A Gambling Man

Chapter 50

Archer and Dash were in the Delahaye on the way to Midnight Moods. He had called Dash from Darling’s bungalow and filled him in on the call Darling had gotten earlier that morning. Then he had driven over to the office.

Dash said, “Who found the body?”

“Douglas Kemper told Wilma Darling that a maid found Wilson Sheen dead in a room at Midnight Moods.”

“Which room?”

“If I had to guess, it would be the one next to Fraser’s.”

“If you had to guess?”

“Let me fill you in.”

Archer told Dash everything about the night before, including meeting with Kemper and learning about Beth’s apartment in town, and seeing Sheen and Darling together in bed.

“And in the crawlspace in the ceiling I found some bloodstains.”

“So that’s how they moved her body,” said Dash thoughtfully. “From that room, through the attic access, and into Fraser’s room. How the hell did the coppers not see that possibility? How did I not see it? I must be getting blind in my old age.”

“Well, I didn’t see it either the first time around. And who would think to move a dead body through the attic?”

“Well, the room where Fraser was killed probably has another body in it. Did Kemper say how Sheen was killed?”

“No.”

“And you were with Wilma Darling when Kemper called?”

“Yes.”

“Did she say how he sounded?”

“ ‘Frantic’ was the word she used. You think Pickett will be out for this one, too?”

“Carl can’t find his teeth before nine o’clock.”

They arrived at Midnight Moods to find prowlers everywhere along with the coroner’s wagon. Ernie Prettyman was standing outside of the room where Sheen had been found.

“How’d you hear so fast, Willie?” asked a surprised Prettyman. “I’ve only been here an hour myself.”

“Friend of a friend,” replied Dash. “Can we see the body?”

Prettyman led them into the room where Wilson Sheen lay on his stomach with a sheet partially covering him.

“How’d he die?” asked Dash.

Prettyman lifted the sheet, revealing a wide, bloody wound in the middle of the back. “Knife to the heart. Quick, silent, and efficient.”

“Was he here alone?” asked Dash.

“It was clear that he had been with... someone.”

“A woman, you mean?”

“Yes.”

Dash said, “Archer found the way that they shifted Fraser’s body from here to there.”

Archer led the way next door to Fraser’s room and showed Prettyman the ceiling access door.

“It runs over to the next room where Sheen was killed. I found bloodstains up there that might be Fraser’s. Her room is the last on the corridor, so that’s the only room that’s next to hers.”

Prettyman looked at the door and then at Dash and then at Archer. “You found this last night?”

“Yes.”

“What time?”

“Around ten.”

“Coroner thinks Sheen bought it around eleven.” Prettyman glanced at Dash and then eyed Archer. “So it’s interesting that you were here around that time, right next door. And more than that, in the space over where the murder took place.”

Dash said, “Okay, Ern, you got every right to ask questions and put the screws to Archer because he was here around the time in question. But he’s got no motive to kill Sheen. We were working for his boss.”

“Motives are funny things, Willie. They can turn on a dime if you look at things at a different angle.” He paused. “I’m sure you remember telling me that.”

“I do. And you’re right. But Archer won’t be leaving town. I give you my word on that. So he’ll be around to answer any other questions you might have. But just to add my two cents, the guy who killed Sheen is not in this room right now.”

Ern nodded slowly. “Okay, but I have to do my job.”

“Yes you do.” Dash glanced at Archer before saying, “Has this room been assigned to anyone here either now or in recent history?”

“Mabel Dawson said the last occupant was a vaudeville performer named Guy Parnell. But he left about a week ago. No one’s been in there since.” Prettyman glanced at Archer. “So you didn’t see or hear anyone while you were poking around up there?”

“Ern, come on, what do you think?” said Dash, drawing a look from Archer, who was careful to avoid Prettyman’s eye. “Now, we need to find the connection between Fraser and Sheen.”

“If there is one,” said Prettyman.

“We’ve both been doing this a long time. Two stiffs coming from the same room? There’s a connection, all right.”

“Any chance of your telling me who your client is now?”

“About the same odds as yesterday. Look, me and Archer have to get going. Things are rolling fast now, and I don’t like playing catch-up.”

“Okay, but remember, Archer doesn’t leave town.”

Dash and Archer made their way quickly down the steps and outside.

“What was the deal back there?” said Archer. “You pretty much lied to the police.”

“This line of work requires balance, Archer. And if you look at what I said, you’ll find that I threaded that needle as well as it could be. Ern is a good guy but he’s by the book, meaning whatever we tell him goes straight to Carl Pickett’s ear. And right now, I don’t want Carl knowing what we know.”

“Right.”

“One thing Wilma Darling said does surprise me,” noted Dash.

“Just one? Then you’re a better man than me.”

“She said she really thought Kemper loved his wife.”

Archer looked intrigued. “Yeah. And I believed her when she said it. And talking to the guy, well...”

“Well what?”

Archer said, “Some guys are genuine lotharios. And some guys want others to think they are. I believe Kemper falls into the latter group. He just tries too hard but then never seals the deal. I talked to the cocktail waitress who served us last night. It was pretty clear to me that he could’ve had her for the price of a Coke. She told me Kemper didn’t even ask her what time she got off when she came back to pick up his empty drink.”

“And I wonder when he actually left. And what he was doing between the time he left you and then left this place.”

“What motive would he have to kill his second lieutenant and campaign manager?” asked Archer.

“I’m not looking purely for motives right now. I’m looking for connections. Nine times out of ten when you do that, the motives become apparent.”

They climbed into the Delahaye and set off back to town.

“Drop me off at my garage. I’m getting my car back today. Then I want you to go and talk to Wilma Darling and see what you can get out of her, namely, who put her up to jumping Sheen’s bones last night. Call the office when you have something.”

“Okay. What will you be doing besides getting your car?”

Dash said, “Putting the pieces together. Gumshoeing sort of requires that.”