Red Money by Fergus Hume (read dune .txt) 📕

Officers Of The Law A Hostile Welcome When They Came To Arrest

Him. He Touched The Various Weapons Feverishly.

 

"I'll Give Them Beans," He Said,  Looking Fearfully From Right To Left.

"Every Door Is Locked; Every Window Is Bolted. I've Heaped Up Chairs And

Sofas And Tables And Chests Of Drawers,  And Wardrobes And Mattresses

Against Every Opening To Keep The Devils Out. And The Lamps--Look At The

Lamps. Ugh!" He Shuddered. "I Can't Bear To Be In The Dark."

 

"Plenty Of Light," Observed Garvington,  And Spoke Truly,  For There Must

Have Been At Least Six Lamps In The Room--Two On The Table,  Two On The

Mantel-Piece,  And A Couple On The Sideboard. And Amidst His Primitive

Defences Sat Silver Quailing And Quivering At Every Sound,  Occasionally

Pouring Brandy Down His Throat To Keep Up His Courage.

 

The White Looks Of The Man,  The Disorder Of The Room,  The Glare Of The

Many Lights,  And The Real Danger Of The Situation,  Communicated Their

Thrill To Garvington. He Shivered And Looked Into Shadowy Corners,  As

Silver Did; Then Strove To Reassure Both Himself And His Companion.

"Don't Worry So," He Said,  Sipping His Brandy To Keep Him Up To Concert

Pitch,  "I've Got An Idea Which Will Be Good For Both Of Us."

 

"What Is It?" Questioned The Secretary Cautiously. He Naturally Did Not

Trust The Man Who Had Betrayed Him.

 

"Do You Know Who Has Inherited Pine's Money?"

Chapter 20 (The Destined End) Pg 192

 

"No. The Person Named In The Sealed Envelope?"

 

"Exactly,  And The Person Is Mother Cockleshell."

 

Silver Was So Amazed That He Forgot His Fright. "What? Is Gentilla

Stanley Related To Pine?"

 

"She's His Grandmother,  It Seems. One Of My Servants Was At The Camp

To-Day And Found The Gypsies Greatly Excited Over The Old Cat's

Windfall."

 

"Whew!" Silver Whistled And Drew A Deep Breath. "If I'd Known That,  I'd

Have Got Round The Old Woman. But It's Too Late Now Since All The Fat Is

On The Fire. Mr. Lambert Knows Too Much,  And You Have Confessed What

Should Have Been Kept Quiet."

 

"I Had To Save My Own Skin," Said Garvington Sullenly. "After All,  I Had

Nothing To Do With The Murder. I Never Guessed That You Were So Mixed Up

In It Until Lambert Brought That Bullet To Fit The Revolver I Lent You."

 

"And Which I Gave To Miss Greeby," Snapped Silver Tartly. "She Is The

Criminal,  Not Me. What A Wax She Will Be In When She Learns The Truth.

I Expect Your Cousin Will Have Her Arrested."

 

"I Don't Think So. He Has Some Silly Idea In His Head About The Honor Of

Our Name,  And Won't Press Matters Unless He Is Forced To."

 

"Who Can Force Him?" Asked Silver,  Looking More At Ease,  Since He Saw A

Gleam Of Hope.

 

"Chaldea! She's Death On Making Trouble."

 

"Can't We Silence Her? Remember You Swing On My Hook."

 

"No,  I Don't," Contradicted Garvington Sharply. "I Can't Be Arrested."

 

"For Forging That Letter You Can!"

 

"Not At All. I Did Not Write It To Lure Pine To His Death,  But Only

Wished To Maim Him."

 

"That Will Get You Into Trouble," Insisted Silver,  Anxious To Have A

Companion In Misery.

 

"It Won't,  I Tell You. There's No One To Prosecute. You Are The Person

Who Is In Danger,  As You Knew Miss Greeby To Be Guilty,  And Are

Therefore An Accessory After The Fact."

 

"If Mr. Lambert Has The Honor Of Your Family At Heart He Will Do

Nothing," Said The Secretary Hopefully; "For If Miss Greeby Is Arrested

Along With Me The Writing Of That Letter Is Bound To Come Out."

 

"I Don't Care. It's Worth A Million."

Chapter 20 (The Destined End) Pg 193

 

"What Is Worth A Million?"

 

"The Exposure. See Here,  Silver,  I Hear That Mother Cockleshell Is

Willing To Hand Over That Sum To The Person Who Finds The Murderer Of

Her Grandson. We Know That Miss Greeby Is Guilty,  So Why Not Give Her

Up And Earn The Money?"

 

The Secretary Rose In Quivering Alarm. "But I'd Be Arrested Also. You

Said So; You Know You Said So."

 

"And I Say So Again," Remarked Garvington,  Leaning Back Coolly. "You'd

Not Be Hanged,  You Know,  Although She Would. A Few Years In Prison

Would Be Your Little Lot And When You Came Out I Could Give You

Say--Er--Er--Ten Thousand Pounds. There! That's A Splendid Offer."

 

"Where Would You Get The Ten Thousand? Tell Me!" Asked Silver With A

Curious Look.

 

"From The Million Mother Cockleshell Would Hand Over To Me."

 

"For Denouncing Me?"

 

"For Denouncing Miss Greeby."

 

"You Beast!" Shrieked Silver Hysterically. "You Know Quite Well That If

She Is Taken By The Police I Have No Chance Of Escaping. I'd Run Away

Now If I Had The Cash. But I Haven't. I Count On Your Cousin Keeping

Quiet Because Of Your Family Name,  And You Shan't Give The Show Away."

 

"But Think," Said Garvington,  Persuasively,  "A Whole Million."

 

"For You,  And Only Ten Thousand For Me. Oh,  I Like That."

 

"Well,  I'll Make It Twenty Thousand."

 

"No! No."

 

"Thirty Thousand."

 

"No! No! No!"

 

"Forty,  Fifty,  Sixty,  Seventy--Oh,  Hang It,  You Greedy Beast! I'll Give

You One Hundred Thousand. You'd Be Rich For Life Then."

 

"Would I,  Curse You!" Silver Clenched His Fists And Backed Against The

Wall Looking Decidedly Dangerous. "And Risk A Life-Long Sentence To Get

The Money While You Take The Lion's Share."

 

"You'd Only Get Ten Years At Most," Argued The Visitor,  Annoyed By What

He Considered To Be Silly Objections.

 

"Ten Years Are Ten Centuries At My Time Of Life. You Shan't Denounce

Chapter 20 (The Destined End) Pg 194

Me."

 

Garvington Rose. "Yes,  I Shall," He Declared,  Rendered Desperate By The

Dread Lest He Should Lose The Million. "I'm Going To Wanbury To-Night To

Tell Inspector Darby And Get A Warrant For Miss Greeby's Arrest Along

With Yours As Her Accomplice."

 

Silver Flung Himself Forward And Gripped Garvington's Coat. "You

Daren't!"

 

"Yes,  I Dare. I Can't Be Hurt. I Didn't Murder The Man And I'm Not Going

To Lose A Pile Of Money For Your Silly Scruples."

 

"Oh,  My Lord,  Consider." Silver In A Panic Dropped On His Knees. "I

Shall Be Shut Up For Years; It Will Kill Me; It Will Kill Me! And You

Don't Know What A Terrible And Clever Woman Miss Greeby Is. She May Deny

That I Gave Her The Revolver And I Can't Prove That I Did. Then I Might

Be Accused Of The Crime And Hanged. Hanged!" Cried The Poor Wretch

Miserably. "Oh,  You'll Never Give Me Away,  My Lord,  Will You."

 

"Confound You,  Don't I Risk My Reputation To Get The Money," Raged

Garvington,  Shaking Off The Trembling Arms Which Were Round His Knees.

"The Truth Of The Letter Will Have To Come Out,  And Then I'm Dished So

Far As Society Is Concerned. I Wouldn't Do It--Tell That Is--But That

The Stakes Are So Large. One Million Is Waiting To Be Picked Up And I'm

Going To Pick It Up."

 

"No! No! No! No!" Silver Grovelled On The Floor And Embraced

Garvington's Feet. But The More He Wailed The More Insulting And

Determined Did The Visitor Become. Like All Tyrants And Bullies

Garvington Gained Strength And Courage From The Increased Feebleness

Of His Victim. "Don't Give Me Up," Wept The Secretary,  Nearly Beside

Himself With Terror; "Don't Give Me Up."

 

"Oh,  Damn You,  Get Out Of The Way!" Said Garvington,  And Made For The

Door. "I Go Straight To Wanbury," Which Statement Was A Lie,  As He First

Intended To See Mother Cockleshell At The Camp And Make Certain That The

Reward Was Safe. But Silver Believed Him And Was Goaded To Frenzy.

 

"You Shan't Go!" He Screamed,  Leaping To His Feet,  And Before Garvington

Knew Where He Was The Secretary Had The Heavy Poker In His Grasp. The

Little Fat Lord Gave A Cry Of Terror And Dodged The First Blow Which

Merely Fell On His Shoulder. But The Second Alighted On His Head And

With A Moan He Dropped To The Ground. Silver Flung Away The Poker.

 

"Are You Dead? Are You Dead?" He Gasped,  Kneeling Beside Garvington,  And

Placed His Hand On The Senseless Man's Heart. It Still Beat Feebly,  So

He Arose With A Sigh Of Relief. "He's Only Stunned," Panted Silver,  And

Staggered Unsteadily To The Table To Seize A Glass Of Brandy. "I'll,

Ah--Ah--Ah!" He Shrieked And Dropped The Tumbler As A Loud And

Continuous Knocking Came To The Front Door.

 

Chapter 20 (The Destined End) Pg 195

Naturally In His State Of Panic He Believed That The Police Had Actually

Arrived,  And Here He Had Struck Down Lord Garvington. Even Though The

Little Man Was Not Dead,  Silver Knew That The Assault Would Add To His

Punishment,  Although He Might Have Concluded That The Lesser Crime Was

Swallowed Up In The Greater. But He Was Too Terrified To Think Of Doing

Anything Save Hiding The Stunned Man,  And With A Gigantic Effort He

Managed To Fling The Body Behind The Sofa. Then He Piled Up Rugs And

Cushions Between The Wall And The Back Of The Sofa Until Garvington Was

Quite Hidden And Ran A Considerable Risk Of Being Suffocated. All The

Time The Ominous Knocking Continued,  As Though The Gallows Was Being

Constructed. At Least It Seemed So To Silver's Disturbed Fancy,  And He

Crept Along To The Door Holding The Revolver In An Unsteady Grip.

 

"Who--Who--Is--"

 

"Let Me In; Let Me In," Said A Loud,  Hard Voice. "I'm Miss Greeby. I

Have Come To Save You. Let Me In."

 

Silver Had No Hesitation In Obeying,  Since She Was In As Much Danger As

He Was And Could Not Hurt Him Without Hurting Herself. With Trembling

Fingers He Unbolted The Door And Opened It,  To Find Her Tall And Stately

And Tremendously Impatient On The Threshold. She Stepped In