| Show under pressure pr s s u r by george agnew Chamber labit george agnew service chamberlain ib IQ SYNOPSIS joyce sewell on the eve ot of her twentieth birthday rebels at her lot dependent on her detested stepmother irma and full ol of tragic memories of her mothers murder twelve years before and her fathers death six months ago irma calls in helm blackadder an admirer to help her persuade joyce to marry rich young michael kirkpatrick miko mike sent up to joyce by irma and blackadder demands a showdown on his proposal and is rejected reading her fathers papers joyce realizes that la barranca a mexican hacienda which her father had owned legally belongs to her later she receives a letter enclosing a warrant on the united states treasury for compensation for or her mothers murder at la barranca she confers with mr bradley a banker and only remaining friend of her fat fathers hers she confides that abat she wants to make a secret journey to mexico bradley a arranges s all details for her she departs by plane undetected dirk van Sut tart second secretary of the american embassy in mexico city gives joyce a chilly reception and she loses her temper she finds a mexican woman lawyer margarida Mar garlda fonseca who takes her to general onelia right hand man to the mexican minister of war margarida Mar ganda reminds onelia that the usurper of la barranca is his dangerous enemy general dorado the two make plans to send joyce with a few picked men under pancho buenaven buenaventura tu ra to drive dorado out adan arnaldo a y young oun man who runs el E tene broso a night jub club knows dorados donados Do rados present whereabouts so they take joyce there that night where she notices dirk general dorado arrives CHAPTER IV continued 5 Arn aldos strong hands darted out to seize the barrel of the gun and hold it pointed upward the last of the lights were extinguished and with darkness came uproar five shots rang out in a steady spurt tables were overturned dishes crashed women screamed men groaned and grunted joyce sat quite still pressing back as if to push herself through the wall soon she reached out her right hand tentatively general onelia a was gone she pushed her left along the seat it was empty margarida was gone at that instant a fumbling hand found her shoulder shot down along her arm and seized her wrist she felt herself being hauled along the wall by someone who seemed sure of his way aho who vho was it and why was it onelia van or or dorado what did it matter if only she could get out something struck her in the face enveloping her head for a moment she thought she would suffocate then realized it had been merely a plunge through heavy curtains the next thing she knew she was dragging the sharp sweet air of the night into her lungs as her escort half lifted half hurled her into the of a waiting car the chauffeur started so suddenly her head was thrown against the back of the seat then the cold cut into her she shivered from head to toe and her teeth began to chatter with a steady rattle promptly the man took her in his arms snatched the rug from its bracket and drew it over them both she tried to calm herself she must calm herself or she think what did he intend where was he taking her then he did something which steadied her nerves at once he tried to light a cigarette without disturbing her at the flash of the match she looked up into adan ar baldos pensive face A great many thoughts struck joyce all at once making her dizzy she had escaped the scene of pandemonium dem to fall into what if put me in a taxi she said drawing away from him ill be all right then you can go back to help the scrubwomen scrub women asked arnaldo there anything unusual about our closing tonight ive seen eight people shot and killed in the last two years oh gasped joyce why I 1 was wondering he stated about what she asked you a girl like you I 1 dont get it yet coming into a dump like that between two buzzards what did they want she decided at once to put arnaldo off and in the same flash wondered if she dared try to draw him how should I 1 know she re plied almost without a pause 1 I never saw either of them before today youre not lying 1 I came to mexico only yesterday said joyce its the truth I 1 wanted to see what was going on so I 1 got margarida fonseca to take me how did you come to go to her has she had herself listed as a guide no said joyce ashes my lawyer youve got me guessing he declared when I 1 saw you with those two lotes I 1 had a feeling need help pretty soon and need it bad but you dont seem to think so and im beginning to change my mind every man living has to be fooled by a woman ever so often and perhaps this is my night perhaps im a bonehead blind in both eyes and youre a bad egg im not said joyce simply 1 im I m exactly what you thought please take me home where 9 she told him he hesitated for a moment then called out the address to the driver the car slowed swung around the next circle and started back in the opposite direction all right ill believe you since you say youre what I 1 thought though t you were ill take you straight to your h hotel 0 tel on one condition what is it that you never come into my place again dont worry said joyce fervently 1 I anyway ive never been so frightened before and it the row that did it no said arnaldo curiously if that rumpus scare you what did A face it was horrible ill never forget it what face that man in uniform the one who started the trouble dorado said arnaldo slowly pepe dorado so it what IV N m I 1 t av I 1 ak P I 1 kal k ic pancho buenaventura in uniform stepped out to kielp with the luggage do you want to know about dorado only only that ill never see him again you wont nobody will for a long while said arnaldo grimly why asked joyce quickly did something happen to him not yet but I 1 promise you its going to I 1 give him until daylight I 1 wont see him out of town in person but I 1 have a couple of partners nobody knows about who will when they tell him to beat it hell go and stay gone As the car drew up in the light from the hotel entrance she laid her hand on his arm and looked straight into his eyes why have you been so good to me why he shrugged his shoulders A lot of us mexicans play at hating the united states but not me they were good to me up there a lot better than ive been to you were different its like two worlds theres one way to live in your country and another to live in mine but let me give you a tip it takes a strong head to stand mixed drinks I 1 have a strong head I 1 so have I 1 said joyce he studied her thoughtfully either youre right about your head or youre a fool why think it out for yourself you dont know danger when you see it you start out with the boner of coming c omin g to mexico you tie in with a couple of gringo haters baters who leave a lamb his bleat you butt into el and when youre out riding with a buzz saw you think youre playing with a paper pinwheel pin wheel to top the list you decide to mix it with what with whom pepe dorado no theres only one way to make everything fit youre a fool and im another perhaps I 1 arno am said joyce soberly but I 1 hope not she pushed down the rug stepped to the curb and gave him her hand ill never forget you or what youve done please dont forget me 1 I wont he assured her get along in before you freeze at ten at night of the third day joyce and her baggage were transferred by taxi to the railway station and then as a further precaution by another hired c conveyance on to margaritas Marg aridas apartment onelia was there he glanced at his watch and spoke in a tender voice which seemed to drip with regret at parting it is time my child I 1 shall stay here go down by yourself and slip into my car the chauffeur already has your bags and ive given him the necessary instructions in dont worry if he drives fast its only to make sure nobody can follow joyce hesitated whether to kiss margarida chilled by the peculiar look in her eyes too impatient to puzzle it out for what it was a look of eternal farewell she compromised by touching cheeks in the latin manner one cheek and then the other that done she hurried down two flights of stairs to the street and within five minutes was being driven at vertiginous speed along the paseo maseo de la reforma through the umbrageous bosque de chapultepec around dolores cemetery and into a blind lane there blotted out against a clump of bushes stood a dilapidated touring car with its tattered curtains in place sergeant pancho buenaventura in uniform stepped out to help with the luggage and motioned to her to get into the but she knew better resigning that space to her bags she climbed into the front seat beside him A moment later they were off and presently swung left into the toluca road CHAPTER V back in Elsin boro mrs sewell was pacing distractedly up and down her living room awaiting the arrival of helm blackadder why had he shouted at her over the telephone why had he said such things it was she who had grounds for anger she who had a right to feel hurt was it her fault he had been away gone to new york wit out saying a word her soft brown eyes watered and then blazed everything ery thing she had done had been right she had sacrificed herself to the limit but she had done what was right abruptly blackadder appeared before her not having bothered to ring or knock she hurled herself into his arms helm oh helm she sobbed it was one of the cleverest moves of her entire career perforce he held her patting her back and the harder she clung to him the less could he find it in his heart to pour out the scathing words which a moment ago had been trembling on the tip of his tongue irma how on earth could you stir up such a mess for yourself why you find out where I 1 was and call me up why you wait till I 1 came back she threw herself into a chair and covered her eyes please dont helm please listen to me first that child that poor child when she come back after the weekend week end I 1 telephoned frances holder and found she been there at all then I 1 tried to telephone you I 1 did helm I 1 notified the police then I 1 thought of the radio ill say you did groaned blackadder it occurred to you joyce lost at all that nobody her that nothing has happened to her except what she intended to have happen 9 no it do you remember remember what she said to us do you well I 1 do the words are burned into my brain this is what she said you want to be rid of me both of you all right I 1 promise if it that way it will be another bunk said blackadder that girl never how much money do you think she had hardly any blackadder frowned he went to the telephone and called up the station 1 master jim this is helm blackadder did joyce sewell leave Elsin boro on a train promptly came the answer no helm she naturally as soon as I 1 seen about the reward I 1 satisfied with only checking up around here I 1 telephoned every crew from buffalo to new york you can take it from me she get away on no train thanks jim said blackadder he hung up and faced around toward irma so theres a reward now is there how much five thousand dollars holy pickerel blackadder started pacing the floor suddenly he halted his brow cleared as if by magic and he made a leap for the telephone airport he shouted get me the airport A moment later he was talking again airport I 1 dont know you and you dont know me but this is helm blackadder get it helm blackadder have you reported to the police what day what hour and where you took your last woman passenger no why should we you know why you see the pa pers dont you sure we read em me and the pilot both and why 11 1 I see said blackadder softly now listen you im miss joyce sewells guardian quit worrying about that reward if its ever paid to anybody which it wont be ill guarantee get your share you and your buddy dont want to be put behind bars for compounding a felony do you aw say now mister we aint done nothing youre right you and find there are cases where you can get in as bad for doing nothing as for pulling the trigger they call it abetting meaning me a ning to incite to encourage what do you want to know I 1 F when did she leave A week ago today at four where to we carried her to newark how much did she pay for her ticket how do I 1 know she buy no tickets from us who did nobody she had her tickets with her did anybody meet her at newark no have you any idea where she went from there sure she was a through passenger and would just have time to catch the plane south through through to where here miami no balbuena wheres that its the airport for mexico city mister and much good may it do you to know it blackadder turned to irma did you get it joyce is in mexico city ashes been there for about four days mexico city gasped irma why how can she be you cant travel to mexico city on five dollars 1 I know because mats got me stumped interrupted blackadder he proceeded to call up the heads of the three banks in town leaving mr bradley known to have been cutler sewells good friend to the last the first two made no bones about answering since their information happened to be negative they had paid out no money as a loan or otherwise to joyce sewell but when it came to the president of the city national the reply was decidedly evasive let me get this straight helm it I 1 said mr bradle Br adleys Ys calm voice have you taken out papers as miss joyce sewells guardian no said blackadder control ling his temper with difficulty but her stepmother is sitting here be side me do you want me to put her on the phone have her tell you you can say it to me and say it all no ill take your word for it now just what is it you want to know helm TO BE CONTINUED |
