Part 12 (1/2)

”I know the place,” Magarth said, looked to right and left. ”It'll be light soon. You mustn't be seen. I'll get my car. You'd better wait here. Go over to that wood. Just beyond it is the main road. You'll see me from the wood. Keep out of sight until I come. I shan't be mora than ten minutes. Will you do that?”

”Yes,” Carol said. She felt she could trust him. ”But please be quick. I'm so frightened . . . he was bleeding so badly.”

”Don't worry,” Magarth said briskly. ”We'll fix him up all right. You get under cover and wait for me.” He patted her arm and then ran quickly back to Doc Fleming's house.

Now she was alone, Carol suddenly felt uneasy. The half-light of the dawn, the cold mist that rose from the ground, the still, silent wood silhouetted blackly against the sky, produced a threatening atmosphere.

As she began to move towards the wood she had a presentiment of danger and her heart began to thud against her side.

She wished now that she had gone back with Magarth. Anything seemed better than being alone in this dim, silent wood. She screwed up her courage and kept on, and some way ahead through the trees she could see the main road.

That was where she was to meet Magarth, she told herself, and fighting down this strange feeling of panic, she walked through the wood towards the distant clearing.

Then suddenly she stopped. Something moved ahead of her. She caught her breath sharply, stared. From behind a big tree-trunk the brim of a man's hat appeared. She stood petrified, unable to move, even to blink her eyelids.

A man in a black overcoat and a black slouch hat slid round the tree-trunk, stood directly in her path: it was Max.

”I want you,” he said softly. ”Don't make a fuss.”

For one brief moment she stared at him, her heart freezing, then with a thin wail of terror she turned to run blindly in the opposite direction. But Frank was there behind her, and as she came to an abrupt stop he smiled, raised his hat.

Carol stood rigid. Both the Sullivans could hear her wild breathing.

”Don't make a fuss,” Max said, and walked slowly towards her.

”Oh, no!” Carol cried, cringing back. ”You mustn't touch me . . .” She felt her muscles shrinking. Her face was as wan as a small ghost. ”Please go away . . . I'm waiting for someone . . . he'll be back any moment now . . . you mustn't stay. . . .”

”No fuss,” Max said, reaching her. ”Come on. We want you.”

She backed, then suddenly whirled and ran towards Frank, who watched her with his fixed smile. He threw out his arms, barring her path.

Again she whirled, stood rigid.

”Where's Larson?” Max asked. ”We want him too.”

”I don't know,” she said. ”I don't know anything.”

”You will,” Max said gently. ”We know how to make girls talk. Where is he?”

”Oh, leave me alone . . .” Carol said, looked round wildly, then began to scream.

Frank jumped forward, twined his short fat fingers in her hair, dragged her head back.

”Hit her,” he said to Max.

Max stepped up to her. She saw him raise his fist and she threw up her hands to protect herself, screamed wildly again. Max brushed her hands aside; then four bony knuckles smashed against the side of her jaw.

chapter four.

Magarth came out on to the sun-drenched verandah, sat down, stretched out his long legs, closed his eyes.

”A pint of black coffee laced with brandy might set me up,” he said, smothered a yawn, ”but it's bed I really want. And I've got to go see the Sheriff in a moment.”

”You shall have your coffee, precious,” Veda said. ”But you're not going to leave here until you've given me some sort of explanation. Surely it's not asking too much, since you've turned my house into a hospital. I'm sure you have your reasons, but I do feel I should be told what goes on.”

Magarth opened one eye, grinned. He thought Veda looked very nice in her apricot-coloured linen frock and he reached out to pat her hand.

”They holed her up in Doc Fleming's cellar,” he said briefly. ”When Kamp went in after her, she turned off the main switch, and I caused what is known as a diversion, and she escaped. I went after her, caught her up, made friends. I arranged to get my car and go with her to where she had left Larson. I left her in the wood and got my car. When I returned she had vanished. So I collected Larson and brought him here. Doc Kober will let us know what he thinks of him when he comes down.”

”But why didn't you take the poor lamb to hospital? Why bring him here?”

”Because he's in danger,” Magarth said patiently. ”You don't know what these two thugs are like.”

”What two thugs?” Veda asked, bewildered.

”The Sullivans: the professional killers. If half what I've heard about them is true they've committed dozens of murders and have never left a clue or a witness. But this time they've slipped up. Larson saw them kill his brother. He managed to tell me that much before he pa.s.sed out. His evidence would send them to the chair. They'll try to finish him, and the first place they'd look for him is the hospital. We'll have to keep him under cover until he's well enough to make a statement.”

Veda nodded.

”But are you really sure these two won't find him here?”

”Not a chance. There's no connection between you and Larson-why should they?”

”Well, that's a relief,” Veda said. ”Now tell me about the Blandish girl. What happened to her?”

”I don't know,” Magarth admitted, worried. ”She either didn't trust me or . . .” He shook his head. ”There was a big black Packard parked outside Doc Fleming's house when I arrived. I was so anxious to get inside the house I didn't give it a thought. But it had gone when I returned for my car, and I'm wondering. The Sullivans may have got her.”

”Haven't you got the Sullivans on the brain, my pet?” Veda asked. ”They can't be here, there and everywhere.”

”That's just what they can be,” Magarth said. ”I'll have to tell Kamp. We'll need protection out here, just in case. G.o.d help the Blandish girl if the Sullivans have got her.”

”But you haven't told me what she's like,” Veda said with pardonable curiosity. ”Have you actually talked with her?”

”Sure. She looks as sane as you do,” Magarth returned. ”I can't make it out. She's a marvellous-looking girl, and obviously head over heels in love with Larson. She's the kind of girl who loves but once and sticks to her man like glue.”

”So am I,” Veda said softly. ”Only the rat I've fallen in love with doesn't know it.”

”Don't let's talk about rats,” Magarth said hurriedly. ”They're timid creatures and don't like to be talked about.”

”I've noticed they're not so timid at night,” Veda said softly.

At this moment Dr. Kober joined them.

”He's bad,” he said abruptly. ”It'll be touch and go. The next three days will decide whether or not he pulls through. He should really be in hospital.”