“Take it easy, for Chrissakes,” Eddie muttered.

Skip took a length of cotton cloth and wrapped it over the lower part of Mrs. Havermann’s face and tied it tight. Mumbling noises came through the gag. Mrs. Havermann’s skin grew red, then darkened.

Skip said to Eddie, “Take Karen out in the hall.”

Eddie went over to Karen. “She’s passed out, she doesn’t feel anything.” He didn’t want to look at Mrs. Havermann’s flabby, suddenly sprawled body.

Karen was crouched against the wall, staring at Skip. “I’ll have to stay with her. Don’t touch me.”

Skip held the key; he was tossing it, and the bright brass color sparkled in the light. “You’re coming with us,” he said to Karen. “I don’t trust you much up here with the old woman. What the hell’s the matter with you? I didn’t do anything to her.” He went to Karen and gripped her upper arm between his fingers, lifting her, and Eddie heard the gasp of pain she gave. “Now come along.”

Karen went as if she were sleepwalking. Eddie was nervous, and Skip walked jauntily, snapping the key into the air and laughing under his breath. Skip unlocked the new lock on Stolz’s door and they went in. Karen remained by the door. She seemed utterly indifferent now to the fascination of the money. Skip snapped on the light and hurried to the old-fashioned mahogany wardrobe against the inner wall. He stretched a hand to its door. The look of his curled fingers was hungry. He threw open the door and stood there blanked out with shock. Finally he looked at Eddie, then at the girl.

The wardrobe was empty.

Skip and Eddie searched hastily for the next few minutes, every cranny and hidey-hole in the room, expecting at any moment to run across the money. When it was obvious that the money wasn’t in the room Skip would have turned on Karen. Eddie knew it, knew that his being here was the only thing which saved her from Skip’s violence.

Trying to control his voice, Skip said to her, “We’ll go back and see the old woman. Maybe you can get her to understand—we want the money Stolz kept here. We’re going to get it.”

Upstairs, they found Mrs. Havermann conscious again. Above the gag her eyes bugged at them.

Eddie felt hot and sick. He wished he had never seen the house or the old woman, never heard of the money.

It didn’t occur to him to wish that he had never known Skip.

CHAPTER TWELVE