Lay Her Among The Lilies

lose the money. It would be better if she died.”

I didn’t say anything to that.

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“I’ve been in there three or four times with a gun,” she said, after a long pause. “But every

time I start to pull the trigger something stops me.” She stared at me, said, “I would give you

half the money.”

I stubbed out my cigarette.

“Are you suggesting I should do it?”

This time the meaningless smile did reach her eyes.

“Think what you could do with all that money.”

“I’m thinking, but I haven’t got it yet.”

“Oh, I’d give it to you. I’ll give you a cheque now.”

“You could always stop the cheque when I had done it, couldn’t you? You could shoot me

as you shot Sherrill,” I said, and gave her one of my dumb looks.

“When I say a thing I mean it, and when I make a promise I keep it,” she said patiently.

“And besides, you can have me, too.”

“Can I?” I tried not to sound as unenthusiastic as I felt. “That’s fine.” I stood up. “Where is

she?”

She stared at me; her face still expressionless, but far up on her left cheek a nerve began to

jump.

“Are you going to do it?”

“I don’t see why not. Give me the gun and tell me where she is.”

“Don’t you want me to write the cheque first?”

I shook my head.

“I trust you,” I said, and hoped I wasn’t over-working the dumb look.

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She pointed to a door opposite the casement windows at the far end of the room.

“She’s in there.”

I stood up.

“Then give me the gun. It must be made to look like suicide.”

She nodded.

“Yes; I thought of that. You—you won’t hurt her?”

There was a blank look in her eyes now. Her mind seemed to have wandered off into space.

“The gun,” I said, and snapped my fingers at her.

“Oh, yes.” She shivered, frowned, looked vaguely around the room. “I had it somewhere.”

The nerve was jumping like a frog under her skin. “I think it must be in my bag.”

The bag was lying in one of the armchairs. She moved towards it, but I beat her to it.

“It’s all right,” I said. “I’ll get it. You sit down and take it easy.”

I picked up the bag and slid back the clip.

“Don’t open it, Malloy!”

I turned quickly.

Manfred Willet stood in the open casement doorway. He had an automatic in his hand and

it was pointed at me.

V

Maureen cried shrilly. “You fool! Why didn’t you wait? He was going to do it! You stupid,

brainless fool!”

Willet’s cold eyes shifted from me to her.

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“Of course he wasn’t going to do it,” he said curtly. “He wanted your gun. Now, be quiet,

and let me handle this.”

She stiffened and swung round on me. There was a feverish glitter in her dark eyes.

“Weren’t you going to do it?” she demanded. “Weren’t you?”

I shook my head.

“No,” I said, and smiled at her.

“This has gone far enough,” Willet said, and advanced into the room. “Sit down,” he went

on to me. “I want to talk to you. And you sit down, too.” This to Maureen.

I sat down, but she didn’t. She stood motionless, staring at Willet, her sharp little teeth

gnawing at her thumb.

“Sit down!” he said, and turned the gun on her. “You’re as crazy as your mother. It’s time

you were put under control.”

She smiled then, and wandered over to the armchair in which her bag had been lying. She

sat down and crossed her lees and went on biting her thumb.

Willet stood in front of the empty fireplace. He held the gun level with his waist and

pointing between Maureen and me. There was a gaunt, worried look about his face, and his

eyes kept shifting from her to me.

“Where’s Janet?” he asked.

As Maureen didn’t say anything, I jerked my thumb to the door opposite the casement

window.

“She says she’s in there.”

“Is she all right?”

“As far as I know.”

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He relaxed slightly, but didn’t lower the gun.

“Do you realize there is still a lot of money to be made out of this set-up if you throw in

with me?” he said. “We can still get it under control. Where I went wrong was to let her have

so much freedom. I didn’t think she was quite so dangerous. I knew she was unbalanced. Her

mother was. But I thought they were harmless. I would have acted sooner, but Sherrill

blocked me. Now he’s dead it’ll be easy. You are the only obstacle now. Will you take fifty

thousand and keep your mouth shut?”

I raised my eyebrows.

“She’s just offered me a million.”

He made an impatient gesture.

“Look, this is a business proposition. Don’t let’s waste time. She hasn’t a million. She

wouldn’t have given you anything even if she had anything to give. She’s not in the position

to collect the insurance on the Dream Ship. I am.”

“What’s going to happen to her?” I asked, and glanced across at Maureen who gave me a

blank empty look from blank, empty eyes.

“I’ll have her put in a home. She has no alternative unless she wants to be handed over to

the police and prosecuted for murder,” Willet said, speaking softly and rapidly. “It can all be

arranged quietly. Janet isn’t likely to make trouble. I can persuade her to do what I say. She

will have the Trust money. You and I will have the insurance on the Dream Ship.”