TRUSTED LIKE THE FOX

chapter 8

For some seconds, he sat watching me as I still stood by the open safe.

"I don't expect you to believe me." I said. "I just couldn't face going back to Sentinel, so I was sucker for her blackmail."

He reached for his pocket, took out a cigar, cut the end, lit it, and blew a stream of rich, smiling smoke at me.

"Funny how these things work out," he said in a low, flat voice. "The president of the legion had a heart attack just before I reached. The meeting was canceled because the guy had a heart attack, another man finds out he's married to a tramp."

"You mean you believe me? You don't think I am lying?"

"Yeah, you are my brother, and for the past weeks you've been here, you've proved to be over your crazyness and mature enough to handle your shares. I bet Sentinel taught you a very good lesson."

I drew a long, deep breath. "Thanks," I said and meant it.

"You have to go, John. You won't be safe here now. She'll give you away."

"Yes."

"I'm going to give you a fifty thousand bucks and my Cadillac. Any idea where you'll go?"

"New York. I can get lost there."

"Alright, you can start off tomorrow. I will take care of her. And do take care of yourself, John."

I was glad that decided to believe me instead of Delphina, but asking me to leave was out of the question. Why would and leave and leave the fortune with her.

Then I saw her.

She had been pretty quick, for she had changed her clothes. Her face was white, and her eyes glittered.

In her right head, she held a gun, and she was pointing it at us.

For some seconds, there was no sound in the room except the ticking of the clock on the wall and Delphina's quick, sharp breathing.

Perry was staring at her and at the gun as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Why, Delphina...."

"Don't move!" Her voice was harsh. "I'm taking the money! He's not having a nickel of it!"

"Delphina, have you gone crazy? Put the gun down. it's loaded!"

"Don't move and listen to me, I've had enough of you and your convict, pal! I'm taking that money. Don't either of you imagine you can stop me."

"Put the gun down and stop acting like a crazy fool!"

"If you try to stop me, I'll tell the police you have been sheltering this jail bird! Now get out of my way, or you'll be sorry!"

I still stood by the open safe. It made me nervous to see the way she was waving the gun about as she talked.

"Watch it!" I said sharply and accidentally bumped into the safe door, and it automatically locked itself.

 Delphina looked towards me. She knew enough to realize it had automatically locked as the door slammed shut.

Perry had almost reached for the gun when it went off with a bang that rattled me. I looked with horror at Perry.

He stood motionless for a brief moment, and then his great body of muscle and flesh collapsed. It went down slowly, smashing the back of the chair and shaking the room as it finally hit the floor.

Delphina screamed and dropped the gun. She hid her face in her hands.

Shaking, I knelt beside Perry. Blood made a small red patch on his left side. The gun had killed him automatically.

I couldn't believe it. Words jerked out of me. "You've killed him!"

She ran out of the room crying. As I knelt there for some minutes, staring down at Perry, not knowing what to do.

I didn't dare call the police. Suppose she tells them I had killed him? She might do it to save her own skin. She might tell them who I was, and they would not need any further proof once they knew I was the escaped convict from Sentinel.

I heard some heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, I was sure it was Gorman, if I didn't get out to him fast he might come over and see Perry dead on the floor and that would certainly make the situation even worse.

As I stated for the door, my foot kicked against the gun. I picked it up and shoved it into my hip pocket, and closed the door behind me.

Gormans face was white as snow when I met him. "Is it true?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to act casual, wondering if Delphina had already manipulated him.

"Mrs Cooper is from telling me that I am fired! I don't believe it. I want to speak to Mr Cooper himself."

So Delphina wants to send Gorman away. It's not a bad idea, though. So I played along as well.

"No, you can't talk to him. Nothing you say will change his mind. He has already hired someone new he will be coming in tomorrow. You better go start packing now. Mrs Cooper will pay you your retirement money."

"Please, he can't do this. This job is my life. You have to help me out!" he cried out.

"listen pal I can't help you out, am sorry. Just go start packing, I will get you your money. Plus you are really getting old for this job."

He walked away sorrowfully to his room. I went over to Perry's room, grabbed a few thousands, and walked out to Gorman, who was waiting outside with his bags.

"Am really sorry about this, Gorman. I really tried to reason with Perry, but you just know how stubborn he can be." I said, trying to show sympathy and handing him the money.

"It's alright, I understand, and as you said, I am even too old for this job anyway. Pass my regards to the boss." he said and walked away towards the gate.

When he was finally out onto the road, I sat on the ground with my back against the wall, my head in my hands, and considered my position. I was certainly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

As soon as Delphina had gotten over the shock of Perry's death and I had an idea, it wouldn't take her long. She would realize she was also in a jam.

It hadn't crossed my mind that Perry's death had been an accident. She had been waving the gun around in her fury, and it had gone off. But she couldn't prove to the cops it had been an accident. They would want to know what she had been doing with a gun in her hand. She would have to admit she was going to steal her husband's money. Once she admitted that, they would nail her on a murder charge.

Once Delphina realized her only way out was to pin Perry's death on me, I was sunk. She would tell the police that she and I had been left together while Perry had gone to the legion meeting. She had been busy in the kitchen. I had sneaked into the room and opened the safe. Perryson had returned unexpectedly and had caught me red-handed. I had killed him. Nothing I could say would shake that kind of evidence once they found out who I was. No wonder she chased Gorman away. It was a smart move.

Then suddenly, a thought came into my mind that if she had me in a jam, I had her in it too. I realized everything depended on how much she wanted that money in the safe, and I was pretty sure she wanted it more than anything else in the world.

I thought of Perry's body lying on the floor. I would have to bury him. I would also have to think up a story to explain away his absence.

I got up and ran back into the house.

I was just in time.

As I pushed open the front door, I heard the telephone bell click.

She was calling the police.