Chapter VI

I didn’t get back to my cabin until late in the afternoon.

I sat on the verandah, a glass of whisky in my hand, and thought about what had happened since I had left the cabin at eight-thirty this morning.

I had killed a man. Although I could tell myself that I had dreamed up a foolproof plan and I was going to get away with it, at the back of my mind, I knew I would be wondering, during the years ahead of me, if I had made a slip that would eventually give me away.

The sound of an approaching car interrupted my thoughts.

I went to the door, my heart thumping.

Sheriff Jefferson drove in through the open gateway and, getting out of his car, he came over to me.

“I guess you could use a drink, ” I said.

“Yep: I could. This has been a pretty hard day, ” he said, and together we crossed the garden to my cabin. “I’ve been fixing the inquest. Joe is starting his vacation the day after tomorrow, so we’ve had to hurry it up. We’re holding it tomorrow. You’ll have to give evidence, son. ”

“That’s okay. It’s all straightforward, isn’t it? ” I asked as I waved him to an armchair.

“I guess so. ” He sat down. He looked tired and worried.

I made two whiskies and gave him one.

He asked, “Did you find Mrs Delaney in Glyn Camp? ”

“I met her on her way back. ”

Jefferson frowned, pulling at his moustache. I had a sudden uneasy feeling that he had something on his mind.

“I want to get the facts straight, ” he said. “Doc is satisfied it was an accident. What do you think? ”

A cold prickle of fear began to creep up my spine.

“It couldn’t be anything else, ” I said, and to avoid meeting his eyes, I opened my desk drawer and took out a pack of cigarettes.

“It’s a bad thing to jump to conclusions, ” Jefferson said. “The book says when a man dies you’ve got to consider four things: if he died from natural causes, an accident, suicide or murder. ”

“It was obviously an accident, ” I said.

“Yep: it certainly looks that way, but it could have been suicide. ”

“You don’t imagine a man would kill himself by poking a screwdriver into the works of a TV set, do you? ”

“It’s unlikely, son, but when a fellow’s mind is upset, you don’t know what he might do, ” Jefferson said slowly. “I’m getting old. I don’t want to make a mistake now. I’ve been in office close on fifty years. I reckon to give up next year. The L. A. police have their knife into me. They think I’m too old to handle my job. I have only to make one mistake, and there’ll be a yell of “I told you so”. I want to avoid that if I can. ”

“I don’t see what’s worrying you. ”

“I thought it was an accident until... ” He paused, frowning, then pulled out his pipe and began to load it.

I watched him, feeling suddenly short of breath.

“Until what? ” I asked in a hard, tight voice.

“Mrs Delaney was planning to leave him. ”

I don’t know how I kept my face expressionless, but I did.

“Leaving him? How do you know? ”

“I’m a meddlesome old cuss. While I was waiting for the ambulance I took a look around the cabin. Mrs Delaney had taken all her clothes. I reckon when she left this morning, she planned not to come back. ”

This was completely unexpected, and for a long moment I sat staring at him.

“Look, Sheriff, ” I said, “does it matter whether he killed himself or whether he died accidentally? Why complicate things? If he did kill himself, and I am quite sure he didn’t, it’ll make things bad for Mrs Delaney. You can imagine how people will talk. Why make it hard for her? ”

Jefferson continued to puff at his pipe, his expression uneasy.

“I know all that, son, but it’s my duty to keep the record straight. How did she get that bruised face? It looks to me as if someone gave her a pretty hard slap and that someone could only have been her husband. That tells me they didn’t get on together. That’s something that should be checked. Boos would check it fast enough. ”

“To hell with him! ” I said. “You’re in charge up here. I think you’re making too much of this. Do you really imagine any man would kill himself by poking a screwdriver into the works of a TV set? I am as sure as Doc is: it was an accident. ”

Jefferson shrugged.

“You could be right, son. ”

“Is Doc holding a post mortem? ”

“No. Between you and me, he’s got beyond holding a p. m. But that doesn’t matter. Anyone can see how the poor fellow died. It’s why he died that bothers me. ”

“Forget it, ” I said. “It certainly doesn’t bother me. ”

He thought for a moment, then nodded.

“I guess you’re right I like the girl. As you say, there’s no point in making it hard for her. If she did leave him, she changed her mind. That’s in her favour. She was coming back, wasn’t she? ”

“I met her at the cross roads. She was certainly coming back. ”

“Well, then... ” He looked relieved. “He couldn’t have been easy to live with. Maybe she got nerves. Women get j nerves pretty easily. ”

He finished his drink and sat for a moment staring at the floor, then he got to his feet. “I guess I’ll be moving. ” He looked tired and very old. “You’ll be down for the inquest, son? It’s at eleven o’clock. ”

“I’ll be there. ”

We walked out into the evening sunlight and we paused by his old Ford.

“What’s going to happen to her, do you know? ” he asked.

I shook my head.

“Did he leave her much? ”

“I don’t know that either, Sheriff. ”

I thought of the hundred and fifty thousand she told me he I had. She was fixed all right, and so was I, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

“Well, I’ll get along. ”

I watched him drive away, then I walked back to my cabin.

I had an urge to call Gilda, but I knew it would be unsafe. I wondered what she was doing and thinking. She had the night before her alone, and so had I.

The thought of the coming night bothered me.

When fear is nibbling at you, the coming of the night with its darkness, its silence and its loneliness can be a frightening thing.

And because I had Delaney’s death on my conscience, I was frightened.

The inquest was held in the Glyn Camp recreation hall. There were only a dozen or so people sitting on the public benches, and they had drifted in because they had nothing better to do. Delaney hadn’t been known in Glyn Camp and there was no interest in his death.

I walked into the hall at five minutes to eleven. A minute later, Gilda came in. With her was a well-dressed, youngish man I had never seen before.

She came over to me and introduced the man to me. He was George Macklin, Delaney’s attorney, who had come up from Los Angeles.

Macklin was around thirty-eight: a short, compact man with a lean, alert face and shrewd dark eyes.

As he shook hands with me, he said, “This shouldn’t take long. I’ve talked to the Coroner. He’s not going to call Mrs Delaney. ”

This was good news. I had been scared that Stringer might have questioned Gilda, and she might have given something away.

At eleven o’clock, Sheriff Jefferson and Doc Mallard came in. They shook hands with Gilda, nodded to Macklin and to me and sat down.

Joe Stringer, the Coroner, came in and sat behind the table in the middle of the room.

Stringer was a fat little man, nudging seventy, full of importance and without much intelligence. He opened the proceedings, and then Sheriff Jefferson gave evidence of how he had found Delaney lying before die TV set, dead.

He told Stringer that he was satisfied that there was no suspicion of foul play and that Doc Mallard would confirm this. Stringer then called Doc Mallard.

Doc sat in the witness chair and enjoyed himself.

He said Delaney had died from a severe electric shock, and he was satisfied that the cause of death was an accident.

He pointed out that Delaney had been in an all-steel chair and had used an all-steel screwdriver. Under these circumstances, he went on, if the screwdriver came into contact with a live terminal or wire, the shock would be great enough to kill the healthiest man.

Joe chewed his pen, looked wise and made a few notes. He thanked Doc and then called me.

His first words to me told me I was three-quarters home.

“Would you tell us, Mr Regan, how the accident could have happened? ”

Already he was talking of an accident. It now depended on what I said to tip the scales.

I went over to Stringer’s desk and drew him a plan of the set, explaining to him how the sound control lead had come adrift, and how it was possible to get a shock by poking an uninsulated screwdriver into the set, touching one terminal, and then another. I also explained how anxious Delaney had been to see the Dempsey fight film.

“It’s happening all the time, Mr Coroner, ” I concluded. “People just don’t realize the danger when they fool around with a TV set when the current’s going through it. The fact that he was in an all-metal chair, and using a screwdriver that wasn’t insulated, didn’t give him a chance. ”

The blueprint I had drawn clinched it. It was something Stringer could look at and understand. I could see he was convinced as he thanked me for making it so clear, and when I got back to my seat, he looked over at George Macklin and asked him if he wanted to say anything. Macklin said he didn’t, and that fixed it.

Stringer said he found Delaney had died through an unfortunate accident and he had no hesitation in recording a verdict of accidental death.

After he had gone through a long harangue about the dangers of ignorant people meddling with TV and radio sets, he left his table and came over to Gilda and offered her his condolences.

Sheriff Jefferson, Doc Mallard, Macklin and I followed Gilda out of the hall and we all paused outside in the hot sunshine.

“If there’s anything I can do, Mrs Delaney, ” Jefferson said, “just let me know. I’ll be happy to do it. ”

Gilda thanked him. She said Macklin would take care of everything.

Macklin told her he would be out at Blue Jay cabin the following afternoon, and he would let her know how the financial situation was by then. He shook hands with her and with me, and then he, Jefferson and Doc Mallard went off together.

That left Gilda and me alone.

I was feeling fine now. Fear had left me. It had come out just the way I had planned it to come out.

“We’re nearly through, ” I said. “It went off better than I thought it would. Is there anything I can do? Anything I can take care of for you? ”

“There’s the TV set, Terry. He — he never paid for it, did he? I wish you would take it away. ”

“That’s okay, ” I said. “I’ll come out and take it away the day after tomorrow. Nothing else? ”

She shook her head.

“Mr Macklin will take care of everything. ”

Neither of us looked at each other as we talked. I was aware that we were in the main street and I was nervous people might be curious about us.

“What do you plan to do now, Gilda? ”

“I don’t know. It’s what you plan to do. You tell me. ”

“We’ll have to keep away from each other for a month. I think you had better go to a hotel in Los Angeles. At the end of a month, I’ll have cleared up my business here, then I’ll join you. We’ll go somewhere — New York or somewhere, and make a fresh start. I’ll open this shop. When you are fixed up in Los Angeles, write to me. Don’t telephone. ”

“Then I’ll see you the day after tomorrow. ”

“Yes. We’ll talk more then. ”

I watched her walk over to where she had parked the Buick, then I started across the street to where I had left my truck. I hated her going back to the cabin on her own, but I knew I couldn’t afford to take any risks of starting gossip.

It was hot, and I took my handkerchief out to wipe my face and I felt some papers in my pocket. I pulled out the two letters Hank Fletcher had given me for Delaney and I stared blankly at them. I had forgotten about them.

Gilda was getting into the Buick. I ran over to her.

“I forgot to give you these letters, ” I said. “They were delivered yesterday. ”

She glanced at them, then pushed them into her bag.

“Thank you. ”

We looked at each other. Those forget-me-not blue eyes were clouded and expressionless. They worried me a little.

I watched her drive away.

After all, a month wasn’t all that long to wait, and then a new and exciting life was ahead of us.

III

I went out to Blue Jay cabin, as I had promised, to collect the TV set.

As I got off the truck, Gilda came out onto the verandah. She was wearing her cowboy shirt and jeans. She looked pale, and there were smudges under her eyes as if she hadn’t slept much during the night.

“Gilda! ”

I ran up the steps and took her in my arms. Her hands pressed against my chest, keeping me away from her.

“Not here, Terry! ”

From the way she looked at me, I knew something was wrong. I let go of her.

“What is it, Gilda? ”

She moved away from me and sat down.

“I want to talk to you. ”

I sat down. I was suddenly frightened.

“Terry... I have some bad news. ”

“Well, all right. ” My voice sounded husky. What is it? ”

“There’s no money. ”

I stared at her. That was the last thing I expected to hear.

“No money? ”

“Mr Macklin was here yesterday. He thought I knew. Jack had been spending his money recklessly ever since he was crippled. Mr Macklin kept warning him, but he wouldn’t listen. The rent of this place was ridiculous. It seems he never had very much, although he told me he had. I can’t think why. The money he left won’t even cover his debts. I’m sorry, Terry, but there it is. ”

It was a pretty hard jolt. I had been counting on Delaney’s money to make a fresh start.

“I want you to understand, Terry, ” she went on quietly, “that I don’t expect you to marry me now. I have nothing to offer you. I realize you wouldn’t want to be hampered by a wife unless you had capital to make a fresh start. I think it would be better to forget about me. ”

“Oh, no, ” I said. “Now look, Gilda, I love you. We can fix something. I want to marry you, and I’m going to marry you. It means we’ll have to wait a little longer, that’s all. We can’t get married here. There would be too much talk and gossip. It’ll mean I’ll have to work for a firm again. I don’t mind that, but we may have a tough time to start with. If you can stand it, I can. ”

She hunched her shoulders, frowning.

“You don’t have to do this, Terry. I can look after myself. ”

I got up and knelt at her side, taking her hands in mine.

“I want you, darling. Maybe it’s better this way. It bothered me, thinking I would use his money. If you’ll take a chance with me, I’ll make good. ”

She began to cry, turning her head away from me.

It was a let-down all right, but at least I had her, and she had been the real reason why I had killed Delaney.

When she had got over her crying jag and had calmed down, she said: “I keep wondering if he killed himself. I keep wondering if it was an accident. Do you think he deliberately did this thing to provide for his debts? ”

I was only half listening to what she was saying, but her last words registered and I looked sharply at her.

“Provide for his debts — what do you mean? ”

“There’s this insurance policy he took out. ”

I stiffened. My heart began to thump.

“Insurance policy? What policy? ”

“I haven’t had time to tell you. He was insured. Mr Macklin told me yesterday. I didn’t know myself. One of the letters you gave me was the policy from the Insurance people. He had insured the TV set. Mr Macklin says there’s a clause in the policy that covers the owner of the set against an accident. He says he is sure he can collect on the policy. It’ll be worth five thousand dollars. It’ll clear Jack’s debts and give me a little something in hand until I find a job. ”

If she had struck me in the face I couldn’t have been more taken aback. I felt my heart turn over and my stomach muscles cramp up.

“I didn’t know he had insured the set, ” I said and my voice sounded far away.

“After you delivered the set, ” Gilda said, “a young man called on us. I think he said his name was Lawson. He saw the set and persuaded Jack to insure it. ”

I remembered then that Delaney’s name had been on the list I had lent Lawson.

“But that was only for the set. Your husband wasn’t insured against an accident, was he? ”

“Yes, apparently. That’s what Mr Macklin tells me. He says the owner of the set is covered against an accident. ”

I felt suddenly as cold as ice.

“For five thousand dollars? ”

“Yes. ”

My whole world began to crumble. Fear took hold of me in a grip that paralysed.

This would mean an investigation. I knew enough about insurance companies to be sure they wouldn’t accept Delaney’s death the way Jefferson and Doc Mallard had accepted it. They wouldn’t part with a dime let alone five thousand dollars without making absolutely sure they had to pay out.

My plan and my life could now be in jeopardy because of this unexpected policy.

“There could be an investigation, Gilda, ” I said. “Is it worth bothering about? Perhaps it would be better not to put in the claim. ”

She looked sharply at me.

“But it’s five thousand dollars! There are bills due for three thousand. Of course I must claim. ”

“These insurance detectives probe pretty deep, ” I said, trying not to let her see how scared I was. “They might easily find out about you and me, Gilda. ”

“How can they? All they will want is the record of the inquest and the death certificate. That’s what Mr Macklin says. They can’t avoid paying up. ”

“Don’t be too sure about that. I’ve heard what some of these insurance companies are like. They’ll use any excuse not to pay out. They might even try to prove he did commit suicide. They wouldn’t have to pay out then. All they would need is one good reason to show he had killed himself, and they couldn’t have a better one if they found out he had no money and you and I were lovers and you were leaving him. ”

“You’re exaggerating! ”

“I’m not! ” I couldn’t keep my voice down. “If they get the slightest suspicion that you and I had been lovers, they’d tear into us like a pack of wolves! Make no mistake about that! I’m not saying they’d get away with it, but they could force you to fight the claim in court. They’d stick some smart attorney onto you who’d worm the whole story out of you, and they’d get me in court too. We’d be smeared across the front page of every newspaper in the district, and we’d be cooked! ”

She was looking at me now as if she thought I was crazy.

“You’re frightening me. What is it? Do you know more about this thing than you’ve told me? ”

“Of course not. I’m just warning you what could happen. Can’t we stop this claim? ”

“I can ask Mr Macklin. I think it’s already gone through. He said he would deal with it as soon as he got back to his office. Do you want me to telephone him? ”

I hesitated. If Macklin had lodged the claim it would be fatal to attempt to cancel it. It would bring the spotlight of suspicion right on us.

“No, ” I said. “Let it go. Perhaps it doesn’t matter. Perhaps as you say, they won’t make trouble. ”

“Are you sure you have told me everything you know about Jack’s death? ” she asked. “You’re worrying me. You make me feel somehow guilty. ”

“To the people living around here, you and I are guilty, ” I said, not looking at her. “We’re guilty of loving each other. Now look, Gilda, I must keep away from you until this claim is settled. There can be no question of us meeting in Los Angeles now. Do you understand? The chances are once the claim is lodged their detectives will watch you. If they see us together, they could easily jump to conclusions. ”

“But, darling, I really don’t understand this, ” Gilda said, a note of impatience in her voice. “What have we got to be afraid of? ”

“I’m trying to save you getting your name in the papers. This insurance company could use our love for each other to contest the claim. ”

She spread her hands helplessly.

“Well, all right. I can’t believe it, but if you feel that way, there’s nothing I can do about it. You don’t want to come near me until after the claim is settled, is that it? ”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Gilda, but it is important. ” I got to my feet. “You may not think so now, but if these people find out about us, you’ll realize fast enough I’ve been talking sense. ” I moved away from her. “I’d better collect the set and get away from here. Someone might come and find us here together. ”

“Mr Macklin said the set was to be left until the insurance people had examined it. ”

That gave me another bad jolt.

“Yes — I was forgetting. Well, all right. Now, look, Gilda, as soon as you have found a hotel in Los Angeles, write to me. I don’t trust the girl on the switchboard. She’s always listening in. I’ll keep in touch with you by letter, but we must keep clear of each other. ”

“All right, Terry. ”

I said good-bye to her. I was so scared I forgot to kiss her.

Chapter VI

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