The Fatal Frails

CHAPTER XI

The offices of the Spandau Watch Company presented a deserted appearance to Johnny's inspection. He had knocked at the outer door, opened it after an interval of silence, but had found no redhead at her desk. When he had walked beyond it and tried the door to the inner office, he'd found no Jules Tremaine, either. Retracting his steps, he was debating leaving a note when he heard high heels in the corridor outside.

“Mornin', little sister,” he greeted Gloria Philips as she entered.

“Oh,” she said listlessly. “It's you.” She appeared neither surprised nor pleased to see him, Johnny thought. Dark circles ringed the area under her blue-gray eyes.

“It's me,” he agreed. “Where's Tremaine?”

“He called and said he wouldn't be in this morning. He's not feeling well.”

“Somethin' he ate?”

“I didn't inquire,” Gloria said with more snap to her tone. “Why don't you ask him if you'd like to know?”

“I'm plannin' to. How was your sleep last night?”

“Oh, about the sa-” She pulled herself up. “I don't know who I think I'm kidding. It was terrible. That was an awful thing that happened last night.”

“How'd you hear about the awful thing?”

“Not with anybody's help!” she said swiftly, again with more spirit in her voice. “After that detective called and left me dangling without a word of explanation, I had to know what had happened. I called Jules, and couldn't get him. I called you, and couldn't get you. I called the police, and got bucked around from extension to extension by people who knew nothing, or weren't talking. I finally called Harry. He said he'd had much the same experience, but having more brains than I have he'd started calling hospitals. The third one he found her.” She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “It must have been-well, awful's the only word I can seem to think of this morning.” “It covers it.” He wouldn't have expected to find her this shaken, Johnny thought. “What did Harry do?”

“He went over there right away. Then he went home for a few hours and went back this morning. He called me about an hour ago. She's on the critical list.” She sat down heavily, little grace apparent in the plump body. “Did you see her?”

He nodded. “You don't want to bear about it,” he said gruffly.

“She was-oh, I don't know-” Gloria Philips ran her palms up over her arms as though suddenly cold. “It makes you wonder if any of us knew what we were getting into in this thing.”

“Specifically, which thing?” Johnny asked her. “Oh, run along,” she said tiredly. “Yap, yap, yap, that's all I hear. Poke a little, pry a little, prod a little. Watch the animals squirm. All I've wanted all along-” She checked herself. “Yeah?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I'm not going to tell you what I've wanted all along. But I'm not going to get it. I feel that I'm not. I feel-oh, run along,” she repeated. “I mean it. I'm not fit to talk to anyone today.”

He moved toward the door. “Harry still at the hospital?” “I guess.”

He left her sitting slumped and hollow-eyed. Enough to shake any woman, when she hears it, he thought on his way to the street. That their incorporated capital can be blown in three bloody minutes.

All the uptown cabs were full. He had to cross the street and hail one going the other way. “Hotel Alden,” Johnny said, and successfully fielded the driver's indignant stare. He settled down for the long ride.

The first person he saw in the lobby of the Alden was Harry Palmer. Striding along with his chin in the lead, the aggressive-looking little man was headed for the elevators.

“Harry!” Johnny called.

Palmer looked startled as he turned a step or two away from a waiting elevator. “You following me?” he snapped.

“Wouldn't dream of it. What's on your mind upstairs?”

“Not a damn thing you can handle. Butt out, Killain.” Palmer stepped aboard the elevator, and Johnny followed right behind. The little man's voice rose. “I said-”

“I heard what you said. Relax.”

“Killain, I'll-” The elevator doors opened, and Palmer stepped off, again followed by Johnny. Palmer glared. “If you aren't the damnedest buttinsky I ever-”

Johnny waited only until the clash of the elevator's doors behind him signaled its departure. He took Harry Palmer by an arm and turned him, took him by the collar of his suit coat and marched him on tiptoe to the wall. Holding him aloft until only the tips of his toes touched, Johnny began a swift-patting manual examination. “Don't kick,” he advised soothingly. “You'll just take all the polish off your shoes on the wall. Ahh-” He removed a blue-steel revolver from inside Palmer's belt. “All you gunmen, Harry, and I haven't found a shoulder holster in the crowd. Don't you read up on what the well-dressed goons are wearin' these days?”

“Give me that damn gun back, Killain,” Palmer stormed when Johnny released him.

“You gonna plug him with me standin' right there, Harry? Then you'd have to plug me. Which'd make it a little silly of me to give you back the gun, right?”

Without another word Palmer plunged off up the corridor. He had to knock three times at Tremaine's door before anything happened. When it opened Jules Tremaine stood in the door and stared out at them irresolutely. The Frenchman was badly in need of a shave, and his eyes were bloodshot. “What d'you two birds of ill omen want?” he asked thickly. “In, I suppose,” he answered his own question, and walked back inside as though it were a matter of indifference to him whether they followed or not. When Johnny got inside Jules Tremaine was pouring himself half a water glass of Armagnac from a bottle two-thirds empty.

“Goddammit, Tremaine, I want to talk to you,” Harry Palmer bristled.

“Unfortunately I hear you.” Tremaine raised his glass and swallowed three times rapidly. He bowed exaggeratedly when he found Johnny's eyes upon him. “Sacrilegious, I know, to gulp in such a manner, but circumstances alter cases.”

Not drunk, Johnny decided, but not far from it, either. The room could have used a good cleaning. It appeared different to him from the last time he had been there, and he suddenly realized why. The large short wave radio and the table upon which it stood were both gone. “What happened to your radio, Tremaine?” he asked the Frenchman.

Harry Palmer cut in, angrily malicious. “After so many years a man can get tired of his hobby of listening to the short wave marine band, you know.”

Johnny looked at him. “So what's with the marine band?”

“Don't be naive, Killain. In certain lines of business it pays a man to know on which tide a certain ship is going to dock, even at what hour. If he knew that he might know, not only specific workmen unloading freight, but the customs crew checking it in.”

“You've got a lot to say, Harry,” Tremaine said from the sofa upon which he'd seated himself. He didn't appear particularly concerned. Glass in hand, he leaned back and closed his eyes.

“I'll have a damn sight more to say, you murdering bastard!” the little man flared. “I'm going-”

“Murdering?” Johnny interrupted. “Madeleine Winters died?”

“No, no,” Palmer said impatiently. “Although she still could. It's Jack Arends he killed. There's no-”

“Harry-”

“Shut up, you!” Palmer's complexion was mottled from the violence of his emotion. “For that matter, Madeleine might have been better off if you had killed her. The doctors say there's a serious question as to what her mental condition will be. If she recovers at all.”

Jules Tremaine re-opened his eyes, which had remained closed. “I didn't lay a finger on Madeleine, Harry,” he said softly. “I have an alibi.” He smiled. “Attested to by the police.”

“I don't believe y-” Harry Palmer swung to Johnny. “I don't believe him. He hated her. He'd said time and time again he'd get her.”

“True,” the Frenchman said unruffledly. He raised his glass and drank from it, his bloodshot eyes on the little man. “But someone saved me the trouble. And through a most fortunate circumstance I have an alibi. I very nearly didn't.”

“You weren't here,” Johnny inserted.

“I wasn't,” Tremaine agreed. His glance that had difficulty in focusing moved over to Johnny speculatively. “Although I don't know how you knew. I was-disturbed, last evening. Upset, if you like. I am given to moods. I have a-treatment for them. Early in the evening I repaired to a little place I know where the bartender is an artist in the preparation of that much neglected drink, the French Seventy-five.” He smiled at Johnny, not quite vacuously despite the clouded eyes. “You're familiar with the drink? Champagne over a cognac base? Terrific morale builder. I had-several, after which I decided a spot of visiting was in order. I've no idea, actually, how long my stay lasted, but upon my departure-”

“Who'd you go to see?” Johnny drilled at him.

“A friend.” Tremaine took a long, meditative pull at his glass. “Yes, I believe that covers it. A friend. As I say, I'm not clear as to my departure time. For some reason, also unclear to me at the moment, it had been decided that despite the hour I was to drive up to the Bronx and deliver a package. Really a most inconsequential package.”

He waved his hand, nearly dropping his glass. “I actually started, before it occurred to me that I could accomplish the same thing far more conveniently today by messenger. Having arrived at this brilliant conclusion, I drove back to my bartender and more French Seventy-fives. Magnificent drink, really. It was latish when I got in downstairs to find that damnably narky Rogers waiting in the lobby. You will agree, gentlemen, that if I'd made the trip to the Bronx I'd have been unable to take Rogers to my bartender friend who assured him of my presence at the critical time? In my relief I insisted that Rogers have a French Seventy-five. I'm afraid his palate needs cultivating.”

Johnny glanced sardonically at a discomfited Harry Palmer. “Want your gun back now, hot shot? I'll steady your hand for you.”

“He still killed Arends,” Palmer blustered. “You know he did.”

Jules Tremaine re-opened the bloodshot eyes he had again closed. “Gun? You were going to kill me, Harry, because of what I'd done to Madeleine?” He looked surprised. “Why?”

“Why!” Palmer shouted emotionally. “Anyone who'd do that to a woman's not fit to live, that's why!”

“But why you, Harry?” Tremaine persisted gently. “It's a bit thick you're passing yourself off as her protector, or avenging angel, either. I know she's been blackmailing you for years.”

For the first time since he had known him, Johnny thought the brash-looking little man appeared completely taken aback. Tremaine winked at Johnny gravely. “I owed him a dig for that bit about the wireless,” he confided. He transferred his attention to Palmer. “Did you suppose no one knew about your financial arrangements, old boy?”

“That was a long time ago,” Palmer said quickly, recovering. “The relationship has-changed.”

“Recently? For the better?” the Frenchman inquired significantly. He drained his glass, stooped and groped for the bottle alongside the sofa. “I'm sorry, but you people will have to excuse me now. I'm getting drunk. Disgusting, I know, but my own method of-ah-reassessing certain — ah-ambiguous assets.”

“You want a ride downtown?” Harry Palmer said abruptly to Johnny, who nodded. Jules Tremaine did not accompany them to the door. The last Johnny saw of him he had again half-filled his glass and was contemplating it in the light. “Doesn't know what he's talking about,” Palmer said jerkily with a side glance at Johnny at the elevators. “It's not like that at all now.” The elevator doors opened, and they stepped aboard. “Not like that at all,” Harry Palmer repeated loudly.

Johnny was still trying to catch up with the sudden reversal of the no-motive feeling he'd had about the aggressive little man. He wondered cynically about Palmer and Arends.

Palmer was watching Johnny's face. “Ridiculous listen drunken clown-” he was rattling off in verbal shorthand when the car stopped in the lobby. Johnny looked out at Ernest Faulkner waiting to get on. Ernest Faulkner looked in at them, obviously flustered.

“Visitin' the sick?” Johnny asked him blandly. He maneuvered the lawyer away from the elevator as he and Palmer got off.

“Is he sick?” Faulkner asked anxiously.

“He's drunk!” Palmer sneered caustically.

“Oh. He sounded-upset when he called me,” the lawyer said. “I'll-I'll see what I can do for him.” He flushed under Johnny's eyes. “Jules is my friend,” he said importantly.

“What'd he call you about?” Johnny asked.

“Really, Killain. You're the crudest-I dislike having to descend to your level and inform you that it's none of your business.” Ernest Faulkner drew a deep breath, trying to strengthen the sensitive features behind the heavy glasses. “Now if you'll kindly get out of my way-”

Johnny silently stepped aside. He watched until the doors closed behind the slender lawyer.

“Let's go, if you're coming with me!” Palmer ordered brusquely. Johnny followed him out to the curb. He thought for a minute they were waiting for a cab until a Lincoln Continental pulled slowly in to them from the traffic stream. Tiny bulked up behind the wheel, the preposterous chauffeur's cap perched squarely on top of his head.

The little man took a quick look at Johnny as they settled down in the back seat. “Listen,” he began rapidly. “It may have been the way that jerk says once, but that was a long time ago. What's a few dollars to me? At my age, what I was getting there I appreciate.” He tried to outstare Johnny. “You think I'm lying to you?”

Tiny pulled out from the curb without even a by-your-leave, and Johnny winced as the squeal of brakes and the blat of a horn sounded simultaneously from behind them. Tiny never even looked around. At the first light a cab pulled up alongside and the driver leaned over and rolled down his window. Tiny turned his head and looked at him, and the cabbie rolled his window back up without saying a word.

“I'm wonderin' what I'd hear about you an' Arends if I asked around a little,” Johnny said to Harry Palmer. “It just come to me I been takin' you on faith, man.”

“Don't you think the police have taken care of that?” Palmer snapped. He leaned forward and rapped on the glass that divided the front and back seats to within eight inches of the car's ceiling. “Let me out at the Circle, Tiny,” he called, and sat back as Tiny nodded. “He'll take you down to the hotel,” the little man added sulkily. He folded his arms and stared straight ahead at the road.

They rode in silence until Tiny pulled in at Columbus Circle. Harry Palmer got out hurriedly as though to forestall any further attempt at conversation. He trotted off without a backward glance.

Tiny started off again and headed down Seventh Avenue. “I was up t' Dmitri's d' udder day,” he rumbled from the front seat in the familiar, breathy hoarseness. “I ast 'im how he rated us. You know w'at he said?”

“No,” Johnny said shortly. He had other things than Dmitri on his mind.

“He said on da mat wit' th' strangle barred I'm six to five.” Tiny cut around a cab picking up a passenger, forcing the car in the next lane to pull up abruptly. “I tol' him he's crazy. I got t' be better'n six to five over a jerk never made his livin' at it. Right?” Johnny made no reply. Tiny evidently expected none. “Th' kicker an' th' t'ing made me laff is that crazy Rooshian's sayin' wit' nothin' barred, I'm only five t' eight. I tol' him, nuts, man, I want-”

“You're in the wrong lane,” Johnny interrupted as they crossed 50th. “You got to go east on Forty-fourth an' circle the block.”

Tiny might never have heard him. “I tol' him I can use a little of that five t' eight, mebbe more'n a little. Any time I outweigh a man fi'ty poun's an' he lays me eight t' five I got to see it.” Approaching 45th, the Continental slowed.

“Another block!” Johnny said sharply. “An' left, not right!”

“Sure,” Tiny said, and swung right on 45th.

“You goddam-” Johnny sucked in his breath as it came to him. He reached for a doorhandle. Locked. Front-seat mechanism. Tiny was watching him in the rear-view mirror as they crossed Eighth Avenue. Grimly Johnny took off his jacket, unbuttoned his collar, and rolled up his sleeves.

“'At's a boy,” Tiny approved hoarsely from the front seat. “In fi' minutes now I want t' see how mucha that eight t' five you're layin'.” Catching all the lights, the Continental sailed across Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh. It threaded its way between trucks loading on both sides of the street from narrow warehouse platforms, nosed out under the elevated highway at the wharves, turned left on the cobblestones, and almost at once turned sharp right and darted into a narrow opening that widened as the cobblestones gave way to crushed stone.

Tiny swung the big car in a circle and stopped it with the driver's side nearest the lane by which they'd entered. He got out and stretched, reached in and touched a button on the dash. “You c'n git out now, hardhead.”

Johnny climbed out on the side opposite. In this neighborhood of busy loadings and unloadings of the world's largest liners, he wouldn't have believed it possible for this still, deserted dock with its splintery planking and rotting pilings to exist. “This Palmer's idea?” he asked tightly as he came around the front of the Lincoln.

Tiny covered his nose with a massive paw. “The boss gimme th' office when ya got in th' car ya had a big nose,” he said solemnly. “I been tellin' 'im that. You go inta dry dock a while, chum, as of now.”

He advanced ponderously, crouched forward, arms semi-circled. The stone crunched under his shuffling feet. Johnny circled, to his right, just outside the reaching arms. Tiny pursued patiently, in a narrowing orbit. Johnny speeded up suddenly. Tiny's upper body pivoted to face him, but the legs floundered. In the second the man-mountain was off balance Johnny smashed the heel of his shoe against Tiny's left knee. There was a loud pop. When the pursuing man's entire weight came down on that leg he went down like a falling tree. He lay in the crushed stone, wheezing.

Johnny walked around him to face him. “That was your kneecap, sucker,” he said in a hard voice. “Satisfied, or should I get a tire iron out of the trunk an' take a few divots out of your thick skull?”

His face gray and perspiration beading his broad forehead, Tiny muscled himself up on his forearms. “Jus' lemme get muh han's on ya, pal.” He tried to drag his great weight forward.

“Ahhh-” Johnny said disgustedly. He walked away, toward the Lincoln. “I'll send somebody in here after you. If you're plannin' on walkin' again, quit draggin' that knee.”

He drove out onto the cobblestones. At the corner of 44th he leaned out to tell a blue uniform he'd heard a man hollering behind the fence across the street. The cop took in the Lincoln in one all-encompassing glance and started across the street.

Johnny drove to the Duarte and parked in front, illegally at that time of day. In the lobby he ran into Gus. “Who's on the beat?” he asked the black-haired Greek.

“Desmond. Why?”

“I left a Lincoln out front. Tell him to use up his book of tickets on it.”

He went upstairs to his room for a drink.