I Would Rather Stay Poor

It wasn’t until close on twelve o’clock, that Calvin had the chance to speak to her alone. He had been continuously busy with various customers and the auditors. Now, he came over to her to take the letters she had ready for him.

‘How are you getting along?’ he asked. ‘Are you liking the job?’

‘Yes… of course.’ Iris tried to meet the staring blue eyes, but couldn’t. To cover her confusion, she slid off the stool and moved away from him.

I’ve got to watch her, Calvin thought. She’s turning hostile. She must have recognised the machine. Damn it! I should have thought of that. If Travers has set her to spy on me, this could be dangerous.

‘Are you going home to lunch?’ he asked as the two auditors left the bank. ‘I usually go across the road. It’s not bad. Care to join me?’

‘I’ll go home,’ Iris said quickly. ‘Thanks all the same. It’ll only take me ten minutes on the bus.’

‘Please yourself. I’ll lock up. You get off.’

Iris went into the washroom and put on her coat. On the glass shelf above the toilet basin was a box of tissues and a tube of face cream that had belonged to Alice. She looked at these two symbols that represented a memory of the dead girl and she shivered. Hurriedly, she left the washroom, anxious to leave the bank and not remain alone with Calvin. The bank door was already locked. Calvin was standing in his office doorway, waiting. Iris felt a cold, restricting pressure around her heart as the blue, uncanny eyes moved over her.

She paused, and they looked at each other, then Calvin switched on his charm, but for the first time, Iris felt afraid of him.

‘If you would like to borrow my car to get home, do use it,’ Calvin said.

‘I – I won’t, thank you. I don’t like driving other people’s cars.’ She moved to the door. Not waiting for him to unlock the door, she turned the key, jerked open the door and walked quickly down the path.

Calvin watched her go. His fleshy face set into a snarling mask.

Iris felt a surge of relief run through her as she saw Ken Travers come out of the sheriff’s office and start towards her. She had to restrain herself from breaking into a run. During the brief interval before they came face to face, she had regained her composure.

‘Why, Ken… you’re always turning up,’ she said, smiling at him. ‘Don’t say you have a free hour?’

He slid his arm around her and unmindful of the people passing, he kissed her.

‘I’ve been waiting for you, honey,’ he said. ‘The old man says it’s okay for me to buy you lunch.’

‘Why, that’s wonderful! I was going home.’

‘Let’s go across the road. The food there isn’t so lousy.’

Remembering that Calvin had said he lunched at this restaurant, Iris said sharply, ‘No… let’s go some place else. Anywhere, but there.’

Travers looked at her, his eyebrows lifting. He could see she was upset about something, and slipping his arm through hers, he steered her towards his car.

‘Okay: there’s a joint I know… it’s not bad: not as good as this one, but it’ll do.’

They said nothing until they reached the car and got in, then as Travers started the engine, Iris said, breathlessly, ‘I’m sorry, Ken, about last night. I now think you are right about Calvin.’

Travers looked sharply at her.

‘What’s happened to make you change your mind?’

Iris told him about the portable typewriter.

‘It belongs to Kit,’ she concluded. ‘I used it only the other day. It is standing on a mat much too large for it. You can see the impression on the mat of a standard machine.’

Travers was very alert now. He remembered the hold-all Calvin had been carrying.

‘Now, at last, we’re getting somewhere! I asked him this morning what machine the bank used. He said the Smith Corona portable was at the bank when he came. We’ve caught him out in his first lie! He knew about the machine because he was at the meeting last night and we tipped him off! The Remington must still be in the bank. He hasn’t had a chance of getting rid of it. Any idea where he could have hidden it?’

Iris, pale and as excited as Travers, thought for a moment.

‘There’s not many places. There’s a cupboard in his office. There’s the men’s room and the vault.’

‘What chances have you of finding it?’

‘I don’t know. He’s not likely to leave me alone in the bank. He keeps the keys to the vault. I haven’t any right to go into his office while he’s not in it. Couldn’t you get a search warrant?’

‘I could, but if I did I would be tipping my hand to Easton. He’s just as anxious as I am to get the reward. I’ve got to get a better case against Calvin before I do tip my hand.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Look, there must be hundreds of carbon copies of letters typed on this Remington in the files. Could you get me one of those carbons… anyone will do? I’ll be able to check from the carbon if it is the Remington we are looking for. With that as proof, I could get a search warrant.’

Iris drew in a deep breath.

‘I keep thinking of Kit…’

‘I know, but it’s better for her to know the truth before she marries him than after. He’ll be caught sooner or later. You can see that, can’t you?’