1976 - Do Me a Favour Drop Dead by James Hadley Chase

Author:James Hadley Chase
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

I was in the kitchen, watching Beth frying eggs and bacon when we heard his heavy footfalls as he came down the stairs.

We looked at each other, then I moved quickly into the living room as he opened the door and came in.

There was a surly expression on his fat face and his eyes were bloodshot, but considering the state he had been in the previous night, he didn’t look all that bad.

‘Hi, Mr. Marshall,’ I said, keeping my voice low. I guessed he would have a hell of a hangover.

He grunted, then moved into the kitchen.

‘Just coffee,’ he said.

Then he returned to the living room.

‘I’ve got a date in Frisco. I want to catch the early train.’

That left less than forty minutes to get to the station: so goodbye breakfast.

Beth heard and turned off the stove. The eggs and bacon I had been looking forward to came to a spluttering halt.

She served coffee. Scowling, Marshall stood with his back to the room and stared out of the window while he sipped the coffee.

‘Get the car,’ he said without looking round.

Leaving my coffee half finished, I got the car from the garage. I had to wait some minutes before he appeared. Carrying a heavy briefcase, he slumped into the passenger’s seat and I drove off.

After a while, he seemed to relax.

‘This is a goddamn fine car!’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you something. A car like this is better than any woman. I’m sweating my guts out to drive her!’

‘It won’t be long now, Mr. Marshall.’

He twisted around to stare at me.

‘Skip the mister routine, Keith. I was in a mean mood yesterday. Call me Frank.’

‘Why sure, Frank,’ I said, thinking: You’ll soon be dead, you drunken sonofabitch.

‘Just remember one thing,’ he went on. ‘Don’t shoot off your mouth to me about money. I know more about money than you’ll ever learn.’

Somehow I kept my face expressionless.

‘Anything you say, Frank, but you did say I could be helpful.’

‘I know what I said, but I was drunk.’ He leaned forward and turned on the stereo radio.

End of the conversation.

There were a number of commuters getting out of their cars in the station parking lot as I drove up. They all paused to stare enviously at the Caddy and then they waved to Marshall. He ignored them.

Joe Pinner appeared from the station, carrying a heavy package. He dumped the package and came up fast as Marshall got out of the car.

‘Hey, Frank! I’ve been wanting to have a word with you.’

Ignoring him, Marshall said to me, ‘I’ll be back on the six o’clock. Be here,’ then sidestepping Pinner as if he was the invisible man, he walked into the station.

Pinner stared after him, his expression shocked and hurt.

‘Don’t let it bother you, Joe,’ I said. ‘He has a hell of a hangover.’

Tugging at his moustache, aware the other commuters were watching, Pinner moved up to me.

‘Well, that was kind of rude.’

Lowering my voice, I said, ‘Strictly between you and me, Joe, he was so drunk last night, Mrs.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.