Read Online 1965 - The Way the Cookie Crumbles by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online Page A

then snapped his fingers.
    ‘I know the fellow. I didn’t know his first name. I once played golf with him in the Country Club competition. Nice guy. He’s the Vice President of the bank. Important man. Well, what do you know? If Hamilton finds out, even Browning can’t stop him publishing a story. Wife of V.P. of Florida Safe Deposit Bank in murder and suicide tangle! Can you imagine? I’ll handle this, Joe. I’ll call him.’
    The telephone bell rang. Beigler picked up the receiver.
    ‘Ticky Edris asking for the Chief,’ the Desk Sergeant said.
    ‘Hold it.’ Beigler looked at Terrell. ‘Edris on the line. You want to talk to him?’
    Terrell frowned.
    ‘What does he want?’ He held out his hand for the receiver. When Beigler passed it to him, he said into the mouthpiece, ‘Put him on, Charley.’
    Edris came on the line.
    ‘Captain Terrell?’
    ‘Yeah. What is it, Edris?’
    ‘It’s about Norena Devon,’ Edris said in his piping voice. ‘I shouldn’t be bothering you with this, Captain, but I want to trace her father. As a friend of the family, I called the school and Dr. Graham has broken the news to her. She’s on her way home now. She’s very upset. Here’s my problem. There’s no money in the apartment. Of course I can provide for her and I will, but before sticking my neck out, I thought her father should be consulted. He may want to take charge. You see the position I’m in, Captain. I don’t want to put my foot wrong, but I want to be helpful.’
    Terrell scratched the side of his jaw as he listened.
    ‘I’ve located her father, Edris,’ he said finally. ‘I’m going to speak with him right now. For his and his daughter’s sake, the less publicity about all this the better. If you’re such a friend of the family and want to help, you can help. I’m going to talk to the Coroner. It could be fixed that you identify the woman as Muriel Marsh and you give evidence of the relationship between her and Williams. I think the Coroner would agree to leave Norena and her father out of it. It depends on you.’
    ‘You can count on me, Captain,’ Edris said. ‘I’ll do anything to help. I’m as anxious as you to spare the kid any publicity.’
    ‘Okay. I’ll talk to Devon and the Coroner. As soon as I know how they feel about it, I’ll telephone you. What’s your number?’
    ‘Seacombe 556.’
    ‘Right,’ Terrell said, scribbling the number on his blotter. He hung up and pushed back his chair. ‘All right, boys, you get on with your other jobs. I’ll finish this one off.’
    When Hess and Beigler had gone, Terrell called Alec Brewer, the Coroner. He explained the situation to him.
    ‘Mel Devon?’ Brewer’s voice sounded shocked. ‘He’s an old friend of mine. I never. You’re sure it’s the same man, Frank?’
    ‘Same name,’ Terrell said. ‘I haven’t talked to him yet. Could be I’m wrong.’
    ‘You’d better check. I can’t believe it. You check, Frank, and call me back.’
    ‘Maybe I’d better go down and see him.’
    ‘You do that, and be careful, Frank. Mel’s an important man in this City.’
    The Florida Safe Deposit Bank was founded in 1948 by a syndicate of immensely wealthy men who had either retired to live in Paradise City or who spent three months of the year on vacation there. These men were determined to have a completely safe place in which they could keep their bonds, their cash for gambling, their wives’ jewellery and furs and their gold and silver plate, used from time to time on special occasions. Since the bank had been opened, Paradise City had ceased to have the highest burglary rating of all the rich cities along the Florida coast. It now claimed the distinction of the lowest crime rate with the least number of criminals.
    The bank had proved such a success that all the big jewellers, the hotels, the three Casinos and the various private clubs used its modern safes in which to keep their cash and valuables. The Bank had three armoured