Lawton—steal some of his money and run off with Mallory? Or did you take some of his business records with you when you left with an eye toward blackmailing Mr. Lawton?”
“We didn’t get along,” she said. “I left him.”
“But not with his consent—or knowledge,” Graef said. “Or you wouldn’t have thought I was sent by him to find you. This is really very interesting, Mrs. Lawton.”
Mallory slowed the wagon as a speed-zone sign appeared at the side of the road.
Graef said, “Ah, the town I remembered. Pull into that gas station, Mallory. Go between the station house and the side of that café.”
Mallory did as he was ordered. He cut the motor and sat with his hand resting on the steering wheel. He began to feel his nervous tension draining away. He could see a piece of a state patrol car parked almost out of sight at the rear of the café. He couldn’t understand how Graef planned to continue this farce now that the law was so close.
Graef said pleasantly, “Mallory, you have the look of a man who holds the high cards.”
Mallory said, “That’s right. You can’t do anything here. So take your friends and get out.”
Graef laughed at him. “Do you agree with Mallory, Mrs. Lawton?”
Denise was staring at Mallory. She whispered, “We can’t do anything. We don’t dare take the chance!”
Mallory stared at her uncomprehendingly. “What chance are we taking?” he demanded. “There’s a police car behind the café. Do you think Graef would use his gun here? And if he thinks I’m afraid to yell for help because I’m carrying company securities, he’s crazy. You know that.”
He looked past Denise to Graef. “A call to my boss will prove I didn’t steal those bonds, Graef.”
Graef said, “I wonder what a call to Rick Lawton would prove, Mallory. A call telling him where his wife is and who she’s with.”
Denise whispered tensely, “Don’t you see, Cliff?” Her voice rose in a burst of anguish. “I can’t call attention to myself! I can’t take a chance on Rick learning where I am. I can’t! I can’t!”
Graef said, “I thought as much.” He sounded pleased with himself. “You see, Mallory, I wasn’t running a bluff to win the pot. I’m the one who holds the high cards.”
His cold, muddy eyes probed Mallory’s expression. “You’re still thinking of taking a chance, aren’t you? Because you’re an ethical man, I suppose. Isn’t there a quotation, Mallory: ‘Better a dead hero than a live something-or-other’?”
He lifted the gun and let it drop softly back to his leg. “Don’t force me to make a dead hero of you.” He paused and added quietly, “Or force me to take action against Mrs. Lawton to make my point with you.”
Mallory felt empty. To have success so close—and then to lose it so easily!
A gas-station attendant came around the side of the building. He started toward the wagon.
Graef said, “Here’s your chance, Mallory. You can shout for help and let the world know where Mrs. Lawton is, or you can steer him away.”
Mallory opened the door and stepped out of the wagon. Graef was right, he thought dully. He held the winning cards. Mallory knew that as long as he had this responsibility to Denise and for the securities entrusted to him, he would do nothing to risk either of them.
He moved forward, blocking the attendant’s view of the wagon. He said, “We just want to eat. Mind if we park back here?”
“Help yourself,” the man said. He showed no curiosity.
Mallory could feel Graef and his gun waiting. The attendant turned and went back inside the small station building. Mallory realized that he was standing stiffly; he let his muscles loosen.
He returned to the wagon. Graef was smiling his meaningless smile. “That’s a much better attitude to have, Mallory.”
Denise said, “I’m sorry, Cliff.”
He just nodded. Graef said, “Nick, keep our guests amused. Mallory and I will go in and eat and buy what we need. We’ll
“We didn’t get along,” she said. “I left him.”
“But not with his consent—or knowledge,” Graef said. “Or you wouldn’t have thought I was sent by him to find you. This is really very interesting, Mrs. Lawton.”
Mallory slowed the wagon as a speed-zone sign appeared at the side of the road.
Graef said, “Ah, the town I remembered. Pull into that gas station, Mallory. Go between the station house and the side of that café.”
Mallory did as he was ordered. He cut the motor and sat with his hand resting on the steering wheel. He began to feel his nervous tension draining away. He could see a piece of a state patrol car parked almost out of sight at the rear of the café. He couldn’t understand how Graef planned to continue this farce now that the law was so close.
Graef said pleasantly, “Mallory, you have the look of a man who holds the high cards.”
Mallory said, “That’s right. You can’t do anything here. So take your friends and get out.”
Graef laughed at him. “Do you agree with Mallory, Mrs. Lawton?”
Denise was staring at Mallory. She whispered, “We can’t do anything. We don’t dare take the chance!”
Mallory stared at her uncomprehendingly. “What chance are we taking?” he demanded. “There’s a police car behind the café. Do you think Graef would use his gun here? And if he thinks I’m afraid to yell for help because I’m carrying company securities, he’s crazy. You know that.”
He looked past Denise to Graef. “A call to my boss will prove I didn’t steal those bonds, Graef.”
Graef said, “I wonder what a call to Rick Lawton would prove, Mallory. A call telling him where his wife is and who she’s with.”
Denise whispered tensely, “Don’t you see, Cliff?” Her voice rose in a burst of anguish. “I can’t call attention to myself! I can’t take a chance on Rick learning where I am. I can’t! I can’t!”
Graef said, “I thought as much.” He sounded pleased with himself. “You see, Mallory, I wasn’t running a bluff to win the pot. I’m the one who holds the high cards.”
His cold, muddy eyes probed Mallory’s expression. “You’re still thinking of taking a chance, aren’t you? Because you’re an ethical man, I suppose. Isn’t there a quotation, Mallory: ‘Better a dead hero than a live something-or-other’?”
He lifted the gun and let it drop softly back to his leg. “Don’t force me to make a dead hero of you.” He paused and added quietly, “Or force me to take action against Mrs. Lawton to make my point with you.”
Mallory felt empty. To have success so close—and then to lose it so easily!
A gas-station attendant came around the side of the building. He started toward the wagon.
Graef said, “Here’s your chance, Mallory. You can shout for help and let the world know where Mrs. Lawton is, or you can steer him away.”
Mallory opened the door and stepped out of the wagon. Graef was right, he thought dully. He held the winning cards. Mallory knew that as long as he had this responsibility to Denise and for the securities entrusted to him, he would do nothing to risk either of them.
He moved forward, blocking the attendant’s view of the wagon. He said, “We just want to eat. Mind if we park back here?”
“Help yourself,” the man said. He showed no curiosity.
Mallory could feel Graef and his gun waiting. The attendant turned and went back inside the small station building. Mallory realized that he was standing stiffly; he let his muscles loosen.
He returned to the wagon. Graef was smiling his meaningless smile. “That’s a much better attitude to have, Mallory.”
Denise said, “I’m sorry, Cliff.”
He just nodded. Graef said, “Nick, keep our guests amused. Mallory and I will go in and eat and buy what we need. We’ll
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