Dolly.
He saw now that having given Dolly the money had been a mistake. Whether she used it in an attempt to escape or not, the fact that he had given her that money was a greater danger to him than the fact that she could connect him with murder. If she fled, Quintana would pursue and if he found and caught her the truth would come out. As it would if she stayed and Quintana found the money in her possession. In either case he'd force her to tell where she had obtained the money. He'd believe her as to where she got it, but never as to why. He was too crazy for that. He'd come with knives. And even if he managed to get Quintana first in self defense, the story would come out as to where Dolly had got it and all his careful planning would have been for nothing.
He felt pretty sure now that Dolly wasn't going to run. If she hadn't, up to now, it meant she didn't have the courage to do it. But he was glad now that she hadn't. Because even if she got away clean, if Quintana never caught her, there'd always be the chance that she'd - well, she herself didn't have the courage to try blackmail but suppose she took up with a man who did have the courage, and confided in him? Or for all he knew Dolly might talk in her sleep or in her cups. Always the chance, even the thousandth chance, that something would happen. Dolly knew that he had killed Mack Irby and as long as Dolly lived he'd never feel completely secure.
Dolly must die. And quickly, for not only was the end of the season only ten days or so away but there was always the chance that she would gather what shreds of courage she had and run away, beyond his reach.
Tonight, if possible.
And he worked out a method that seemed foolproof. He knew for sure that Joe Linder, the talker for the freak show, wanted Dolly. And he had a pretty good hunch that Dolly would go for Linder - under the right circumstances. Today, somehow, he'd verify those two things and if they checked, Dolly would die all right. Joe Linder would die with her and that was too bad but it couldn't be helped. For that matter he liked Dolly too, but when your own life is at stake - not to mention the money - you can't afford to be merciful, can you? Your own safety comes first.
Conning Joe Linder came first and he might as well get that over with right away because if Joe didn't fall for it, he'd have to make other plans, and damned quickly.
Maybe, if Joe really went for it, he could use Joe to get Quintana out of the way so he'd have a really good and safe chance to talk to Dolly. Linder and Quintana both worked for the same show and maybe Linder could think of some excuse to get Quintana to go into town with him. That would be perfect. If Quintana was safely off the lot he could even sit at the same table as Dolly in the cookhouse and talk to her face to face, convincingly. Nobody but Quintana would think anything of them sitting and talking together.
He left his trailer, being careful to lock the door behind him as always now, and waded through mud and water to Joe Linder's living top.
Joe was there, and Joe listened and was pathetically grateful for what he offered to do for him. And Joe said he was sure he could get Quintana into town with him.
The first step of Operation Dolly was successful.
CHAPTER NINE
MAYBELLE SEELEY SAID, "Thanks, Sammy." She gave him a quarter on the off chance that Doc hadn't paid him to look for her. If he had, it didn't matter. And she was glad Doc wanted to see her because she'd been intending to look him up later in the day anyway to ask him for that reading he'd promised to give her. His sending for her made it easier to ask, or maybe even the reading was what he had in mind when he'd sent the message.
On second thought, though, she hoped it wasn't that. Because it just might mean that he'd already cast a horoscope for her - he'd asked her birth date so he could have - and had found something bad or dangerous coming that he wanted to warn her about.
He saw now that having given Dolly the money had been a mistake. Whether she used it in an attempt to escape or not, the fact that he had given her that money was a greater danger to him than the fact that she could connect him with murder. If she fled, Quintana would pursue and if he found and caught her the truth would come out. As it would if she stayed and Quintana found the money in her possession. In either case he'd force her to tell where she had obtained the money. He'd believe her as to where she got it, but never as to why. He was too crazy for that. He'd come with knives. And even if he managed to get Quintana first in self defense, the story would come out as to where Dolly had got it and all his careful planning would have been for nothing.
He felt pretty sure now that Dolly wasn't going to run. If she hadn't, up to now, it meant she didn't have the courage to do it. But he was glad now that she hadn't. Because even if she got away clean, if Quintana never caught her, there'd always be the chance that she'd - well, she herself didn't have the courage to try blackmail but suppose she took up with a man who did have the courage, and confided in him? Or for all he knew Dolly might talk in her sleep or in her cups. Always the chance, even the thousandth chance, that something would happen. Dolly knew that he had killed Mack Irby and as long as Dolly lived he'd never feel completely secure.
Dolly must die. And quickly, for not only was the end of the season only ten days or so away but there was always the chance that she would gather what shreds of courage she had and run away, beyond his reach.
Tonight, if possible.
And he worked out a method that seemed foolproof. He knew for sure that Joe Linder, the talker for the freak show, wanted Dolly. And he had a pretty good hunch that Dolly would go for Linder - under the right circumstances. Today, somehow, he'd verify those two things and if they checked, Dolly would die all right. Joe Linder would die with her and that was too bad but it couldn't be helped. For that matter he liked Dolly too, but when your own life is at stake - not to mention the money - you can't afford to be merciful, can you? Your own safety comes first.
Conning Joe Linder came first and he might as well get that over with right away because if Joe didn't fall for it, he'd have to make other plans, and damned quickly.
Maybe, if Joe really went for it, he could use Joe to get Quintana out of the way so he'd have a really good and safe chance to talk to Dolly. Linder and Quintana both worked for the same show and maybe Linder could think of some excuse to get Quintana to go into town with him. That would be perfect. If Quintana was safely off the lot he could even sit at the same table as Dolly in the cookhouse and talk to her face to face, convincingly. Nobody but Quintana would think anything of them sitting and talking together.
He left his trailer, being careful to lock the door behind him as always now, and waded through mud and water to Joe Linder's living top.
Joe was there, and Joe listened and was pathetically grateful for what he offered to do for him. And Joe said he was sure he could get Quintana into town with him.
The first step of Operation Dolly was successful.
CHAPTER NINE
MAYBELLE SEELEY SAID, "Thanks, Sammy." She gave him a quarter on the off chance that Doc hadn't paid him to look for her. If he had, it didn't matter. And she was glad Doc wanted to see her because she'd been intending to look him up later in the day anyway to ask him for that reading he'd promised to give her. His sending for her made it easier to ask, or maybe even the reading was what he had in mind when he'd sent the message.
On second thought, though, she hoped it wasn't that. Because it just might mean that he'd already cast a horoscope for her - he'd asked her birth date so he could have - and had found something bad or dangerous coming that he wanted to warn her about.
Similar Books
