1950 - Mallory by James Hadley Chase Read Free Book Online

things to settle down. We’ve had to save money. Jeanne’s been ill. At one time nothing went right. But we’re here now.’
    ‘They caught Gourville?’
    ‘Yes. Georges and Charlotte were killed in the fighting. Unfortunately they caught Pierre alive. He was in their hands two weeks before they killed him.’
    ‘What happened to you?’
    ‘We were lucky. There was an air raid and the prison in which we were was hit. In the confusion we got away.’
    ‘And Mallory?’
    ‘He got away too. We were a lot slower than he and he left us.’
    ‘And now you intend to kill him?’
    ‘Yes. Jeanne was ill for a long time. She had brain fever, and nearly went out of her mind. The only thing that kept her alive was the thought that one day she would meet Mallory again. We have all sworn to get him, and we are bound by honour to see the job through.’
    ‘But why drag me into it?’ Corridon asked, stretching out his long legs.
    ‘It was my idea,’ Ranleigh returned. ‘The other two don’t like it. You see, Jan was married to Charlotte. He has a personal reason for finding Mallory. So has Jeanne. I haven’t the same claim, but I’ve given my word.’
    ‘And the other two? Where are they?’
    ‘They’re dead,’ Ranleigh said quietly. ‘Mallory killed them last week.’
    A flicker of interest showed in Corridon’s eyes. He hadn’t expected this.
    ‘Last week? You mean - here, in London?’
    ‘Yes.’ Ranleigh again began to pace the room. ‘We’ve underestimated Mallory. We knew he’d be a hard nut to crack, but we thought the five of us would be more than a match for him. He is a first class shot; strong, quick and as dangerous as a tiger. He has a clear-thinking, ruthless mind. He’s good at hunting men, but then, so are we, and we thought the five of us could pull him down. We are beginning to doubt. There are only three of us left. You see, we don’t know where he is. Harris had a clue to his whereabouts and went to investigate. He didn’t come back. He was found in a pond on Wimbledon Common. You know the kind of thing: unknown man commits suicide. There was no question of foul play, but we knew Mallory had got him.
    ‘Lubish also had a clue. He was found lying on a railway track, cut to pieces by a train. They brought that in as accidental death. After Lubish’s death I managed to persuade Jeanne to see reason. We must have outside help. Mallory knows us. He knows we are after him, and he is hitting back. Up to now he has had it all his own way. As soon as one of us gets on his track, he appears from, nowhere and strikes. Someone he doesn’t know must go after him. We heard about you. You could do it. If you can find him for us we’ll do the rest; but knowing him, if you do find him, you’ll have to act quickly. I don’t think there’ll be a chance to bring us on the scene. You’ll have to do the job. That’s why we’re offering a thousand pounds.’
    ‘It’s murder,’ Corridon said, the polite, interested expression much in evidence. ‘Have you thought of that?’
    ‘Did you call it murder when you shot Maria Hauptmann or the others who were traitors?’ Ranleigh asked quietly.
    ‘No, but it was murder for all that; only it was legalized murder. This is different. If I kill a man now, I shall be arrested, tried and perhaps hanged.’
    ‘It must be an accident or suicide,’ Ranleigh said. ‘He has killed two of us that way.’
    Corridon drank a little whisky, appearing to think, but there was no need to think. He knew what he was going to do.
    ‘There are risks,’ he pointed out. ‘You must look at it from my point of view. You’re asking me to pull your chestnuts out of the fire. I have no personal grudge against this man. There were dozens like him. Killing a man in war-time is one thing; killing him now is something else.’
    Ranleigh stubbed out his cigarette. A frown pulled his eyebrows into a wrinkled knot above the bridge of his nose.
    ‘There’s no point in beating about