I'll Get You For This

  While I was talking we reached Essex and Merrivale. I whizzed the Buick down Essex Street and nailed her before a shabby looking apartment block.

  "Come on," I said, grabbing the cigar box, "let's hustle."

  We ran up the wooden steps to the house, and she led me up the stairs into a big bedroom overlooking the front of the house. She packed her things as if the devil was pricking her with his fork. She was so efficient that I just stood back and gave her room. In three minutes flat she had a big grip crammed full of the pick of her cupboard and drawers.

  "Swell," I said, grabbing the grip. "Now watch my dust,"

  As I reached the head of the stairs, I paused. She clutched at my arm, looking at me with round eyes.

  "What is it?" she whispered.

  I motioned her to be quiet and listened. The radio was giving a police message. They were telling Paradise Palms to watch out for us.

  "How do you like being called a blonde killer?" I asked, smiling at her.

  She pushed past me and scurried downstairs. At the foot of the stairs, she stopped. A thickset man in his shirt sleeves had come out of the front room. He stood gaping at her.

  "Hey, you," he said, stepping up to her. "Not so fast. They want you!"

  Miss Wonderly gave a startled squeak, spun on her heel and tried to bolt up the stairs, but he reached out and grabbed her.

  "They want me too," I said, coming down slowly.

  The man let go of Miss Wonderly as if she'd bitten him. He stepped back, his face going a dirty white.

  "I don't know anything about anything, mister," he said in H low, hoarse voice.

  I smiled at him. "You don't look as if you do," I said, and put Miss WonderIy's bag down. "Where's your telephone, bud ?"

  He waved his hand to the room from which he had just come. I jerked my head and he went in. I followed him. Miss Wonderly pressed herself against the wall. She didn't look as cute as she had when she'd pressed herself against my hotel wall, but then, she was dressed this time. It makes a difference.

  The room was, big and untidy. There were shutters up at the windows to keep out the sun.

  An old woman was holding the telephone receiver to her ear. When she saw me, she gave a gasp, and dropped the receiver. It fell with a little crash on the table. Then she sat down heavily in a rocking-chair and threw her apron over her face. I thought she looked pretty dumb sitting like that, but it seemed to give her some comfort.

  I took hold of the telephone and jerked. The cord came away from the wall, and I tossed the instrument on the floor.

  "Now you won't be able to talk to anyone about anything," I said, winking at the man. "That'll be a nice change for you."

  He jerked and shook and sweated plenty. I seemed to scare him.

  I left them huddled and silent, and collected Miss Wonderly. She seemed scared too. Hell! I

was scared myself.

  We ran down the steps, and I slung her bag into the car. We bundled in, and I shot out of Essex Street like a cat off a hot stove.

  "Have you thought of a place, honey?" I asked, as we bolted along Ocean Drive.

  She shook her head. "No."

  "Well, concentrate or else we'll be in a jam."

  She banged her clenched fists together and started to cry. She was scared all right.

  I looked across the Bay. The opalescent waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf were changing hues as clouds moved overhead. Scattered green islands gleamed like emeralds on an azure field. On the distant horizon the Gulf Stream pencilled a line of indigo, with here and there above it a smudge of grey smoke from the funnels of a passing steamer.

  "How about those islands?" I said, slowing up. "Know any of them?"

  She sat up, and her tears dried like magic. "Of course, the very place," she said. "Cudco Key. It lies to the left of the islands, and it's small. I know a shack there. I found it when I was out there once."

  "Fine," I said. "If we can get there, that's where we'll go."

  I didn't know where we were, but as we were heading in the same direction as the islands, I didn't worry. We passed Dayden Beach, and I looked at the moored raft. It seemed a long time since we sat on it together. We kept on, and after a while I saw a wharf ahead. That gave me an idea.

  "We'll trade this car for a boat," I said.

  "I'm glad you're with me," she said. It came from the bottom of her heart.

  I patted her knee. It was a nice knee, and she didn't take it away, so I left my hand on it.

  We stopped by the wharf and got out. I made sure my gun was handy, and I kept a firm grip on my cigar box. That was one thing I wasn't losing. We looked around. There were a number of U Drive pleasure boats moored along the wharf, but they weren't fast enough for me. I

wanted something that'd shake a police boat if it came to shaking police boats.

  I found what I was looking for after a while. She was a trim thirty-foot craft; mahogany and steel and glistening brass. She looked very fast.

  "That's her," I said to Miss Wonderly.