Blondes' Requiem

VI

I paid off the taxi a hundred yards or so from Wolf’s house and walked the short distance, keeping in the shadows. It was now a little after twelve o’clock and I was hoping everyone in Wolf’s place had gone to bed.

There were lights burning in two-of the upper-floor windows of the house, but the ground floor was in darkness. I walked across the lawn, round the back to the garage. It took me a few minutes to force the lock and another five minutes to get my car out. Fortunately there was a sloping ramp from the garage and I rolled the car down to the drive without having to start up the engine. I manoeuvred it in a position for a quick getaway and then ran round to the front door again. One look at the lock convinced me that it would take too long to force, so I tried a window. I managed to slip a catch, pushed up the window and found myself in Edna Wilson’s office. Moving quietly, I stepped into the lobby and listened. No sound came to me, so I started up the stairs. I reached the landing. As I was hesitating what to do next a door at the far end of the passage opened. I ducked back behind the bend of the staircase.

Wolf wandered down the passage. He was wearing a blue silk dressing gown over his tuxedo. A cigar was clamped between his teeth and he moved heavily as if he were tired or had something on his mind. For a moment I thought he was going downstairs, and I began to wonder what excuse I was going to give to explain why I was lurking in his house. But halfway down the passage he paused and rapped on a door. A moment later Edna Wilson stepped into the passage. She was wearing a green silk wrap. She said something to him in a low voice and Wolf scowled at her. His heavy face went red. “All right,” he growled, “if that’s how you feel.”

“That’s just how I feel,” she said sharply, and she closed the door in his face.

Wolf stood muttering for a few moments and then he went back to his own room.

I waited a few minutes then I stepped into the passage across to Edna Wilson’s door. I turned the handle. Rather to my surprise the door opened and I walked into a large, lavishly furnished bedroom decorated in green and silver.

A quick look around showed she wasn’t in the room. A door on the left stood open, and as I walked softly over to it she came out. I caught a glimpse of a naked thigh that flashed between the opening of her silk wrap, then she saw me, her hands went to her face and her mouth curved into an O.

With my left hand I swept her hands from her face and hit her on the side of her jaw with my right. As she folded up I caught her under her arms and lowered her to the floor.

I paused for a second to look at her. Without her glasses her face had a sort of off-key neurotic charm that only needed some clever make-up to be striking. I was slightly startled to see how glasses had spoilt her looks.

I looked swiftly around the room, grabbed a pair of silk stockings, and rolling her over I bound her wrists together. A silk scarf hanging over a chair back served to fasten her ankles together. I rolled her over again, made a knot in my handkerchief and stuffed it in her mouth. Then I picked her up — she was light and I could feel her bones sticking into me as I carried her — and walked quickly to the door.

I didn’t hesitate, but went straight into the passage, down the stairs to the front door. I had to lay her on the floor while I unbolted and opened the door, then picking her up and leaving the door open I ran around to where I had left my car. I bundled her into the front seat, slid under the wheel beside her and started the engine.

It took me twelve minutes’ furious driving to reach the printer’s shop. I pulled up with a squeal of brakes and paused long enough to make certain she was still unconscious before running across the sidewalk. I hammered on the door.

As luck would have it, Reg Phipps opened the door himself. I grabbed hold of his arm. “Come on,” I said. “Starkey’s got Audrey Sheridan.” Without giving him a chance to say anything I rushed him over to the car. “Get in and drive,” I said, and climbed in the back.

He gaped at Edna Wilson, but he didn’t start talking. He drove away fast. “Where to?” he said.

“Now listen, Reg,” I said, leaning forward, “this kid is Starkey’s daughter. She’s working for Wolf, and among other things she’s spying on him. Maybe Starkey likes her enough to trade her for Audrey. Anyway, that’s the way I’m playing it. Have you any place where you can hide her up until I can talk to Starkey?”

“Me?” Reg gasped. “Hell, brother, that’d be kidnapping! There’s a long stretch hanging to kidnapping. They might even fry me for it.”

“Don’t talk like a dope,” I snapped. “The only way to talk to these thugs is in the language they understand. You don’t want Audrey left in their hands, do you?”

“Okay, okay,” he said. “I always was a sucker. Yeah, I can hide her up. How long for?”

“Maybe only for a couple of hours,” I said. “Maybe a day or so.”

“I know a guy who runs a little hotel on North Street,” Reg said. “He’ll rent me a room and not ask questions.”

“Okay, do that. What’s the name of the hotel?”

“Fernbank. It’s in the book.”

“Drop me off at Starkey’s headquarters and then go on to the hotel. Get this kid under cover before she comes to the surface and for God’s sake keep her under cover. I’ll ring you when I want her. Don’t bring her unless I say something about your line being bad. Maybe Starkey will get the drop on me, and I don’t want you to make any mistake.”

“You ain’t going to tackle him alone, are you?”

“I haven’t time to do anything else. Suppose you ring Latimer when you get to the hotel and tell him what’s cooking. Maybe he’ll feel like sticking his heck out. If he does I could use him.”

“Let me come with you,” Reg said earnestly. “We’ll tie this dame up and—”

“No,” I said. “You stick with her. She’s our trump card.”

Reg slowed down. “Starkey hangs out a block from here. It’s a poolroom downstairs, but he’s got rooms on the second floor. There’s a fire escape at the back. That’s your way up.” He pulled in to the kerb and I got out.

“Thanks a lot, Reg,” I said, patting his arm. “Look after this babe.”

I left him, walked down the street until I reached the next block, then turned down a dark alley. I kept on and came to a five-foot board fence. I climbed over the fence and went across a vacant, weed-grown lot towards the rear end of the building that housed Starkey.

Its three storeys were dark and forbidding. I went close to the building, making no noise, my gun in my right fist. Looking up, I could see the vague outline of a fire escape against the sky.

I felt my way along the wall of the building until I was under the free-swinging end of the fire escape. It was almost four feet beyond my reach. I stepped away and jumped for it. My second attempt was lucky and I hooked my fingers in the ironwork. The fire escape came down, creaking as it did so, but not too loudly.

I climbed to the first landing and eased the free-swinging part of the escape back into position so that it came up quietly. Then I continued up the escape until I reached the flat roof. There was a big skylight in the centre of the roof and from it came a bright light.

Stepping softly, I moved forward and peered down. Jeff Gordan was sitting behind a table, his chair tilted against the wall and his hat at the back of his head. He was reading a newspaper. A cigarette hung limply from his great coarse lips. Audrey Sheridan lay on a bed on the other side of the room. Her arms were above her head and her wrists were fastened to the bedposts. Her ankles were tied with cord, which was looped around the foot of the bed. She seemed to be asleep.

I wondered how many more of Starkey’s thugs were in the building and what chance I had of getting Audrey out alive. I sank on to my knees and pressed the crosspiece of the skylight gently with my thumb. It seemed to have little resistance. As I was deciding what to do, the door opened and Starkey came in.

Jeff threw his paper aside and stood up. He grinned at Starkey and together they went over to where Audrey was lying. Jeff shook her and she looked up blankly, then, when she saw Starkey, she tried to sit up and began to struggle against the cords that bound her.

Starkey sat on the bed beside her and lit a cigarette. He began talking to her. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but from the look on Jeff’s face I could make a guess.

Audrey shook her head.

Starkey went on talking, but I could see Audrey wasn’t going to do what he wanted. He finally gave up and sat staring at her with hot, angry eyes.

Then he stood up and shrugged. He said something to Jeff, who nodded his great head. Starkey went out and closed the door, leaving Jeff and Audrey looking at each other.

Jeff stood over her, flexing his thick fingers. Audrey stared back at him, her face white, but her eyes steady.

I drew a deep breath and as Jeff reached for her I put my foot lightly on the centre of the crosspiece of the skylight and then suddenly shifted the whole of my weight onto it.

I crashed into the room amid flying pieces of glass and woodwork. I landed on my feet, staggered, recovered my balance and threatened Jeff with my gun.

He stood gaping at me half in terror, half in vicious, baffled rage.

“Get your hands up or I’ll spread your insides on the floor,” I said.

His hands went up fast.

“Up against the wall and face it,” I said, hearing feet pounding up the stairs.

As he did so, I backed to the door and turned the key. It was a good, strong door and I thought it’d hold. Then I ran over to Audrey, slashed at the cords, and jerked her up.

“Get over there by the door,” I said, shoving her as she staggered to her feet. “They’ll start shooting in a minute.”

Just then fists pounded on the door and a voice yelled: “What’s going on in there?”

I fired once at the door. There was a startled yell and then a scurry of feet.

“That’ll hold ’em for a minute,” I said. “You all right, kid?”

She smiled wanly. “I wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t’ve come,” she said. “I... I’m glad you came.”

“Take it easy,” I said, and went over to Jeff. “Turn around, you fat slob. I want to talk to you.”

He turned and snarled at me.

“You’re a fall-guy,” I said, speaking very rapidly. “I’m tipping you off because I don’t like Macey and I don’t like your boss. They’re framing you for Dixon’s murder. I was with Macey this afternoon. He’s after you. There’s a warrant out for you, and Starkey is playing with him.”

His apish face went sullen. “You’re nuts,” he said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You killed Dixon to get those pictures. You killed him on Starkey’s say-so. You thought Starkey would keep you covered — so he would have, only the Gazette’s got a picture of Dixon’s body showing he was strangled. Macey knows the only way he can save his hide is to get the murderer. Starkey’s agreed to sell you out. Don’t believe it if you don’t want to, but I’m telling you the cops are out now looking for you.”

As I finished speaking a bullet crashed through the door and brought down a thin trickle of plaster. We were all away from the door and none of us stood a chance of being shot. I banged another slug back and I heard a man curse and move away.

Jeff stood glaring at me, doubt in his little eyes, his mouth twisted with rage and fear. “You’re lying,” he snarled.

I sneered at him. “What good are you to Starkey, you big moronic dolt? What the hell good are you to anyone? If Starkey turns you over to the cops, he’ll cash in for the election: Do you think he’s going to gum up his chances because of you?”

His great fists clenched and unclenched. “She’s got the picture,” he said, pointing at Audrey. “You can’t bluff me, you punk.”

I grinned at him. “We took two pictures,” I told him. “I’ve got one and she’s got the other. I don’t want the cops to catch you. It’d be too easy. I want Macey and Starkey to be in a spot when the Gazette breaks the story. That’s why I’m letting you duck out.” I nodded to the skylight. “Do you think you can get out that way?”

Before he could reply three bullets crashed through the door, but neither of us paid any attention.

“What’s the idea?” he said, his feeble little brain struggling to understand.

“Hell!” I exclaimed. “What more do you want me to say? Beat it before the cops get hold of you. Get the hell outta town. If you’re smart and careful you should beat the dragnet they’ve put out for you.”

I could see that my bluff was shaking him. “Dragnet?” he repeated stupidly.

“Listen, you big stupid dope,” I said, throwing the words at him. “Starkey has sold you out. The cops are after you and I’m giving you a break to get away. Now do you understand?”

He looked at the door and his face went a deep purple. “The yellow-gutted heel,” he said under his breath. “So that’s the way he’s playing it.”

“Come on, you punk,” I said. “Get going. I want to talk to Starkey.”

“So do I,” he said under his breath, and springing up he caught the edge of the skylight and hauled himself up. As he did so a faint wail of a police siren sounded. It couldn’t have been timed better.

I called after him: “Get going. Here they come.”

I heard him curse, then I heard the sound of his feet running across the roof; a moment later he scrambled down the fire escape.

Audrey was staring at me her big eyes bewildered and curious. I went over to her and took her hand in mine. “Take it easy,” I said, smiling at her. “We’ve still got a job to do.”

“But what are we going to do?” she said. “They’ll never let us out of here.”

“You’ll he surprised,” I said and leaving her, I edged to the door. Keeping against the wall, I reached for the key, turned it and threw the door open. “Tell Starkey to come up here.” I yelled. “I want to talk to him.”

The narrow passage crashed with gunfire and more plaster trickled from the opposite wall.

“Hey!” I shouted. “Cut it out. I want to talk to Starkey.” There was silence for a moment. I could hear men muttering.

The sound of the police siren came nearer. Then someone said: “Throw your rod outside and come out with your hands up.”

Audrey said: “No.”

I smiled at her, tossed my gun through the open door, and heard it clatter to the floor. I walked out with my hands in the air.

A gun was rammed into my back. Four men were standing at the end of the corridor. Starkey was with them. The guy with the gun was a small, mean-faced gunsel, dressed in a shabby black suit. He snarled at me as I looked over my shoulder at him.

Starkey came up, his thin white face puzzled.

“Frisk him,” he said, his voice shrill and excited.

The gunsel ran hands over me and shook his head. “He’s okay,” he said, and stepped away from me. His gun covered me from a distance.

“I want to talk to you,” I said to Starkey. “Just you and me and the girl.”

Maybe he didn’t like the way I said it. Maybe he was just curious, but he walked into the room and I followed him. At the door he said: “Stick around and come in fast if this jerk starts anything.” Then he took the key out of the door and gave it to the gunsel.

We stood in the middle of the room, the door closed and we eyed each other.

Audrey waited near the bed. She was very tense, but curious. “Listen,” I said, “we’re going to do a deal. I’ve got your kid Edna.”

If a horse had kicked him in the face I couldn’t have hoped for a better effect.

We stared at each other for a long moment. His face had turned yellow and his eyes were wide and dull. Then he walked over to the bed and sat down.

“You shouldn’t have told me that,” he said, speaking at his feet. “That puts you in the worst goddam jam you’ve ever been in in your life.”

I found a cigarette and lit it. “Wake up,” I said gently. “You’re the guy who’s in a jam. You turn this girl loose or Edna’s for the high jump.”

He looked up. His eyes burned. “Where’ve you hidden her?”

“Somewhere safe,” I said, sitting on the table and blowing smoke at him.

“You’re going to talk,” he said viciously, “and you’re going to talk fast. I’ve got ways of making a rat like you loosen up.”

“What do you think I am?” I said. “If I don’t phone the guys who are looking after me in ten minutes they’ll take Edna apart. And let me tell you, it won’t be hard labour doing just that little thing.”

He stared at me and then he shifted his eyes. I could see I’d made myself clear on that point.

“Now listen,” I said, speaking fast, “you can’t sidestep this set-up. I want someone for Dixon’s killing. It’s going to be Jeff. Play it my way and it won’t hurt you. Start something I don’t like and I’ll throw you as well as Jeff to the wolves.”

“Dixon died of heart failure,” he said without any conviction.

“You’re still out of the picture,” I said, sliding off the table and going over to him. “I’m a peaceful guy until someone tramples on me. I’ve had enough of Cranville and I’m going to blow it sky-high. If you don’t like it, you’ll go up with the rest of them. I don’t give a damn. Dixon was knocked off by your stooge. He was acting on your orders. I’m not ready to take you yet. There’re other things you’ve got to do before I put a rope around your neck. So I’m making, Jeff the fall guy. Give him to Macey and your stock’ll go up in Cranville. If you don’t, then I’ll do it and fix it so they’ll all know you told Jeff to do it. Don’t think Macey’s the only guy in town with any power. The Federal Agents will jump in if I call Washington, and that’s just what I’m going to do if you don’t play. If you plan to rub me out, take another think. My mob’s got Edna, and they don’t go for skinny dames. They’ll pull her apart and host the parts to you if you try to get rough with me. That’s the way it goes and you’re going to like it.”

He looked like he was going to jump me, but I didn’t move. I just stared at him and after a moment he quieted down. “You’re crazy,” he said. “You can’t pull a fast, one like this on me.”

I looked at my watch. “Maybe I’d better call my mob,” I said thoughtfully. “It’s a little over ten minutes and I don’t want them to start something you’d be sorry about.”

He didn’t stop me when I picked up the telephone. There were little sweat beads on his top lip and he was looking sick.

I dialled. Reg came on the line.

“I’m with Starkey now,” I said. “He’s going to play. Don’t touch that dame until I ring you again. I’ll be through in another fifteen minutes. If you don’t hear from me cut her goddam ears off and send ’em to this punk,” and I hung up.

We looked at each other and I could see he was licked.

“Come on,” I said. “You and me and the girlfriend are going over to see Macey. You’re going to tell Macey how Jeff killed Dixon and I’m going to give him the photograph.” I turned to Audrey. “Come on, sweetheart, you and we’ll soon be home.”

I went to the door with her and opened it. “Come on,” I said to Starkey.

He stood up, jerked his hat over his eyes, hesitated and then walked to the door.

“You go first, pal,” I said. “just in case your boyfriends speak out of turn.”

We walked down the passage, past the four men, who stared at Starkey curiously, and down the stairs. Starkey didn’t say anything until he reached the lobby of the poolroom. Then he paused, turned and said: “Maybe we could do a deal.”

I eyed him. “We are doing one now,” I reminded him.

“Keep the twist and I’ll give you two grand. You hand Edna over and forget about Dixon.”

I shook my head.

“Five grand,” he said tersely.

Again I shook my head. “We’ll keep to the original idea,” I said. “I want to square things for Dixon... he wasn’t a bad old guy.”

Starkey hesitated and then shrugged. “You’ll be sorry for this,” he said half under his breath, and we went on to the street door.

“We’ll wait here,” I said, putting my hand on Audrey’s arm, “while you organize a cab.”

He didn’t see anything wrong in that and opened the door. As he stepped into the street I shoved Audrey hard to the right, away from the door. Gunfire crashed from the darkness outside and yellow flashes lit the night.

There was a door nearby. I opened it, pushed Audrey into an empty office and closed the door.

More gunfire came from the street. There was also a lot of noise of shouting and pounding feet in the building.

“What’s happening?” Audrey said, white-faced and scared.

“I think we’ve lost our little friend,” I said, crossing the room to another door. I opened it, looked cautiously into the now deserted poolroom. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Taking her hand, I ran with her across the large, smoke-laden room, twisting between the brilliantly lighted billiard tables to a window that looked on to the vacant lot at the back of the building. I opened the window and stepped on to the fire escape. Audrey joined me and together we pelted down the iron staircase.

More shots were coming from the front of the building and police whistles and sirens were sounding.

We ran across the weed-grown lot, hoisted ourselves over the five-foot fence and kept on until we neared the street. Moving cautiously, we edged from the mouth of the alley. There was a big crowd in front of the poolroom. Police cars were parked on the opposite side of the street and I could see a number of cops trying to force their way through the crowd.

A taxi came round the corner near where the crowd was and drove towards us. I stepped off the sidewalk and waved.

“Palace Hotel,” I said, opening the door. “What’s the excitement, bud?”

The driver glanced back at the crowd and his lip curled. “A couple of guys got shot,” he said indifferently. “I don’t know what’s come over this burg.”

I handed Audrey into the cab.

“The burg’s all right,” I said. “It’s the people in it you want to worry about.”

“Me?” the driver said, engaging his gears and shooting away from the kerb. “They don’t worry me. I mind my own business.”

I looked at Audrey and grinned, “I think the guy’s got something there,” I said. “If you’d minded your own business, maybe we wouldn’t be in such a mess.”

“That’s right,” she said, trying to disguise the shake in her voice, “blame me.”

The bedroom was large and pleasantly furnished. Between the twin beds was a small table on which stood a telephone. Two large armchairs, a dressing table, two wall cupboards and a pile carpet completed the furnishing.

Audrey lay on one of the beds, a cigarette between her lips and her fingers laced behind her head. I sat in one of the armchairs, a bottle of Scotch on the floor within reach of my hand and a glass half-full of Scotch and Whiterock balanced on the arm of my chair.

“Don’t you realize you are compromising me?” Audrey said lazily.

I grunted. “Do you reckon that’d be worse than death?”

She considered this. “Oh no,” she said, giving me an amused, slightly curious glance; “but are you so sure that it would be death if I had a room to myself?”

I drank a little Scotch, sighed, and put the glass on the arm of the chair. “It’d be taking a chance. Until I’m sure Starkey’s dead I’m keeping you under my wing.”

“I still don’t understand what happened,” she said. “Why did you tell that dreadful man Starkey was framing him. Was he?”

I shook my head. “This case is getting too complicated. There’re too many guys gumming up the works. So I thought a few out of the way would simplify things.” I smiled at her, thinking she looked very beautiful. “So I told Jeff that Starkey was making him the fall-guy. I know that moronic type. You hurt me and I’ll hurt you. It’s the only language they know. So what does he do? He hops down the fire escape, goes around to the front of the building and waits for Starkey to show. That’s why I kept clear when Starkey went to look for a cab. Jeff was waiting out there to give it to him. I didn’t want to run into any stray lead. What I want to find out now is whether Starkey is dead or whether he’s just winged. I hope lie’s dead.”

Audrey sat up and rested on her elbow. “You mean you sent him to his death? You knew Jeff was waiting for him?”

I lifted my shoulders. “I didn’t know he was, but I was hoping he was.”

“How could you?”

“You see, sweetheart,” I said patiently, “this isn’t a job for a girl. This isn’t a sentimental, gloves-on kind of a set-up. It’s devil take the hindmost and me first and last. Starkey wouldn’t have let you and me get away with the stunt we were pulling. He’d’ve caught up with us when we weren’t thinking and he’d’ve shot us very dead. No, Starkey had to go, and I only hope Jeff made a good job of it.” I finished the whisky and made myself another drink. “Latimer should be ‘phoning soon and then we’ll know for certain.”

She sank hack on the bed, worried. “I don’t like it,” she said. “It was a horrible idea.”

“You’d have found it a lot more horrible if Jeff had started some of his persuasive methods. They’re a tough bunch, kid, and we’ve got to treat ’em the way they’d treat us.”

She shook her head, but didn’t say anything more.

“As soon as I hear from Latimer,” I said, a little coldly, “that Starkey’s out of the way, I’ll leave you. Then you can go to bed and catch up with some sleep.”

“You’re thinking I’m ungrateful,” she said suddenly. “I’m not. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t burst in like that. It was awfully brave of you and I am grateful, only—”

“Forget it,” I said. “This isn’t a woman’s game. What did you do with Dixon’s photograph?”

She looked at me and then looked quickly away. “I tried to get it out of the camera, but it jammed. I... I broke the plate.”

I stared at her. “You broke the plate?” I repeated faintly.

“Yes — that’s why I was so scared. I... I couldn’t give it to Starkey no matter what he did to me and I knew he wouldn’t believe me if I told him I’d broken it.”

I eased my tie away from my throat and tapped on the floor with my foot. “I think you and I had better start praying that Starkey is dead: If he isn’t, we’re in a hell of a spot. You know, babe, there are times when I feel like dusting your tail with a hairbrush. If you ever pull another fast one on me, you’ll get it. I’ll take an oath on that.”

“You needn’t,” she said ruefully. “I’ll never interfere with your business again.”

“Swell,” I said. “I’m not saying you pulled a dumb trick, but you certainly haven’t been all that smart.”

She turned on her side so she could look at me. “And you, Mr. Spewack, haven’t done a great deal in spite of all your big talk. You might remember that when next you feel a superman.”

I nodded in agreement. “But you’re going to see some action before long,” I said grimly. “As soon as I hear from Latimer, I’m going to start. You’ll be surprised just how much I’ll turn up in a few hours.”

“Don’t boast,” she said. “And I don’t think I’d mind something to eat now. Do you think we’ll have much longer to wait?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’ll order you something. In fact, how you mention it, I could do with something myself. How about some chicken sandwiches and pumpkin pie?”

“Don’t talk about it — order it,” she said, sitting up eagerly. “I’m absolutely starving.”

I reached for the telephone and gave the restaurant the order. As I put the telephone down a knock sounded on the door.

“Who is it?” I said cautiously.

“Me,” Reg shouted through the door. “Lemme in.”

I went over to the door and opened it. He looked wild and there was an alarmed, excited gleam in his eye.

“What’s cooking?” I asked, eyeing him curiously.

He gave a low, sarcastic laugh. “Cooking?” he repeated. “Brother, you don’t know nothing yet. That was a hell of a smart trick you hung on to me.”

“What trick?” I asked, frowning. “Here, have a drink. You look like you could use one.”

He grabbed my glass and swallowed the whisky in a gulp. “Didn’t I tell you it was a dumb act to kidnap that Edna dame?” he demanded, as soon as he got his breath back. “Well, you’ll believe me now. All hell’s apopping.”

“You set her loose like I said, didn’t you?” I said, staring at him. “What’s wrong now?”

He ran his fingers through his mop of untidy hair. “Wrong? That’s rich, coming from you. Listen, that dame’s so mad she even scares herself. She’s running around like someone has put a hornet in her pants. I’ve never seen anything Like it. Why, a tiger with an abscess in its ear is something I’d rather walk around with than that dame.”

I looked over at Audrey blankly and shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, and meant it. “What makes her mad?”

He turned appealingly to Audrey. “Hear that guy?” he said. “Listen, maybe you don’t know what he did. I’ll tell you. He busts into the house of Cranville’s biggest political boss. He smacks the boss’s girlfriend in the slats, takes her half-naked out of the house and farms her on me. What do I do? I’ll tell you. I’m sucker number one. I fall for the stuff this rat gives me and I take the dame to a hotel, tuck her up in bed and sit on her face to stop her yelling the place down. Then this guy says ‘Okay, let her go.’ I try to explain, but the dame just makes a noise like a swarm of bees. I reckon she’ll tear me to pieces if I untie her, so I tell the hotel manager to get of her after I’ve gone. Then this lug asks what’s wrong.”

Audrey giggled. “What on earth made you do it?” she asked me.

“I had to do it. Edna is Starkey’s daughter. That was the only way I could get Starkey to listen to reason. What the hell? Edna Wilson doesn’t scare me.”

“Famous last words,” Reg said bitterly. “I haven’t finished yet. She’s raised hell with Wolf and he’s raised hell with the cops. Brother, they’re after you for kidnapping. And let me tell you, they’re after me too.”

“After me?” I exclaimed. “What do you mean?”

“Wolf’s charging you with kidnapping,” Reg said patiently. “Macey’s only too glad to haul you in. They’re looking for you now.”

Just then the phone rang. I scooped it up. Latimer came on the line.

“What happened?” I said sharply.

“Starkey’s dead. Jeff shot him,” he told me. “The cops shot Jeff as he was trying to get away.”

I drew a deep breath. “That’s fine,” I said. “That’s the best news I’ve had for years.”

“Glad to hear it,” Latimer returned, “but you ain’t got much to be pleased about. What have you been up to? Macey’s sworn out a warrant for your arrest.”

“He has?” I suddenly got mad. “Well, we’ll see about that. If these punks think they can push me around...” I hung up and turned back to the other two, who were watching me with interest.

“Stick around, you two,” I said. “I’m going to see Wolf.”

“Wait a minute,” Reg said, quickly, “you can’t go out now. The cops are crawling all over looking for you.”

“I’m seeing Wolf,” I said angrily, “and no flatfoot in Cranville will stop me.”

I went out of the room, jerking the door shut behind me.

A police car was pulling away from Wolf’s house when I got there. I gave it a few minutes to get well away and then once more I walked across the lawn and stabbed the bell push.

Although it was just after one o’clock in the morning, the house was a blaze of light and the door opened almost immediately.

I shouldered the manservant aside and walked into the lobby. “Where’s Wolf?” I said.

The manservant stared at me with sleepy, bewildered eyes. From his expression I could see I was the last person he expected to call. “I wouldn’t advise you to see Mr. Wolf tonight,” he said, keeping his voice low. “He is very... er... irritable and—”

“Skip it,” I said shortly. “Where is he?”

A voice sounded from the head of the stairs — Wolf’s voice. “Who is it? Jackson, who are you talking to?”

I went to the foot of the stairs so he could see me. “Good evening,” I said, and began walking up the stairs towards him.

“You get out of my house,” he thundered. “Jackson, call the police. Do you hear? Call the police.”

I swung around, drawing my gun. I pointed it at the manservant, who went white and almost fell down.

“Come on,” I said, threatening him with the gun. “Upstairs, you.”

As soon as he passed me I covered Wolf, who stood gaping in surprised fear and rage.

“We’ll call on little Edna,” I said, coldly. “Go on, both of you.”

“You’ll pay for this,” Wolf snarled, but he went into Edna’s room, followed by the manservant and myself.

Edna was in bed. She sat up with a stifled scream when she saw me.

“Take it easy, toots,” I said, thinking the bruise on her chin put some character in her face. “Just relax and I won’t hurt you again.”

I jerked open the bathroom door and shoved the manservant into the bathroom. “Stay there until I call you out,” I said, and closed the door.

“If you think you can get away with this—” Wolf began, his face a dusty purple.

I pointed my gun at a chair. “Sit down,” I said. “We three are going to have a little talk.”

Edna suddenly threw off the bedclothes and jumped out of bed. She was wearing a pair of salmon-pink pyjamas which made her look like an overgrown kid who had raided a lingerie shop.

“I’m calling the police,” she said, in a voice shrill with fury. “This cheap dick can’t bluff me. If you had any guts you’d throw him out.”

Wolf’s face sagged a little, but he didn’t move. The gun pointing at his stomach seemed real enough to him.

I let her reach the telephone and then I took two quick steps, caught her wrist, ducked a savage blow she aimed at my face and tossed her across the bed. As she scrambled up I handed her a smack on her tail. It sounded like a paper bag bursting, and with a thin wail of pain, fury and fright, she wriggled hurriedly under the bedclothes again.

“Anything more from you,” I said quietly, “and I’ll skin you alive.”

She glared at me with wide, furious eyes, but she didn’t make any move.

I sat down so I could cover them both and lit a cigarette. “Now we’ll talk,” I said, looking over at Wolf. “It’s time you and I had a showdown.”

“You’re sacked,” he said, between his teeth. “You’re not working for me anymore. I’ll sue your boss and I’ll sue you. I’ll get you a stretch in jail!”

I laughed at him. “Okay,” I said, “I’m sacked. That suits me. But I’m telling you something before I go. Starkey’s dead. He was killed half an hour ago. How do you like that?”

His eyes showed interest, but he didn’t say anything. Edna gave a low cry and her face seemed to fall to pieces. She turned over in bed and began to cry, muffling her sobs in the pillow.

Wolf looked at her uneasily.

“She’s his daughter,” I told him. “He planted her on you so he could know all your moves.”

There was a long silence broken only by Edna’s crying. Wolf looked down at his feet, his face haggard. “You’re lying,” he said at last.

“Ask her,” I suggested. “You wouldn’t have stood a chance of becoming mayor with her watching every move. Between the two them they could have cooked up a tale that’d have discredited you and maybe run you out of the town. You’ve been playing with dynamite with this little bird.”

He pointed to the door. “Get out,” he said, his voice shaking with rage.

“I’m going,” I said, “but you’re phoning Macey and you’re telling him to lay off me. You’re telling him you’re withdrawing the kidnapping charge or I’ll spread the story of your love nest all over Cranville.”

“I want you out of this town,” he said. “I’ve had enough of you. I’ll withdraw the charge if you’ll get out and stay out.”

I grinned at him. “You’ll withdraw the charge without any conditions. I’m the guy who holds the whip hand. I’ve got the story set for the front page of the Gazette and you can’t stop it. I’ll stay here until the paper is on the streets. When Cranville hears that Edna is the daughter of a small-time gambler as well as your mistress, you’ll be in a sweet jam.”

He still hesitated; so I reached for the phone and put a call through to police headquarters. When Beyfield came on the line I gave the phone to Wolf. “Tell him it was all a mistake. Say the kid was hysterical and wanted to frame me. Go on.”

He had a long mumbling conversation with Beyfield and finally he went all over it again with Macey. He withdrew the charge and from the way he had to argue I guessed Macey was wild. Anyway, he made it stick in the end. He slammed down the receiver and glared at me.

I stood up. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll leave you to sort out the mess.” I glanced at Edna, who was still out of sight under the bedclothes. “Maybe you’d better send her away. From now on I’m working on my own. I came to Cranville to find three missing girls. Well, I’m finding them. Anyone who gets in my way is going to get hurt. You keep out of this and you may grab yourself the mayorship or you may not. I don’t give a damn who becomes mayor. With Starkey out of the way, the fight’s between you and Esslinger. That’s something you have to thank me for. I fixed Starkey and I’ll fix a lot of other guys in this town if they don’t play. That goes for you too.”

I got up and walked out of the room before he could say anything. I went downstairs, opened the front door, crossed the lawn and climbed into my car.

The clock on the dashboard showed that it was one-thirty. I was tired but I wasn’t discouraged. I could now concentrate on finding Marian French’s killer. Maybe it wouldn’t be easy. But I was going to find him. Cranville wasn’t a big town. Someone in Cranville was responsible for the killing, and if I got the right kind of lead it shouldn’t be difficult to run him to ground.

I returned to the Palace Hotel, went upstairs and found Audrey and Reg fast asleep. They were lying on the twin beds, still dressed, and I had to shake them before they knew I was in the room.

Audrey sat up and groaned faintly. “I’m so tired,” she said. “What happened? Did you see Wolf?”

“I saw him,” I said grimly. “You turn in now. We’ll meet tomorrow. There’re things I want to talk to you about. Come on, Reg, we’ll get a room here and get ourselves some sleep. We’re out of a job. Wolf’s sacked me, and that goes for you too. How would you like to become a detective?”

Reg looked at me sleepily as he rolled off the bed. “Sure,” he said; “that’s been my life’s ambition. I never did think I’d be editor of the Gazette for long.”

I grinned at him. “Come on,” I said. “You weren’t cut out to be an editor, but you’ll make a swell detective. Let’s go get a room.”

He ambled over to the door. “Do you want me to see the desk clerk while you tuck her in?” he asked, eyeing Audrey with his youthful leer.

“Get a double room,” I said, pushing him into the passage. “We’ll need to watch our expenses.”

“Don’t take too long saying good night to that blonde,” he returned. “I want some sleep even if you don’t.”

When he had gone, I stood over Audrey as she lay on the bed and we smiled at each other. “All right now?” I said. “Anything else you want?”

“I’m fine — just tired, that’s all. Is it all right about the kidnapping?”

I sat on the bed by her side and took her hand. “I fixed Wolf. In his position he can’t afford to get tough with me.”

She looked down at our hands. “I suppose he can’t,” she said, “but you will be careful?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve knocked around too long to let a fat old guy like Wolf upset me.” I stroked her hand absently, thinking how nice she looked. “We’re partners now,” I went on; “only the senior partner. What I say goes.”

“I suppose I’ll have to let you have your own way,” she said lazily. “All right, I’ll admit I’ve made a mess of things. I’m in no position to get tough with you either.”

“Now you are being smart,” I said. “In fact you’re not in the position to refuse me anything.”

“Not anything?” she said, in mock alarm.

“Not anything,” I repeated, slipping my arm under her head and half raising her. Her head rested in the crook of my arm and our faces were close. “Does that worry you?”

She looked at me seriously. “No, I don’t think it does.”

I kissed her. “Sure?”

She pulled my head down. “I like it,” she said softly. “Let’s do it again.”

Eleven o’clock the next morning we went over to Audrey’s office to plan our campaign.

“Now let’s see what we have to do,” I said as soon as we had settled down. “It’s a certain bet Wolf will try to stop the investigation. I don’t know what Forsberg will do about that. Maybe he’ll recall me. If he does, then I’ll quit working for him. I’ve chiselled two grand out of Wolf and that’ll keep us off the bread line. Our job is to find the guy who killed Marian, and we’re going to find him. I’ll split the two grand three ways so we’ll all have a little dough, but we’ve got to work fast and get this case cracked before our dough gives out. Is that all right with you two?”

“Isn’t it foolish to throw up your job with the International Investigations?” Audrey said, looking worried. “I mean, jobs don’t grow only on trees, and you might want...”

“That’ll have to look after itself,” I broke in. “Maybe Forsberg will let me go ahead. He’s had a retainer from Wolf and he might give me a free hand. Anyway, I’ll wait until I hear from him. I don’t give a damn one way or the other. I wouldn’t mind setting up in business on my own. We three might make a good thing out of it. But never mind that for the moment. I want to run over this case and see what we’ve got.”

“Not much,” Reg said gloomily. “We don’t seem to be getting anywhere.”

“And I’ll tell you why,” I said. “Up to now we have all been concentrating on the election angle. But suppose these kidnappings have nothing to do with the election?”

“But they must have,” Audrey protested.

I shook my head. “There’s no must about it. Suppose we ignore the election entirely. Never mind about Wolf or Esslinger or Macey. We’ll forget them. Let’s begin from the beginning. Four girls disappear. There’re no clues except a shoe belonging to one of them which is found in an empty house. Then a fifth girl disappears in exactly the same way as the other four, only this time we find her body before the murderer can hide it. If we hadn’t have gone to the house at the time we did we should never have known that Marian had been killed. She would have disappeared in the same way as the other girls disappeared. It’s a safe bet that the other four girls were also strangled and maybe they were all killed in the same house. That gives us something, doesn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” Audrey said, doubtfully. “It gives us the method, but I don’t see how it helps.”

I went over to her desk and sat down. “We’ll put this down on paper,” I said, picking up a pencil. “Take the girls first. What do we know about them?”

“They’re just ordinary girls,” Reg said. “Nothing much there. Why should anyone want to kill them?”

“They were all blondes,” I said, writing that down. “Maybe that has nothing to do with it, but it’s a point. They were all young and they all belong to the same set except Marian.” I stared at the paper and then added: “Well, that doesn’t get us very far, does it?”

“I would like to know how the murderer persuaded them to go with him to that empty house. I mean, a girl would be half-witted to enter a lonely, spooky-looking house like that unless she trusted the person she went with,” Audrey said.

I stared at her for a long moment. “Yeah,” I said, “the nickel drops, You have something there. Someone phoned Marian and arranged to meet her at the house. We know that because she had a phone call and she wrote down the number of the house. Why did she go there without even calling me to tell me where she was going? She knew where I was.”

“She went there because she knew the person who called her and she thought she could trust him,” Audrey said, the colour going out of her face.

“Ted Esslinger,” I said softly. “He was the only guy, except Reg, Wolf and me, that Marian knew in this town.”

“The other girls also knew Esslinger well,” Reg said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “They all knew him well enough to go with him to an empty house if his story was good enough.”

Audrey got to her feet and began pacing up and down. “But this is crazy,” she said. “He can’t be doing it. Why should he? It... it’s all wrong. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Take it easy,” I said, lighting a cigarette and inhaling smoke deeply. “We don’t know it’s Esslinger. It just happens that it could be him.”

“That guy has always run around with the girls,” Reg said, a little bitterly. “But why he should be knocking ’em off beats me. What’s the motive?”

“I can’t believe it,” Audrey said. “I’ve known him all my life. Ted isn’t a killer. I’m sure he isn’t.”

I sat brooding, feeling a rising excitement. “Wait a minute,” I said. “Let’s forget Ted for the moment. Tell me something. Suppose you were a murderer and you wanted to get rid of the body of your victim. How would you do it?”

“Bury it some place in lime,” Reg said promptly.

“Somewhere where it wouldn’t be found. Some absolutely safe spot,” I said. “Burying it in lime isn’t safe.”

“There’s a big furnace in the smelting works,” Audrey said with a little shudder. “Although I can’t imagine how anyone could get body from Victoria Drive to the furnace undetected.”

I shook my head. “They couldn’t. That would be too dangerous. I tell you where I’d hide a body if I wanted to be sure it wouldn’t be found — in a graveyard.”

Reg said: “That’s a fine spot, but getting a body to the local graveyard from Victoria Drive would be as dangerous as taking it to the smelting works.”

“Not if it were handled by the local mortician,” I said quietly.

They both stared at me, then Reg leapt to his feet. “That’s it!” he exclaimed. “It fits! Of course it’s Ted Esslinger! He’s killing these dames and the old man is burying them. All he would have to do is put them in the hearse, take it out at night over to the graveyard. If anyone saw the hearse they’d think nothing of it. He’d have the keys to the graveyard and he could plant the body in someone’s grave.”

Audrey had gone very white. “I can’t believe it,” she said. “You don’t know Max Esslinger. He couldn’t do a thing like that.”

“But it fits,” Reg said. “It explains everything.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I pointed out. “It doesn’t explain why Ted’s killing these girls. What’s the motive?”

“There isn’t one,” Audrey said. “You’re letting your imagination run away with you.”

“All right, let’s go over it again. Suppose Ted Esslinger is the killer. Let’s see if we can find a motive. Why should he kill five girls in so many weeks? The obvious answer to that is he is a homicidal lunatic.”

Audrey shook her head. “I’ve known him all my life. We went to school together. He’s as normal as you are.”

“We can’t be sure of that,” I pointed out. “Maybe he has suddenly lost control of himself. What sort of a kid was he? Did he have a temper; was he moody, that kind of thing?”

“He was perfectly normal,” Audrey insisted. “He liked the girls, of course, but that doesn’t make a man a lunatic, does it?”

“No — all right, let’s forget the lunatic angle. Why else should he kill them?”

“You don’t think he got them into trouble and to save his skin—” Reg began, but stopped.

“What, all five of them?” I said. “No, that’s out. Besides, knowing Marian, he wouldn’t have got anywhere with her on those lines.”

We sat and brooded for several minutes, then I said: “How fond is he of his father?”

“They’re great pals,” Audrey said seriously. “They’d do anything for each other. But he doesn’t get along so well with his mother.”

“Does he want his father to become mayor? I mean really want him to get the job?”

“I think so. I couldn’t say for sure.”

“This is a fantastic idea, but it hangs together,” I said excitedly. “Suppose Ted wanted to give his father a break with the election. If he could get Starkey out of the running, his father would stand a swell chance, wouldn’t he?”

Reg said: “So what? You don’t mean he killed the girls so his father could become mayor? That’s just one hell of an idea.”

“I don’t mean that. Suppose Ted has a kink. Maybe he’s a religious fanatic. Maybe he’s a sex maniac. He could be anything. Suppose he sees a way to fix Starkey and at the same time satisfy his crazy repression.”

“But he hasn’t got a crazy repression,” Audrey said. “I know him too well.”

“Listen: if I had a crazy repression I wouldn’t tell you about it. I’d keep it to myself,” I said shortly.

“Have you?” Reg asked, grinning.

“Never mind that. Stick to Esslinger. Suppose he is a nut. You remember the Street-Camera Studio? He could have been the guy who tipped Dixon. Come to that, he could have been the guy who killed Dixon. No, it must have been Jeff, because Starkey wanted those pictures back.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Hell! This is driving me screwy! But, wait a minute, it was Ted Esslinger who started the theory about the Street-Camera. He got me thinking that way. Suppose he decided to frame Starkey for the murders he was committing. All he has to do is to watch the Street-Camera window, and when an enlarged picture of a girl he knows appears he gets the girl to this empty house, strangles her and takes her to the funeral parlour. He collects the tickets from the girls and gets the photos from the Street-Camera. He tells Dixon that Starkey is using the Street-Camera Studio as a bait to kidnap the girls, putting Wolf and Esslinger out on a limb, as they have guaranteed to find the girls. Dixon doesn’t fall for this, so Ted comes to me and slips me the dope. Or doesn’t that make sense?”

They stared at me blankly.

“No, it’s too fantastic,” Audrey said at last.

I thought about it and decided she was right. “Well, it’s nearly right,” I said doubtfully. “I’ll bet you even money that Esslinger’s funeral parlour is mixed up in these murders.”

“You don’t know the other girls were murdered. Just because Marian was killed, it doesn’t mean—” Reg began.

“Now don’t go spoiling my theory,” I said. “It must work out the way I see it. It clicks. I’m sure it clicks. We’ll start work right now. The only way to get to the bottom of this is to dig and keep digging. I want you to go to the Street-Camera Studio and find out if Ted’s ever been there. Checkup that first. Try and find out who collected those photos of the three girls, Luce McArthur, Vera Dengate and Joy Kunz. Find that out and we’ll be getting places. Off you go.”

Reg said: “Okay, I’ll see what I can turn up.”

When he had gone, I said: “Look, babe, I want you to check up on Ted Esslinger. Find out where he was on the night of each of the disappearances. See if he has an alibi. Get friendly with the guy and stick close to him. See if he’s got any crazy ideas. Unless there’s something we’ve missed, there can only be one explanation: Ted’s crazy. Try and find out if he is.”

Audrey nodded. “I’ll do it,” she said, “and what do you intend doing?”

“It’s time I went along and met Max Esslinger,” I said. “I want to look his funeral parlour over. Maybe I’ll get some ideas.”

She picked up her gloves and bag. “You’ll like Max Esslinger,” she said. “I’ll swear he had nothing to do with this business, and you’ll think so, too, when you meet him.”

I pulled her to me. “You haven’t got my nasty suspicious mind,” I said, and kissed her.

She pushed me away. “We’ve had enough of that to go on with,” she said severely. “Hands off.”

“Just a minute,” I said, taking her in my arms again. “Didn’t I say I was the senior partner? What I say goes.”

“All the time?” she asked, smiling at me.

“All the time,” I returned.

The room was silent for a while.