1956 - There's Always a Price Tag by James Hadley Chase Page A
Authors: James Hadley Chase
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four
I have a way with women: some men have. It's a talent. You've either got it or you haven't, and you soon know if you have it. I found I had it when I was a kid of fifteen. I'm thirty-three now, and during those eighteen years I may not have been a ball of fire in anything else I did, but I did have a lot of success with women.
So this sudden change in Helen's attitude didn't come as a complete surprise: it had just come quicker than I thought it was going to come, but I had had no doubt that sooner or later it would come. My confidence was based on experience. It was because other women, some as hostile as Helen, had suddenly capitulated at the most unexpected time, that I wasn't suspicious of this move of Helen's as I might have been.
Around three o'clock I took the Rolls down town and parked it, then I went to an outfitters who were showing some reasonably priced, but well-cut suits and got myself a complete outfit. I'm easy to fit, and the pin-head grey I finally selected could have been made for me. I bought a white nylon shirt, a snappy tie, socks and a pair of reverse calf shoes. While the stuff was being parcelled, I went over to my bank, drew out enough to cover the bill and went back to the outfitters and settled up.
I put the parcel in the boot of the Rolls. By that time it was coming up for four. I drove over to the studios for Dester.
He wasn't as drunk as I hoped he would be, although he was drunk enough. But there was no chance to get at the insurance policy.
'Come in, kid,' he said as I knocked on the door that stood open. 'There's some stuff I want you to put in the car.'
In a corner were a couple of suitcases and tied up with string were the fifteen empty leather folders.
As I went over to them, he turned to the filing cabinet, opened the second drawer and took out the policy. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he looked at it, then he put it in the inside pocket of his jacket.
That was that. He would probably lock it up in the wall safe I had noticed in his bedroom. I had had my chance when I had first looked at it. It didn't seem as if I would get another chance to examine it.
I put the suitcases in the boot alongside my parcel and returned to the office.
'Is that the lot, sir?'
'For the time being,' he said and opened the big wall closet. There were about three dozen full bottles of whisky standing on one of the shelves: the rest of the shelves were lined with empty bottles. At a guess there would be close on a hundred of them. 'I'll take the full ones on Friday,' he went on. 'I'll leave the empty ones. They can be my epitaph. Let's go.'
'I understand you won't be needing me tonight, sir,' I said as I opened the car door. 'Mrs. Dester asked me to drive her to the Palm Grove.'
'Did she?' He stared at me. 'How odd. I wonder why. She likes to drive herself. Now I wonder why she wants you to take her to the Palm Grove?'
I wondered too. 'She said something about not caring to drive in the dark,' I said.
'Did she say that? Well, well, but never mind. What does it matter? No, I won't want you tonight. I have some writing to do.'
When we reached the house, I carried the suitcases into his study. He had gone upstairs, and as I was crossing the hall, Helen came out of the lounge.
'At eight o'clock, Nash, please,' she said.
'Yes, madam.'
Our eyes met and she smiled. I had seen that kind of smile before, and again I felt my heartbeat quicken.
'You won't wear your uniform, will you?'
'You said not, madam.'
'Yes, of course.'
At eight o'clock, I drove the Cadillac to the front door. I had spent the past hour shaving, taking a shower and putting on my new clothes. I was pretty pleased with the result.
As I leaned forward to cut the engine, the front door opened and Helen came out. She was wearing a white frock: a simple thing, not the kind of getup I would have expected her to wear at a ritzy joint like the Palm Grove, and that surprised me. She came down the steps looking very
I have a way with women: some men have. It's a talent. You've either got it or you haven't, and you soon know if you have it. I found I had it when I was a kid of fifteen. I'm thirty-three now, and during those eighteen years I may not have been a ball of fire in anything else I did, but I did have a lot of success with women.
So this sudden change in Helen's attitude didn't come as a complete surprise: it had just come quicker than I thought it was going to come, but I had had no doubt that sooner or later it would come. My confidence was based on experience. It was because other women, some as hostile as Helen, had suddenly capitulated at the most unexpected time, that I wasn't suspicious of this move of Helen's as I might have been.
Around three o'clock I took the Rolls down town and parked it, then I went to an outfitters who were showing some reasonably priced, but well-cut suits and got myself a complete outfit. I'm easy to fit, and the pin-head grey I finally selected could have been made for me. I bought a white nylon shirt, a snappy tie, socks and a pair of reverse calf shoes. While the stuff was being parcelled, I went over to my bank, drew out enough to cover the bill and went back to the outfitters and settled up.
I put the parcel in the boot of the Rolls. By that time it was coming up for four. I drove over to the studios for Dester.
He wasn't as drunk as I hoped he would be, although he was drunk enough. But there was no chance to get at the insurance policy.
'Come in, kid,' he said as I knocked on the door that stood open. 'There's some stuff I want you to put in the car.'
In a corner were a couple of suitcases and tied up with string were the fifteen empty leather folders.
As I went over to them, he turned to the filing cabinet, opened the second drawer and took out the policy. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he looked at it, then he put it in the inside pocket of his jacket.
That was that. He would probably lock it up in the wall safe I had noticed in his bedroom. I had had my chance when I had first looked at it. It didn't seem as if I would get another chance to examine it.
I put the suitcases in the boot alongside my parcel and returned to the office.
'Is that the lot, sir?'
'For the time being,' he said and opened the big wall closet. There were about three dozen full bottles of whisky standing on one of the shelves: the rest of the shelves were lined with empty bottles. At a guess there would be close on a hundred of them. 'I'll take the full ones on Friday,' he went on. 'I'll leave the empty ones. They can be my epitaph. Let's go.'
'I understand you won't be needing me tonight, sir,' I said as I opened the car door. 'Mrs. Dester asked me to drive her to the Palm Grove.'
'Did she?' He stared at me. 'How odd. I wonder why. She likes to drive herself. Now I wonder why she wants you to take her to the Palm Grove?'
I wondered too. 'She said something about not caring to drive in the dark,' I said.
'Did she say that? Well, well, but never mind. What does it matter? No, I won't want you tonight. I have some writing to do.'
When we reached the house, I carried the suitcases into his study. He had gone upstairs, and as I was crossing the hall, Helen came out of the lounge.
'At eight o'clock, Nash, please,' she said.
'Yes, madam.'
Our eyes met and she smiled. I had seen that kind of smile before, and again I felt my heartbeat quicken.
'You won't wear your uniform, will you?'
'You said not, madam.'
'Yes, of course.'
At eight o'clock, I drove the Cadillac to the front door. I had spent the past hour shaving, taking a shower and putting on my new clothes. I was pretty pleased with the result.
As I leaned forward to cut the engine, the front door opened and Helen came out. She was wearing a white frock: a simple thing, not the kind of getup I would have expected her to wear at a ritzy joint like the Palm Grove, and that surprised me. She came down the steps looking very
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