The Soft Centre

Gina went into the kitchen, made two whiskies and added ginger ale and ice. She came back gave one glass to Hardy, then curled up in a chair near the bed.

‘Let’s get married, Lee,’ she said. ‘I’m sick of drifting around this way. Let’s get married. We could even have kids.’

Hardy stared at her in amazement, then laughed.?‘Coming from you that’s a riot. Kids? Who wants kids?’?‘I do,’ Gina said quietly.

After staring at her, Hardy became thoughtful.?‘Well, I don’t know.’ He shook his head, but Gina, watching him, saw the suggestion had made an impression.

‘We needn’t rush it,’ she said. ‘The kids I mean, but let’s get married.’?‘Why can’t you be happy as you are?’ Hardy asked, suddenly on the defensive. ‘Why should we get married?’

‘I’ve already told one lie for you that could get me into trouble,’ Gina said. ‘Now I have to tell another… that Jacko was going to kill me so you killed him first. That could also get me into trouble. I don’t like trouble, Lee. Why should I stick my neck out for you?’ She paused, then went on. ‘I’d cut my heart out for my husband.’

Hardy frowned up at the ceiling. Why not get married? Why not even have a couple of kids?

He suddenly relaxed and grinned.?‘Well, okay. Pekie, if that’s what you want,’ he said. ‘I could do worse. It might be an idea at that. Okay, as soon as this mess has been cleared up, we’ll do it.’

‘Don’t sound so damned enthusiastic,’ Gina said and giggled. This was the moment she had been plotting for now for the past three weeks.

‘What do you expect me to do?’ Hardy asked grinning. ‘Set fire to the joint?’

Gina gave an excited squeal and springing up, she threw herself on him, knocking his glass flying.

At this moment, a slim Jamaican girl walked down the alley at the back of Hardy’s apartment block. She moved quickly and silently, and no one saw her as she gently opened the door that led to the janitor’s office. She stepped into the corridor, shut the door and paused to listen. The janitor’s office was in darkness. A door at the far end of the corridor stood ajar, and a light came through into the corridor. Moving like a black ghost, she edged towards the stairs as a man in the room cleared his throat noisily. She kept on and reached the first floor. Here she paused as she could see the doorman reading a sporting sheet from behind the desk. She edged to the flight of stairs and again succeeded in moving out of sight without being seen.

On the second floor landing, she pressed the elevator button and when the elevator arrived, she entered and pressed the eighth floor button… one floor below Hardy’s penthouse. As the elevator took her swiftly upwards, she opened her bag and took from it a flick knife. She touched the button and a long, glittering blade sprang from the handle. The elevator came to rest and the doors swished open. Holding the knife out of sight by her side, she stepped out of the elevator and paused to listen. Hearing nothing, she again started up the stairs. As she reached the head of the stairs, a short, thickset man with cop written all over him, started down the corridor towards her.

‘You! Where do you think you’re going?’ he snapped, off his guard to see a Jamaican girl face him.

The knife flashed towards him and took him in the throat even as his hand began to move to the gun in his holster. He fell on hands and knees, gurgling. The Jamaican ran swiftly to him and lifting her heavy handbag, slammed it down on his head.

Moe… for it was Moe… stood staring down at the twitching body of the police officer. Then he bent, recovered his knife, wiped the blade clean on the dead man’s coat and returned the knife to the handbag. He then took out the gun and stepping past the dead man, he walked swiftly down the corridor to Hardy’s front door. He rang the door bell and stood, waiting, his bee-hive wig slightly askew, his lips drawn back off his teeth.

‘You dope! Look what you have done to my drink?’ Hardy was saying as the front door bell rang.

Gina stiffened and looked at Hardy. He sat up, then swung his legs off the bed and struggled into his dressing- gown.

‘Who’s that?’ Gina asked, her eyes growing wide.?‘That cop,’ Hardy said in disgust. ‘I bet he’s trying to cadge a drink.’ He started towards the bedroom door.

‘Lee! Don’t go! Let me go!’?‘Oh, relax!’ Hardy said irritably. ‘What are you worrying about? We are surrounded by goddamn cops.’

He went out into the lobby as the bell rang again.?‘Lee!’ Gina screamed as Hardy unlocked the front door. ‘Lee!’

The sound of three revolver shots crashed through the penthouse. There was a moment of silence, then the thud of a falling body.

Gina shut her eyes. With an agonised cry, she threw herself face down on the bed.

The two police officers on guard in the lobby were waiting for Moe as he came out of the elevator. It took five bullets to kill him and he died grinning, his bee-hive wig at the back of his head and his flowered dress rucked up around his black thighs.