The Mike Hammer Collection

“Sure, Mike. I’ll get it. The policemen won’t bother me.” Ruston smiled and left. I heard him going down the stairs, then tell the cop he was hungry and so was his governess. The cop growled and let him go.

Roxy said, “You’re a louse, Mike, but I guess it has to be that way. We almost lost Ruston once, and it’s liable to happen again if somebody doesn’t think of something. Well, you did. I just hope it works, that’s all.”

“So do I, kid.”

Ruston came running up the stairs and slipped into the room, bearing a pair of enormous sandwiches. I all but snatched them out of his hand and tore into them wolfishly. Once, the cop came upstairs and prowled past the door and I almost choked. After he went by, the two of them laughed silently at me standing there with my rod in my hand and the remains of a sandwich sticking out of my mouth.

Roxy went over and pressed her ear to the door, then slowly turned the key in the lock. “I suppose you’ll leave the same way you came in, Mike, so maybe that’ll give you more time if you have to go quickly.”

“Gee, I hope nothing happens to you, Mike. I’m not afraid for myself, I’m just afraid what those policemen will do. They say you shot a cop and now you have to die.”

“Lancelot, you worry too much.”

“But even if you find out who’s been causing all the trouble the police will still be looking for you, won’t they?”

“Perhaps not,” I laughed. “They’re going to be pretty fed up with me when I bust this case.”

The kid shuddered, his eyes closed tightly for a second. “I keep thinking of that night in the shack. The night you shot one of those men that kidnapped me. It was an awful fight.”

I felt as though a mule had kicked me in the stomach. “What did you say?”

“That night . . . you remember. When you shot that man and . . .”

I cut him off. “You can get off that target, Ruston,” I said softly. “I won’t need you for a decoy after all.”

Roxy twisted toward me, watching the expression in my eyes. “Why, Mike?”

“I just remembered that I shot a guy, that’s why. I had forgotten all about it.” I jammed on my hat and picked up a pack of Roxy’s butts from the dresser. “You two stay here and keep the door locked. I can get the killer, now, by damn, and I won’t have to make him come to me either. Roxy, turn that light off. Give me five minutes after I leave before you turn it on again. Forget you ever saw me up here or Dilwick will have your scalp.”

The urgency in my voice moved her to action. Without a word in reply she reached out for the light and snapped it off. Ruston gasped and moved toward the door, with the slightest tremor of excitement creeping into his breathing. I saw him silhouetted there for an instant, a floor lamp right in front of him. Before I could caution him the shade struck him in the face. His hand went out . . . hit the lamp and it toppled to the floor with the popping of the bulb and the crash of a fallen tree. Or so it seemed.

Downstairs a gruff voice barked out. Before it could call again I threw the window up and went out, groping for the vine. Someplace in the house a whistle shrilled and angry fists beat at the door. Half sliding, half climbing, I went down the side of the building. Another whistle and somebody got nervous and let a shot blast into the confusion. From every side came the shouts and the whistles. Just before I reached the ground a car raced up and two figures leaped out. But I was lucky. The racket was all centered on the inside of the house and the coppers were taking it for granted that I was trapped there.

As fast as I could go, I beat it across the drive to the lawn, then into the trees. Now I knew where I was. One tree ahead formed the perfect ladder over the wall. I had my gun out now in case that patrol was waiting. There would be no command to halt, just a volley of shots until one of us dropped. All right, I was ready. Behind me a window smashed and Roxy screamed. Then there was a loud “There he goes!” and a pair of pistols spit fire. With the trees in the way and the distance opening between us, I wasn’t concerned about getting hit.

The tree was a godsend. I went up its inclined trunk thanking whatever lightning bolt had split it in such a handy fashion, made the top of the wall and jumped for the grass. The sentries weren’t there anymore. Probably trying to be in on the kill.

A siren screamed inside the wall and the chase was on, but it would be a futile chase now. Once in the tree line on the other side of the road I took it easy. They’d be looking for a car and the search would be along the road. So long, suckers!

CHAPTER 11