He stood in the sunlight by the barn, his face now a
mask of controlled rage. He watched her run to the cowshed,
from the cowshed to the pig sties, from the pig sties to the stables.
She came out of the stables slowly, her face bewildered,
her eyes frightened
“Not there,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not
anywhere.”
“You’d better find it, Glorie,” Dix said softly.
She gave a little start and stared at him.
“What do you mean, Ed?”
“What I say. You’d better find it and quick!” His voice
came across the still quietness that hung over the hot garden
quietly but full of menace and danger. “Where have you
hidden it, Glorie?”
She stiffened as she faced him.
“Hidden it?” she repeated hoarsely. “Are you cr@zy? I
haven’t hidden it.”
“Haven’t you? You can’t fool me. When I was asleep you
shifted it from upstairs to where you think I won’t find it. You and your godd@m Hacket! I can see through your clever little plan. You got me to finish Joe and Louis; now you plan to finish me. Then you and Hacket will have the time of your lives. You don’t think I know about you two. I’ve watched you. I know what you and he were up to last time you were in Paris.
I’ve watched you two together.” He leaned forward, his blue-
stained face contorted with rage. “Where have you hidden it, d@mn you!”
She started back. Fear and rage made her look suddenly
old and ugly. I scarcely recognized her.
“That’s a lie, and you know it! Tom means nothing to me!
It’s you who have hidden it.
You’re trying to gyp me out of my share the way you gypped Joe and Louis and Berry out of
theirs. But you’re not going to do it! I’ve stood by you, Ed. I
saved you when you were blind and wandering about the
streets. I fooled Joe and Louis so you and I could have their
share. I’ve always stuck to you, Ed. You can’t treat me like this now.”
“Where have you hidden that case, Glorie?” Dix repeated
and moved slowly towards her. “You’d better tell me.”
She began to tack away.
“I swear I haven’t touched it Ed! I Swear it!”
“Where have you hidden it damn you?”
He suddenly made a dart at her, but she slipped past
him and began to run frantically towards the house.
He went after her, his long legs taking one stride to her three. She began to scream wildly as he overtook her. He caught up with her and grabbed her, dragging her round to face him.
“Where have you hidden it?” he shouted, shaking her.
“Or do you want me to beat it out of you?”
“Let me go!” She swung at him and clawed his face,
ripping his flesh near his eyes. “Let me go!”
He caught hold of her throat and forced her down on her
knees.
“No, don’t, Ed!” she gasped. “I swear I didn’t touch it.
Those devils must have hidden it!”
He bent her back, his thumbs moving over her throat and
settling into her windpipe. His expression was murderous.
“Where’ve you hidden it?”
She tried to scream, but his thumbs sank into her throat,
cutting off the sound.
“I’ll find it!” he snarled, shaking her savagely. “It can’t be far away. I’ll find it without you, you btch!”
He bent her back, his blue-stained face glistening with
sweat, his drawn-back lips showing his big, white teeth.
He looked like something from the jungle.
She clawed desperately at his wrists, her eyes starting
out of her head, her face congested I made a move to get up, but I had left it too late. In the hot silence I heard a bone snap, and I saw her go limp.
Blood ran suddenly from her nose and spilt over Dix’s great hands. He threw her from him, straightened and stared down at
her.
My hand was steady as I lifted the gun. This act which I was about to do was what I had come
here to do. It was no use thinking of Ann any longer. I had already lost her when I had gone back on my promise, and
had sneaked round to Gloria’s flat that night which now
seemed so long ago.
I had a score to settle. I felt that when I had settled the
score I should have succeeded in part in putting my house in
order. I didn’t care any more what happened to myself. After
this was over I would take the diamonds and drive back to
London. I would see Rawson and tell him the story and give
him the money. It was up to him then to do what he liked with
me. I had no idea what he would do, nor did I care.
“Here he comes, Bill,” I said softly. “He’s in your charge
now.”
The gun sight was centred on the blue-stained face. It
was steady; not a movement, as if the sight had been
cemented to its target.
It was a long, tricky shot with a pistol, but I knew I
wouldn’t miss.
The blue-stained face suddenly turned and looked in my
direction as if Dix had had a sudden premonition that he was
only a heartbeat away from death. I saw the sudden fear in his eyes. His hand groped for the gun he had dropped; his fingers touched Gloria’s dead face.
I looked along the barrel of the gun, then I gently
squeezed the trigger.
The End
****************
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