1945 - Blonde's Requiem (16 page)

I stood up too.
“
Is that so?
”
I said angrily.
“
Let me tell you something. You
’
re a stubborn little fool and you want some sense spanked into you. I
’
ve a mind to do it myself.
”

“
You and who else?
”
she said scornfully.

“
Just me,
”
I said grimly, picking up my hat.
“
I
’
ve tamed better girls than you in the time it takes to wind my watch.
”

She jerked open the door.
“
Tell that fairy-tale to someone who
’
ll believe it— if you can find anyone that simple,
”
she said with fine scorn.

“
I
’
m warning you,
”
I said, wagging my finger in her face.
“
This job is too tough for you. You
’
ll only get your pretty little neck broken. Keep out of it and take up knitting.. I
’
ll even buy you the wool.
”

“
Oh!
”
she exclaimed furiously.
“
I hate you! Don
’
t you ever dare come here again!
”

I stepped up to her, pulled her to me and kissed her. We stood for a moment like that, my arm round her shoulders and my lips on hers. Then I stepped back and stared at her.

“
Now why in hell did I do that?
”
I said blankly.

She put her hand to her lips and stared back at me. The anger had gone out of her eyes.
“
Perhaps you wanted to,
”
she said in a meek, low voice, and closed the door gently in my face.

* * *

As I entered the lobby of the Eastern Hotel I spotted Reg Phipps talking to the dark, sulky-looking receptionist.

She was holding a movie magazine on her lap and chewing gum, an indifferent expression on her face. Reg leaned on the desk and seemed to be putting his personality over on a
’
short wave.

He looked over his shoulder as he heard me come in and his eyes brightened.

“
I
’
ll be seeing you,
”
he said to the girl.
“
Try not to pine for me.
”

She gave him a scathing look and returned to her magazine.

“
Hello,
”
I said to him, and reached for my key.
“
What
’
s cooking, beautiful?
”
I went on to the girl.
“
Still keeping in good shape, I see.
”

She eyed my bruises.
“
I look after what I
’
ve got,
”
she said coldly.
“
You
’
re not all that good you can afford to wear your face out as fast as you seem to be doing.
”

“
I got this in a fight,
”
I said, tapping my bruise and wishing I hadn
’
t.
“
That
’
s the kind of guy I am. Any time you say so you can have my chest for a rug. I
’
m tough—full of fight, liquor and——
”

“
Hot air,
”
she cut in.
“
I know. Toughs are ten a dime in this town.
”

I patted her shoulder, smiled at her and promised to send her a stuffed snake if I found one.

“
If it
’
s got to be a snake, come yourself,
”
she said acidly, and picked up her magazine again.

Reg and I went upstairs together.

“
Didn
’
t I say twelve?
”
I said, glancing at my wristwatch. It was a few minutes past ten-thirty.

“
It wasn
’
t worth it to go back home,
”
he explained.
“
So I looked in to talk to Nora. I
’
ll go back if you ain
’
t ready.
”

“
That Nora?
”
I said.
“
The dark, sulky one with the built-up area?
”

His leer was too youthful to be impressive.
“
That
’
s her,
”
he said.
“
Her father runs this hotel. I
’
ve been trying to make that dame for the last six years.
”
Seeing my startled glance, he added:
“
We were at school together.
”

I unlocked my door and we went in.
“
You be careful,
”
I warned him.
“
Something tells me that baby
’
s dynamite.
”

“
She is,
”
he said gravely.
“
Why do you think I
’
m working on her?
”

I waved him to a chair.
“
Sit down and stop boasting,
”
I said, giving him a cigarette.
“
Got your camera?
”

“
It
’
s in the car,
”
he said, eyeing me with suppressed excitement.
“
What
’
s cooking?
”

“
We
’
ve got a nice little job to do tonight,
”
I said, sitting on the bed.
“
Dixon
’
s at the city morgue. We
’
re going to get a picture of his body. Then we
’
ll come out slap across the Gazette with picture and story of Dixon
’
s murder, and how Macey tried to cover it up.
”

Reg
’
s eyes popped.
“
For the love of Mike!
”
he said.
“
You don
’
t think we
’
ll get away with that, do you?
”

“
Why not?
”

He sat back, gaping at me.
“
It
’
ll blow the lid right off this town,
”
he began.

“
That
’
s what I want,
”
I broke in.
“
It
’
s the only way to get something done. Listen, Reg, I
’
ll never find these girls until people cooperate. They won
’
t cooperate so long as they
’
re thinking only of the election. I want you to write a story along these lines.
”
I told him about the Street-Camera angle, and what had been happening since last I saw him.
“
Now you know the facts. The way to put it over is to ask questions. Do the people of Cranville know all four missing girls were photographed by the Street-Camera and that Dixon had copies of the photographs? The photos were stolen and Dixon was murdered. Who stole them and killed Dixon? Who owns the Street-Camera? Why did Chief of Police Macey say Dixon died of heart failure? Look at the picture printed below. Does that look like heart failure? Do you get it? That
’
s the way to put it over. Let Cranville make up its own mind.
”

“
It
’
s terrific,
”
he said, driving a small fist into the palm of his hand.
“
But, brother, what a stink there
’
ll be! If this ain
’
t asking for Starkey to put a slug into us, I don
’
t know what is.
”

I looked at him thoughtfully.
“
Plenty of time to back out, Reg,
”
I reminded him.

“
Don
’
t be funny,
”
he returned, his eyes sparkling.
“
This is just my meat. Was Wolf on the level when he said I could stick?
”

I nodded.
“
Yeah,
”
I said.
“
It means a hundred bucks a week for you, Reg, and that includes danger-money.
”

“
Aw, you
’
re kidding,
”
he said.
“
I
’
d do it for half of that.
”

“
It
’
s just enough,
”
I said, feeling my bruised head.
“
If I can get this story on the streets we
’
ll be getting somewhere.
”
I stubbed out my cigarette and lit another.

“
I
’
ve found a dame to replace the old girl. I think she
’
ll be useful all right.
”

Reg
’
s face fell.
“
Gee!
”
he exclaimed.
“
I was hoping I
’
d be able to pick my own secretary. What
’
s she like?
”

“
All right,
”
I said,
“
as long as you aren
’
t too fussy. Maybe she has bow legs and flat feet, but if she keeps them under a desk, why should you worry?
”

He looked pretty miserable.
“
Well, I guess I
’
ll have to take it,
”
he said gloomily.
“
A hundred bucks a week ain
’
t to be sniffed at.
”

“
What do you know about Audrey Sheridan
’
?
”
I asked.

“
More than most.
”
He brightened up.
“
What a pip of a dame! Seen her?
”

I nodded.
“
Is it right the agency
’
s a flop?
”

“
That
’
s not her fault,
”
he said.
“
It
’
s just Cranville didn
’
t have any crime around until this business blew up. I don
’
t know how the old man kept things going.
”

“
Where does she get her money? She looks a million dollars to me and her joint
’
s better than a lobby in the Ritz-Plaza.
”

“
Her uncle out West passed in his pail and left her a slice of jack,
”
Reg explained.
“
She furnished the place and bought herself some clothes, hoping it
’
d be good for business. But business just isn
’
t here.
”

I grunted.
“
She must be crazy,
”
I said.
“
It
’
s throwing money away. But she
’
s a nice looker, isn
’
t she?
”

He eyed me kind of old-fashioned:
“
You
’
re a fast worker, ain
’
t you?
”
he said.
“
I
’
d take that lipstick off your mouth if I were you.
”

I did so with a quick embarrassed wipe with my handkerchief.
“
I
’
m getting careless,
”
I muttered, not looking at him.

“
I wouldn
’
t mind a taste of that,
”
he said, winking at me.
“
Yum-yum. Was it any good?
”

A tap on the door interrupted an awkward moment.

Marian French put her head round the door.
“
What on earth do you think you
’
re doing?
”
she exclaimed.
“
Why aren
’
t you in bed?
”

Reg Phipps stared at her with popping eyes. He sucked in his breath and gave a low whistle.

“
Hello, Marian,
”
I said.
“
Don
’
t worry about me. I
’
m fine. There were things I had to do. Did you have a good time?
”

She came further into the room.
“
You must be crazy to go around with a head like that,
”
she scolded.

“
I
’
d be still more crazy to go around without it,
”
I returned with a grin.
“
I want you to meet Reg Phipps, editor of the Granville Gazette. Reg, this is Marian French, your new secretary.
”

Reg got to his feet and turned as red as a beet.
“
You wouldn
’
t be kidding?
”
he said pleadingly.

I winked at Marian.
“
I told you he
’
d be all over you,
”
I said.

“
Gee, Miss French,
”
Reg said, ignoring me.
“
This is terrific!