Vanishing Ladies

Chapter ten

She was wearing the same purple silk dress she’d worn the last time I’d seen her. Her face was made up again. Her eyes, despite the make-up, were tired, very tired. She carried a long white stole over her arm.

‘Blanche!’ I said, and she turned quickly, spotted me, and for a minute seemed about to leave. She apparently changed her mind, held her ground, and waited as I approached her.

‘Hello, Blanche,’ I said.

She looked up at me suspiciously. ‘I don’t think I know you,’ she said.

I wasn’t prepared for that. I stared at her and then said, ‘Does it matter?’

‘Maybe not. What do you want?’

‘I want to buy you a cup of coffee.’

‘What’s the special occasion?’

‘Do I have to be in love to buy you a cup of coffee?’

‘Not necessarily.’

‘Okay, then.’

‘Okay. But I’m in a hurry.’

‘So am I. Come on over.’

We walked to the table. Blanche sat, and the man behind the counter said, ‘Hello, Blanche.’ She nodded at him.

‘Another cup of coffee,’ I said to the counterman. ‘For the lady.’

‘Where’d you disappear to last night?’ I asked.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘We both know what I’m talking about,’ I said.

‘Mister, all I want’s a cup of coffee.’

‘That’s all you’ll get.’

‘Good.’

‘But you won’t mind if I ask some questions?’

‘I will mind.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t like questions.’

‘Do I have to get tough?’

‘It’d get you no place. Men don’t scare me. I’ve had men up to here.’

‘My father used to say, “Treat a lady like a whore, and a whore like a lady.” How do I treat you, Blanche?’

She raised her eyes and looked at me long and hard. ‘Like a lady,’ she answered. Her voice was very small.

‘All right. I need help.’

‘Why come to me?’

‘Because I think you know what happened last night.’

‘I know nothing.’

The counterman brought the coffee. ‘Anything else?’ he asked.

‘Nothing, thanks,’ I said. I bit into the hamburger. The counterman went back to his counter. Unconsciously, I whispered the next. ‘What happened, Blanche?’

Blanche answered my whisper with her own. ‘I don’t know.’

‘What were you doing at Barter’s place?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Do you work there?’

‘No.’

‘Do you?’

‘No.’

‘Then what were you doing there?’

‘I took a cabin.’

‘Alone?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘I was sleepy.’

‘Who was the man in the wolves’-heads shorts?’

Blanche looked up sharply. ‘How... how did you...?’

‘I met him.’ I bit off another chunk of beef. ‘Were you with him before you came to my cabin?’

Blanche nodded.

‘You were?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why’d you come to me?’

‘I... Mike asked me to.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘How did he ask you to?’

‘He just said... I should go to your cabin. He said I should...’ Blanche paused. ‘Listen, I can get in trouble. Listen, I can’t tell you any more.’

‘I thought men didn’t scare you.’

‘They don’t! I’m not afraid of Mike!’

‘Who then?’

‘I... I can’t tell you any more.’

‘Did he ask you to keep me in the cabin? To keep me busy?’

Blanche bit her lip. ‘Y... yes.’

‘For how long?’

‘Half-hour, an hour. I don’t remember.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘He must have given you a reason!’

‘He didn’t! I don’t ask questions. I just do what I’m told.’

‘Then you do work for him?’

Blanche paused. ‘All right. I work for him.’

‘The other girls?’

‘The ones scattered all over the motel. The ‘wives’ in the husband-and-wife teams I met.’

‘I don’t know who you met. I suppose so.’

‘Who’s Joe Carlisle?’

‘Who?’

‘Joe Carlisle. He’s from Davistown.’

‘Oh. He’s nothing.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘He comes around now and then, does handy work for Mike. Mike pays him by... by... you know. Hez is the real handy man, though.’ She looked up into my face. ‘Hezekiah Hawkins. He lives near the motel, out at the Point. Got his own place on South Hunter Road.’

‘What about his wife?’

Fear darted momentarily into Blanche’s eyes. ‘Who... whose wife?’ she asked.

‘Carlisle’s.’

‘He’s not married.’

‘There was a blonde with him last night. In the cabin my girl originally had. Her name is Stephanie. Do you know her?’

‘No,’ Blanche said quickly.

‘Did you see anyone enter my girl’s cabin?’

‘What girl?’ Blanche said.

‘Listen...’

We stared at each other across the miles of tablecloth.

‘What made the blood in cabin eleven?’ I asked.

‘What blood? I didn’t see any blood.’

‘End of interview?’ I asked.

‘End of interview. I don’t want trouble. There was enough trouble last night. Enough to last me a lifetime.’

‘What kind of trouble?’

‘I don’t know. Screaming and yelling and cars. I don’t know.’

‘Screaming from where?’

‘Some place in the motel.’

‘Where in the motel?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Where, Blanche?’

‘Cabin... cabin number eleven.’

‘Who was in that cabin?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Think.’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You do, Blanche. It’s in your eyes. You do know.’

‘I can’t tell you any more.’ Her eyes were pleading with me now. The phone in the booth began ringing. I shoved back my chair. Blanche reached for my hand suddenly. I turned to her.

‘Your girl,’ she said. ‘She’s... she’s safe.’

‘What?’ The phone kept ringing. The counterman came from behind the counter and headed for it. Quickly, I moved into the booth and lifted the receiver.

‘Hello?’

‘Colby, this is Lieutenant DeMorra.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Any new developments?’

‘Just that I think Ann is safe, sir. I don’t know how long she will be, though.’

‘All right. I’m sending Tony.’

‘Mitchell?’

‘Yes. You know this is highly irregular, Colby, and you know it has to be unofficial. We don’t want out-of-state police coming down on our necks with protests. I’m giving Tony sick leave. He’s coming on his own. Where can he meet you?’

‘How about right here?’

‘What’s the name of the place?’

‘I don’t know. It’s the coffee pot right alongside the only bank in town.’

‘All right. He’s starting now. Give him three or four hours. Make it six sharp, all right?’

‘Fine.’ I paused. ‘Sir, my gun was taken from me.’

‘Tony’ll bring you one.’ DeMorra paused. ‘Why? Do you think you’ll need it?’

‘I might.’

‘All right. Good luck, Colby.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

I hung up.

When I walked out of the booth, Blanche was gone.