The Kidnapper by Robert Bloch Read Free Book Online Page A

deal.”
    “Tomorrow night after work, then,” I told him. “We’ll get together and I’ll tell you all about it.”
    “Why not now?”
    “Not in public. From now on, everything goes according to plan. This is one job that’s going to be done right.”
    And I meant it.
    So far it had worked perfect. And unless I was wrong about my timing, the next step would come very soon.
    I wasn’t wrong.
    Eight days had been enough. Mary Adams came up to my room the following afternoon.
    I was ready for her. The minute she came in, I scowled and slammed the door shut.
    “Steve, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to see you, I had to. I been like crazy all week. I don’t care what you want to do, Steve, just so’s we’re together. I don’t care.”
    I walked over to her and grabbed her by the hair.
    “Go ahead, Steve, go ahead and hit me. I want you to, I deserve it.”
    I bit her in the mouth until I tasted blood, and I could taste something else, too. Money.

Chapter Seven
    “Y ou’re sure Shirley Mae will be all right?”
    It was about the tenth time she’d asked me the question that afternoon, but I was being very patient.
    “Of course she will. We aren’t going to hurt the kid. I wouldn’t be dumb enough to pull a stunt like that—why, getting her back in good shape is the most important part of the whole deal. It’ll help take the heat off.”
    “You got it all planned?”
    “Of course. Why, in a couple of days we’ll have the dough and the kid’ll be back home safe and sound. It’ll be like sort of a vacation for her, with this cottage and all.”
    “You even picked out a cottage? You must of been awfully sure I’d come back.”
    “Well, no, I haven’t picked one out yet. But I’m going to, tomorrow; I been thinking about it.” I had let that slip, and I reminded myself to take it easy. Slow and easy.
    “Steve, you’re positive you know what you’re doing?”
    “What’s the matter, don’t you trust me?”
    “Of course I trust you, darling. But it’s so dangerous.”
    “Only for the dumb guys. I was reading up, I know. The important thing is to pull the job so nobody even finds out who did it. And that’s the way I’ve got this thing planned. Why, Specs won’t even have to quit his job.”
    “This Specs—you’re sure you can trust him?”
    “He’s my best friend. That’s why I picked him out. He’s a little guy, kind of quiet. Nobody would ever suspect.”
    “But won’t they connect him up with you?”
    “Sure. Only I won’t be in the picture, either. I’m going to quit my job now, in advance. By the time we go to work, I’ll be forgotten. My name’ll never appear.” I leaned over and cupped her chin. “You never told anyone about us, did you?”
    “Of course not, lover.”
    I kissed her. “That’s a good girl. See that you don’t. Because it helps keep you clear, too.”
    She frowned. “You know, that’s the one part I can’t understand. I’ll be getting Shirley Mae from school that day. The Warrens will know that. And then I disappear. Won’t the police come looking for me right away?”
    “Look, honey, do you think I’d go through with this if I thought you were going to be in a bad spot? That was the first thing I figured out—how to make sure you’d be safe. Don’t worry. A month from today you’ll be the best-looking blonde in Miami Beach!”
    “Blonde?”
    “Sure. I’ll tell you the whole thing, what you’ve got to do. First of all, how much money you got saved?”
    “Nine hundred dollars, like I told you.”
    “All right, the day before we pull the job, you go downtown in the afternoon and put five hundred into a Savings and Loan account. I’ll tell you which place to go to, and I want you to ask a lot of questions about how Savings and Loan operates. You know, how much interest you get, stuff like that there.”
    “But we could use five hundred—”
    “We’ll have money coming out of our ears!” I told her. “This five hundred is