your mood tonight, Maestro. I’m going to bed.’ She jerked the door wide.
‘Yes,’ Schultz returned, his body moving forward in his chair. ‘You’ll sleep well too, my pigeon,’ and he threw his glass at her viciously.
She saw the flash as the glass caught the light and she ducked. But Schultz had acted too fast. The glass caught her between the eyes and she stumbled, a high-pitched scream of fear in her throat. Then she found herself on her hands and knees with lights exploding inside her head.
Schultz heaved himself out of his chair with incredible swiftness and reached her before she could clear her head. She was still on her hands and knees, her head hanging low, as he came up.
She felt him close to her and she whimpered; dragging at her fluttering muscles, she tried to get away from him.
He knelt down beside her and taking her by the scruff of her neck he shook her until her teeth rattled. ‘Why did you telephone Duke?’ he snarled.
‘I wanted to keep him out of this,’ she whimpered, trying to get away. ‘Let me go, you’re hurting.’
He shook her again. ‘You little fool! That’s the way to push him into it and I believe you knew it! You wanted Duke in this, didn’t you? You wanted to make things difficult for me?’
‘No . . . no!’ she wailed. ‘Let me go! I didn’t mean anything! You said that you’d kill him if he interfered and I thought I’d stop it by phoning him.’
Schultz’s face set in furious, vindictive mask. He hit her on the back of her neck with the side of his hand. It was a violent, chopping blow that drove her to the floor senseless.
Schultz stood over her, trembling with rage. He moved his great foot as if he wanted to kick her, then he drew back. He took his handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his face and hands.
Walking a little unsteadily, he crossed the room, collected his glass and poured himself out a stiff drink. Then he stood thinking.
Lorelli had been living with him for six months now. She amused him and he would miss her. But there was too much on the ball to bother with that. It was a pity, but he knew that he’d have to make more sacrifices before he got what he finally wanted. Lorelli was only the beginning.
He decided to get rid of her before Joe came back. He wasn’t sure of the boy. He didn’t know whether he and Lorelli meant anything to each other. That was the worst of being old and fat. He never knew whether Lorelli was cheating or not.
He went into the kitchen and selected a short length of rope. He made a running loop in the rope and waddled back again. He didn’t like doing this job, but there was nothing else he could do. She was becoming dangerous and if he didn’t do something, he’d only be running into trouble himself.
She still lay flat on the floor and he knelt down stiffly beside her. He felt the sweat running down his back and his breath was coming in great labouring gasps. He tried to control himself, but in his way, he was fond of her. It shocked him to think that he was going to do this without giving her any chance.
He slipped the noose round her neck and gently pulled it tight. Then he placed his fat knee squarely on her shoulders and gathered the loose end of the rope in his hands.
Harry Duke, sitting on the window sill, cleared his throat. ‘I say, Paul,’ he said, ‘be careful what you’re doing. If you want to alter the shape of her neck, why not send her to a plastic
Schultz forced the anger out of his eyes. He wanted to take her by her thick curls and smash her head against the wall. But he had to make sure.
‘I was forgetting,’ he said, slowly, turning the glass idly in his hand, ‘you don’t listen to what I say, do you?’ He shook his head and eased himself forward slowly in his chair.
Lorelli watched him nervously. ‘I don’t like your mood tonight, Maestro. I’m going to bed.’ She jerked the door wide.
‘Yes,’ Schultz returned, his body moving forward in his chair. ‘You’ll sleep well too, my pigeon,’ and he threw his glass at her viciously.
She saw the flash as the glass caught the light and she ducked. But Schultz had acted too fast. The glass caught her between the eyes and she stumbled, a high-pitched scream of fear in her throat. Then she found herself on her hands and knees with lights exploding inside her head.
Schultz heaved himself out of his chair with incredible swiftness and reached her before she could clear her head. She was still on her hands and knees, her head hanging low, as he came up.
She felt him close to her and she whimpered; dragging at her fluttering muscles, she tried to get away from him.
He knelt down beside her and taking her by the scruff of her neck he shook her until her teeth rattled. ‘Why did you telephone Duke?’ he snarled.
‘I wanted to keep him out of this,’ she whimpered, trying to get away. ‘Let me go, you’re hurting.’
He shook her again. ‘You little fool! That’s the way to push him into it and I believe you knew it! You wanted Duke in this, didn’t you? You wanted to make things difficult for me?’
‘No . . . no!’ she wailed. ‘Let me go! I didn’t mean anything! You said that you’d kill him if he interfered and I thought I’d stop it by phoning him.’
Schultz’s face set in furious, vindictive mask. He hit her on the back of her neck with the side of his hand. It was a violent, chopping blow that drove her to the floor senseless.
Schultz stood over her, trembling with rage. He moved his great foot as if he wanted to kick her, then he drew back. He took his handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his face and hands.
Walking a little unsteadily, he crossed the room, collected his glass and poured himself out a stiff drink. Then he stood thinking.
Lorelli had been living with him for six months now. She amused him and he would miss her. But there was too much on the ball to bother with that. It was a pity, but he knew that he’d have to make more sacrifices before he got what he finally wanted. Lorelli was only the beginning.
He decided to get rid of her before Joe came back. He wasn’t sure of the boy. He didn’t know whether he and Lorelli meant anything to each other. That was the worst of being old and fat. He never knew whether Lorelli was cheating or not.
He went into the kitchen and selected a short length of rope. He made a running loop in the rope and waddled back again. He didn’t like doing this job, but there was nothing else he could do. She was becoming dangerous and if he didn’t do something, he’d only be running into trouble himself.
She still lay flat on the floor and he knelt down stiffly beside her. He felt the sweat running down his back and his breath was coming in great labouring gasps. He tried to control himself, but in his way, he was fond of her. It shocked him to think that he was going to do this without giving her any chance.
He slipped the noose round her neck and gently pulled it tight. Then he placed his fat knee squarely on her shoulders and gathered the loose end of the rope in his hands.
Harry Duke, sitting on the window sill, cleared his throat. ‘I say, Paul,’ he said, ‘be careful what you’re doing. If you want to alter the shape of her neck, why not send her to a plastic
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