Air Raid by Ray Cummings Read online

  Black Book Detective, January, 1943

  A Screaming Siren May Be a Harbinger of Violent Death, but This Time It Saves a Man from Murder!

  IT was quite by accident that Red O’Conner The air was raw with fog, the

  spotted Luke, although Luke had once before pavement slippery with slush. Luke was

  hung around this little town, in between jobs coming out of a delicatessen store with a when he wasn’t planning anything. Red paper bag under his arm. Red recognized him wasn’t after Luke particularly. That would at once—the same bent, shifty-looking figure, come later. Red had just arrived in town after the same black overcoat, with a greenish, a lot of trouble raising the money to get here.

  greasy look to it now, with its skimpy collar He’d taken a room at the little local

  turned up about Luke’s stringy throat and an hotel. In the morning he’d see what could be old cap pulled over his sandy grey hair.

  done about renting or buying an old flivver.

  He looked pretty much like a down

  Then he’d drive out to see Annie. It was nine and outer. But he wasn’t—not by a long sight o’clock now—a raw winter evening. Red had he wasn’t—not Luke Luckner. You could bet left the hotel with the idea of going to a on that. Especially not now, after three years movie. It would be the first movie he’d seen in with something close to sixteen grand, half of three years—except those they showed in the it Red’s share of the cache which Luke had Pen.

  made away with.

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  He didn’t see Red, sloshed along the

  broke away, backed to the kitchen. Red

  street, away from the little business section.

  followed, stood in the doorway, surveying the Red followed him quietly. At the end of the small kitchen—a board table, a couple of

  street, where the stores frayed out, Luke wooden chairs, a sink and a big gas stove. The turned into a dingy section of small shabby food Luke had just bought was spread around.

  houses, most of them with “Rooms for Rent”

  A pot with water starting to boil was on the signs in the lower windows.

  stove.

  Halfway down the block, Luke went

  “Just—just goin’ to boil some

  up a dingy stoop and vanished. Red was there potatoes,” Luke was stammering. “Sit down, a moment later. The front door was unlocked.

  Red. So you’re out at last. I hadn’t kept track.

  From the lower hallway, he caught a glimpse That’s swell. Say, what’s the matter with of Luke disappearing into a room on the you—can’t you talk? How are you, Red?”

  second floor.

  “Fine,” Red said. He sat down. “Pull

  that blind down, will you, Luke?”

  FOR a minute or two Red waited, his heart Behind Luke, over near the stove, the

  pounding. Then he knocked on the door. room’s single small window was closed. But There was only silence. Red turned the knob the shade was up.

  slowly, found that the door was locked and

  “Why sure,” Luke said. He drew the

  thumped again.

  shade. His hand was shaking, but he was

  Luke’s voice was audible, muffled by

  smiling as he turned back to the stove and put the door.

  some potatoes into the pot of boiling water.

  “Coming, Mrs. Megan.”

  “Just habit, eh, Red? We’re both in the

  The door was opened a little with clear, ain’t we? No reason why people Luke’s habitual cautiousness, and his voice shouldn’t see us here together, is there?” A mumbled.

  new apprehension came into his sniveling

  “Yes, Mrs. Megan, sure I got the voice. “You—you didn’t tell ’em anything, rent—”

  did you, Red? About me, I mean—bein’ in

  Red shoved his foot into the crack and

  that last job we pulled?”

  pushed. The dim light of the inner hallway Always worried about his own hide,

  shone on Red’s tall slim figure. Luke that was Luke Luckner.

  recognized him all right. Over Luke’s thin

  “No,” Red said.

  face, an expression of startled terror crept. But

  “No. Of course you wouldn’t. That’s

  he wiped it away as he tried to smile.

  your style, like me, square an’ on the level.

  “Why—” he gasped. “Why, Red-why,

  How did you find me, Red? I’m jus’ hangin’

  come in.”

  out here—nothin’ much doin’ lately. I was

  “Thanks,” Red said grimly.

  wondering—”

  The nearest wall was beside the bed.

  “I got out Monday,” Red said. “Spent a

  Luke backed against it.

  couple of days borrowing money to come up

  “Come in, Red. S-sit down. Make here.”

  yourself comfortable. I’m just getting

  “Borrowing money? Why, Red,

  something to eat—we’ll share it. How are

  you’ve got plenty, haven’t you? That place you?”

  where we left the sixteen grand—I took my It was good to see Luke frightened.

  half, yours is waitin’ for you. Couldn’t you get Red put a hand on Luke’s shoulder, let his to it?”

  fingers slip around his partner’s throat. Luke

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  IT was good to see Luke squirm. The rat had All just right—except that Luke had

  guilt written all over him. Whatever vague made away with the eight grand, so Annie was possibility had been in Red’s mind that trying to take care of her sick mother and something else had happened to the money, trying at the same time to get a job.

  was gone now.

  “Oh, she’s up here?” Luke was saying.

  “I sent Annie after the money,” Red

  “Well, that’s fine, Red.” He was relieved said calmly. “Sent her two months ago.”

  because he thought that maybe somehow Red

  “Annie? Oh, yes, I remember. That

  didn’t yet know about the eight grand.

  little stenographer down in New York that you

  “She didn’t get the money,” Red said.

  was sweet on. How is she, Red? You an’ she

  “Didn’t get it!”

  was goin’ to get married, I thought.”

  “Because it wasn’t there.” Red could

  “Yes, we were.”

  feel a wave of heat rising within him, a queer Luke was putting some sliced cold flush that went into his fingers and made them meat on the table. He was afraid to look at twitch and went up into his head so that the Red.

  figure of the sniveling Luke was suddenly

  “An’ your—trouble—that was just a

  blurred.

  postponement, eh? So now you’re out an’

  “Wasn’t there? Why—why, how

  gonna be married? That’s fine, Red. An’ she’s queer. It was there when I took my share. I left got your eight grand waitin’ for you? That’s a it there.” Luke was on his feet. He put down swell little stake for a young married couple.

  the cup he was carrying and backed away

  What’d you come up here for, Red?”

  from the table toward the wall. “Not there, The tortured Luke was holding his Red? You mean Annie didn’t get it?”

  breath for the answer.

  “No, she didn’t get it.”

  “Because Annie’s up here,” Red said.

  “Why—you didn’t tell anybody we

  “Lives on her mother’s farm, ov
er in Cayuga had money parked there? You wouldn’t be

  County.”

  that foolish, Red?”

  Red and Annie had had it all planned.

  Annie’s father had died, and her mother, who LUKE’S eyes, like a trapped animal were

  was pretty badly off with T.B., needed her up roving the room. There was a big kitchen

  there on the farm. What Red knew about knife on the table, between him and Red. His farming you could write in large letters on a gaze went to it, but Red contemptuously

  dime. But from what Annie said, the forty reached for it and shoved it aside.

  stony acres weren’t much good anyhow. It

  “W-what’d you do that for, Red?

  would all have been so simple—with Red’s

  You—you don’t expect us to have any

  eight grand.

  trouble, do you? My God, do you think I took Annie’s mother could keep on living

  that money?”

  there in comfort—the farm was pretty high up It had come. Somehow, because Red

  in the hills, about the best spot you could get was a little frightened about this thing—the for T.B. Annie and Red would be with her.

  strength of that hot turgid flush within him—

  Red might do a little with the forty acres, and he realized that he had been stalling so as not with care the eight grand could be stretched to face what he wanted to do to Luke. His blue for years. It had all seemed just the right eyes glittered, met Luke’s terrified gaze.

  layout—no reason in the world why Red

  “Yes,” he said. “That’s exactly what I

  would have to get in bad with the law again think.”

  ever.

  “But I didn’t, Red. I swear it! Listen,

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  I’m pushed myself for money. Look at this

  “Honest, Red, I’m telling you—”

  dump here.”

  “Where is it?”

  “You better talk fast—” Red strove to

  “Red, don’t be a fool.” Then Luke

  hold his voice calm. But it seemed all wrong.

  evidently tried to subdue his terror. “What’s It seemed that he ought to grab Luke by the the idea, anyhow? I tell you I’d lend you some throat. The vision of the dingy little kitchen money if I had any. If that—that girl went for was blurring before him. But then he could your eight grand—how do you know she

  hear Annie’s pleading voice, Annie, up there didn’t tell somebody about the cache?”

  in the visitors’ room at the Pen.

  “She

  didn’t.”

  “An’ when you get out, Red—never

  “Well then, how do you know she

  again any violence. Your temper—don’t ever didn’t get the money? How do you know she again let it get started. Even when the other ain’t lying about—”

  fellow’s wrong, you settle it by words, Red, just words.” And he had promised. He could HE never finished the sentence. The kitchen seem to hear her now as she had said, so

  blurred before Red as he leapt to his feet with frightened, “Because some day, Red—that the wave of heat in him suddenly a raging fire would lead you to killing—”

  in the midst of which the figure of the half-

  “You took it,” Red heard himself crouching Luke was the only thing clear.

  saying. “You sniveling rat, I can see it on your

  “Red—take it easy, Red!” Luke tried

  face. You took it!”

  to parry the blow. But the force of Red’s fist

  “I didn’t. Red, listen—”

  drove through his guard, caught him on the

  “An’ now you’re going to give it back

  chin. He went down. As he fell, his flailing to me.”

  hand hit the handle of the pot in which the

  “Red, listen—you want me to lend you

  potatoes were boiling—just a glancing tip.

  some money? I would if I could, honest I

  The big pot slued around, jiggled. Some of the would. But I’m just about broke. A lotta boiling water slopped over. The gas flame things been goin’ wrong with me.”

  under the pot was extinguished.

  “Did you tell anybody where we had

  But Red was only vaguely aware of

  that money cached?”

  that. Panting, he staggered back, stood gazing

  “No. No, of course, I didn’t. I’m not

  down at the fallen Luke. He was out all right, such a fool.”

  completely out.

  “Well then, only you an’ Annie and I

  For a moment Red felt the hot fire of

  knew about it. And she went there—an’ it was his anger still raging in him. Better finish him gone.”

  up now—why not? He deserved it. In the

  Luke was completely terrified now. He

  close air of the little kitchen Red suddenly was was backed against the wall by the stove.

  aware of the pungent smell of gas.

  “Red, don’t let yourself get so excited.

  Then he realized what had happened.

  Let’s talk this over.”

  Under that pot of water the raw gas was on

  “That’s what I’m doing. By God, you

  full. In this small room, with the window and better tell me now what you did with the

  door closed, that gas would finish Luke up money. An’ you’ll pay it back all right. For before he recovered consciousness. And

  me, maybe, I wouldn’t care so much, but for Luke’s own hand had done it.

  Annie an’ her mother with T.B., that’s

  Red didn’t stop to reason the thing out.

  different. How much money you got? An’

  For another few seconds, he stood grimly

  where is it?”

  staring. Then he seized his hat and darted from

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  the kitchen, closing its door after him.

  the arm-band ran at it, hustled the people out.

  The upper hall of the lodging house

  They ran for the nearest house, thumped on was dim and silent. Like a shadow, Red went the door until somebody let them in. The

  down the stairs and out the front door. In the headlights of the abandoned automobile were dim shabby street he darted behind a line of on full. Red turned them off. He found the snow-covered ashcans and crouched, peering man with the armband beside him.

  to be sure he had not been seen.

  “That’s the stuff, thanks,” the fellow

  Suddenly the silent village was aroused by a said. “This street light—I forgot my

  scream—the distant wailing of an electric screwdriver. You better take shelter siren—a long wailing scream—a little silence, somewhere.”

  then another blast, another and another.

  “Yes,” Red said. He found himself

  Air raid—the All-out Alert! It meant

  following the young man, who dashed across approaching enemy bombers with a raid the pavement and pounded on one of the expected in five to ten minutes!

  basement windows of Luke’s lodging house.

  Confused, Red crouched motionless.

  “Mrs. Megan! Oh Mrs. Megan.

  Up in the Pen he had read about this sort of Lemme in. This is Arthur. Where is that

  thing. Then he realized that around him the woman? I remember leaving my screwdriver

  quiet village was bursting into action. here this afternoon—”

  Windows were going up, people peering out.

  The grating door under the stoop

  Some were shouting. Down at the corner, two opened. A stout woman with a shawl over her or three automobiles went swiftly by. Then head, peered out.

  pedestrians were there—men running,

  “You, Arthur? I done everything you

  shouting.

/>   tol’ me. Where’s the planes? It’s an air-raid, isn’t it?”

  RED found himself on his feet, out by the

  “Yes, I guess so. Forgot my

  curb. Within him was a weird desire to run.

  screwdriver—”

  That terrifying siren sounded as though it was

  “Oh. It’s on my cedar chest in the

  urging everybody to run and do something.

  cellar. Arthur, where’s the planes—them

  But everybody was doing what he shouldn’t Germans—I always knew we’d have a real

  do. Everybody was in a panic. Or was it just raid. Will we, Arthur? What am I supposed excitement? From a nearby lighted window, a to—”

  woman was yelling:

  Her excited voice receded as Arthur

  “Where’s the planes? I don’t see any

  shoved her back into the house. The ignored planes.”

  Red stood by the grating door in the areaway

  “Put your light out an’ shut up,” Red

  under the stoop. The screaming air-raid siren called.

  had stopped now. It made the voices more

  Some of the window lights were going

  audible. A man passing called to someone

  out now. An overcoated figure with a white else:

  arm-band was coming at a run. A man’s voice

  “I guess it’s all over—”

  was shouting.

  “The heck it is. The siren isn’t

  “Put out your lights! Get away from