Why Pick On Me? by James Hadley Chase

Author:James Hadley Chase [Chase, James Hadley]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: James, Hadley, Chase
Publisher: papachanjo
Published: 2011-12-12T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

I

Corridon hadn’t been in his room for more than a few minutes when he heard a bell ringing violently. For a moment he sat still, listening, then jumping to his feet he opened the door and looked into the passage. There was nothing to see, but somewhere below stairs the bell continued to ring.

The door opposite his room jerked open, and a girl came out into the corridor. She was tall and thick-set, and her black hair was cut in a hard fringe across her forehead. Her high cheek-bones and her short thick nose suggested she was Asiatic. Her face was as expressionless and as hard as if it had been carved from stone. Corridon couldn’t remember seeing her in the dining-room, and he wondered who she was.

She wore a black sweater and a pair of black slacks. Her long, narrow feet were in open-worked sandals.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Is it a fire?”

Her green, alert eyes swept him from head to foot.

“A prisoner has escaped,” she said, and her thin mouth curved into a smile. “That is the alarm bell.”

“Oh. Well, they’ll handle that without my heir. Thanks for the information.” He stepped back into his room.

“You are Corridon?” she said. “I have heard of you.” She tapped herself on her deep, high-arched chest. “Kara Yagoda. We are neighbours.”

“So we are,” Corridon said, not interested. “Be seeing you some time.”

As he began to close the door, the sudden choked bang of a revolver from the lower landing startled him.

He took four quick steps that brought him to the banisters and peered over. Below, lying in a huddled heap, was Slade Feydak. The right side of his head was smashed in, and blood ran down his waxen face. A heavy Colt automatic pistol was still clutched in his hand.

Ames and Bruger appeared. Looking up Ames caught sight of Corridon.

“Come down here!” he snarled.

Corridon brushed past Kara who had joined him, and went quickly down the stairs.

“So you let him slip through your fingers,” he said, secretly shocked to see Feydak was dead.

“Some prefer to go this way than wait to be questioned by me,” Ames said, his face white with fury. He drew back his foot and kicked Feydak’s dead body.

“That won’t help,” Corridon said dryly. “What about Lorene?”

“He tried to warn her,” Ames said. “I caught him at it. Bruger’s going to get her now.” He swung round to Bruger. “Take Yevski and bring her here at once.”

“Hold on,” Corridon said sharply as Bruger turned away. “You don’t imagine he can go to her flat and bring her here just like that, do you? Ask him. He’ll tell you the layout. She’s on the top floor. She wouldn’t be such a fool as to open the door without finding out who was calling. There’s a chain on the door. One look at Bruger and she’d scream for the police. If you want her to come quietly, you’d better let me get her.”

Ames stared at him, then looked at Bruger.

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