Free I Would Rather Stay Poor by James Hadley Chase

you. There is one thing … if Alice is sup posed to be running away, shouldn’t she take some of her clothes?’
    Calvin lifted his head off the pillow and he stared at her. Then he nodded.
    ‘Of course … I had forgotten that . That’s important. And another thing, there will have to be two suitcases: one for her clothes and the other to carry the money in. The cases will have to be on the back seat so the gas attendant will see them. She must have a suitcase. Do you know where it is?’
    ‘Probably in her room.’
    ‘Okay. Th at’ll be your job. You pack some of her clothes and bring the suitcases in the Linco ln . The gas attendant must report to the police he saw two suitcases.’
    ‘You real l y think this is going to work?’ Kit asked, leaning forward to stare at him .
    ‘I t’ll work,’ be said. ‘We’ll need some luck, but tha t’ s not worrying me. We have three weeks. We must talk about it: think about it: polish it.’
    ‘How long will it be before we can spend the money?’
    ‘You’ve certainly got that subject on your mind, haven’t you?’ he said and grinned. ‘A month after the robbery, we’ll get married. Two months after we are married and you have sold this place, I’ll resign from the bank. You’l l be able to spend some of the money in three months’ time. You’ll be able to splash around with your share in three years’ time.’
    ‘You really think this is going to be safe?’
    He looked fixedly at her, his eyes glittering.
    ‘It’s got to be safe. If it isn’t, you and I will probably run into Alice again … if we are lucky.’
    ***
    The following afternoon Calvin had a visitor who surprised him. He w as busy at his desk When a tap came on the door and thinking it was Alice he called to come in and went on working.
    ‘Am I disturbing you?’
    He looked up then and was startled to see Iris Loring standing before his desk. For a moment he stared fixedly at her, then h is fleshy face brightened and he smiled his charming smile as he got to his feet.
    ‘Why, this is a surprise. Sit down.’
    Iris sat down. Calvin regarded her curiously. He noted there was a w orried expression in her grey-blue eyes.
    ‘I hear you are going to become my step-father,’ she said. ‘Kit told me this morning.’
    Cal v in sat back in his chair. He was thinking it would be much more amusing to have this girl for a wife. She w as so much younger, so much fresher and so much more sexually exciting than Kit.
    ‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘I hope you approve.’
    ‘If it will make Kit h appy, then of course, I approve, ’ she said quietly.
    ‘I’ll make her happy,’ Calvin said, his charm very much in evidence.
    She looked searchingly at hi m and he had an uneasy feeling that hi s charm wasn’t working the way it usually worked.
    ‘I’m worried about her,’ Iris said. ‘Tha t’ s why I’m here. She’s got something on her mind. We’ve always been very close and I can tell when something’s bothering her. I’ve asked her, but she won’t tell me. Do you know what it is?’
    Calvin took out his c igarette case and offered it. Iris shook her head. He lit a cigarette and he wondered how this pretty little thing would react if he told her her mother was worried because between them they were planning to murder Alice and to steal three hundred thousand dollars from the bank.
    ‘Frankly, I think she’s worrying about you,’ Calvin said.
    Iris looked sharply at him.
    ‘About me … why do you think that?’
    ‘We’ve talked about you. She doesn’t approve of you marrying young Travers.’ Calvin broadened his smile. ‘She is ambitious for you. She hopes you will marry a rich man . ’
    Iris flushed.
    ‘I’m going to marry Ken,’ she said. ‘I may have to wait until I’m twenty-one, but I intend to marry him.’
    ‘Good for you,’ Calvin said. ‘As your future step-father, I approve. I think he’s a fine boy and I think you’ll be very happy as his wife.’
    He saw