I Would Rather Stay Poor (7 page)
Read I Would Rather Stay Poor Online
Authors: James Hadley Chase
She made an impatient movement as she said, ‘I intend to sell this house and leave here. With the money I get from the house, I’ll be able to drop out of sight. Then I can spend what I like.’
‘That’s where you are wrong. It is a difficult thing to drop out of sight. But that’s neither here nor there,’ Calvin said. ‘If you leave, then I can’t. It would look very odd, wouldn’t it, if we both suddenly left town?’
‘I don’t see why. We don’t have to leave together. You could leave a few months later: what’s wrong with that?’
‘You are not being very bright this morning,’ Calvin said. ‘I am the manager of the bank. I have no other means of earning a living. I couldn’t suddenly resign and leave town. The Federal agents would want to know what I was going to do: how I was going to earn a living. They would be interested especially as there has been a big robbery at my branch. Do you see that?’
‘That is for you to work out,’ Kit said. ‘I know what I’m going to do.’
‘If you are stupid enough to believe you would be safe to splash your money around you’ll find yourself in trouble. In every town there is a Feder
al agent who keeps track of new
comers. He’ll wonder where your mo
ney is coming from. He’ll make in
quiries and he’ll find out you are from Pittsville
,
the town that has had a payroll robbery. He’ll start checking and then you’ll be in trouble
…
so will I.’
al agent who keeps track of new
comers. He’ll wonder where your mo
ney is coming from. He’ll make in
quiries and he’ll find out you are from Pittsville
,
the town that has had a payroll robbery. He’ll start checking and then you’ll be in trouble
…
so will I.’
‘I can take care of myself,’ she said. ‘I’m not scared. All I want is the money.’
‘If the money is no good to you when you have it, there is no point in taking it,’ he said mildly.
‘Just what are you driving at?’ she demanded, facing him, her brown eyes angry. ‘What is it?’
‘There is only one safe way for us once we have the money. I stress the word
us
because there isn’t much point in it being safe for you and not for me since neither of us can take the money without the other. It isn’t unnatural that you should think only of yourself: nor for me to think only of myself, but since neither of us can do without the other, we must think of this thing as a combined operation.’
us
because there isn’t much point in it being safe for you and not for me since neither of us can take the money without the other. It isn’t unnatural that you should think only of yourself: nor for me to think only of myself, but since neither of us can do without the other, we must think of this thing as a combined operation.’
She walked over to the kitchen table and sat on it, swinging her
long legs, her arms folded tightl
y across her breasts.
long legs, her arms folded tightl
y across her breasts.
‘Can’t you say what you want to say? Must you go round and round the point. What is it?’
‘You and I are going to get married,’ Calvin said and smiled his charming smile. ‘That is the only safe solution.’
She stiffened. Her eyes showed her startled, shocked surprise.
‘Oh no! I’m not marrying you! I’ve had one husband
…
that was plenty!’
‘I feel exactly the same as you do, but it is the only safe way. It needn’t be permanent. Just long enough to be convenient.’
She studied him, then because she had already learned to respect his shrewdness, she said more quietly, ‘I don’t want to marry you, but I’
ll
listen. Why do you say it is safer?’
‘It would be the most natural th
ing
in the world for me, staying in your rooming-house, to fall in love with yo
u and want you to be my wife,’ C
alvin said. ‘We have to be sure that every move we make is a natural one. Every move we make could come under scrutiny. It would also be natural, after we were married, for you to sell this house, and for me to resign from the bank. We would say there is no future in Pittsvil
l
e for either of us, which is true. We are using your capital and my small savings to go south where we hope to find a more profitable rooming-house and run it together. That story would be accepted and both of us could leave here without arousing any suspicions.’
ing
in the world for me, staying in your rooming-house, to fall in love with yo
u and want you to be my wife,’ C
alvin said. ‘We have to be sure that every move we make is a natural one. Every move we make could come under scrutiny. It would also be natural, after we were married, for you to sell this house, and for me to resign from the bank. We would say there is no future in Pittsvil
l
e for either of us, which is true. We are using your capital and my small savings to go south where we hope to find a more profitable rooming-house and run it together. That story would be accepted and both of us could leave here without arousing any suspicions.’
‘All right,’ she said, shrugging, ‘but are you suggesting we should buy another rooming-house? I’m not risking so much to get this money to be landed with another
rooming-house
…
get that quite clear.’
rooming-house
…
get that quite clear.’
Calvin shook his head.
‘You and I will have our honeymoon in Las Vegas. It is an
exciting place:
a
honeymoon place. I happen to have
a
good
friend there who runs
a
gambling joint. I haven’t
seen h
im for
years,
but
I know I can rely on
him
because he owes me plenty
…
I saved
his
life in the Pacific fighting. I will use some of our capital to gamble with and I’ll
w
in.
My pal will see to that. In fact I’ll win quite a lump of money. We will suddenly find ourselves with more money than we had originally and we will change our ideas about buying a rooming-house: instead, we’ll buy a much more ambitious proposition: a motel in Florida. I also happen to know someone who has a motel to sell. We
’ll
buy it. It isn’t much of a place, but with us working at it, it’ll suddenly begin to make money. If there is one thing I can do it is to fake a set of books. We will pay, little by little, money from the payroll into
a
bank, showing it is profit from the motel. In three or four years,
we
’ll have enough in the bank to let us start speculating on the market. Then once we are in this position, we are safe. You and I can part and have our money without any danger to either of us.’
exciting place:
a
honeymoon place. I happen to have
a
good
friend there who runs
a
gambling joint. I haven’t
seen h
im for
years,
but
I know I can rely on
him
because he owes me plenty
…
I saved
his
life in the Pacific fighting. I will use some of our capital to gamble with and I’ll
w
in.
My pal will see to that. In fact I’ll win quite a lump of money. We will suddenly find ourselves with more money than we had originally and we will change our ideas about buying a rooming-house: instead, we’ll buy a much more ambitious proposition: a motel in Florida. I also happen to know someone who has a motel to sell. We
’ll
buy it. It isn’t much of a place, but with us working at it, it’ll suddenly begin to make money. If there is one thing I can do it is to fake a set of books. We will pay, little by little, money from the payroll into
a
bank, showing it is profit from the motel. In three or four years,
we
’ll have enough in the bank to let us start speculating on the market. Then once we are in this position, we are safe. You and I can part and have our money without any danger to either of us.’
‘Did you say three
or
four
years?’
Ki
t demanded, her voice going shrill.
or
four
years?’
Ki
t demanded, her voice going shrill.
‘That’s
w
hat
I said.’
‘If you imagine I’m going to wait three or four years before I spend that money
…
’
‘If you can’t wait that long,’ Calvin cut in, ‘then we had better not do the job. This is a three hundred thousand dollar take. It’ll put us on easy street for the rest of our lives. If we make one false move we’ll both land in the gas chamber. Think about it.’
He got to his feet and left her, going up to his room, humming tunelessly, satisfied in his mind that she would do what he wanted.
Their
love-making the previous night h
ad been disappointing. He had expected a fierce, wild passion, but she had given herself to him the way a prostitute gives herself. He had the disturbing feeling that it was only because of the whisky she had drunk that
s
he
had given herself at all. He had been glad to
get
away from her and return to his room. It had been the most frustrating sex experience he had ever had.
love-making the previous night h
ad been disappointing. He had expected a fierce, wild passion, but she had given herself to him the way a prostitute gives herself. He had the disturbing feeling that it was only because of the whisky she had drunk that
s
he
had given herself at all. He had been glad to
get
away from her and return to his room. It had been the most frustrating sex experience he had ever had.
It was after lunch when the old people were taking
a
nap and Kit was clearing up in the kitchen that Calvin had the opportunity of getting Alice to himself. She was in the lounge looking through the Sunday newspaper when he wandered in and sat down.
a
nap and Kit was clearing up in the kitchen that Calvin had the opportunity of getting Alice to himself. She was in the lounge looking through the Sunday newspaper when he wandered in and sat down.
He said very casually, ‘I
’ve
been thinking about you, Alice. Would you mind if I talked to you about your career for a moment?’
’ve
been thinking about you, Alice. Would you mind if I talked to you about your career for a moment?’
She went red and then
white
and shook
her
head, dropping the newspaper and staring
at
him
like a
startled rabbit.
‘I’ve been very impressed by your work,’ Calvin said, his voice matter-of-fact. ‘You’re
w
asted
in Pittsville.’ He switched on his
charm.
‘You should be more ambitious.’
Hanging on his words, Alice continued to stare at
him.
him.
‘I
–
I don’t understand, Mr. Calvin,’ she said.
‘A girl like you should be working at head office. They
’re
always on the look-out for keen, energetic workers. Would you like me
to
put your name forward?’
’re
always on the look-out for keen, energetic workers. Would you like me
to
put your name forward?’
Her eyes widened behind the shiny lenses of her glasses.
‘But they wouldn’t consider me,’ she said breathlessly.
‘Of course they would.’ He paused, his trap set, then he went on, ‘But you would first have t
o take the advance bank examination. It i
sn’t difficult. You’d have to take
a
correspondence course. It wouldn’t cost you anything. Head Office fixes all that.’ His smile
w
idened. ‘You’d have to work in the evenings for two or three months. That wouldn’t worry you, would it?’
o take the advance bank examination. It i
sn’t difficult. You’d have to take
a
correspondence course. It wouldn’t cost you anything. Head Office fixes all that.’ His smile
w
idened. ‘You’d have to work in the evenings for two or three months. That wouldn’t worry you, would it?’
She was pathetically eager as she said, ‘Oh no, of course not.’
‘Okay, then leave it to me.’ He waved his big hands. ‘You’ll have to give up watching television, but that won’t be
a
hard
ship, will it?’
a
hard
ship, will it?’
She shook her head.
‘It would be wonderful to go to San Francisco.’
‘Fine, then tomorrow, I’
ll
fix it for you.’ Smiling, he got
to
his feet and wandered out of the room. It seemed almost
too
easy, he thought as he began to mount the stairs. Now the next move was to get Kit to tell Miss Pearson that Alice not only was going to sit for a bank examination but she had found a boy
-
friend.
ll
fix it for you.’ Smiling, he got
to
his feet and wandered out of the room. It seemed almost
too
easy, he thought as he began to mount the stairs. Now the next move was to get Kit to tell Miss Pearson that Alice not only was going to sit for a bank examination but she had found a boy
-
friend.
He was humming to himself as he reached the head of the stairs when he became aware of a girl looking at him and waiting to pass. He paused, staring at her, his blue eyes suddenly alert.
The girl was fair, young and pretty. She was wearing a white sweat-shirt and white shorts. She carried a tennis racket. In that get-up, Calvin was quick
to
see how well made she
w
as
and his eyes ran over her young body with quick appreciation.
to
see how well made she
w
as
and his eyes ran over her young body with quick appreciation.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, switching on all
hi
s charm. ‘I didn
’t see
you
…
you must be Miss Loring.’
hi
s charm. ‘I didn
’t see
you
…
you must be Miss Loring.’
‘Yes, that’s right. You must be Mr. Calvin. Kit said you were staying here.’ She smiled
and
he saw at once he had impressed her. He reached the head
of the
stairs
and
stood aside.
and
he saw at once he had impressed her. He reached the head
of the
stairs
and
stood aside.
‘Getting some exercise?’ he said as she began to move past him.
‘Yes
…
I don’t get much chance
…
Sunday is really my only time for
a
game.’
‘You’re working nights, I understand. That’s why we haven’t met.’ He was loath
to
let her
go.
There was something exciting in her young freshness that appealed
to
him.
to
let her
go.
There was something exciting in her young freshness that appealed
to
him.
‘That’s right,’
she said, w
aved her racket and went
on
down the stairs.
she said, w
aved her racket and went
on
down the stairs.
He turned to watch her, his eyes roving over her neat young figure. W
hen she went out of the house, cl
osing the front door behind her, he felt suddenly bored
and
lonely. He had thought
of
a round of golf. Now he couldn’t be bothered. He went into his room, sat down and stared out of the window.
hen she went out of the house, cl
osing the front door behind her, he felt suddenly bored
and
lonely. He had thought
of
a round of golf. Now he couldn’t be bothered. He went into his room, sat down and stared out of the window.
It might have made him happier if he could have known what was going on in Iris
Lor
ing’s mind as
she got into the estate w
agon and started the engine.
Lor
ing’s mind as
she got into the estate w
agon and started the engine.
She was thinking: Hmm
…
he’s quite
a
man. He’s like a movie star. That stare he has. I felt he was looking right through my clothes, but not in a horrid way either. It was rather exciting. She giggled. He is a man who knows his own mind
…
that smile
…
Hmm
…
yes
…
quite
a
man!
…
he’s quite
a
man. He’s like a movie star. That stare he has. I felt he was looking right through my clothes, but not in a horrid way either. It was rather exciting. She giggled. He is a man who knows his own mind
…
that smile
…
Hmm
…
yes
…
quite
a
man!
She found Ken Tr
a
vers
w
aiting
for her at the Country Cl
ub. They played two strenuous sets of tennis, then went and sat under a tree where they could talk.
a
vers
w
aiting
for her at the Country Cl
ub. They played two strenuous sets of tennis, then went and sat under a tree where they could talk.
‘Ken
…
I’m worried,’ Iris sa
id abruptly. ‘It may not be any
thing, but I have a suspicion that Kit is drinking again.’
‘Oh, hell!’ Travers showed his shocked distress. ‘What makes you think that?’
‘When she was really bad
…
it must be over two years now, she always had a glassy, set expression in her eyes.
I
could always tell by that if she had been drinking. This morning when she came into my room, there was that same expression.’
…
it must be over two years now, she always had a glassy, set expression in her eyes.
I
could always tell by that if she had been drinking. This morning when she came into my room, there was that same expression.’
‘What are you going to do?’
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