Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine Annual, No. 3, 1973

“There isn’t very much to tell. I followed him, as I told you. Halfway along the alley he heard me and he grew alarmed, I suppose. At any rate, he stopped and was going to do battle. Can you imagine a man his size going to do battle with one my size?

“But then he recognized me and he relaxed. That was when I seized him and twisted him around and curled my arm about his throat. I told him who I was as I applied the necessary pressure. It required about five minutes altogether. I robbed him because I wanted to make it look like the work of a cheap mugger and I threw his wrist-watch into an empty van which passed me by some time later. I returned to the cafe where I’d met Charlie and I spent his money there. I bought drinks for everyone.”

“He would have liked that,” she said without emotion.

“Then I’m sorry I did it. When I kill your present boy friend, I shall spend his money on some selfish thing.”

“You intend to keep this up? Kill all the men I meet, Leo?”

“No,” Leo said. “He will be the last.”

She seemed surprised. “You believe I’ll be: sufficiently cured by then?”

“I doubt you ever will be, Jean. A girl as beautiful as you will be a natural target for charming men and you are easily charmed. So it would happen again and again. But I won’t let it.”

“I don’t understand how you will stop something you admit is inevitable, Leo. Eventually you’re bound to make a slip and be caught.”

“I came to that conclusion myself when you took this new man into your life. I intend to kill him, but there will be no others because I intend to kill you too.”

The ice in the glass she held clinked as her hand shook in one tremor of fear. He didn’t miss it and he loved it. Under that chilly exterior she was scared to death.

“You’ll find it difficult,” she promised him. “Together we’d make a formidable defense against you.”

“Oh, but it won’t be together. I wish I could arrange that, but I’m not a fool, Jean. I’m also a man who doesn’t care to overexert myself in a matter which doesn’t require it. A simple little matter of murder. And then it will be your turn. You may retire now. Sleep well, my darling.”

She walked calmly, across the spacious room and he watched her, liking the swing to her gait, reluctantly admitting to himself that he wasn’t man enough to hold a girl like this. She climbed the staircase to the second floor, not hurrying, being as graceful about it as a cat. He thought it was all a great pity and he had another drink before going to bed. He rested very well.

Jean did not. She locked the door of her room and sat down on the bed for a moment before she threw herself across the satin spread and wept. She did it quietly, because he’d have derived so much satisfaction from hearing her. It was no easy thing to hold back, to let him know how much she had liked Charlie Hoyt, to betray her anger and terror over his murder and the callous way Leo described it.

Right from the first, she’d known Leo had killed him. Charlie hadn’t been so stupid that he didn’t know that Leo was following them, but he didn’t know Leo personally, had never even seen him at close range, so it was very likely that Leo had bought him a drink in macabre delight just before he murdered him.

Now Leo was going to kill Ted, then murder her. He was so sure of himself, of his competence as a killer. The sad part of it was the fact that he had gotten away with killing Charlie and his confidence made him dangerous.

The police would never believe her story if she went to them. Leo was too well known as a kind and honorable man. Also, in making such a charge she’d leave herself open to censure.

Leo would probably once again resort to the use of his enormous strength and size to kill Ted. It had worked so well with Charlie that he was bound to adopt the same safe, proven method. Besides, there’d been a series of muggings over the past two years and Leo was taking advantage of a situation, which was just like him.

She had no doubt but that he would then kill her. Not before Ted was dead, however. He’d want to boast about that and watch her go to pieces as she knew the same thing was about to happen to her.

There was much physical strength about Leo, but there were certain weaknesses in his character makeup. She would have to take advantage of these if she wanted to live — and she did. She feared death. Leo literally terrorized her.

She hadn’t slept well in weeks, ever since she realized Leo had been following her and Charlie. This couldn’t continue much longer or she’d give herself away, or make an idiot of herself by going to the police.

She slept badly again that night, but in the morning she pretended to be fast asleep and breathed heavily when she heard Leo’s footsteps pause outside her door.