1955 - You've Got It Coming by James Hadley Chase

sent someone down to watch the house. Make certain you're not followed, won’t you?”
    “I'll take care of that. He is going to see me?”
    “Yes. I'll tell you what happened when we meet. One-fifteen, Harry, and be careful.”
    As Harry laid down the receiver, he heard the front-door bell ring.
    His mind occupied with what Glorie had been telling him, he crossed the room and entered the small hall. His hand was reaching to open the front door, when he paused, his face suddenly tightening. Since he had been living with Glorie he couldn't remember anyone calling after ten o'clock.
    Who could this be? He remembered Glorie's warning. It was possible the caller was one of Ben's men. He stepped silently to the door and gently slid home the bolt. Then he waited, tense and listening. The bell rang again, sharply and persistently. Still Harry waited. Several minutes dragged by. Then the key in the lock began to move. Harry watched it, his heart thumping. Someone had nipped the end of the key in a pair of long forceps and was turning the key from the outside. There was a soft click as the lock snapped back, then the door handle turned and the door creaked against the bolt.
    Harry stepped away from the door. Moving silently he went into the bedroom and pulled out his suitcase from under the bed.
    The man outside would know there was someone in the apartment from the fact that the key was in the door. He would probably wait in the passage. He might wait there for the rest of the day.
    Harry cursed under his breath. He looked at his wristwatch.
    He had only twenty minutes before he met Glorie.
    He packed hurriedly, taking only a change of underthings, a shirt, his best suit and another pair of shoes. He tiptoed into the bathroom for his shaving kit and sponge. Crossing to the bathroom window, he opened it and glanced out. The iron fire escape down to the back alley showed him his way out. He returned to the bedroom, finished packing, then he opened the top drawer of the chest, took from under a pile of shirts a Colt .45 automatic and a box of cartridges. He loaded the gun and slid it into his hip pocket, put the cartridges into the suitcase, closed the lid and snapped down the catches. Then he opened the wardrobe door, took out his topcoat and hat and put them on.
    He went into the bathroom, pushed up the window and stepped out on to the iron platform of the escape.
    A girl who worked at a drug store on the corner of the block and who was friendly with Glorie lived in the apartment below.
    Harry knew she would be at work at this time and the apartment would be empty. He went down the iron steps to her bathroom window which was half open. He opened it fully, glanced down into the alley to make sure no one was watching him, then climbed into the bathroom, reached for his case and lowered the window. He walked through into the sitting room and into the hall. At the front door, he paused to turn up his coat collar and pull his hat further over his eyes. Then he opened the door and stepped into the passage.
    The stairs leading to Gloria's apartment were at the end of the passage. A short, thickset man in a trench coat and black slouch hat lolled against the wall, a cigarette between his lips.
    He gave Harry a casual, disinterested stare. Harry closed the door and picked up his suitcase. He was tense and his mouth was dry. This was a new experience to him, and it underlined the danger and the risks that lay ahead of him.
    “Hey, bud,” the man said as Harry started down the passage.
    “Just a moment.”
    Harry half-turned. There was little light in the passage and he kept his head turned so the short man couldn't get a good view of him.
    “What is it?”
    “Miss Dane in?”
    “How do I know? Why don't you go up and find out?”
    “I couldn't get an answer. Does she live alone, bud?”
    “Yes.” Harry began to move down the passage. “I've got a train to catch. You'd better talk to the janitor.”
    The man grunted and Harry went