Read Online No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Hadley Chase
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asked.
"No. What's happened?"
Woppy pushed past Doc and went into the sitting room. Doc followed him. Woppy picked up a bottle, held it up to the light, then threw it across the room in disgust.
"Isn't there ever anything to drink in this joint?"
Doc went to the cupboard and opened a new bottle of Scotch.
"What's happened to Eddie?" he asked as he made two stiff drinks.
"I don't know," Woppy said, taking one of the drinks. "We went to the hotel and he and Flynn went in. I hung around, then I saw a couple of cops. I moved off, circled the block and when I got back, I heard shooting. More cops started arriving so I beat it."
"Sounds as if Eddie's walked into trouble."
Woppy shrugged. He emptied his glass.
"He can take care of himself. I should worry." He paused and cocked his head on one side. "What's that?"
Doc stiffened and looked uneasily up at the ceiling.
"Sounds like the girl screaming."
"I'll go up and see," Woppy said, starting for the door.
"Better not," Doc said. "Ma's with her."
The two men listened to the high-pitched screaming for a moment, then Woppy, grimacing, went over to the radio and turned it on. The sudden blast of jazz drowned out the screams.
"Maybe I'm getting soft," Woppy said, wiping his face with his handkerchief, "but there are times when that bitch makes me sick to my stomach."
Doc drained his glass, then refilled it.
"Better not let her hear you say so," he said and sat down.
Upstairs Ma Grisson was once more sitting on the bed, breathing hard through her thick nose. She watched Miss Blandish writhing on the bed, tears running down her face, her hands twisting the sheet.
"Now I think we can talk," Ma said.
She began to speak. What she said made the girl forget her pain. She stared at the old woman as if she couldn't believe she was hearing correctly. Suddenly she gasped, "No!" Ma went on talking. Miss Blandish sat up and recoiled to the head of the bed, saying "No!"
At last Ma lost patience.
"You can't get out of it, you little fool!" she snarled. "You're going to do what I tell you! If you don't, I'll beat you again."
"No... No... No!"
Ma got to her feet and picked up the length of rubber hose. Then she changed her mind.
"I'm spoiling your pretty skin," she said, "and that won't do. There are other ways. I'll get Doc to fix you. I should have thought of that before. Yeah, Doc'll know how to fix you."
She went out of the room leaving Miss Blandish, her head buried in the pillow, sobbing wildly:
5
Eddie stared down at Heinie's body, feeling sweat break out on his face. If the cops walked in now he would be in a hell of a jam, he was thinking. He looked quickly around the room. There had been no struggle. He guessed someone had knocked on the door and when Heinie had opened it, he had been shot. From the small wound in Heinie's head, Eddie surmised the gun used had been a .25--a woman's weapon.
He touched Heinie's hand. It was still warm. Heinie hadn't been dead longer than half an hour, if that.
Eddie looked into the passage. Flynn was still watching the stairs. Eddie left the room. As an afterthought he carefully wiped the door knob with his handkerchief. Then he crossed to room 243 and tried the door handle. The door was locked. He knocked. Flynn looked down the passage at him. Eddie rapped on the door again. There was no answer. He put his ear against the door panel. He heard the sound of the window being pushed open.
"Hey, you in there," he called softly. "Come on! Open up!"
Then the silence of the night was split by a woman's wild screams. From the sound, the woman in 243 was leaning out of the window, yelling her head off.
Eddie jumped back from the door.
"Come on, stupid!" Flynn shouted. "Let's get out of here!"
Eddie joined him at the head of the stairs and together the two men started down.
"Wait!" Flynn hissed and grabbed Eddie's arm. He looked down the well of the staircase into the hall. Eddie peered over Flynn's shoulder. Two cops, guns in hand, were
"No. What's happened?"
Woppy pushed past Doc and went into the sitting room. Doc followed him. Woppy picked up a bottle, held it up to the light, then threw it across the room in disgust.
"Isn't there ever anything to drink in this joint?"
Doc went to the cupboard and opened a new bottle of Scotch.
"What's happened to Eddie?" he asked as he made two stiff drinks.
"I don't know," Woppy said, taking one of the drinks. "We went to the hotel and he and Flynn went in. I hung around, then I saw a couple of cops. I moved off, circled the block and when I got back, I heard shooting. More cops started arriving so I beat it."
"Sounds as if Eddie's walked into trouble."
Woppy shrugged. He emptied his glass.
"He can take care of himself. I should worry." He paused and cocked his head on one side. "What's that?"
Doc stiffened and looked uneasily up at the ceiling.
"Sounds like the girl screaming."
"I'll go up and see," Woppy said, starting for the door.
"Better not," Doc said. "Ma's with her."
The two men listened to the high-pitched screaming for a moment, then Woppy, grimacing, went over to the radio and turned it on. The sudden blast of jazz drowned out the screams.
"Maybe I'm getting soft," Woppy said, wiping his face with his handkerchief, "but there are times when that bitch makes me sick to my stomach."
Doc drained his glass, then refilled it.
"Better not let her hear you say so," he said and sat down.
Upstairs Ma Grisson was once more sitting on the bed, breathing hard through her thick nose. She watched Miss Blandish writhing on the bed, tears running down her face, her hands twisting the sheet.
"Now I think we can talk," Ma said.
She began to speak. What she said made the girl forget her pain. She stared at the old woman as if she couldn't believe she was hearing correctly. Suddenly she gasped, "No!" Ma went on talking. Miss Blandish sat up and recoiled to the head of the bed, saying "No!"
At last Ma lost patience.
"You can't get out of it, you little fool!" she snarled. "You're going to do what I tell you! If you don't, I'll beat you again."
"No... No... No!"
Ma got to her feet and picked up the length of rubber hose. Then she changed her mind.
"I'm spoiling your pretty skin," she said, "and that won't do. There are other ways. I'll get Doc to fix you. I should have thought of that before. Yeah, Doc'll know how to fix you."
She went out of the room leaving Miss Blandish, her head buried in the pillow, sobbing wildly:
5
Eddie stared down at Heinie's body, feeling sweat break out on his face. If the cops walked in now he would be in a hell of a jam, he was thinking. He looked quickly around the room. There had been no struggle. He guessed someone had knocked on the door and when Heinie had opened it, he had been shot. From the small wound in Heinie's head, Eddie surmised the gun used had been a .25--a woman's weapon.
He touched Heinie's hand. It was still warm. Heinie hadn't been dead longer than half an hour, if that.
Eddie looked into the passage. Flynn was still watching the stairs. Eddie left the room. As an afterthought he carefully wiped the door knob with his handkerchief. Then he crossed to room 243 and tried the door handle. The door was locked. He knocked. Flynn looked down the passage at him. Eddie rapped on the door again. There was no answer. He put his ear against the door panel. He heard the sound of the window being pushed open.
"Hey, you in there," he called softly. "Come on! Open up!"
Then the silence of the night was split by a woman's wild screams. From the sound, the woman in 243 was leaning out of the window, yelling her head off.
Eddie jumped back from the door.
"Come on, stupid!" Flynn shouted. "Let's get out of here!"
Eddie joined him at the head of the stairs and together the two men started down.
"Wait!" Flynn hissed and grabbed Eddie's arm. He looked down the well of the staircase into the hall. Eddie peered over Flynn's shoulder. Two cops, guns in hand, were
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