You Never Know With Women (1955) by James Hadley Chase

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

chapter ten

The headlights of the Cadillac sent two long fingers of white glare up the mountain road that led to Ocean Rise.

Lu Farrel lounged at the wheel and I sat by his side. I didn’t want him on this trip, but Casy had insisted. He said he didn’t trust Brett. How did I know Brett wouldn’t have a reception committee waiting when I arrived? If that kind of trouble was up there I’d be glad of Lu.

I argued that Brett had given me his word, but that made Casy laugh. The word of a millionaire didn’t rate high with him, and he said so with a lot of fancy language. I finally gave way. As it turned out I was mighty glad to have Lu with me.

It didn’t take long before the headlights picked out the twelve-foot wall surrounding Brett’s house.

“You stick around outside, Lu,” I said, “and be ready for a snappy getaway. Keep in the car. If the guards see you they might molest you.”

Lu stopped the car outside the gates. A powerful light flashed on over the guard’s lodge and a couple of uniformed guards appeared from nowhere. One of them stood before the iron gates; the other strolled over to the car. I got out as I didn’t want him to get a look at Lu.

“Mr. Brett’s expecting me,” said. “I’m Floyd Jackson.” The beam of the flashlight hit me in the face.

“I guess you’re Jackson all right,” the guard said after a lengthy scrutiny. “Come on in and I’ll phone the house. Do you want to bring the heap in?”

“It can stay there. I’ll walk up.”

“Suit yourself, but it’s quite a walk.”

“I want the exercise. I’m getting fat.”

He shrugged and moved to the gates.

“It’s okay,” he said to the other guard. “It’s the party who’s expected.”

The other guard scowled at me and opened the gate. We passed through and went into the lodge. It was very clean and bare and reminded me of a guard-room in a military camp. There was even a rack by the door that held four business-like looking carbines and ammunition belts.

The guard went over to a wall telephone and muttered into the mouthpiece. He waited a moment, pushed back his hat to the back of his head and eyed me with a blank, disinterested expression. A voice cracking in his ear brought him to attention.

“Jackson’s down here, sir,” he said. “Yes, sir. I’ll have him sent up. I’ll see to it, sir. Yes, sir. I’ll fix it, sir.” He hung up, stroked his nose and gave me a sour grin. “That’s a boy who likes to be called sir. A big shot, see? How would you like to be a big shot, comrade? How would you like a fella like me to call you sir?”

“I could stand it if you could.”

“Yeah, maybe you could, but one big shot’s enough for me, so don’t go getting ideas, comrade. One big shot is plenty. Got a gun on you?”

I said I hadn’t.

“Gotta see, comrade.

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