‘But the police don’t work like that, Glyn. They work on clues,’ she began, then stopped as I took out my penknife and slit open the envelope.
‘They haven’t any clues,’ I said as I pulled a single sheet of paper out of the envelope, ‘and I’m going to take good care they don’t have a motive to pin on me.’
I read the short document. As I read the wording I felt myself turn first hot, then cold. I went so cold it was as if I was standing in the way of a raging arctic wind.
It was a straightforward, simple testament. It said that as I had saved his life, I was to receive any money left over from the estate after the creditors had been paid. In the event of Helen’s death, and if the National Fidelity paid the insurance money into the estate, the whole amount should come to me.
Marian said sharply, ‘Glyn! What is it?’
I tossed the will across to her.
‘Read it,’ I said, my voice shaking. ‘The crazy, drunken fool has left me everything!’
The laugh was on me.
If I hadn’t been such a smart alec and if I hadn’t tried to horn in on the insurance money, it seemed now that I would have had a chance of getting the money anyway. I was sure Helen would have come unstuck against Maddux. If I had kept to the side lines and not interfered and let her get rid of Dester on her own, she would probably have landed herself in the death cell, and the money would have automatically come to me. But I had to be smart. I had manoeuvred myself into a position now where I dared not show Burnett this will. It would put me right under the spot-light. They would not only hang Helen’s death on me, but they would go flat out to hang Dester’s death on me too. In the state I was in, I knew I would never face up to police examination.
I did my best to explain to Marian that I didn’t want the money, and so long as there was a mystery attached to Dester’s death, it would be asking for trouble to let anyone see the will.
‘I’ll keep it for the time being,’ I said. ‘If Dester turns up, I’ll give it back to him and ask him to destroy it. I don’t want the money. If he isn’t alive, then I’ll destroy it myself. I’ve got to keep out of this, kid. You can see that, can’t you?’
‘But surely, Glyn, if Mr. Dester wanted you to have the money.’ She stopped abruptly and looked at me. ‘You didn’t have anything to do with his disappearance?’
‘You see,’ I said, ‘the idea suddenly drops into your mind that I might have. Can you imagine how Maddux would react?’
‘That doesn’t answer my question,’ Marian said sharply. ‘I wouldn’t ask you if you weren’t acting so strangely, and you are acting strangely, Glyn.’
‘I don’t know what has happened to Dester and I have had nothing to do with his disappearance,’ I said, forcing myself to meet her eyes. ‘I admit I have a guilty conscience. Helen and I were lovers. I acted like a fool, and it could get me into trouble with the police. Surely you can see that?’
‘Just because you were lovers.’
‘Now look, don’t let’s waste time. I know what I am doing.’ I was losing patience. ‘I’m going to put the will in my bank for the time being. I’m going to do it right now. Will you continue to list these bills? I won’t be long.’
‘Are you quite sure you know what you are doing, Glyn?’
I got up and went over to her and took her in my arms.
‘I’m not doing anything wrong. I don’t want his money and I don’t want Maddux to know he has left me the money. Don’t worry and don’t tell anyone you know about it.’
I kissed her, and then unlocking the study door, I went out into the hall.
There was no sign of Lewis. I stood hesitating, thinking of the deep-freeze cabinet. Suppose Lewis got inquisitive and looked inside? Somehow I had to get Dester’s body out of the house tonight. I had no idea how I was going to do it with Lewis prowling around, but I had to do it.
I went down the passage and into the kitchen, but it was empty. I looked at the bottles on top of the deep-freeze cabinet. They were in place. I crossed over to the cabinet and turned off the switch. The motor gave a little rumble and stopped. I stood for a long moment, my hand resting on the lid of the cabinet. The body in the cabinet would be completely thawed out by tonight. Even with the body in a relaxed state, I knew it was going to be a hell of a job to get it out of the cabinet without help.
I pushed the thought out of my mind, and leaving the kitchen, I hurried over to the garage, got into the Buick and drove to my bank where I picked up the safe key. I then drove over to the safe deposit company. I opened the safe, took out Dester’s gun, being careful to drop a handkerchief over it before touching it. I put it in my hip pocket. Then I put the will on top of Dester’s suicide note, shut and locked the safe.
By the time I got back to the house, it was just after one o’clock. Marian had laid lunch for three out on the terrace. I went into the kitchen where I found her preparing lunch.
‘The motor’s stopped running in the freezer,’ she said as I came in. ‘Is that all right?’
‘Yes. We’re not likely to use it now so I turned it off.’
I heard a sound behind me and looking over my shoulder I saw Sergeant Lewis. He was looking beyond me at the deep-freeze cabinet and he walked past me and stood before it.
‘I’ve always wanted one of these things,’ he said. ‘This is a pretty big one, isn’t it?’
My heart was pounding as I walked over and joined him.
‘You can get smaller ones,’ I said. ‘The Desters scarcely ever used this monster.’
‘It certainly is big,’ Lewis said. He shifted his glance to stare at the bottles. ‘He carried quite a stock of whisky. Funny place to keep them.’
‘I put them there. He had them in his closet.’
‘If they sell up here, maybe I could get that cabinet cheap,’ Lewis said. ‘What’s inside? Is it fitted with trays and racks?’
‘It has two long trays,’ I said, and I had to make an effort to keep my voice steady. ‘I don’t think you’d get it cheap. One of the hotels is bound to bid for it.’
‘Yeah, I guess that’s right.’
He stared at the cabinet for a long moment, then shrugged his shoulders and turned away.
Marian said lunch was ready, and we helped carry the dishes out on to the terrace. After a good meal and under the influence of the warm sunshine, Lewis appeared to relax.
‘This guy Maddux,’ he said, ‘may be a ball of fire as a claims assessor, but he certainly has some crummy ideas when it comes to an investigation. It sticks out a mile that Dester knocked his wife off. You can see that, can’t you?’ He looked over at me.
‘I think he lost his head and hit her too hard,’ I said carefully. ‘I don’t think he intended to kill her.’
‘Whether he intended to or not, he killed her, and that’s murder.’ He tilted his basket chair back. ‘I wonder where he is now. It’s my bet he’s in Mexico or someplace where we won’t think of looking for him.’
‘You don’t think he will come back here then?’ Marian asked.
‘Is it likely? Why should he want to come back here? He must know the house will be watched. He’ll get as far away from Hollywood as he can. It’s his only hope.’ He glanced over at me. ‘Did you find a will?’
‘No.’
‘This guy Maddux is looking for trouble,’ Lewis said, shrugging his shoulders. ‘Anyway, why should I care? I’ve got a nice soft job for the moment.’
‘That reminds me: if you want to take a nap this afternoon,’ I said, ‘I’d better show you your room.’
‘What the hell do I want to take a nap for?’
‘I thought you were going to be up all night.’
He laughed. ‘In case Dester comes back? Not a chance. I haven’t had a decent sleep since this case broke. I’m not going to miss the chance now Bromwich can’t call me out in the middle of the night to hold his hand.’