Read Online 1945 - Blonde's Requiem by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Hadley Chase
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were locked.
My brain was still a little fuddled with sleep and I felt as fresh as a ten-day corpse. I didn ’ t know what to do. I was still gaping at the doors when I heard more footsteps. I had sense enough to move away from the Cranville Gazette building as a patrolman appeared from nowhere and stood staring at me.
“ What do you think you ’ re doing? ” he said, swinging his nightstick and sticking out a jaw that looked like it had been hewn from rock.
I put on a drunk act and stumbled against him. “ My pal, ” I said, patting his shoulder. “ Stick around a li ’ l longer an ’ a beautiful big copper ’ ll come along. Tha ’ s what I said. Just stick around a little longer. ”
“ I heard you the first time, ” he said, shoving me off. “ On your way, bud, or I ’ ll bend this club over your skull. ”
“ Sure, ” I said, staggering back a couple of paces. “ But I ’ ve gotta let the women and chil ’ n go first. I ’ ve gotta get the boat launched. I ’ ve gotta do something or other . . . now what the hell was it? ” By that time I ’ d faded away and was zigzagging down the street.
I had to cover a lot of ground before I came to a side street. I reeled round the corner and then straightened up. I gave the cop a few minutes and then took a quick look. He was already on his way, and a moment later he turned off into Main Street.
Cursing softly, I ran back to the Granville Gazette building. I had wasted a good eight minutes, and if that cop ran into me again it would be highly inconvenient—for me.
I took out my pocketknife and with one of the hickies attached to it I tried to slip the lock back. My third attempt succeeded.
I looked quickly up and down the street, made sure no one had seen me, and pushed open the door. I moved into the small lobby, which smelt like a chicken run. I closed the door softly behind me.
I listened, but I didn ’ t hear any sound of activity. I groped my way to the stairs and started up. It took me a long time to reach the fourth floor. I made no sound on the way up and I didn ’ t like the absolute silence in the building. The woman couldn ’ t have had time to leave. Maybe she was on the fifth or sixth floor, but I ought to have heard her moving about by now.
The Granville Gazette offices were at the end of the long passage. I didn ’ t want to show a light and I knew my way, so I went forward in inky darkness.
Halfway down the passage I stopped. I wasn ’ t sure, but I thought I saw something. I edged against the wall and looked hard into the darkness. The hairs moved on the back of my neck. There was something right ahead of me. My hand slid back and reached for my flashlight. My other hand went for my gun.
Then things happened so fast I was caught on the wrong foot. There was a quick movement, then someone brushed passed me.
My hand shot out and I caught an arm—a woman ’ s arm. God knows what happened then. I felt her twist, come up violently against me and my arm was jerked forward. A hard little hip was rammed into my side and then my feet left the ground. I sailed through the air and came down with my head against the wall.
Nothing mattered for a while after that.
I came out of a red haze, my head expanding and contracting, and I up and cursed. The building was silent and I had no idea how long I had been lying there. I fumbled for my flashlight and looked at my watch. It was three-forty. I must have been out for almost a quarter of an hour. The light hurt my eyes and I snapped it off. I didn ’ t get up, as any movement sent pain stabbing through my head. I cursed some more. If I ’ d known I was going to run into a female jiu-jitsu expert I ’ d have stayed in bed. It set me back a long way to think a girl could have tossed me around like that. I thought I knew most of the Jap stuff, but that throw was the work of an expert.
I sat up slowly, wincing as pain throbbed in my head; but after a while it got better and I stood up. I
My brain was still a little fuddled with sleep and I felt as fresh as a ten-day corpse. I didn ’ t know what to do. I was still gaping at the doors when I heard more footsteps. I had sense enough to move away from the Cranville Gazette building as a patrolman appeared from nowhere and stood staring at me.
“ What do you think you ’ re doing? ” he said, swinging his nightstick and sticking out a jaw that looked like it had been hewn from rock.
I put on a drunk act and stumbled against him. “ My pal, ” I said, patting his shoulder. “ Stick around a li ’ l longer an ’ a beautiful big copper ’ ll come along. Tha ’ s what I said. Just stick around a little longer. ”
“ I heard you the first time, ” he said, shoving me off. “ On your way, bud, or I ’ ll bend this club over your skull. ”
“ Sure, ” I said, staggering back a couple of paces. “ But I ’ ve gotta let the women and chil ’ n go first. I ’ ve gotta get the boat launched. I ’ ve gotta do something or other . . . now what the hell was it? ” By that time I ’ d faded away and was zigzagging down the street.
I had to cover a lot of ground before I came to a side street. I reeled round the corner and then straightened up. I gave the cop a few minutes and then took a quick look. He was already on his way, and a moment later he turned off into Main Street.
Cursing softly, I ran back to the Granville Gazette building. I had wasted a good eight minutes, and if that cop ran into me again it would be highly inconvenient—for me.
I took out my pocketknife and with one of the hickies attached to it I tried to slip the lock back. My third attempt succeeded.
I looked quickly up and down the street, made sure no one had seen me, and pushed open the door. I moved into the small lobby, which smelt like a chicken run. I closed the door softly behind me.
I listened, but I didn ’ t hear any sound of activity. I groped my way to the stairs and started up. It took me a long time to reach the fourth floor. I made no sound on the way up and I didn ’ t like the absolute silence in the building. The woman couldn ’ t have had time to leave. Maybe she was on the fifth or sixth floor, but I ought to have heard her moving about by now.
The Granville Gazette offices were at the end of the long passage. I didn ’ t want to show a light and I knew my way, so I went forward in inky darkness.
Halfway down the passage I stopped. I wasn ’ t sure, but I thought I saw something. I edged against the wall and looked hard into the darkness. The hairs moved on the back of my neck. There was something right ahead of me. My hand slid back and reached for my flashlight. My other hand went for my gun.
Then things happened so fast I was caught on the wrong foot. There was a quick movement, then someone brushed passed me.
My hand shot out and I caught an arm—a woman ’ s arm. God knows what happened then. I felt her twist, come up violently against me and my arm was jerked forward. A hard little hip was rammed into my side and then my feet left the ground. I sailed through the air and came down with my head against the wall.
Nothing mattered for a while after that.
I came out of a red haze, my head expanding and contracting, and I up and cursed. The building was silent and I had no idea how long I had been lying there. I fumbled for my flashlight and looked at my watch. It was three-forty. I must have been out for almost a quarter of an hour. The light hurt my eyes and I snapped it off. I didn ’ t get up, as any movement sent pain stabbing through my head. I cursed some more. If I ’ d known I was going to run into a female jiu-jitsu expert I ’ d have stayed in bed. It set me back a long way to think a girl could have tossed me around like that. I thought I knew most of the Jap stuff, but that throw was the work of an expert.
I sat up slowly, wincing as pain throbbed in my head; but after a while it got better and I stood up. I
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