"But I've no desire to be dissolved in the death ray chamber for murder."
"Nor is there any need to do so. Look, was a single one of our assassins caught?"
"But the necklace would be found embedded in her flesh."
He shook his head. "Perhaps I've not made the situation clear. The pumping of the heart, the warmth of the blood cause Malutrex to contract. As soon as death sets in the necklace resumes its normal proportions. The clasp can be unfastened, the necklace removed, and as long as the ends do not meet it remains completely harmless."
I gulped again. Murder in the abstract is one thing; planned, cold-blooded murder is something else again. But Maudie dead, and all that money in my hands! Suddenly I laughed as I saw where my thoughts were leading me. The whole thing was a hoax of some kind.
As before, Rosy seemed to read my mind. He reached for my wrist and twisted the necklace about it. I stared at the delicate chain in fascination. As I watched, I could see the metal shrink, barely perceptibly, but certainly for all that. I clawed at the clasp and tried to unfasten it. It was utterly hopeless and swift panic swept over me. I grasped the slender chain and tried to wrench it free. It was tougher than finely tempered steel. Sweat popped out on my forehead and I could hardly repress a scream.
With a knowing nod of his head, Rosy leaned forward and lifted my wrist. He opened the catch with a lazy flick of his fingers. I was breathing hard and scared half out of my wits but I was caught in the trap that Rosy had set for me. Maudie dead, myself a millionaire, and no chance of being caught. This was too good to pass up. I knew it and so did Rosy. All we had to do was agree on terms. Half an hour later when I left the House of Fantastic Jewelry, the royal purple box with the Murderer's Chain lay in my pocket, beautifully gift-wrapped.
I had to lay my plans carefully but unwittingly Maudie and Isabelle conspired to make it easy. A dinner had been arranged at Maudie's apartment as a birthday celebration. The only other guests would be Sylvester and his wife. Maudie had been complaining of bad headaches of late and never liked to go out after dinner, but she had purchased four tickets for the most popular play of the season, "The Fairest of Ladies", and insisted that the four of us should see it. She would rest while we were gone but would keep her light on so that Isabelle could come in to kiss her good-night.
Everything went like clockwork. I bought a little gift for Maudie and presented it to her early in the evening. The dinner was very gay and, just as we were about to leave, I announced that I had another gift. Maudie was delighted with the chain. I didn't even have to fasten it around her neck as I had planned. She snapped the clasp herself and went to the mirror in the foyer, preening and admiring herself and the necklace that winked and glittered in the light. I was the last one out of the door and Maudie clung to me for a minute, drawing my head down to kiss me. Maybe she'd softened up enough to lend me a few thousand, I thought, but even if she had, it was too late. I couldn't very well snatch the necklace back even if it were possible to release it from about her throat.
I don't remember much about the play. I was thinking of Maudie all the time and I was torn between all sorts of doubts and fears. One minute I'd be way down in the dumps and the next I'd be floating up in the clouds planning all the good times Isabelle and I could have with Maudie's millions. In my mind I'd see a picture of Maudie lying dead and then I'd decide that Rosy had conned me and Maudie would be as spry as ever when we got home. Sometimes I'd want it one way and sometimes the other. I was really mixed up and on edge.