A Hell of a Woman (Crime Masterworks) by Jim Thompson Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jim Thompson
about you. I love you, understand? You've got to believe that. That's why we've got to go slow on this, because if we do it the wrong way-what you're suggesting-we'll never be together. They'll have us both in jail."
"But-"
"Listen to me. Let me ask the questions, and you answer 'em. – - You're supposed to be out shopping tonight? Okay, the store was closed and you had to go on to another one. That takes care of that. Now, how about this dough your aunt had hidden. She doesn't know that you knew about it, does she?"
"N-no. But-"
"Just answer the questions. Where did she keep it? How did you happen to find out about it?"
"Down in the cellar. Behind some old boards and boxes. I was down there one day, cleaning out the furnace, and she didn't know I was there. She pulled the boards and boxes away, and there was a hole in the wall and the money was in it. In sort of a little suitcase. She took it out and counted it, mumbling and cursing-acting like she was half-crazy, a-and- she scared me to death, Dolly! I was afraid s-she might see me and-"
"Yeah, sure," I said. "The old miser act, huh? Did you ever see her down there again? When was the last time?"
"That was. It was the only time, about three months ago. The stairs are awfully steep, and I always go whenever there's anything to-"
"Uh-huh, sure. Well, don't you see, honey? It's all right. Anyway, it's all right for the present. Why, hell, it might be a year before she misses the dough."
She saw what I was leading up to, and she started getting frantic all over again. It might not be a year. Or even a day. The old gal might be checking over the dough right this moment, and- "Stop it!" I said. "Get me, baby? I said to stop, and that's what I mean -.. Your aunt doesn't know you took the money. She isn't going to know it. I go back on the job Monday. I'll have the three hundred-odd you got for me within a month or so. You'll put it back in that satchel, and you'll put this back tonight and-"
"No! I-"
"Yes! Don't you see, honey? We haven't got any choice. If you didn't go home tonight, the old gal would look for her dough right away. It's the first thing she'd think of. She'd know you'd taken it, and the police would pick you up in no time… You don't want that, do you? You see I'm right, don't you?"
"Y-yes." She nodded reluctantly. "Y-you-you really do love me, Dolly?"
"I wish I had time for a demonstration," I said, and I wasn't just woofing. "But you've been gone pretty long as it is. I'll drive you back over there, drop you off at the shopping center, and we'll get together in a day or two. Have a hell of a time for ourselves."
I stuffed the money back into her pockets, petting and kidding her until she was smiling. She was still pretty nervous and scared, but she thought she could swing it all right. She had the downstairs bedroom. The old woman slept upstairs, and once she went up for the night she stayed up.
"It's a cinch," I said. "You won't have a bit of trouble, baby. Now, let's have one big kiss and then we'll be on our way."
We had it. I headed the car across town. She rode with her head on my shoulder, hardly saying a word; pretty well at peace with the world. And that was the way I wanted her, of course, but me, I wasn't feeling so good.
Mona didn't know how often her aunt counted her money. She'd only caught her at it the one time, but there were probably plenty of other times she didn't know about. The old woman could be doing it right along, you know, when she sent Mona out to shop. It figured that she would, a dame that liked dough as well as she did. And if she did it before I got that three-forty-five back…
It wouldn't take her five minutes to beat the truth out of Mona. Staples would have to return the money, and I'd be returned to jail. On a double rap, probably: the store's charges and a charge of getting Mona to steal.
I wondered if maybe I wasn't playing this the wrong way.
I couldn't think of any other.
Of course, if the old woman
"But-"
"Listen to me. Let me ask the questions, and you answer 'em. – - You're supposed to be out shopping tonight? Okay, the store was closed and you had to go on to another one. That takes care of that. Now, how about this dough your aunt had hidden. She doesn't know that you knew about it, does she?"
"N-no. But-"
"Just answer the questions. Where did she keep it? How did you happen to find out about it?"
"Down in the cellar. Behind some old boards and boxes. I was down there one day, cleaning out the furnace, and she didn't know I was there. She pulled the boards and boxes away, and there was a hole in the wall and the money was in it. In sort of a little suitcase. She took it out and counted it, mumbling and cursing-acting like she was half-crazy, a-and- she scared me to death, Dolly! I was afraid s-she might see me and-"
"Yeah, sure," I said. "The old miser act, huh? Did you ever see her down there again? When was the last time?"
"That was. It was the only time, about three months ago. The stairs are awfully steep, and I always go whenever there's anything to-"
"Uh-huh, sure. Well, don't you see, honey? It's all right. Anyway, it's all right for the present. Why, hell, it might be a year before she misses the dough."
She saw what I was leading up to, and she started getting frantic all over again. It might not be a year. Or even a day. The old gal might be checking over the dough right this moment, and- "Stop it!" I said. "Get me, baby? I said to stop, and that's what I mean -.. Your aunt doesn't know you took the money. She isn't going to know it. I go back on the job Monday. I'll have the three hundred-odd you got for me within a month or so. You'll put it back in that satchel, and you'll put this back tonight and-"
"No! I-"
"Yes! Don't you see, honey? We haven't got any choice. If you didn't go home tonight, the old gal would look for her dough right away. It's the first thing she'd think of. She'd know you'd taken it, and the police would pick you up in no time… You don't want that, do you? You see I'm right, don't you?"
"Y-yes." She nodded reluctantly. "Y-you-you really do love me, Dolly?"
"I wish I had time for a demonstration," I said, and I wasn't just woofing. "But you've been gone pretty long as it is. I'll drive you back over there, drop you off at the shopping center, and we'll get together in a day or two. Have a hell of a time for ourselves."
I stuffed the money back into her pockets, petting and kidding her until she was smiling. She was still pretty nervous and scared, but she thought she could swing it all right. She had the downstairs bedroom. The old woman slept upstairs, and once she went up for the night she stayed up.
"It's a cinch," I said. "You won't have a bit of trouble, baby. Now, let's have one big kiss and then we'll be on our way."
We had it. I headed the car across town. She rode with her head on my shoulder, hardly saying a word; pretty well at peace with the world. And that was the way I wanted her, of course, but me, I wasn't feeling so good.
Mona didn't know how often her aunt counted her money. She'd only caught her at it the one time, but there were probably plenty of other times she didn't know about. The old woman could be doing it right along, you know, when she sent Mona out to shop. It figured that she would, a dame that liked dough as well as she did. And if she did it before I got that three-forty-five back…
It wouldn't take her five minutes to beat the truth out of Mona. Staples would have to return the money, and I'd be returned to jail. On a double rap, probably: the store's charges and a charge of getting Mona to steal.
I wondered if maybe I wasn't playing this the wrong way.
I couldn't think of any other.
Of course, if the old woman
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