A Hell of a Woman (Crime Masterworks) by Jim Thompson Read Free Book Online Page B

isn't, get me?"
    "But she will! She'll find out and-"
    "Huh-uh. That ain't the way it's going to be, at all. Now, tell me something, baby. Where did an old bag like that get a hundred thousand dollars?"
    "Well," she hesitated, "I'm not sure, but…"
    She couldn't remember much of anything about her early life. But the old lady had let drop a few things, and piecing it all together she had a pretty good idea about the source of that hundred grand. At least, it sounded good to me.
    I started up the car again and drove on toward her place. Thinking. Wondering just how to put the proposition up to her. Or whether I really wanted to put it up to her.
    "One more thing, honey. I think this is going to be all right-I mean, it could be all right. I think I can work it out so's you and I can go off together, and- and-" I couldn't get the words out: what I really wanted to say. I swallowed and made another try, coming in at it from an angle. "This Pete Hendrickson character; remember him, honey? Now, just suppose that Pete-"
    She shivered and turned her head. You know. Sick, shamed, scared, just at the mention of Pete's name.
    I gave her a little love pat, and called her a honey lamb.
    "I'm sorry, baby. We won't talk about Pete any more, about any of those dirty bastards your aunt made you-well, never mind. What I was going to say was-was-suppose someone broke into your house and-"
    "No," she said. "No, Dolly."
    "But, baby. If-"
    "No," she said again. "You're too nice. You've done too much. I couldn't let you do it."
    I swallowed, feeling like I ought to be disappointed. Because this was the first crack I'd ever had at the big dough, and I figured it'd just about be the last. But I reckon that I was actually pretty relieved. I was glad that it wasn't going to happen.
    "Well, all right," I said. "I just thought that-"
    "She's got a gun. You might get hurt, or even killed," she said.
    And I was back in business again.
    We'd come to the shopping center where I was supposed to let her out. I pulled in at the curb, and stopped.
    "The old gal's counting on me coming back to your house. Remember, honey? I told her I'd be back. So if I should drop around late some night and…"
    I laid it on the line for her. Not the whole stunt, because I didn't have it all figured out yet, but the main thing. What was going to have to happen to the old woman.
    "You don't have to mix into it yourself, baby. All you have to do is have the dough ready for me to grab and call the cops after I've left."
    "And then… "The shine came back into her eyes, the deadness went out of her face. "And we could go away together, then, Dolly? We could be together after that?"
    "In a week or so, sure. Just as soon as things cool off a little."
    "Do it tonight, Dolly," she said. "Kill her tonight."
    … Well, of course, doing it that night was out of the question. A deal like this, it was going to take some planning; there was Pete Hendrickson to be got ahold of and worked on. I told her we'd have to wait: probably I could swing it Monday. Meanwhile, she was to beat it on back to the house, and pretend like everything was hunky-dory.
    "But what if she finds out I took that money, Dolly? If she finds out before Monday-"
    "She won't," I said, making her believe it. Making myself believe it. "Beat it on home, now, and I'll talk to you again tomorrow night. I'll meet you right here around eight o'clock."
    She hung back, scared as hell to face the old dame, just wanting to hang on to me. But I sweet-talked her, kind of getting hard-boiled at the same time, and finally she took off.
    I watched her until she rounded the corner. Then, I made a u-turn in the street and headed for home.
    Now that it was all settled-if, of course, I could suck Pete in-I began to get cold feet. Or, maybe, I should say, I started to go cold on the deal. I wasn't really scared; hell, there wasn't anything to be scared about; and I sure wanted that little Mona and I sure wanted that hundred grand. But I just