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Bullet Proof · Bullet Proof

• 0:00
  Chapter one, Johnny Lydell perched on a barstool at Mike's deadline. Added to
• 0:05
  the gray fog that swirled lazily near the ceiling, He watched the creative geniuses
• 0:10
  of the advertising agencies that filled the neighboring sky scrapers stock up on extra inspiration
• 0:16
  to go back to their trade of geniusing. He discovered his own glass was
• 0:20
  empty, signaled for a refill. The bartender made a production of selecting a
• 0:25
  cognac bottle from the back shelf filled his glass to the brim. Way here
• 0:30
  from that cute little blonde he used to run around with Lydell, The bartender
• 0:34
  wanted to know Muggsy and I guess she's gone Hollywood on me, Mike,
• 0:40
  haven't heard in a couple of weeks. Her old man tells me she's been
• 0:43
  working on a new picture out there. He dropped a bill on the bar,
• 0:47
  watched the bartender pick it up, replace it with a diamond a nickel.
• 0:52
  Ain't that a hell of a fate for a good newspaper woman, better
• 0:56
  than workin', the bartender grunted. Somewhere, a phone shrilled, and the
• 1:00
  man behind the bar shuffled off to answer it. Lydell regarded his full glass
• 1:03
  morosely considered the advisability of opening a Hollywood office. He decided against it.
• 1:11
  Debated the alternative of making a pass at his red headed secretary, got a
• 1:15
  momentary lift out of the prospect, decided he was looking for trouble. It's
• 1:19
  for you, Lydell. The bartender called from the other end of the bar.
• 1:23
  Lydell grabbed his glass, shouldered his way to where the bartender stood holding
• 1:26
  the receiver. My office. The bartender shrugged, shuffled back to his station
• 1:33
  behind the bar. Yeah, Lydell asked the mouthpiece. You'd better get on
• 1:38
  back to the office, Johnny, sounds like some business coming out way.
• 1:42
  A dame called twice within fifteen minutes. Has to talk to you, Lydell
• 1:46
  groaned, Not another dog poisoning case. Didn't sound like it. She told
• 1:51
  him this babe sounded like she was in real trouble. Wouldn't tell me who
• 1:53
  she was or where you could reach her. She said she'd call back in
• 1:57
  fifteen minutes. That means you'd better finish that glas. She'd got in your
• 2:00
  hand. Proto what do you mean glass in my hand? She laughed at
• 2:05
  him. This is pinky boss. What do you think I mean by glass
• 2:07
  in your hand? The receiver clicked in his ear. The red head was
• 2:12
  in the outer office, stabbing away at a typewriter when he came in.
• 2:15
  She looked up, shook her head. Hasn't called back yet, but it
• 2:19
  should be any second now, she grinned maliciously. I hope I didn't break
• 2:23
  up anything. Lydell scowled at her, stamped into his private office, dropped
• 2:28
  into his chair. He grimaced at the pile of correspondence on his desk.
• 2:31
  The phone rang exactly six minutes after he had gotten back. The voice on
• 2:36
  the other end sounded breathless, mister Lydell, that's right, who's this,
• 2:42
  Jean Merritt. I've been trying to reach you for the past hour. Lydell
• 2:46
  nodded, I've been on a case. What's it all about? There was
• 2:50
  a pause, then a low, tense voice murder. Who's my father,
• 2:55
  Matt Merritt. They've been able to make it look like suicide, mister Lydell,
• 3:00
  but I know he's been murdered. I want you to get the proof.
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  Have you hon to the police with us? I can't. They're watching
• 3:07
  me. If they knew I was talking to you, they'd kill me.
• 3:09
  Lydell scratched the side of his jaw. Can you come over here and talk
• 3:14
  it over? I wouldn't dare Where are yo? Now? She hesitated,
• 3:19
  I'm at the Hotel Westmore, But please don't come here, mister Lydell,
• 3:23
  thin'd no an My life wouldn't be worth a dime. Lydell scowled at the
• 3:27
  phone. I've got to see you. If you won't come here and I
• 3:30
  can't go there, where'll it be? Can't we meet on the outside some
• 3:34
  place by to night? I may be able to shake them long enough to
• 3:37
  meet you at a bar. The voice was emphatic. No, it's got
• 3:42
  to be out in the open, some place where I can be sure I'm
• 3:45
  not being followed. What time do you think you'll be able to make it?
• 3:49
  There was a pause, Not before ten thirty? Would that be too
• 3:53
  late? Lydell looked out the window over Bryant Park, groaned inwardly at the
• 3:57
  threatening cloud banks over the Public Library. I guess it'll have to do.
• 4:01
  Where'll it be? Can you suggest a place? I don't know too much
• 4:05
  about this part of New York? Lydell pulled his desk, pat to the
• 4:10
  edge of the desk, scribbled a few notes on it. There's an all
• 4:13
  night drug store at the corner of Lexington in twenty eighth. How'll that be?
• 4:16
  I'll be there at ten thirty, the receiver promised. If I'm a
• 4:19
  little late, wait for me. Lydell returned the receiver to its hook,
• 4:24
  glared at it. Why is it that all the screwballs come to me?
• 4:29
  The red head pursed her lips humorously. Do you want me to answer that,
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  mister Lydell? Johnny Lydell yanked irritably on his coat collar, drew it
• 4:38
  closer to his face in a fruitless effort to stave off the pelting rain.
• 4:42
  He took a deep drag on the soggy cigarette he held cupped in his hand,
• 4:45
  fervently cursed the fate that had made him a private investigator. The gleaming,
• 4:48
  wet face of the jeweler's clock across the street put the time at twelve
• 4:53
  o'clock, and the girl had been due at ten thirty. He was painfully
• 4:57
  aware that he should have insisted on seeing her immediately when she He took one
• 5:00
  last deep drag on the cigarette, flipped it toward the gutter, sloshed into
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  the all night drug store, whose awning had given him questionable refuge from the
• 5:09
  driving rain. A tired looking, middle aged clerk looked up from the morning
• 5:13
  tabloid as Lidel walked in, made a half hearted attempt to wipe the boredom
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  out of his eyes. Sighed as the detective passed him on his way to
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  the row of phone booths, dropped his eyes back to the newspaper he had
• 5:24
  been reading. Lydel flipped through the pages of the telephone directory, underscored a
• 5:29
  number with his thumb nail, fished a dime from his pocket. He stepped
• 5:32
  into the booth, dialed the number of the Hotel Westmore. Hotel Westmore,
• 5:36
  Good Evening. The metallic voice of the hotel operator responded, not unless you're
• 5:42
  a duck. Lydell growled, Let me talk to him his Merrit's room.
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  The receiver giggled at him. Whom did you wish, sir, Miss Merrit,
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  Miss Jean Merritt. There was a brief pause, Sorry, sir,
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  I have no Miss Merit on my register. I'll give you the front desk,
• 5:58
  sir. There was a click, then Stevens desk clerk speaking Miss Jean
• 6:02
  Merritt. Sorry, sir, Miss Merritt has checked out, checked out?
• 6:08
  Where'd she go? We don't have that information, Sir. Lydell tossed the
• 6:12
  receiver on its hook, rubbed the heel of his hand along the stubble on
• 6:15
  his chin, scowled at the instrument. He fished another dime from his pocket,
• 6:18
  dialed the number of his office. After a moment, the answering service
• 6:23
  came on mister Lyddell's office. The receiver chanted, this is Lydell. Any
• 6:28
  calls just one, mister Lydell, your secretary. She wants you to call
• 6:30
  her as soon as you check in. Lydell made the third call, heard
• 6:34
  pinky, sleepy voice at the other end of the phone. What time is
• 6:39
  it anyway, she yawned. Wouldn't it be easier for you to get a
• 6:43
  clock than to have me calling in the middle of the night. Very funny,
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  the girl retorted, It just so happens that I expected you to be
• 6:49
  checking in before you kept the date with the Merrick girl. I wanted to
• 6:53
  tell you we got a check for five hundred dollars as a retainer from her
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  right after you left. How'd it come? Western Union Messenger how'd it go
• 7:00
  with her? I mean it didn't. She didn't show up. I thought
• 7:04
  she might have called to call it off or something. The receiver laughed at
• 7:08
  him, he must be soaked. Instead of laughing at me, you ought
• 7:12
  to invite me to drop by and get out of my wet clothes into a
• 7:15
  dry martini. It might be arranged if you promised to be nice and quiet
• 7:18
  and not annoy the neighbors. After all, what would they think if they
• 7:21
  saw a strange man dropping by at this hour? Nothing strange about me.
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  I'm the most normal guy you ever saw. See you in a little while.
• 7:30
  He hung up the phone started for the door. He had almost reached
• 7:33
  it when he noticed the black sedan idling at the curve. He caught a
• 7:38
  dull glint of motion in the back seat, dived for the counter and hugged
• 7:41
  the floor. The snub nose of a submachine gun poked out of the rear
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  window of the car and started raking the store with buzzing death. Little boxes
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  danced off the shelves, glass crashed in a neat line of holes appeared on
• 7:53
  the wall over Lighthell's head. As if by magic, he tugged the forty
• 7:57
  five from its shoulder. Holster focused all his attention on the front door.
• 8:01
  There was a sudden let up in the monotonous rhythm of the Tommy gun.
• 8:03
  A man appeared in the doorway. He was tall, thin, the coat
• 8:07
  collar of his dark overcoat pulled up around his face. He held two thirty
• 8:09
  eight Specials in his hands. Before his roving eyes could pick out Lydell,
• 8:13
  the private investigator fired the forty five, sounding like a cap pistol. After
• 8:18
  the shattering blast of the tommy gun, the man in the doorway staggered back
• 8:22
  as the heavy slugs hid him. The guns in his hands started belching orange
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  flames, and Lydell could see the slugs chew bits out of the counter near
• 8:28
  his head. He raised the forty five deliberately, aimed at the gunman's mid
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  section, squeezed the trigger. The man's body jerked as the heavy slugs rammed
• 8:37
  into it. He folded his hands across his belly, went to his knees,
• 8:41
  then slid out full length on his face. Lydell crawled across the debris
• 8:46
  to where he could command a view of the street. The sedan was beginning
• 8:48
  to roll away from the curb. Its rear window, belching a renewed rain
• 8:52
  of flame and death. In the rear window of the car, Lidell caught
• 8:56
  a momentary glimpse of a gross, fat face with thick, pouting lips in
• 9:00
  a flabby neck that bulged over its collar. He had barely timed a catalog
• 9:03
  for future reference. The beady little eyes buttressed by heavy pouches that peered down
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  the barrel of the Tommy gun. Somewhere in the distance, a police siren
• 9:11
  moaned. The gun stopped coughing abruptly, leaving a silent void that was almost
• 9:16
  deafening. Lydell was on his feet and into the street in time to see
• 9:20
  the heavy sedan lurching around the nearest corner. He flung two parting shots after
• 9:24
  it was reloading. When the police car skidded to a stop at the curb,
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  Okay, Jesse James, A gruff voice commanded, drop the artillery.
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  Turn around real slow, so's we can take a look at you. Lydell
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  obediently let the forty five slip to the sidewalk. He turned to face the
• 9:39
  uniform policeman who was scrambling from the police car riot gun in hand, having
• 9:45
  fun buster the cop asked, his eyes rove beyond Lidell to the wrecked front
• 9:48
  of the drug store. Looks like you've had a busy night, plenty busy,
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  mostly ducking. Lydell grinned bleakly. Just an innocent bystander, eh.
• 10:00
  The CoP's eyes picked out the body of the thin man lying in the doorway
• 10:03
  face down. He wasn't so good at ducking, no doubt. He motioned
• 10:07
  lydel back against the store front with the snout of the riot gun, walked
• 10:11
  over, picked up the forty five. I'll keep this guy covered, ray,
• 10:15
  he called over his shoulder to his partner, who was covering him from
• 10:18
  the rear. Better have a look at the guy in the doorway. This
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  wasn't my party, buddon. Lydell told the cop placidly, like you said,
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  I'm just an innocent bystander. The cop grinned frostily. Hefted Lydell's forty
• 10:31
  five in his hand. You'd probably just wear this Sojia coat while hang straight.
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  No doubt, it's licensed. Lydell told him. I'm a private op,
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  names Johnny Lydell. I have my papers here if you like to see
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  him. He motioned toward his breast pocket froze when the CoP's finger tightened on
• 10:48
  the trigger of the riot gun. If I was you and I wanted to
• 10:52
  keep breathing, I wouldn't make no sudden moves like that. The cop advised,
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  when I want to see your papers, I'll come get'em. Second
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  cop knelt beside the body of the thin man, turned him over, grunted,
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  this is a job for the meat wagon ed. He got up,
• 11:05
  brushed off the knees of his blue pants. Stop three big ones. He
• 11:09
  walked over joined his partner. What's eyes irony packing a forty five. The
• 11:15
  second cop nodded, I would do it. He says, he's a private
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  eye. The cop with the riot gun didn't take his eyes off Lydell as
• 11:22
  a license and everything. He says, maybe we ought to have a look
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  at it while we're waiting. The second cop stepped over to Lydell, careful
• 11:30
  not to come between him and his partner's gun, reached into his jacket pocket
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  brought out a wallet. He rifled through the credentials, copying off a few
• 11:37
  notations into a large leather notebook. Better take a long, fond look at
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  these, pal he grinned at lydel I got a nine. Yeah, you
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  won't be having this license very long. Since when is it against the law
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  to stop a guy who's out to burn you down? Lydell was unimpressed.
• 11:54
  Besides the guy in the car with the Tommy gun, this Gunzel was out
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  looking for me with two thirty eights. Save the song for the inspector pal
• 12:01
  He's got a real ear for sad music, Lydell shrugged, suits me.
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  Only don't you think somebody ought to get in there and look after the clerk?
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  Clerk and there the cop flicked a worried look at the wreckage of the
• 12:13
  store. There was one in there when the guitar serenade started. Maybe it
• 12:18
  might be an idea to dig him out from under all those aspirins and feed
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  him a couple end of chapter one, Chapter two. Inspector Hurley he sat
• 12:31
  behind an oversized, varnished desk in his office at headquarters, eyeing Johnny Lydell
• 12:35
  without enthusiasm. He chomped methodically on a wad of gum. Suppose you come
• 12:41
  clean on this one, Johnny. You know I don't like trouble in my
• 12:45
  division. Lydell shrugged. I don't know any more than what I told your
• 12:50
  men, Inspector, I was making a telephone call when I came out of
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  the booth. I spotted his car out front. They let go with a
• 12:56
  tommy gun and I hit the floor hurley. He scowled, made an impatient
• 13:00
  gesture, and the guy in the doorway died of old age waiting for you
• 13:03
  to come out. No, he wasn't the patient kind. He came to
• 13:07
  get me. That was a mistake. You should have shown him your press
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  clippings. He didn't know how tough you are. The inspector reached over,
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  pulled a typewritten sheet from his correspondence basket, scowled at it. It's a
• 13:20
  lucky thing for you. The clerk in that store backs you up on most
• 13:22
  of it, but he also says you were hanging around out front for a
• 13:26
  couple hours before the shooting started. What for? Lydell fished through his pockets,
• 13:31
  brought up a pack of cigarettes, held them up for approval. Okay
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  to smoke. The inspector nodded, impatiently, tapped stubby fingers on the arm
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  of his chair, watched Lidell deliberately hang a cigarette from the corner of his
• 13:43
  mouth. I ask you what you were hanging around that store for Lidell.
• 13:48
  I was supposed to meet somebody there. They were late, anyone I know?
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  I don't know if I'm at liberty to discuss my client inspector and working
• 13:56
  on a case. He leaned across the desk. His voice was dangerously low.
• 14:03
  Look, Seamus, I'm not interested in your client or any case you're
• 14:07
  working on. I am interested in the fact that some hoodlums decided to shoot
• 14:11
  up my district. I want to know who they are and why they did
• 14:16
  it, So do I inspect her? Curly, He pulled himself from behind
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  his desk, stamped over to the water cooler in the corner, half filled
• 14:24
  a paper cup, drained it. Who handled that? Tommy gun tonight Lydell
• 14:28
  Lydell shrugged, I don't know. The inspector nodded, crushed the paper cup
• 14:35
  in his huge hand, threw it at the waste basket. Okay, if
• 14:39
  that's the way you want it. I played along with you in the past
• 14:41
  because you leveled with me. You know me well enough to know that I'm
• 14:43
  not just sounding off when I tell you that If you're holding out on me
• 14:46
  on this, I'll break you license in all and I'll tell you I'm not
• 14:52
  holding out. Okay, let's go over it again, curly He stamped back
• 14:58
  to his chair behind the desk. What were you'd do when they're waiting for
• 15:03
  a client? The man behind the desk snorted, banged the desk with his
• 15:07
  fist. What's the matter with your office? Don't you pay your rent?
• 15:11
  My client didn't want to come to the office. She didn't want anybody to
• 15:15
  know she had hired me. I don't blame her, Hurley. He leaned
• 15:20
  back, studied lydel She eh, what is this case you're supposed to be
• 15:24
  on? Lydell took a deep drag from the cigarette, let the smoke dribble
• 15:30
  lazily from his nostrils. It's confidential, Inspector Hurley. He looked tired.
• 15:35
  A V shaped crease was between his brows. His cold eyes were steady searching
• 15:41
  his face. Serious. This can be a tough rap for you if I
• 15:43
  want to stack it up that way, Johnny, he said, We've got
• 15:48
  a guy on ice wearing three of your slugs for a belt buckle. That
• 15:50
  license you carry is and investigate his license not a hunting license, he spoke
• 15:56
  flatly. No malice or emotion. Evident in his tone. I don't want
• 16:00
  to have to throw the book at you, but I'm gonna know what's going
• 16:03
  on in my district, no matter who gets stepped on. Lydell took a
• 16:07
  drag from the cigarette, held it in his lungs, let it drift from
• 16:11
  his lips. He returned the inspector's stare impassively. Suppose we start again from
• 16:17
  the beginning, Curly, He didn't miss a stroke on his gum. Who
• 16:21
  are you supposed to meet tonight? A client? What was her name?
• 16:26
  Lightell's sighed. I don't think you could make a rap stick on me,
• 16:30
  Inspector, and I don't think you think you can either. Don't make me
• 16:34
  prove it. Shamous Lydell dropped his cigarette to the floor, grounded out with
• 16:38
  his heel. I'm going to make an exception of this one, Inspector,
• 16:42
  and I'll tell you some of my clients business, but not because of anything
• 16:45
  you think you can do to me, because you like the way I part
• 16:48
  my hair, no doubt, because I think I'll need some help before this
• 16:52
  is over, Hurly, he smiled frostily. It's damn decent of you,
• 16:57
  Lidell. Who is this elusive client. Her name's Merrit, Jean Merritt.
• 17:04
  The v crease was back between the inspector's brows. He leaned back in his
• 17:08
  chair, regarded Lidell through lowered lids, and in relation to Matt Merritt,
• 17:14
  his daughter. Urly, he nodded indicated for Lydell to continue. She called
• 17:19
  me yesterday afternoon, wanted the agency to look into her old man's death.
• 17:25
  Give me a better one, Lydell, her old man committed suicide. Lydell
• 17:29
  shrugged. She doesn't think so. She's convinced he was murdered. The man
• 17:33
  behind the desk scratched at his scalp through thick white hair, stared down at
• 17:37
  his fingernails. Why didn't she come to your office? Scared? Thinks the
• 17:42
  old man's killers keeping an eye on her. She didn't want to tip that
• 17:47
  she was having the case reopened. Urly, he rolled his eyes upward from
• 17:51
  his nails to Lydell's face. But she didn't show after all. I waited
• 17:56
  from ten thirty until twelve. Then I called her hotel. She had appeared
• 18:00
  checked out with no forwarding address. So Lydell shrugged. So maybe she was
• 18:06
  right, Maybe someone did want to keep her from having the case reopened.
• 18:11
  The inspector snorted, just because she decided to change hotels. There's a hundred
• 18:15
  reasons why she should check out, and none of them sounded like what you
• 18:18
  say. Early, He pulled a pad to the corner of the desk.
• 18:22
  Who was the hood in the car, Johnny, I don't know. I
• 18:26
  told you that, inspector Early. He tossed the pencil down on the desk,
• 18:30
  disgustedly, you don't know. Some guy takes the trouble to spray enough
• 18:33
  lead at you to sink a battleship, and you don't know who it was
• 18:37
  and why. I think it's tied up with Jean Merritt's check out. Somebody
• 18:41
  found out she contacted me and wants to discourage me from taking on the case.
• 18:45
  Early, he snorted, All right, Lightel growled. Then you tell
• 18:52
  me I will, just as soon as I have the answer, Early,
• 18:56
  he promised grimly. Only then it will be too late for you to cooperate.
• 19:02
  Lydel stood up angrily, leaned over the desk, feet a little apart,
• 19:06
  broad shoulders, slouching, bald fists jam deep in his jacket pockets.
• 19:11
  I'm getting a little tired of all the Snyder remarks about my holding out.
• 19:14
  Inspector, I'm no newcomer around here. You know the way I operate,
• 19:18
  and you know me well enough to know that when I say I'm not holding
• 19:21
  out, I'm not holding out. You still insist the only reasons these hoods
• 19:26
  tossed lead at you was to scay off the merrit case. I still insist.
• 19:33
  Happen to know who the guy is you gunned out tonight. I didn't
• 19:37
  have time to get introduced. Lydell growled, Mike Skota know him? Lydell
• 19:42
  nodded, I've heard of him. You sure it was Skoda checks prints from
• 19:48
  the slab at Scota? All right, how does he fit in with your
• 19:51
  merit case? Lydell pinched at his nose with thumb and forefinger. I don't
• 19:56
  know where he fits, and I don't know who his buddy was, the
• 20:00
  guy who handled the typewriter. All I know is the dame was scared.
• 20:03
  Somebody was out to stop her from breaking this case open, and the minute
• 20:07
  I tackle it, they start working me over. The inspector leaned back,
• 20:11
  studied Ightel's angry face, nodded, Okay, maybe you are leveling as far
• 20:17
  as you know, maybe you really do believe all this ties in with merits
• 20:19
  suicide. I don't. But how do you figure it? How do I
• 20:25
  know what you've been up to? Hurly? He grunted. You might have
• 20:27
  moved in on some guy's gal. You might even have tried to ring in
• 20:32
  a pair of trained dice on somebody sensitive enough to discourage you from a repeat
• 20:36
  performance. He grinned slowly. It doesn't take some guys as long to get
• 20:41
  unpopular as it does others. You know, Okay, okay, so I'll
• 20:45
  change my deodor it, But just to make sure I'm not just half safe?
• 20:49
  How about my gun back? Hurly? He nodded, drew a pat
• 20:53
  out of his drawer, signed an authorization, slid it across the desk.
• 20:57
  A play along with you until I find you being frossing me, Johnny.
• 21:00
  If I do, you're gonna wish you had stop some of those slugs.
• 21:04
  The Hotel Westmore was a huge, oppressively modern group of buildings overlooking Riverside Drive
• 21:10
  and the Hudson River beyond the Cabby swung his hack out of the slow moving
• 21:14
  stream with such violence that it banged its front wheels against the curb. Skidded
• 21:18
  to a stop. A heavily braided door man scowled his disapproval at the driver,
• 21:22
  yanked open the door, waited while Lydell shoved a bill through the half
• 21:26
  opened window. He crossed the sidewalk, shouldered his way through a chromed revolving
• 21:32
  door, entered a thickly carpeted lobby. A few upholstered chairs were occupied by
• 21:37
  baggy eyed men wearing expensive looking suits, Countess Mara Tis and the morning tabloids.
• 21:44
  Lydell walked the block long length of the lobby to an ornate registration desk
• 21:48
  submitted to the scrutiny of A thin, lantern jawed young man with a carnation
• 21:52
  in his dark suit. Asked for the house detective. The clerk gave him
• 21:55
  a startled look, stared up at the clock above the desk, but said
• 21:57
  two thirty. A m turned reproachful eyes to the detective. Now now the
• 22:04
  clerk's signal for a bell boy, gave him instructions in a low voice.
• 22:08
  The bell boy turned a pair of wise, old young eyes on lydel nodded
• 22:12
  this way, mester. He led him to the end of the registration desk,
• 22:17
  turned left to a group of executive offices knocked on a door the second
• 22:21
  from the end. A heavy voice invited them in. A gray haired man
• 22:25
  in a dark suit smiled at them, nodded for the bell boy to leave.
• 22:29
  When the door had closed behind him, he turned to lydel The smile
• 22:32
  was still on his face, but his eyes were cold, searching. Now,
• 22:36
  what can we do for you? Sir? Lydell dropped into a chair
• 22:40
  on the far side of the desk. I was looking for some information.
• 22:44
  He brought out his credentials, tossed them across the desk. I was hoping
• 22:48
  Lee Cassidy would be on. The man picked up the credentials, rifled through
• 22:52
  him. Cassidy's on the day shift this month. We rotate know him well,
• 22:59
  worked on a few cases with him while he was still on the force.
• 23:03
  The gray haired man finished with the credentials, shoved them back across the
• 23:06
  desk. So you're Johnny Lydell. The cool eyes studied him, impersonally heard
• 23:11
  about you. Good, good enough to help you if I can, far
• 23:15
  as I know, you're okay with the house. Lydell picked up his papers,
• 23:19
  re arranged them, stowed them in his breast pocket. I want some
• 23:23
  information about one of your guests, a check out. Why she had a
• 23:27
  date with me at ten thirty last night and didn't show. I checked here
• 23:30
  at midnight, but she was gone with no forwarding address. The house officer
• 23:34
  blinked, no bad publicity in it for the house, no publicity. Lydell
• 23:41
  promised, what's the name? Jean Merritt. Lydell watched while the gray haired
• 23:45
  man jotted the name on a slip of paper. I want to know when
• 23:49
  she left, where she was going, if possible, in the line on
• 23:52
  the can she left in. Make yourself comfortable. I'll see what I can
• 23:56
  do in a few minutes. He was back. I'm afraid this isn't going
• 24:00
  to be much good to you, Lidel. He referred to the slip of
• 24:03
  paper in his hand. Miss Merritt left the hotel at about ten last night,
• 24:08
  came back at ten twenty with a man. A man. Anybody know
• 24:12
  him? The house detective shook his head, Not that I could find,
• 24:18
  He referred back to his notes. They went up to her room, and
• 24:21
  she called down to have her bill made up, checked out about ten fifty
• 24:23
  or so. The man paid the bill left with her. Lydell pinched irritably
• 24:29
  at his nostrils. Left at about ten the first time. Eh, she
• 24:34
  was supposed to meet me at ten thirty. I would have given her plenty
• 24:37
  of time to keep the date. The gray haired man held out a humidor
• 24:41
  when Lydell shook his head. He helped himself to a cigar. Lit it
• 24:45
  must have changed a mind. Somebody changed it for her. You're sure nobody
• 24:51
  got a good look at this guy she was with. The houseman took three
• 24:53
  quick puffs on the cigar, examined the burning end with elaborate interest. I
• 24:59
  hope you haven't forgot, and there would be no publicity about this Lidel.
• 25:03
  I'm not looking for publicity. I'm looking for my client. He wouldn't beholding
• 25:06
  out. Why should I. The detective shrugged. I'm not interested in covering
• 25:11
  up for your client or her boyfriend. I'm just interested in keeping the name
• 25:15
  of the house out of the papers. How about the car she left in?
• 25:19
  I had a little better luck there. We don't have much of a
• 25:22
  line playing the house after nine, so the doorman remembered putting her and the
• 25:26
  guy into a cab. He consulted. The paper driver's name was Leo Steinberg.
• 25:32
  He's a regular on the line. Can I see him? The gray
• 25:34
  haired man nodded. I passed a word to the starter to keep him there
• 25:38
  for you. As soon as you get back. He's on a hall,
• 25:41
  should be back any minute. You can wait in here if you like.
• 25:44
  Midell pulled himself out of his chair, reached over, shook hands with the
• 25:48
  house detective. Thanks, but I think I'll have a little walk with the
• 25:51
  doorman while I'm waiting. He walked through the elaborate lobby. None of the
• 25:56
  men in the armchairs had moved, still seemed to be reading the same pages
• 25:59
  of their tabloids. The doorman's name was Harvey, and under the stimulus of
• 26:03
  a carefully folded five, he remembered that miss Merritt and her boyfriend didn't do
• 26:07
  any talking while they were waiting to load her bags in Steinberg's hack. No,
• 26:11
  that wasn't usual. She was in the habit of kidding with the doorman,
• 26:15
  and the bell boys looked to him like she had had a fight with
• 26:18
  the guy. What do you look like? Skinny guy, dark coat,
• 26:22
  now much to look at didn't seem No, I couldn't rightly say you could
• 26:26
  identify him, didn't pay that much attention. A cab slid out of the
• 26:30
  line of cars heading across town toward the drive, took its place at the
• 26:33
  end of a small line parked along the curb at Steinberg. Now, mister,
• 26:37
  the doorman told Lydell. He led the way down the line to the
• 26:41
  cab. A thin faced man with a shock of light colored hair grinned toothfully
• 26:45
  as they approached a Harvey. This guy wants to ask you a couple of
• 26:49
  questions, Leo, the door man, indicated Lydell. He's interested in the
• 26:53
  merrit Dame the cab. He looked Lightell over Who the merrit Dame? The
• 27:00
  doorman repeated patiently, The one with all the bags the check out. He
• 27:04
  scratched his head, pursed his lips. M must have been around eleven.
• 27:10
  The cabby consulted his route card underscored a notation with a grimy fingernail. Oh
• 27:15
  that one, What about her? Where'd you take her? Leo Lydell wanted
• 27:21
  to know who'd just say? This character is Harvey, the cabby demanded Friend
• 27:26
  of the house Dick. Harvey looked at Lydell winked, Leo, figures his
• 27:30
  time is valuable too, Mister Lydell reached into his pocket brought up a five
• 27:37
  that valuable. The Cabby reached over, snared the bill, folded it lovingly.
• 27:41
  Why didn't you say he was a friend, Harvey? He grinned.
• 27:45
  What was it you wanted to know? Mister? Where'd you take miss Merritt
• 27:49
  and the man corner of Madison in forty fourth? Lydell scowled over the information
• 27:57
  across from the biltmore eh or the Roosevelt? No idea which one they went
• 28:02
  to? Neither? The Cabby shook his head. There was a car waiting
• 28:07
  ride alongside while he Frank's there on forty fourth, no lights. They transferred
• 28:11
  the bags into that. Lydell groaned, yeah, didn't see the license plate.
• 28:18
  The Cabby shook his head. Too dark. What kind of a car
• 28:22
  was it? The big black sedan looked like a buick to me. Lydell
• 28:27
  gnawed at his knuckle, nodded, you say. They transferred the bags and
• 28:32
  stuffed to the black car. The Cabby nodded. How about the girl?
• 28:36
  She seemed to put up any fuss or anything. The Cabby thought it over,
• 28:41
  shook his head. She sat in the cab until they had all the
• 28:44
  bags in the other car, and she got out with the skinny guy and
• 28:47
  got into it. They was still sitting there when I pulled away. He
• 28:51
  looked anxiously at Lidel. I hope you got your dose worth? Oh sure
• 28:56
  Lydell assured him. You couldn't have confused me more if I'd paid a hundred.
• 29:03
  In the chapter two, Chapter three, at ten the following morning,
• 29:07
  Johnny Lidell irritably pushed open the ground glass door that bore the caption. Johnny
• 29:12
  Lidell Private Investigations slammed it after him. The Redhead sat at a desk in
• 29:18
  an enclosed space, stabbing listlessly at the keys of a large desk typewriter,
• 29:22
  taking excessive care not to fracture the finish on her carefully slacked nails. Sorry
• 29:27
  about last night, pinky, he greeted her. I got tied up.
• 29:33
  She stopped jabbing at the typewriter keys, turned a pair of sea green eyes
• 29:37
  on him. So I read. She reached over, pulled a pile of
• 29:40
  paper towards her, extracted a clipping from the dispatch. I saved it for
• 29:45
  you, Lydell grunted, I don't have to read about it. I was
• 29:48
  there anything new? The Redhead shook her head. A couple of checks on
• 29:55
  old jobs to check from Miss Merritt. I already told you about that's all.
• 30:00
  She hasn't phoned or anything, just the check and put it through this
• 30:03
  morning. She watched him as he pushed through the railing gate started for a
• 30:07
  door marked private. You've got company in there, your little blond playmate said,
• 30:12
  it was all right to wait inside. She shrugged. It's okay with
• 30:17
  me if it's okay with you. But this is supposed to be a business
• 30:18
  office, and it's okay with me. Lydell cut her off. The red
• 30:25
  head sniffed audibly went back to stabbing at the typewriter keys. Then, as
• 30:29
  Lydell closed his office door behind him, she tore the half finished page out
• 30:33
  of the carriage, crushed it irritably, threw it at the waste basket.
• 30:37
  Inside the private office, Muggsy Keeley sat behind Lydell's desk, polishing her nails.
• 30:41
  Hi Johnny surprised to see me, Lydell grinned, I thought you were
• 30:47
  going to stay on the coast for a couple of months, mugs. He
• 30:49
  walked around the desk kissed her upturned lips. When'd you get in this mornin
• 30:55
  on the Commodore. Looks like I timed it right. What's going on around
• 30:59
  here with all the boom boom? Damned if I know? Mugs, He
• 31:03
  admitted, I was supposed to meet a client last night when these guys opened
• 31:06
  up on me with a Tommy gun some client. Muggsy grinned, who was
• 31:11
  it? A damn name? Merritt, Jean Merritt. Muggsy keelly, grimaced,
• 31:15
  wrinkled her pert nose that scroupall. How'd she get mixed up with a
• 31:19
  torpedo like Skota? I don't know that she is. I was supposed to
• 31:23
  meet her at ten thirty on Lexington Avenue. She didn't show, but the
• 31:26
  boys with the guitar did. Maybe there's no connection. But the door to
• 31:30
  the outer office opened. The redhead stalked in and dropped a pilot letters on
• 31:34
  the desk. Stalked out, what's with her? Muggsy demanded, Pinky doesn't
• 31:40
  approve of your using my private office for a boudoir. He nodded toward the
• 31:45
  nail. Polish thinks that unbusinesslike. I can't say the same for those sweaters
• 31:51
  she wears in a way she tosses those hips. They really do mean business.
• 31:55
  Muggsy picked up the letters. The redheaded typed groaned, batspellying a rations,
• 32:00
  poor spacing. Why don't you get a secretary you can type two?
• 32:04
  Why don't you lay off Pinky? She's a good kid, She must be
• 32:07
  good the way you baby here, Muggsy retorted, why don't you sit down?
• 32:10
  Or does that rexaw redhead approve of that either. Lydell's sighed dragged the
• 32:15
  client's chair to the side of the desk, dropped into it. He hooked
• 32:20
  his heels on the corner of the desk, leaned back. I didn't know
• 32:23
  how good I had it last night, when all I had to do was
• 32:25
  dodge bullets? What about last night? Now that you mention it didn't merit
• 32:30
  show up at all. She's disappeared. The glimmer of interest flickered in the
• 32:35
  girl's eyes. Now you, my boy. She reached for the telephone.
• 32:39
  Wait a minute, baby, Lydell pulled the phone out of her reach.
• 32:43
  You can't use that yet anyway. I thought you were finished with newspaper work.
• 32:47
  What happened to that great American movie you were going to write? I
• 32:51
  didn't like Hollywood, Johnny Muggsy confessed, I couldn't wait to get back to
• 32:54
  New York. Besides, Papa is still on the desk, and he'd never
• 32:58
  forgive either of us. If some beat him to this, Nobody's gonna beat
• 33:02
  him to it. That's what you say. That dame's name is news.
• 33:07
  If she disappeared, and if she's tied into last night's shooting, it's a
• 33:09
  corking yawn. Don't worry about it. Nobody knows she's disappeared except me and
• 33:15
  the house dick at the Westmore, and he's not likely to spill that one
• 33:17
  of the house's guests was snatched right out from under his nose. Every old
• 33:22
  biddy in the joint would check out in an hour. Muggsy refused to be
• 33:27
  mollified. I ought to cover pop on this one, Johnny. I can't
• 33:30
  sit on anything as hot as this. You think this is hot? Before
• 33:34
  I'm finished, I'll give you a story that'll make this look like kid's stuff.
• 33:37
  What story? Light Ill shrugged? I haven't got it yet. You
• 33:40
  didn't even ask what she hired the agency for with her. It could be
• 33:45
  anything from finding her pet Pekinese to buying back love letters from the tattooed man
• 33:50
  at the circus. Okay, I'll play along. What did she hire the
• 33:52
  agency to do? Find out who murdered her old man? Who murdered her
• 33:59
  old man? You kidding? Maunt Mary committed suicide? Lydell shrugged, Do
• 34:05
  me somethin she thinks she was murdered muggsy chewed on the end of a lacquered
• 34:09
  nail, considered it shook her head. I don't believe it. That may
• 34:14
  have been the reason she gave you, but there was something else behind it,
• 34:16
  such as it could be anything I tell you. With gunmen like Scota
• 34:22
  and the picture begins to smell like blackmail or unpaid io used, doesn't it.
• 34:27
  I don't know enough about her, Lydell admitted, give me a fast
• 34:30
  run down. She's a typical cafe society screwball and one mess after another until
• 34:36
  the old man toned her down. Seems to me she's managed to stay out
• 34:39
  of the columns for the last year or so, but before that she was
• 34:42
  always in them. Seems to me she's due to get married this month.
• 34:45
  Who too? The blonde pursed her lips, wrinkled her brow and concentration the
• 34:52
  family doctor I named she struggled with her memory, shook her head. Let
• 34:57
  me check. She picked up the phone by the number. Waited, then
• 35:00
  Hello, advance, gimme Anne Schaeffer on Society. There was a brief pause,
• 35:06
  Anne, Ronnie Keeley. Fine, No, I'm back in town for
• 35:09
  a while. Look, honey, my memory isn't what it was. Do
• 35:12
  you remember the guy Jean Merritt was going to marry who? Yes, that's
• 35:15
  the one. Thanks a lot. She dropped the phone back on its cradle.
• 35:20
  Doctor Seville, Tony Seville. He took care of the old man.
• 35:24
  How about him? Okay, as far as I know, he didn't play
• 35:29
  the cellar circuit? How he ever, came to fall for a screwball like
• 35:31
  the merry kid. I don't know. That could be the answer. What
• 35:37
  the fiance? When she checked out of the Westmore last night, there was
• 35:39
  a man with her. He took care of the bill, took her away
• 35:43
  from all I could pick up. She went willingly enough. If it was
• 35:46
  a man, she went willingly lydel scowled, ignored the interruption. He might
• 35:52
  have talked her out of keeping the appointment, took her home. Why not
• 35:54
  your brains over it? If she didn't think enough of it to keep the
• 35:58
  appointment. Why should you worry? First, because she paid a five hundred
• 36:01
  dollar retainer and she's got some action coming to her. Second, because the
• 36:05
  guy she left the hotel with sounded like Skota, and the car they got
• 36:07
  into sounded like the one they used for the guitar serenade. He punched the
• 36:12
  button at the base of the phone just the same. It's worth having a
• 36:15
  talk with doctor Seville. The redhead in the outer office answered her ring pink,
• 36:21
  you get me the number of a doctor Tony Saville, will you?
• 36:23
  She snapped an affirmative click the phone in his ear. Maybe we can wrap
• 36:28
  this one up fast and have a couple of days to see the sights.
• 36:30
  Muggsy, what's your pop have to say about your packing in the movie job?
• 36:35
  Muggsy grinned. He played the same old record newspaper work is no fit
• 36:38
  work for a woman. It's a dog's life. Still, even with his
• 36:42
  ulcers, they can't get him to take a couple of weeks off for a
• 36:44
  rest. Going back to the advance depends on what on you on how good
• 36:50
  this story is that you're gonna hand me all wrapped up in pretty ribbons.
• 36:53
  The desk phone buzzed. Lyidell lifted it to his ear. Doctor Seville has
• 36:59
  two numbers, Pinky snapped. One is his office on sixtieth in pot The
• 37:02
  other is his private hospital in Bronxville. Which one do you want? Try
• 37:07
  him at his office? Will you, Pinky, make an appointment for me
• 37:09
  to see him right after launch if possible? He consulted his watch. Any
• 37:14
  time after one thirty, Doctor Tony Seville was sitting behind his desk, his
• 37:19
  chair facing out on to the streaming traffic five stories below along Park Avenue when
• 37:23
  the nurse ushered Johnny Lydell into his office. Mister Lydell, doctor, the
• 37:29
  nurse announced him. The man in the chair swung around slowly eyed. Lidell
• 37:32
  disinterestedly waved him to a chair with a careful, manicured hand. His thick
• 37:37
  black hair was carefully slacked into place. High cheek bones accentuated, dark liquid
• 37:42
  eyes. A thin pencil line mustache separated a full, sensuous mouth from a
• 37:46
  perfectly chiseled nose. He picked up the typewritten mimo. The nurse lated at
• 37:51
  his elbow, glanced at it. His voice was low, well modulated.
• 37:54
  You wanted to see me on a personal matter, mister Lydell. His eyes
• 38:00
  rolled up to the nurse, who nodded back to Lidel. How can I
• 38:02
  help you? It's about miss Jean Merritt. Doctor Lydell told him, I'm
• 38:07
  a private investigator. He dropped into a heavily upholstered chair, waiting until the
• 38:13
  doctor had dismissed his nurse. Now, Lidell, what about miss Merrit,
• 38:16
  Savill asked, as soon as the door had closed behind the nurse, I
• 38:21
  thought you might be here. The dark man raised his eyebrows delicately here.
• 38:27
  Why should she be here? She checked out of her hotel rather unexpectedly late
• 38:31
  last night. She left for the man. I thought it might be you.
• 38:36
  The doctor considered it, twisted a heavy gold ring on his fourth finger.
• 38:39
  May I ask your interest in my fiance. Miss Merritt engaged my agency
• 38:45
  to look into her father's death. The doctor sighed, you know, of
• 38:50
  course, that her father committed suicide. That's what the coroner says. Miss
• 38:53
  Merritt thought she had something that proved otherwise, she may have thought she had,
• 39:00
  Saville conceded, meaning meaning that my fiance has been under a tremendous emotional
• 39:06
  strain she's prone to some exaggeration. The doctor leaned over, selected a tubular
• 39:10
  cigarette from a japanned box on his desk. Try one of these, I
• 39:15
  have them specially blended lidoll. Selected one, hung it from the corner of
• 39:20
  his mouth, touched a match to it, drew deeply. He wrinkled his
• 39:23
  nose as he exhaled twin streams of smoke through his nostrils. I prefer tobacco
• 39:30
  and mine. He grunted, grounded out in an ashtray to get back to
• 39:34
  Miss Merritt. You think she's blown her top? Is that? It not
• 39:37
  quite that drastic? Of course, Let's say she's very unpredictable as the result
• 39:42
  of the shock of her father's tragic death. He feted his cigarette into a
• 39:45
  holder, tilted it in the corner of his mouth. She was very close
• 39:50
  to her father, you know, very close. He reached into his bottom
• 39:53
  drawer deposited a bottle with a foreign label and two glasses on his desk.
• 39:59
  Since you don't approve of my tobacco, may I offer you a drink?
• 40:02
  Midell nodded, watched the physician poor stiff portions into each glass. I understood
• 40:07
  you were to be married this month. We were naturally in view of what
• 40:13
  has happened, it has been postponed permanently. The physician looked up, a
• 40:17
  frown marring his forehead. Temporarily. Of course, we will be married as
• 40:22
  soon as Jean fills up to it. Lydell sipped his drink. Approved.
• 40:28
  You are Merit's physician. Are you convinced he committed suicide? Unquestionably he had
• 40:34
  a reason to kill himself. Saville shrugged. He thought so obviously, and
• 40:39
  you. The doctor warmed his glass between its palms, sniffed the bouquet.
• 40:45
  Jean's father was convinced that he was suffering from a malignant condition in his throat.
• 40:50
  He became despondent withdrew into himself. We tried to convince him that the
• 40:54
  condition was not as bad as he imagined, but he refused to be consoled.
• 41:00
  Lydell found one of his own cigarettes. Let it this throat condition.
• 41:04
  Was it incurable? In my opinion, no, But we could not persuade
• 41:08
  him that it wasn't. His mother had died of cancer, and nothing we
• 41:12
  could say would shake his conviction that he had inherited a tendency toward it.
• 41:16
  He worried himself to the verge of a nervous breakdown. He shrugged, looked
• 41:21
  sad. That night he probably cracked altogether. It was tragic. Why should
• 41:27
  miss Merritt be so convinced that it wasn't suicide. She must have known his
• 41:30
  mental state. She must know it, but she won't permit herself to acknowledge
• 41:35
  it. Lydell, she is a very strong minded person, and to her
• 41:38
  suicide is an indication of weakness. She can't allow herself to believe that her
• 41:43
  father, whom she idolized, was weak in any way. Sharley, you
• 41:47
  could talk her out of it. Saville sipped at his glass, set it
• 41:52
  back on the corner of his desk. I haven't discussed the matter with Jean
• 41:55
  since the funeral. She was so upset she expressed the wish to see nobody.
• 42:00
  I'm confident that when once she has worked the matter out in her own
• 42:05
  mind, she'll communicate with me. At that time, of course, I
• 42:09
  shall do what I can to rid her mind of this fixation. Lydell scowled,
• 42:15
  swirled the contents of his glass around the side. Does on her behavior
• 42:19
  of last night indicate she may need some help? The fact that she changed
• 42:22
  her mind about using your services. You mean, the fact that she's disappeared.
• 42:29
  What would you suggest I do? The physician's voice was silky. Called
• 42:32
  the police and then have to explain to Jeanne after I'd stirred up an official
• 42:37
  inquiry merely because she'd decided to change hotels. Really, Lidell, it occurs
• 42:43
  to me that perhaps you are overstepping whatever authority you feel Miss Merritt's phone call
• 42:47
  may have given you. Maybe maybe not, But until she tells me otherwise,
• 42:52
  she's a client, and as such she gets all the help and protection
• 42:55
  I feel she needs. Lydell growled, I'll go along with you on not
• 43:00
  dragging the police into this until it's absolutely necessary, But I do think her
• 43:05
  family should be checked. She has no family. Her nearest living relative is
• 43:08
  her mother, and she is lying near death in the hospital. Saville caught
• 43:13
  his drink from the corner of the desk, finished it, dried his lips
• 43:16
  with a snowy white pocket handkerchief. As you probably know, she was found
• 43:21
  unconscious at the foot of the stairs leading to her husband's study the night he
• 43:25
  died. I didn't know. Lydell admitted stroke some cerebral hemorrhage. However,
• 43:34
  even more serious are the incidental injuries. Lydell raised his eyebrows. How day
• 43:39
  happen? The man behind the desk shrugged. We can't be sure. My
• 43:45
  guess is that she discovered her husband's body, ran for help, suffered the
• 43:49
  stroke at the head of the stairs, and fell the full length of the
• 43:51
  staircase. How does she explain it? A slight frown ruffled the placidity of
• 43:58
  Saville's expression. She hasn't recovered consciousness sufficiently to explain anything. He spun his
• 44:05
  chair around, consulted the filing cabinet at his elbow, brought out a large
• 44:08
  Manila envelope, laid it on the desk. Perhaps you'd like to see the
• 44:13
  extent of her injuries. These are the x rays we took directly after the
• 44:16
  accident. He spilled four gray black negatives on the desk, rose and snapped
• 44:21
  the switch for a large box like cabinet in the corner. He held the
• 44:24
  negatives up to the light, selected one, snapped it into place. Lydell
• 44:29
  could see clearly the outline of a skull with a large, ominous dark area
• 44:32
  over the ear. In this lateral view of the skull, you can see
• 44:37
  the full damage to that portion. Sabill's voice had grown professionally impersonal. He
• 44:42
  indicated the dark area. Apparently, in her fall down the stairs, the
• 44:45
  patient's head came into contact with the sharp edge of either a step or the
• 44:50
  banister, causing a severe fracture. Lydell nodded, crushed out his cigarette,
• 44:55
  never mind dragging out the rest of the family album. Doc, I'll take
• 44:59
  your word for it, Savill smiled, snapped off the projector. Sorry,
• 45:04
  old man, I thought you might be interested. He walked back to his
• 45:07
  chair, refilled the two glasses. In addition to the skull fracture, missus
• 45:12
  Merrit sustained a fractured jaw and a compound fracture of the right arm. And
• 45:16
  a woman of her advanced age, you can understand such injuries can be very
• 45:21
  serious. Lydell took a drink from his glass regarded the other man over the
• 45:25
  rim. Miss Merritt hasn't been around to see her mother since it happened.
• 45:30
  She has dropped by, of course, and phoned from time to time to
• 45:34
  ask about her condition. As you can understand, there is little or nothing
• 45:37
  she can do. Savill tapped his cigarette hold her against his teeth. So
• 45:43
  you see, Lydell, it would appear that you are putting too much credence
• 45:46
  in the hysteria of an emotionally unbalanced girl. Lydell trained his glass, set
• 45:52
  it on the desk, stood up. I'll wait until I hear from miss
• 45:55
  Merrit. You can tell her that I am staying at the hotel Abbot if
• 45:59
  you should hear from her. In the meantime, I'll do my best to
• 46:01
  earn my fee. Doctor Saville smiled, raised his hands palms upward. That,
• 46:07
  of course is up to you. I feel certain that you'll be hearing
• 46:10
  from her very shortly. In of chapter three, Chapter four, Johnny Lyddell
• 46:20
  was sitting at the back booth in Lottie's, a small coffee shop that served
• 46:22
  as a secondary headquarters for the staff of the Advance between editions. He was
• 46:29
  drinking a glass of milk, stabbing disinterestedly at a slab of pie when Muggsy
• 46:32
  walked in. She stopped at the counter on the way, ordered a cup
• 46:37
  of black coffee, slid in next to Lightell. Didn't take you very long,
• 46:42
  she said. You couldn't have found out very much. I didn't,
• 46:45
  Lydell moaned, Oh, I've found out as that the dame is cracked in
• 46:51
  a nice sort of way, of course, and I'm goofier for paying any
• 46:53
  attention to her. What do you say when you told him she hired you
• 46:57
  to find out how her old man died? Lydell shrugged, waited while the
• 47:01
  waitress deposited a cup of black coffee in front of Mugsy cleared away the remains
• 47:06
  of a pie, same thing everybody else says. Did he know about it?
• 47:12
  He says he hasn't heard from her since the funeral. Seems she likes
• 47:15
  to go some place and work things out alone. I told you she was
• 47:19
  a whack, Muggsy reminded him, So you can stop feelin bad if she
• 47:23
  doesn't take the trouble to even get in touch with the guy she's goin to
• 47:27
  marry. A mere employee shouldn't be hurt because she decides to stand him up.
• 47:31
  That part I might buy. Lydell conceded, But who is the guy
• 47:36
  she left with? And why the Tommy gun serenade for me? He watched
• 47:39
  moodily while Muggsy lit two cigarettes, accepted one. What do you know about
• 47:44
  her mother? The girl screwed up her forehead in concentration, had a stroke
• 47:50
  or something, didn't She seems to me she was on the critical list at
• 47:52
  the time of the funeral. She ironed out the creases on her forehead.
• 47:57
  Shrugged. Just an impression, But I think she's per sick someplace and Doc
• 48:01
  Saville's private hospital. Lyedelk grunted, fell down a flight of stairs and got
• 48:07
  herself all busted up. Apparently she was alone in the house the night it
• 48:09
  happened, and she took a stroke. Goin for help. I don't know
• 48:14
  why you don't just pack it in, Johnny. The only thing you're going
• 48:16
  on is Jean's telephone call, and she's a screwball from way back. Lydel
• 48:21
  nodded. I probably should, I guess, but before I do, I
• 48:25
  just want to satisfy myself that the old boy did go out Dutch. The
• 48:30
  medical examiner was satisfied, and so with the police. Seville was his physician.
• 48:34
  What does he say, suicide? He scowled at the tip of his
• 48:37
  cigarette, But none of them were looking for anything. I am it might
• 48:43
  make a difference. Muggsy shrugged. It's your time. If you want to
• 48:46
  throw it around. How you gonna satisfy yourself. Maybe if I could lay
• 48:51
  my hands on the official photographs and the on the spot testimony, it might
• 48:54
  help got any contacts out on the island. Doc Travin still the medical examiner
• 49:01
  out there in Carport. Muggsy nodded, he was last I heard. Then
• 49:07
  I got contacts, And if Doc Travin convinces you it was suicide, lydel
• 49:12
  shrugged, dropped his cigarette to the floor, then I'll ride it off as
• 49:15
  a dizzy dame's idea of a way to pass a dull, rainy night.
• 49:19
  I don't know how Scota feels about it, but I'm willing to make believe
• 49:22
  it never happened. Scota lightel grinned bleakly. Yeah, Scota, the guy
• 49:28
  in the morgue. A half an hour later, Johnny Lidell headed his convertible
• 49:32
  up the East Side Drive to the one hundred and twenty fifth Street ramp to
• 49:36
  the triborough Bridge. He took the Long Island Entrance, headed south past La
• 49:39
  Guardia toward Northern Boulevard. Once on Northern, he headed east toward Carport settle
• 49:45
  back for a forty five minute run. Alongside Himuggsy Keeley leaned her head back
• 49:50
  on the leather seat, let the breeze play havoc. With her thick blonde
• 49:52
  hair, hummed the accompaniment of the car radio by Mitchell consent. Neither of
• 49:59
  them referred to the cave saw all the way out in carport. The Medical
• 50:01
  Examiner's office adjoined the morgue in the basement of the new four story stone courthouse.
• 50:07
  Lightel wheeled the convertible into the courthouse parking lot, squeezed it between two
• 50:10
  whitewashed lines that were labeled for office use only locked the car. The cross
• 50:16
  the courtyard, pushed through a revolving door, followed a stenciled arrow that pointed
• 50:20
  to Medical Examiner's office. It led down a flight of stairs, past a
• 50:23
  row of closed doors marked morgue, to a plane door bearing the legend Medical
• 50:28
  Examiner with doctor T. E. Travin and small letters below it. The
• 50:32
  dank, damp air of the morgue seemed to permeate through the walls into the
• 50:36
  Medical Examiner's office. It was furnished only with a large varnished desk, a
• 50:39
  row of filing cabinets, two hard wooden chairs, and a row of framed
• 50:44
  diplomas. On the wall, A thin woman with painfully prominent front teeth stood
• 50:49
  filing sheets of paper at one cabinet near the door. She looked up as
• 50:52
  they entered. Doctor Travanan Lydel asked, he's in the building. She acknowledged
• 50:58
  the rebuff teeth. Kind of busy right now? Was he expecting you?
• 51:01
  She pushed a whisper of graying hair out of her face tucked it untidily behind
• 51:06
  her ear. She had a yellowish complexion that seemed to go with the dankness
• 51:09
  of the room. I didn't have an appointment, but I think he'll see
• 51:14
  me, Lydell told her. Tell him it's Lydell. The woman's sigh,
• 51:17
  dropped her papers on the desktop, wiped her hands along the side of her
• 51:21
  thighs, slammed the cabinet drawer. I'll see if he can come out,
• 51:24
  have a seat, She stalked out of the room, muttering to herself.
• 51:30
  Lydell, sprawled on a chair watched while Muggsy scrambled up on the corner of
• 51:32
  the desk, let her heels hit the sides. After a moment, the
• 51:37
  door swung open. The woman's complaining voice preceded her into the room. But
• 51:40
  I tell you, he's not in a hurry. You ought to finish that
• 51:43
  case now. Doctor Captain Holmes wants that autopsy report to day. Will you
• 51:46
  stop living my life, Smitty? That guy in there can wait. He
• 51:51
  waited for three days for us to fish him out of the bay. He
• 51:52
  can wait another ten minutes to find out why I ended in the bay.
• 51:57
  The medical examiner walked in, his face dark with a noise ants when he
• 52:00
  saw Lydell and Muggsy. The annoyance drained out of his face, washed away
• 52:04
  by a slow grin Muggsy keely By, Oh that's holy. He walked over,
• 52:08
  grabbed her extended hand, wrung it. He're a sight for sore eyes.
• 52:14
  The thin woman behind him sniffed audibly. Doctor Travin didn't even turn around.
• 52:19
  I'll call you and I need you, Smitty. This is personal business.
• 52:22
  The woman's bloodless lips flattened into a thin line. A dull flush gave
• 52:25
  her face and few uneven smears of color. She stalked to the door slammed
• 52:30
  it behind her. Damned old maid. The medical examiner muttered, the only
• 52:35
  reason I keep her around is because when she starts to look good to me,
• 52:37
  I'll know I've been spending too much time with floaters. Have it changed
• 52:42
  a bit, have you, Doc? Muggsy grinned at him, not even
• 52:45
  as jokes. Lidell nodded. Don't you get to say hello to me at
• 52:49
  all? Doc, I'm afraid to. Every time I say hello to you,
• 52:52
  it means trouble. He walked over, shook hands with Lydell, pulled
• 52:57
  the other chair over, dropped into it with a sigh. Keeping you busy,
• 53:00
  dot, Muggsy wanted to know. Not too busy? Only reason I
• 53:05
  was out front. They brought in some god that's been in the bay for
• 53:07
  a couple of days, and all of a sudden they're in a hurry for
• 53:09
  a report. What the hell? He's not going any place, doctor,
• 53:14
  travin with small chipper with a thatch of untidy white hair that belied the youthfulness
• 53:17
  of the grin that split his face from ear to ear. Never mind that,
• 53:22
  what brings you to out this way? I just came for the ride
• 53:25
  and to see you, Muggsy told him that'll be the day. He looked
• 53:30
  at Lydell curiously. Something going on out here, just routine, Doc,
• 53:36
  I'm on a case and I wanted to pick up some background on it.
• 53:39
  Out here? What's the case? I've been retained to find out what happened
• 53:44
  to Matt Merritt. His daughter isn't satisfied with a verdict, The medical examiner
• 53:49
  scowled. Dug a battered briar from one pocket, a pouch from the other.
• 53:52
  He committed suicide? What's there to find out? He ran the bowl
• 53:57
  of the pipe into the pouch, packed it with his index finger. What
• 54:00
  are you really out here on, Johnny the mat Merrit case, Lyedel told
• 54:06
  him. He fumbled through his pockets fruitlessly, caught the cigarette mugsy tossed him,
• 54:10
  stuck it in his mouth, lit it. What makes you so sure
• 54:14
  it was suicide? Dot, It couldn't be anything else, Travin told him
• 54:19
  flatly. He scraped a long wooden match on the sole of his shoe,
• 54:22
  held it to the pipe, sucked in a lungful of blue smoke. Even
• 54:25
  you can't make it out as anything but suicide. It been wrong before,
• 54:30
  Doc Lydel chied at him, Not this time, my boy. He tempted
• 54:35
  tobacco down in the bowl, burned his finger, swore under his breath.
• 54:38
  Light El grinned, that's what you said the last time, Doc is this
• 54:43
  guy pulling my leg muggs. Muggsy shook her head. He's really working for
• 54:46
  the merrit kid Doc. She doesn't believe the old man killed himself. Travin
• 54:51
  scowled. That's the craziest damn thing I ever heard. He pulled himself out
• 54:55
  of the chair, brought a bunch of keys from his pants pocket, selected
• 54:59
  one, crossed the room to a metal cabinet. He used the key to
• 55:02
  open it. Pawed through a file of large envelopes, selected one, tied
• 55:07
  with a red ribbon, pulled it out of the file. He peered near
• 55:10
  sightedly at the type notation on the left corner, nodded, brought it back
• 55:15
  with him. I shouldn't be breaking this stuff open for you without a court
• 55:17
  order, Johnny, but this is one argument I'm going to win from you.
• 55:22
  He tossed the envelope into Lightell's lap. Johnny took a last drag on
• 55:25
  a cigarette, dropped it to the floor, grounded out. He untied the
• 55:30
  envelope, pulled out a batch of official photographs rifled through him twice. He
• 55:34
  stopped to examine a picture at great length. Muggsy hopped off the desk,
• 55:37
  stood behind his chair, looked over his shoulder. Dead. Quite a job
• 55:42
  on the top of his head, eh, The medical examined a grinned around
• 55:45
  the pipe they always do when they stick the gun in their mouth, and
• 55:49
  pulled the trigger. He pulled the pipe from between his teeth, pointed with
• 55:52
  the stem. No sign of a struggle of any kind, you'll notice,
• 55:57
  Lydell nodded glumly. All right in, Travin crowed triumphantly. Now you tell
• 56:02
  me that he lets somebody walk up to him, stick a gun in his
• 56:06
  mouth and not even struggle. You've got a point, Flydell conceded. He
• 56:10
  rifled through the pictures again, frowned. Selected a long view of the room
• 56:14
  showing the ceiling. The homicide boys must be getting pretty neat. Doc can't
• 56:19
  even see where they dug the slug out. He handed the picture to the
• 56:22
  medical examiner. Travin peered at it, looked up. I don't get it,
• 56:28
  neither do I. Johnny Muggsy put in the ceiling. Didn't they have
• 56:31
  to dig the slug out of the ceiling? Oh no, the slug didn't
• 56:36
  go into the ceiling. Travin put his pipe in his mouth, ground his
• 56:39
  teeth on the stem. So what so nothing. Where did the bullet go?
• 56:45
  I don't think they found it. It was probably spent by the time
• 56:47
  it went through the top of his head, fell to the rug and got
• 56:51
  kicked around in the confusion. Lydel flipped the rest of the pictures onto the
• 56:55
  desk, stared at them morosely. Sounds like you got a good case for
• 56:59
  suits suicide all right here? Tight? Doc Travin gathered up the photographs,
• 57:04
  returned them to their folder. Hope, I haven't spoiled a case for you.
• 57:07
  We get paid to dig, so I'm digging. That's the motto of
• 57:10
  the Johnny Lydell Agency service. With a smile. Smile, Hell you laugh
• 57:15
  right in their face. Travin returned the folder to the file locked the cabinet.
• 57:21
  Now what Johnny Muggsy wanted to know? Damned if I know this?
• 57:25
  One's really got me spinning. Say what are they use around here to revive
• 57:29
  a guy that's on the verge of a collapse? Doc spirits of ammonia I
• 57:34
  might have known, Lydell groaned, I'll take my collapse to more hospitable surroundings,
• 57:39
  the nearest bar, for example. Wait till I get my hat.
• 57:44
  The medical examiner grinned. You should have your physician along to make sure they
• 57:46
  give you the right dosage. End of chapter four, Chapter five. That
• 57:54
  evening, Johnny Lydell dropped muggs Achellia at her apartment on Central Park South,
• 58:00
  headed the convertible downtown to the room he maintained at the Hotel Abbot. He
• 58:04
  turned the car over to the uniformed dorman, flipped him a quarter walked to
• 58:07
  the lobby entrance. The Hotel Abbot was an old, weather beaten, grime
• 58:12
  darkened stone building that nestled almost anonymously in a row of similar stone buildings on
• 58:17
  East thirty first Street. A small metal plaque to the right of the entrance
• 58:22
  was the only clue to its identity. The lobby was large, noisy,
• 58:25
  seemed bathed in a perpetual pink light, the reflection of a huge neon signed
• 58:30
  to the right of the entrance that identified the cowl room cocktails. The easy
• 58:37
  chairs spaced throughout the lobby were filled with men whose perusal of their newspapers seemed
• 58:42
  undisturbed by the hum of conversation and bustle of activity. A short, fat
• 58:45
  man stood at the cigar counter, trying with no apparent success to interest the
• 58:50
  blonde that presided over it with his plans for the evening. She looked over
• 58:53
  his shoulder waved to Lidell as he came in. Lidell winked back, headed
• 58:58
  for the bank of elevators, and in rear was deterred by a gesture from
• 59:01
  the immaculate creature behind the registration desk A message for you, mister Lydell.
• 59:07
  He made a production of removing an envelope from the pigeon hole, prominently numbered
• 59:10
  six twenty five. He handed the envelope across the desk, worked hard at
• 59:15
  a semblance of an urbane smile that missed by miles. Your friends were very
• 59:20
  disappointed that they missed you. Lydell nodded, examined the envelope. It bore
• 59:25
  the return address of the hotel abbot. He looked up into the eyes of
• 59:29
  the clerk. They wanted to leave you a message, so I suggested that
• 59:34
  they use our facilities. He dry washed his hands, bobbed his head like
• 59:37
  a cork in a stormy inlet. Lydell studied the scrawled Johnny Lidell on the
• 59:43
  face of the envelope, failed to recognize the handwriting. He ripped open the
• 59:47
  envelope extracted a piece of paper. It was blank. He growled under his
• 59:52
  breath. Ran his eyes down the list of new arrivals, failed to find
• 59:55
  any familiar names. He flipped back through the pages of the register, seemed
• 1:00:00
  satisfied to find that the adjoining rooms and the room across the hall from his
• 1:00:04
  were occupied by semi prominent guests. Is anything wrong, mister Lydell? The
• 1:00:08
  clerk wanted to know what these friends of mine look like. The clerk looked,
• 1:00:15
  startled by the sharpness of Lydell's tone. I really don't know, young
• 1:00:20
  men, I'd say, neatly dressed. I didn't pay much attention. I
• 1:00:23
  hope nothing's wrong. I hope you get your hope. The dry hand wash
• 1:00:29
  was going full speed. Now. I meet certain not to give your room
• 1:00:32
  number out of course, and you kidding, lydel grinned bleakly. He tossed
• 1:00:37
  the blank notepaper down on the counter. It is the oldest trick in the
• 1:00:40
  world. When you stuck that envelope in my slot, they got the number
• 1:00:44
  unless they were blind. He scowled at the shaking clerk strode down to the
• 1:00:47
  elevator at the sixth floor, He looked both ways, satisfied himself that there
• 1:00:53
  was no stake out in the corridor. He walked down to the corridor,
• 1:00:57
  said at the right angles to the main one found it. Walked down to
• 1:01:00
  his room. The keyhole showed no signs of having been tampered with, but
• 1:01:05
  it didn't take a locksmith to know that the lock couldn't put up a good
• 1:01:07
  struggle with a bent bobby pin. He slid his key softly into the lock,
• 1:01:12
  turned it, then, easing the forty five from its holster, he
• 1:01:15
  turned the knob, pushed the door open, flattened himself against the wall.
• 1:01:20
  For fully a minute, he stood in the corridor, waiting for some sound
• 1:01:22
  to betray the presence of one of his friends in the darkened room. Then
• 1:01:28
  he slid into the room, snapped the light, and fanned the room with
• 1:01:30
  his forty five. The room was empty. He repeated the procedure with the
• 1:01:35
  bathroom and the microscopic kitchen. None of the room showed any sign of having
• 1:01:38
  been entered. He walked back across the bedroom to kick the door shut.
• 1:01:43
  Saw a bell boy at the far end of the corridor watching him with an
• 1:01:45
  open mouth. He had a sudden inspiration that a brandy wouldn't be amiss,
• 1:01:51
  stepped into the hall to talk to the boy. He had hardly stepped into
• 1:01:53
  the corridor out of range of the bedroom window when chips of wood and bits
• 1:01:58
  of plaster started flying. A sharp splinter of wood snapped against his forehead,
• 1:02:01
  drawing blood. Glass shattered, and a picture danced off the wall smashed to
• 1:02:05
  the floor. A woman screamed hysterically, and from some place close a typewriter
• 1:02:09
  was spelling out death in a stuttering cadence. Lydell dropped to his knees,
• 1:02:14
  crawled back into his room, kicked the corridor door shut behind him, Conscious
• 1:02:19
  that the lighted room set him up like a sitting ducky blasted the light fixture
• 1:02:22
  half off the wall with the forty five. The Tommy gun continued its lethal
• 1:02:27
  chatter. Lydell could hear the pellets whizzing by like angry bees, chewing pieces
• 1:02:30
  out of the woodwork and plaster. He crept to the window applied a cautious
• 1:02:35
  eye to the corner. There was a lull in the shooting, probably to
• 1:02:38
  allow the gunmen to slide another pen into his gun. Lydell took advantage of
• 1:02:44
  the pause to try to localize the source of the shooting. Directly across the
• 1:02:47
  narrow street was a movie house, the old Hotel Clinton, a supermodern office
• 1:02:52
  building, and on the corner a department store. He settled for the Hotel
• 1:02:57
  Clinton. The flicker of the movie's neonk our key alternately drenched the face of
• 1:03:00
  the Clinton in light, then dipped it into darkness. A new sound,
• 1:03:05
  the wailing of police sirens converging on the area, split the sudden. Quiet
• 1:03:08
  Lydel's eyes flicked across the windows facing his the lighted ones he eliminated, immediately
• 1:03:15
  concentrated on the darkened ones. Suddenly, as the movie light blinked on,
• 1:03:19
  he caught the bright glint of light on metal. He leaned the barrel of
• 1:03:22
  forty five on the window sill, ignoring the mounting crescendo of running feet and
• 1:03:25
  horse shouts in the hallway across the street, A man's leg was thrown across
• 1:03:30
  the windows sill was feeling cautiously for the fire escape landing. After a second,
• 1:03:35
  the rest of the body came into view. The man peered down over
• 1:03:37
  the railing at the street below, seemed satisfied, started down the stairs.
• 1:03:42
  Lydell waited until the upper portion of the man's body sat on top of his
• 1:03:45
  front sight squeezed the trigger. There was a loud boom in the closeness of
• 1:03:49
  the room, and for a moment the pounding at the door stopped. Across
• 1:03:52
  the street, the man on the fire escape staggered. He tried to pull
• 1:03:55
  the tommy gun he was carrying into firing position. Lydell's square the trigger again.
• 1:04:00
  The tommy gun was apparently too heavy to lift, slipped from the man's
• 1:04:03
  hands. He went to his knees, pulled himself to his feet, tried
• 1:04:08
  to get back to the window. The forty five barked again. The man
• 1:04:12
  on the fire escape stiffened, clawed at the rail, his knees folded under
• 1:04:15
  him. He toppled over the low guard rail, crashed headlong toward the street
• 1:04:19
  below. His body hit the sidewalk, lay motionless six stories below. A
• 1:04:25
  woman put her hands over her face, flattened back against the building. Other
• 1:04:29
  pedestrians scattered in all directions. As Lydell watched, the more hearty witnesses started
• 1:04:34
  dribbling back out of the doorways congregated morbidly around the body from the hotel.
• 1:04:40
  A uniform bell boy came out to lead the woman into the hotel lobby.
• 1:04:44
  Then, pulling his head in lidel, walked to the door threw it open.
• 1:04:47
  The house detective, a normally ruddy faced irishman named Collins, stood uncertainly
• 1:04:53
  at the sill, gun in hand, staring wide eyed at the damage the
• 1:04:56
  gun had done. Behind him, half a dozen white faces guests stared over
• 1:05:00
  his shoulder. What's going on in here, the house dick demanded. He
• 1:05:05
  looked as though he sincerely wished he were someplace else. The thirty eight in
• 1:05:09
  his hand was ridiculously toy liked by comparison to the forty five Lydell still carried
• 1:05:14
  in his Why didn't somebody tell me my room? Fronted on the municipal rifle
• 1:05:17
  range, Lydell growled. The manager's going to hear about this. You can
• 1:05:23
  say that again, the house detective breathed. There was a muffled murmur of
• 1:05:27
  voices at the end of the corridor, the pounding of many feet. Suddenly,
• 1:05:30
  the night clerk burst into view, followed by two uniform policemen, guns
• 1:05:33
  in hand. Down here, Officer, the house dick called, making no
• 1:05:38
  attempt to hide his relief at the coming of reinforcements. Here's the guy.
• 1:05:43
  The first CoP's face dropped. Lydell recognized him as the same cop who had
• 1:05:45
  taken him in the night before, after the shooting outside the drug store.
• 1:05:50
  Not again, the cop growled, incredulously, What the hell are you trying
• 1:05:54
  to do? Lydell stage a one man crime waif. The night clerk stood
• 1:05:59
  outside the room surveyed the damage. Sadly, he wiped the thin film of
• 1:06:01
  perspiration off his forehead with the side of his hand. Groaned. The cop
• 1:06:06
  walked over, took a look, whistled. They should choose you up,
• 1:06:10
  didn't they. Lydell grinned bleakly. You ought to see the other guy,
• 1:06:15
  The cop scowled, held his hand out for the forty five. I did,
• 1:06:18
  and he's deader than the mackerel. This winds you another ride down to
• 1:06:21
  head quarters. I gotta hunch the inspectors going to want to have a talk
• 1:06:25
  with you. Funny thing. I have the same feeling. Lydell handed the
• 1:06:30
  gun to the cop, But first we better not keep him waiting. The
• 1:06:34
  night clerk stood wringing his hands. But the room. What am I going
• 1:06:39
  to do about the room? Lydell looked around the scarred and pitted walls,
• 1:06:42
  the smashed mirror, the light fixture hanging by a wire. It does look
• 1:06:45
  as though it could stand some decorating. Maybe you had better move my stuff
• 1:06:49
  into another room until it's finished, something with not quite so much exposure.
• 1:06:55
  At headquarters, Johnny Lydell was led through a door that read Wilson Deet's District
• 1:06:59
  turned Ernie. Inside, a male stenographer sat at a desk typing in deposition.
• 1:07:04
  He looked up as the cop entered, leading Lidell as is Lydell.
• 1:07:09
  I got instructions to deliver him here, the cop told him. The man
• 1:07:13
  at the desk nodded, flipped a button on an enter office phone, muttered
• 1:07:15
  into it, hung it up there, expecting you lydel right through there.
• 1:07:20
  He pointed to a door that said private and gleaming gold leaf. Lydell walked
• 1:07:26
  over, entered the room, closed the door behind him. It was a
• 1:07:29
  large room with beamed ceilings, had a peculiar absence of sound, almost like
• 1:07:32
  a vacuum. The floor was covered with a thick gray green carpeting. The
• 1:07:36
  leather of the big arm chairs had been polished to a soft gleam. One
• 1:07:40
  side of the room was covered with a huge bookcase, and in the center,
• 1:07:43
  facing the door, a large, highly polished walnut desk dominated the room.
• 1:07:47
  A man was sitting behind the desk, his hands folded across his chest,
• 1:07:50
  finger tips touching. Inspector Hurley. He stood at a far window,
• 1:07:56
  staring down on the street lights below. Come in, Lydell, I think
• 1:08:00
  it's about time we met. I'm deets, the district Attorney. He made
• 1:08:03
  no attempt to get up or extend his hand. His voice was silky smooth,
• 1:08:08
  with an elusive trace of the Boston back bay where he had gotten his
• 1:08:11
  start. He was long loose jointed. His sandy hair had receded from his
• 1:08:15
  brow to the crown of his head, exposing a freckled pate. You know,
• 1:08:19
  Inspector Hurley. He, of course. The Inspector turned, scowling from
• 1:08:23
  his scrutiny of the street, glared at Lydell. Not as well as he's
• 1:08:27
  gonna know me. The District Attorney smiled, but it consisted merely of a
• 1:08:31
  twisting upward of the corners of his mouth. The expression in his eyes was
• 1:08:36
  unchanged. There is no need for animosity, Inspector. I feel certain that
• 1:08:41
  we can count on Lydell's cooperation in this matter. He motioned Lydell to a
• 1:08:45
  chair. Let's all sit down and talk this out hurly. He stamped across
• 1:08:50
  the room, dropped into a chair at the d'e's right. Lydell got comfortable
• 1:08:55
  in a leather over stuffed across the desk. All right, if I smoke,
• 1:08:59
  he asked. The ready smile was back on the district attorney's face.
• 1:09:02
  Of course, this isn't a third degree, you know, Lidel. We
• 1:09:05
  are merely interested in clearing up a few points that puzzle us. After all,
• 1:09:10
  the shootings were in self defense. There was a note of regret in
• 1:09:14
  the silky voice. Both times. Lydell agreed, Hurley, He squirmed angrily
• 1:09:20
  in his chair. There didn't have to be any shooting. If you'd come
• 1:09:25
  clean with me last night, I could have picked Richee up. But no,
• 1:09:28
  you had to go grand standing. Well, self defense and no self
• 1:09:31
  defense. Nobody's going to use my district as a private shooting gallery. Why
• 1:09:34
  didn't you tell me it was Ricie? The guy I killed last night,
• 1:09:39
  isn't the same guy who tried to shoot me up the night before, Lydell
• 1:09:42
  grunted, I thought you told me you didn't know who it was in that
• 1:09:45
  car. I don't, but I did get a look at him as the
• 1:09:49
  car pulled away. He was fat, slobbery, fat, thick lips,
• 1:09:53
  beady eyes. The pigeon I picked off the fire escape was too thin to
• 1:09:57
  be him. Hurly, he didn't miss a beat on his go. You
• 1:10:00
  told me you didn't see the guy in the car. Now all of a
• 1:10:02
  sudden, you can describe him if you're playing games with my department, Seamus,
• 1:10:06
  so help me. The district attorney cut in with the raised hands.
• 1:10:11
  Lydell wouldn't be that foolish inspector. After all, his license does come up
• 1:10:15
  for renewal, and we might have some influence in that direction. He refolded
• 1:10:19
  his hands across his chest. Would you mind telling us again what this first
• 1:10:24
  man looked like? Fat, thick lips, beady eyed. I didn't get
• 1:10:29
  too much of a look at him. The car was moving by the time
• 1:10:31
  I hit the street. The DA nodded, leaned over, confred with Hurli.
• 1:10:35
  He in a low tone that Lydell failed to catch. After a moment,
• 1:10:40
  he settled back jotted a few notes on a pad. Suppose we start
• 1:10:44
  at the very beginning, Lydell, suppose you tell us what you're really working
• 1:10:47
  on. Lydell lit a cigarette, sighed, I've been over all that with
• 1:10:53
  the inspector, mister Deats, Suppose you go over it again with me.
• 1:10:59
  Okay, I'm working on the matte Merritt's suicide. A quick flash of annoyance
• 1:11:03
  wiped the last traces of simulated good nature from the district Attorney's face. Believe
• 1:11:09
  me, Lidell, we are bending over backwards in this matter. The inspector
• 1:11:13
  is convinced that you are deliberately obstructing justice and wants me to have you thrown
• 1:11:15
  into a cell. Please don't make that necessary. He reached over the desk,
• 1:11:20
  selected a fat havana from the humidor bit off the end, spat it
• 1:11:24
  at a square leather waste basket. If necessary, I think I could make
• 1:11:28
  the charge stick. Lydell shrugged. That's up to you. You asked me
• 1:11:32
  a question, I answered it. Deets rolled the cigar in the center of
• 1:11:36
  his mouth, fixed the private detective with the cold glare of his eyes.
• 1:11:41
  Possibly you consider this whole episode as very amusing. I don't. Two men
• 1:11:45
  have already been killed. No loss to the community. I'll admit, but
• 1:11:49
  killed none the less, this matter has ceased to be a boyish prank.
• 1:11:55
  If you think being a walking shooting gallery is my idea of a good,
• 1:11:58
  clean night's fun, you're mistaken Lydell retorted hotly. I don't like cluttering up
• 1:12:02
  the sidewalks of corpses any better than you do, especially when one of them
• 1:12:05
  is liable to be mine. Don't make it sound so alluring, Hurly,
• 1:12:10
  he growled. Suppose we stopped playing footsie with his character, mister Deats,
• 1:12:14
  and get down to cases. He turned to glare at Lidell for the last
• 1:12:17
  time. Shamus, what's the rumble you're working on? Lydell sighed, examined
• 1:12:23
  the glowing end of his cigarette morosely. Even I'm beginning to get sick of
• 1:12:28
  sayin' it, but it happens to be true. I was hired by Jean
• 1:12:30
  Merritt to look into her father's death. Hell, I've even got a five
• 1:12:34
  hundred dollar retainer to prove it. Hurley, he snorted angrily. You may
• 1:12:39
  have a check. What you got it for could be another story. It
• 1:12:43
  should be a simple fact to establish, inspector. Why don't we have miss
• 1:12:46
  Merrit in to verify Lydell's statement. Deats asked, he's already thought of that
• 1:12:51
  too, Hurly, he growled and ask him. Dets rolled his eyes from
• 1:12:56
  the purple face of the inspector to lidell Well. Lydell shrugged, I don't
• 1:13:01
  know how to get in touch with her. He took a deep drag on
• 1:13:03
  the cigarette, held the smoke, let it dribble from his lips. I
• 1:13:08
  told hurle he last night, she's disappeared. He did nothing about it.
• 1:13:12
  Nothing about it, Hurley, he shouted, What the hell am I supposed
• 1:13:15
  to do about it? A woman leaves her hotel room, so what.
• 1:13:17
  She's a big girl. If she wants to go play house for a couple
• 1:13:19
  of days with some guy, that's our business. So you did check the
• 1:13:25
  Westmore, Yeah, just to see if you were lying about that too.
• 1:13:29
  And this girl, Inspector Deeds cut in. You don't know where she is
• 1:13:31
  at this time? No, and I don't care. I'm not runnin a
• 1:13:35
  lost and found apartment for a broken down shamus who can't even find his own
• 1:13:39
  client. She'll show up when she's good and ready. The district attorney damned
• 1:13:44
  the angry flood with a gesture from a well manicured hand. Let's not Lightell,
• 1:13:47
  lead us from the track. He removed the unlit cigar from between his
• 1:13:50
  teeth, frowned at the soggi end, pasted back a loose leaf with the
• 1:13:54
  tip of his tongue. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. You
• 1:13:59
  see, like we know perfectly well that you're mixed up in something far more
• 1:14:03
  explosive than a mere investigation into an acknowledged suicide. He rolled his eyes upward,
• 1:14:12
  favored the private detective with a frosty smile. The object of this little
• 1:14:15
  unofficial get together is to discuss the real nature of your investigation. If you
• 1:14:21
  know I'm on something else, I wish you'd let me in on it.
• 1:14:25
  There's not another case in the shop but the merit job, and cut it
• 1:14:29
  out, Lydell. That Injured Innocence Act is strictly for the birds. Hurley
• 1:14:32
  growled, what's with you in vaiy Lydell's hand stopped with his cigarette inches from
• 1:14:38
  his mouth. His eyes hopscotch from the inspector to deets back. Vailey,
• 1:14:44
  Yeah, Vailey, Pete Vailey. Lydell searched the inspector's face for some indication
• 1:14:49
  that he was needling Pete Valley's setting out a ten to twenty in the pen.
• 1:14:55
  How would he come into this, you tell us, Lydell, don't
• 1:15:00
  get it. The private detective shook his head. If Valley's in the pen,
• 1:15:02
  how the hell could I be in anything with him? You're not in
• 1:15:06
  anything with him. You're bucking him some way. We want to know how
• 1:15:10
  the inspector told him you must dust that chewing gummy ears with opium. Inspector,
• 1:15:15
  I don't even know what you're talking about. No, then maybe you
• 1:15:18
  do know why two of Valley's best hatchetmen went on to make for your hide
• 1:15:21
  in two days running Scota and Ricci, both Vailey torpedoes. I can't help
• 1:15:28
  to who they are. I'm not mixed up with Pete Valley or his mob.
• 1:15:31
  The district attorney jabbed a button on the base of his phone, lifted
• 1:15:34
  the receiver to his ear, muttered a few words into it, replaced it
• 1:15:38
  on its hook. If you're letting the fact that Vali himself is in a
• 1:15:42
  cell give you a false sense of security, you're not very smart, Lydell,
• 1:15:45
  he said. The organization is still intact, and we're convinced that Pete
• 1:15:49
  Valley is running it as much as if he were here in person. He
• 1:15:54
  twirled his cigar between thumb and forefinger stared coldly at Lidell. I'm out to
• 1:15:59
  smash Valley's influence in this town. So far, we haven't even gotten our
• 1:16:02
  foot in the door. You apparently have something that he is anxious to hush
• 1:16:05
  up. I intend to know what it is. He broke off as a
• 1:16:10
  uniform policeman brought in a stack of photographs, laid them on the corner of
• 1:16:13
  his desk, turned and walked out. Well, I don't know what it's
• 1:16:17
  all about. If it's true that Scota and Richey or Vailey's hatchetmen, then
• 1:16:20
  someone is making a mistake. Curly, he nodded grimly. Someone's making a
• 1:16:26
  mistake, all right, and that someone is you. Lidel. The district
• 1:16:30
  attorney flicked through a pile of pictures on his desk, picked one out,
• 1:16:33
  passed it over. Ever see this man. The face in the photograph had
• 1:16:38
  pouting, thick lips, heavy jowls that threatened to overflow the man's collar,
• 1:16:42
  beady eyes resessed by bulging dark patches. Lydell studied the face remembered it as
• 1:16:47
  he had last seen it framed in the window of the big sedan, tossed
• 1:16:51
  it back on Deete's desk. He nodded, I've seen him before. He
• 1:16:56
  wiped a thin film of perspiration from his upper lip with the side of his
• 1:16:59
  hand. And that's the fat boy who tried to gun me out night before
• 1:17:02
  last. The district attorney exchanged glances with the inspector, returned the photograph to
• 1:17:09
  the pile. I thought, so, care to change your story now,
• 1:17:13
  Lydell? Change it? How the smile was back. The district Attorney's eyes
• 1:17:17
  were colder than ever. Don't you think it's a bit ridiculous to stick to
• 1:17:21
  your story that you are not mixed up with Pete Vailey's operation in some way,
• 1:17:25
  that you are merely trying to investigate an admitted and established suicide. Lydell
• 1:17:30
  thought it over shrugged. Why should the fat boy's picture make you think I
• 1:17:33
  want to change my story? Urly? He stared at him for a moment,
• 1:17:38
  his square jaw methodically crushing the ever present wat of gum. Because Frankie
• 1:17:43
  Cupola, He indicated the picture on the desk with a sweep of his hand.
• 1:17:46
  The fat boy as you call him, happens to be Pete Vailey's right
• 1:17:50
  hand man. End of chapter five. Chapter six, Johnny Lydell flagged down
• 1:17:59
  a cab outside of headquarters. Gave the cabby an address just off Houston Street,
• 1:18:02
  sank back against the cushions, amused himself by keeping score of the number
• 1:18:06
  of lights the cabby jumped. He swung the big hack east across town,
• 1:18:12
  played tag with the elevator pillars along Bowery, slid to a stop in front
• 1:18:15
  of a dilapidated two story building. He handed the cabby a bill waved away
• 1:18:19
  the change. Looked around. The neighborhood was almost deserted. No lights showed
• 1:18:24
  in the buildings in front of which he stood. He crossed the sidewalk into
• 1:18:28
  a dark and smelly hallway, guided himself along the wall to the end of
• 1:18:31
  the musty corridor. Knocked on the door. There was a faint scraping sound,
• 1:18:36
  a faint stirring of air, the sudden, heavy smell of beer.
• 1:18:40
  Close at hand, A gravelly voice said, Eh, I want to see
• 1:18:44
  dummy, go he hear The gravelly voice informed him, I gotta see him.
• 1:18:48
  I'm Johnny Lightell. There was a beery chuckle from the other side of
• 1:18:53
  the door. I can't help it who you are. If hein hear you
• 1:18:56
  can't see him, Lenill he be back tonight some tom But you can't wait
• 1:19:02
  upstairs. Dummy wouldn't like it if I let him by in his office when
• 1:19:05
  he ain't here. Okay, I'll leave him a message let me in.
• 1:19:11
  The scraping sound was repeated Lydell had it placed as a sliding panel on the
• 1:19:15
  door. After a moment, a creaking announced the opening of the door.
• 1:19:18
  He stepped through, heard the door close behind him. Then an old fixture
• 1:19:23
  on the wall spilled yellow light into all but the far corners of the room.
• 1:19:27
  The gravelly voice belonged incongruously enough to a wizened dull man with an unruly
• 1:19:31
  thatch of yellow white hair. His left eye twitched uncontrollably as he studied Lydel.
• 1:19:38
  Let's hurry up about it, Lydell. Dummy'll be back tomorrow. Ain't
• 1:19:41
  that time enough? Lydell shook his head. I want a guy located fast.
• 1:19:46
  He's gone into a hole, but I got to see him before the
• 1:19:48
  cops do. The little man's bad eye twitched maddeningly. He bared the toothless
• 1:19:55
  gums in a grin. It ain't easy, a cough domm He knows I'm
• 1:20:00
  good for it. This ain't the first favor I've asked, and he's never
• 1:20:02
  lost by handling the contract. Who's the guy, Frankie Cupola, one of
• 1:20:09
  Pete Vailey's hoods. The little man scratched his side whistled soundlessly. You sure
• 1:20:15
  you want to find him? Yeah and fast. It's your skin if you
• 1:20:20
  like to wear it with holes in it. The old man walked over to
• 1:20:24
  a rickety table in the rear of the room, opened the drawer and brought
• 1:20:28
  out an old brown bag and the stub of a pencil. He licked the
• 1:20:30
  point of the pencil scribbled laboriously. Well, he'd be able to reach you
• 1:20:35
  at munks Achille's place. The old man looked up leered obscenely. It might
• 1:20:42
  be awful laid. Don't let it worry you. I'll be there. We
• 1:20:46
  could play an awful dirty trick by finding him right off. The old man
• 1:20:50
  grinned. But it won't be for a couple hours. At least. We'll
• 1:20:54
  get word to all their boys work in midtown. Cupola must be a regular
• 1:20:58
  on one of their beats. They'll turn him up for you. Lydell passed
• 1:21:00
  a folded bill. How's the school going pretty busy right now? I'm breaking
• 1:21:05
  in a fresh load of fish. There's a big call for imputees right now,
• 1:21:11
  always is during the war. The deaf and dumb panhandlers and the blind
• 1:21:14
  ones, they don't do too good during the war. Collections in midtown are
• 1:21:17
  off, so the dummy is replacing some of the deaf and dumb ones.
• 1:21:21
  Anyway, they're harder to train. You gotta keep working on them so they
• 1:21:25
  don't jump when a horn goes off in back of them or somebody talks to
• 1:21:29
  them. The emputees only got to remember to keep their eyes and ears open
• 1:21:32
  and not give the business a bad name. What an operation a school for
• 1:21:38
  beggars, lydel grinned. The old man shook his head, and it's just
• 1:21:43
  like anything else, Lydell, it's gotta be organized well, some guy like
• 1:21:47
  Dummy. The grifters will be muscling in on each other's territory. The phony
• 1:21:51
  has will be given the racket a bad name. The bad eye twitched endlessly
• 1:21:57
  like this, everything is under control. And besides whatever, boys covering the
• 1:22:00
  city like a blanket. There's nothing going on, no place that we don't
• 1:22:04
  know about. He winked. That can come in handy, eh, Lydell,
• 1:22:10
  plenty handy. Remember I want action on Cupola. Tell dummy it's worth
• 1:22:14
  a hundred to me to get him tonight. Tomorrow may be too late for
• 1:22:17
  me. The cool air of the street was a welcome relief after the dank
• 1:22:21
  smell of dummies school. Lydell walked up to Bowery, caught a cruising cab,
• 1:22:27
  signaled it to the curb. He gave muggs Achilles address on Central Park
• 1:22:30
  South, settled back against the cushions. The cabby played tag with the l
• 1:22:35
  pillars to fourteenth Street, bore west through the heavy traffic to Fifth Avenue,
• 1:22:40
  swung north again. Lydell held his breath as the big cab wove in and
• 1:22:44
  out of the late hour traffic along Fifth, watched with wordless admiration the way.
• 1:22:48
  The cabby nonchalantly fitted the big car into spaces that looked too small for
• 1:22:53
  a baby carriage. At fifty seventh, the cabby broke the monotony by engaging
• 1:22:57
  in a heated exchange with another cabby who had had to stand on his brakes
• 1:23:00
  as Lightel's cab cut in front of him at fifty fourth. Aside from that,
• 1:23:04
  he was delivered at muggs Achielle's doorstep, safe but shaken pretty rough.
• 1:23:09
  Ride Buster, he grinned at the cabby handed him two singles. The cabby
• 1:23:13
  nodded, didn't bother to remove a frayed toothpick from between his teeth. I
• 1:23:16
  don't know how most of those jerks ever get a license. Is getting sets
• 1:23:20
  of guys laf safe driving, with all of them refugees from Newark and New
• 1:23:24
  aven A guy ain't safe lydel nodded his sympathy, watched the cab roar away
• 1:23:30
  from the curb, forced its way into a stream in northbound traffic, carre
• 1:23:32
  him around the nearest corner toward Broadway. He used his key to Muggsy's apartment,
• 1:23:39
  found her huddled on the couch with a pink addition of the news.
• 1:23:42
  She jumped up, ran out to him, kissed him soundly. You all
• 1:23:45
  right, Johnny, she asked, Pop called me about the shooting. I've
• 1:23:47
  been trying to reach you all over town. I even called Hurley He's office
• 1:23:50
  downtown, but Lightel grinned crookedly I'm traveling him bigger and better circles. Now.
• 1:23:57
  They took me down to Deet's office, muggs He led him to the
• 1:24:00
  couch, drop down beside him. What's the da horning in for? He
• 1:24:04
  thinks I'm holding out. He thinks I'm playing tag with Pete Valley's mob and
• 1:24:08
  he wants to be in it. Don't want unestimate Deets Johnny. He's got
• 1:24:12
  a bad case of albany fever and he won't think twice about feeding it to
• 1:24:15
  the wolves if it'll get him in that horse faced wife of his into the
• 1:24:18
  executive mansion up there. Lydell nodded, I know, but I'm not standing
• 1:24:24
  still for it. He scowled at his shoes. But he's right about one
• 1:24:28
  thing. There is something fishy going on. The two guys that tried to
• 1:24:30
  dop my eyes with the typewriters are both Valley hoods. Maybe they just hired
• 1:24:35
  out for this job. I doubt it. What's Jim think about it?
• 1:24:41
  Muggsy shrugged. You know, Pop, he's tickled that as long as you
• 1:24:44
  had to get yourself blasted, you waited until it was too late for the
• 1:24:46
  tabloids. She kicked the news with the tip of her shoe, not a
• 1:24:49
  line on it, and Pop has a layout picks an all riding with an
• 1:24:53
  extra hooray for him. How about the valley tie up? What's he thinking?
• 1:24:59
  Muggs? He shrugged, and I think he buys the inspector's idea.
• 1:25:01
  He doesn't believe it's tied in with the merit job. She pulled her feet
• 1:25:05
  up under her. How does Vale fit, Johnny? How the hell does
• 1:25:10
  anything fit in this mess? First I've got a client, then I can't
• 1:25:13
  find her. She wants me to find out who killed a guy who killed
• 1:25:15
  himself. Then a couple of high caliber hoods decided to carve their initials on
• 1:25:17
  my hide with the Tommy gun. For what would Vally be after you for
• 1:25:21
  something else? Why? I never had anything to do with Pete. I
• 1:25:26
  had nothing to do with his going to jail. I was a federal rap.
• 1:25:29
  Besides, why would he wait until now? He's been in the can
• 1:25:31
  a couple of years. He pinched at his nostrils with thumb and forefinger,
• 1:25:36
  asked for Scota and Ricci. I don't even know them now, all of
• 1:25:40
  a sudden, they can't be happy until they pin my hide to the wall.
• 1:25:44
  What are you gonna do about it? Liedell grinned bleakly discourage them first.
• 1:25:48
  I'm gonna find out what it's all about. How I'm going to ask
• 1:25:53
  them what the hell's going on? Hurly? He tipped me who the guy
• 1:25:56
  was that used the Tommy gun in the car the other night? Another Bailey
• 1:25:59
  Torp. You know Frankie Copola? Cupola. You're not going to fool with
• 1:26:03
  him, Johnny. He's sudden death. He knows the answers to the questions
• 1:26:08
  I want to ask, and I'm not gonna fool them. Suppose he does
• 1:26:12
  know the answers. What makes you think he'll tell you? Lightel grinned,
• 1:26:15
  You'd be surprised how persuasive I can be. I suppose he does tell you,
• 1:26:20
  what good will it do you? If you develop a hole in the
• 1:26:24
  head. You're not gonna do it, Johnny. I won't let you go
• 1:26:26
  up against the killer like Copola. Stop worrying. If he was that good,
• 1:26:30
  I'd be downtown in the Morgue keeping scota and reach a company. He
• 1:26:34
  got up from the couch, wandered out into the kitchen, examined the labels
• 1:26:38
  on a couple of new bottles. What's this shark truce and crem dement.
• 1:26:43
  I've been dying to try a new cocktail I heard about. There's some Irish
• 1:26:45
  whiskey and drive a mooth in the cabinet. You're gonna spoil good Irish whiskey
• 1:26:49
  with this mess. Lydel looks shocked. Don't be so conservative. It's supposed
• 1:26:55
  to be wonderful. You mix the Irish and overmuth about one to one,
• 1:26:58
  then just a couple of d ashes of the shatrus and crimmed mint. They
• 1:27:01
  call it a shamrock. Make me one, Johnny, will you? She
• 1:27:05
  stretched out on the couch watched the broad shoulders of Lidell going through the motions
• 1:27:10
  of making the cocktail. She tried to wipe the concern from her eyes.
• 1:27:14
  Failed. Lydell brought the shaker and glass out to the couch, swept two
• 1:27:18
  books and a magazine off the end table, set them down. Aren't you
• 1:27:21
  gonna try one? She indicated, the lone glass. That's stuff. It's
• 1:27:27
  not fit for human consumption. If I'm gonna get cirrhosis as a liver,
• 1:27:30
  I'm gonna get it from drinking whiskey, not perfume. How do you know
• 1:27:33
  you don't like it. If you don't try it, just take a sip.
• 1:27:36
  Muggsy coaxed. Ladell shrugged, poured a little of the green concoction into
• 1:27:41
  the glass, sipped it, made a wry face. I'll take my irish
• 1:27:45
  straight. He filled the glass from the shaker, handed it to the girl.
• 1:27:49
  The way my father and his father got their dts is good enough for
• 1:27:53
  me. He walked out into the kitchen, poured some liquor from the bottle
• 1:27:57
  over three ice cubes, brought the glass back with him. Muggs He folded
• 1:28:00
  her feet up under her to make room. Johnny, you're not really going
• 1:28:03
  up against Cupola, are you? Lydell nodded, clinked the ice against the
• 1:28:08
  side of his glass. As soon as I can find out where he's holed
• 1:28:12
  in. How lucky can you be, Johnny? They missed twice. The
• 1:28:15
  third time you number may be up. There's not going to be a third
• 1:28:18
  time, Mugs. He told her, I'm gonna beat them to the punch
• 1:28:23
  this time. Instead of them coming to look for me, I'm going looking
• 1:28:26
  for them. Want to tell me how you plan to persuade Copola to pour
• 1:28:30
  his innermost secrets into your shell? Like ear Lydell shrugged. I figured to
• 1:28:34
  go up to him and ask him, Oh, fine, and when is
• 1:28:39
  this touching confessional schedule to take place? Lydell took a taste to the whiskey
• 1:28:44
  approved. I don't know yet. I haven't been able to get a line
• 1:28:47
  on him. He's apparently holding up somewhere until the heat dies down, but
• 1:28:51
  you expect to find him. Eighteen thousand cops in the city of New York
• 1:28:56
  can't smoke him out, but you will. I've got the dummy in his
• 1:28:59
  bag scouring the town. They'll contact me here when they get a line on
• 1:29:02
  him. Muggsy sipped at the green drink, wrinkled her nose. I think
• 1:29:08
  maybe you're right. This calls for a real drink. She walked out to
• 1:29:11
  the kitchen, emptied the glass in the sink. She found another glass,
• 1:29:15
  dropped three ice cubes into it, spilled a stiff slug of whiskey over them.
• 1:29:18
  I can't talk you out of it, Johnny, she asked, when
• 1:29:20
  she rejoined him on the couch. It's my only chance, Mugs, but
• 1:29:26
  it's crazy. I tell you, you can't go up against a gang like
• 1:29:29
  that and walk away from it. You'll end up with a bunch of eels
• 1:29:31
  making a patchwork quilt out of your face in the bottom of the bay.
• 1:29:35
  Let Hurley he and his boys take care of Cupola on what charge? What
• 1:29:41
  charge? Didn't he try to kill you? Didn't he shoot up the drug
• 1:29:44
  store? Isn't that enough? You want Hurley he to pick him up?
• 1:29:46
  Because I say I saw him in a moving car and bad light at night
• 1:29:50
  and he smart mouthpiece with laughed deats out of court with that, and you
• 1:29:54
  know it? What's more? So does deats? The girl leaned over,
• 1:29:58
  snagged a cigarette from a bar on the end table. Why not drop the
• 1:30:01
  whole thing, Johnny, you said, if Doc Travin convinced ye it was
• 1:30:04
  suicide, y'd but he didn't. The blonde stared at his mouth agape.
• 1:30:09
  Didn't What didn't convince you or didn't commit suicide? Both? Doc Travin didn't
• 1:30:15
  convince me because maunt Merritt didn't commit suicide. He was murdered. You're bluffing
• 1:30:19
  muggs, he accused. I was right there with ye. Ye even told
• 1:30:24
  Doc he made a good case for suicide. He did, but not good
• 1:30:27
  enough. I'm sure Merritt was murdered mugs, but I can't prove it.
• 1:30:31
  The girl studied his face. Was this something you found out at Doc Travin's
• 1:30:35
  office, Lydell nodded the fact that they never found a bullet, so Lydell
• 1:30:42
  shrugged. So nothing, Maybe so murder most likely, He took a deep
• 1:30:47
  drag on his cigarette. The bullet should have been in the ceiling, but
• 1:30:51
  Doc explained that He said the bullet was spent by the time it was through.
• 1:30:55
  Merrit's skull fell out of the floor, was lost. That's reasonable,
• 1:30:58
  Lydell snorted, not unless Merrit's skull had a steel lining. The gun was
• 1:31:01
  a thirty eight. Since when does a thirty eight get spent traveling through at
• 1:31:05
  most four inches of tissue and a quarter inch of bone. Then where is
• 1:31:10
  it? Well, that's the sixty four dollar question, he admitted. He
• 1:31:14
  finished his drink, set the glass down on the floor at his feet.
• 1:31:17
  He might have been killed someplace else and brought there, or the bullet was
• 1:31:20
  deflected, or Mugsy squirmed impatiently in her chair. That's goofy, and you
• 1:31:27
  know it just as goofy as it is to sit there and try to convince
• 1:31:29
  me or anybody else that the old guy sat there let a killer shove a
• 1:31:31
  gun in his mouth and didn't put up a struggle. Lydell sighed, I
• 1:31:36
  know it. The whole damn case is goofy, but you still think it's
• 1:31:40
  murder. Lydell crushed his cigarette and an ash tray, scowled at the last,
• 1:31:45
  thin, irregular line of smoke that curled ceiling word. I told you
• 1:31:47
  I couldn't prove a thing. But until I find out what's behind all this
• 1:31:51
  shooting, why Jean Merritt disappeared, and what happened to that bullet, I
• 1:31:55
  think it's murder. The telephone jangled noisily in the foyer. Muggsy jumped up
• 1:32:00
  from the couch walked out to answer it. It's for you, she called
• 1:32:03
  in. Lydell walked out took the receiver from her hand. This Lydel a
• 1:32:10
  metallic voice, wanted to know. Yeah, I got some information you wanted
• 1:32:15
  about a certain party. Good. Where is he? The receiver hesitated a
• 1:32:19
  moment. It ain't that easy. You better meet me. You couldn't swing
• 1:32:24
  it alone. I don't get a loan some easy bud. Just give me
• 1:32:28
  the dope and let me worry. He laughed in his ear a high pitched,
• 1:32:30
  crackling laugh. Don't get me wrong, Lydell, I ain't figuring.
• 1:32:34
  I'm backing your play. You're the tough dick. I don't get paid to
• 1:32:38
  get holds in my head? Then what do I have to meet you for?
• 1:32:43
  I got to get it set to get you in. Thinking about two
• 1:32:45
  thirty, Lydell consulted his watch, scowled. It's only eleven thirty, now,
• 1:32:51
  can't you make it earlier? Two thirty? He repeated, in front
• 1:32:56
  of the bright Light's tavern on forty seventh. Know the place, Lydell nodded,
• 1:33:00
  I know the place. How'll I know you? You won't have to
• 1:33:04
  I'll know you. The receiver cackled. There was a click, and the
• 1:33:10
  line went dead Lydell tossed the receiver back on the hook, scraped his palm
• 1:33:15
  over the faint stubble on his chin. It could be the tip he was
• 1:33:17
  expecting, but by the same token, he realized it could be another stake
• 1:33:21
  out. He walked into the living room for Muggsy, found that she had
• 1:33:25
  gone into the bedroom, closed the door behind her. He wandered out on
• 1:33:30
  the little terrace that was pasted on to the side of the building overlooking Central
• 1:33:33
  Park. He had almost finished a cigarette Whenmugsy slipped up behind him, slid
• 1:33:38
  her arms around him, laid her cheek against his Miss me, she whispered.
• 1:33:44
  He flipped the butt into a glowing arc toward the street below. Turned
• 1:33:46
  around. Muggsy had changed into a flowing royal blue dressing gown. Her blonde
• 1:33:53
  hair was fluffed out softly, her make up fresh. I guess I'm beginning
• 1:33:58
  to sound like an old woman, she grinned. I dunno by now that
• 1:34:00
  you can take care o yourself. She stood on her tiptoes, placed her
• 1:34:04
  lips against his. After a moment, she pushed him away. Well that's
• 1:34:10
  relief. I was beginning to think that redhead in your office had something I
• 1:34:13
  haven't got, Lidel grinned. We ought to be able to settle that easily
• 1:34:17
  enough. He tried to pull her to him again, she eluded his grasp.
• 1:34:23
  Was that the call you were expecting? Yeah, but he can't meet
• 1:34:27
  me until two thirty. That's almost three hours from now. That's soon,
• 1:34:31
  Muggsy pouted. She led him into the living room, pushed him down on
• 1:34:34
  the couch. She made a face at him, walked to the kitchen returned
• 1:34:39
  with a bottle, some glasses, and a bowl of ice. He patted
• 1:34:43
  the cushead at his side, waited while she poured a drink into each of
• 1:34:45
  the glasses. Sat down beside him. As she reached across him to place
• 1:34:49
  the bottle on the end table, he could feel her body against his,
• 1:34:53
  the scent of her hair and his nostrils. He slid his arm around her,
• 1:34:57
  turned her face up to his. Her lips were moist, soft,
• 1:35:00
  looking slightly parted. Her eyes were heavy lidded. When he covered her mouth
• 1:35:05
  with his he could feel her teeth sinking to her lower lip. After a
• 1:35:10
  moment, she put her hand against his shoulder pushed him away. She snuggled
• 1:35:15
  comfortably on his lap, reached up, loosened his tie, opened his collar.
• 1:35:19
  You can kiss me again now, she said, it won't kill you.
• 1:35:25
  It didn't. End of chapter six. Chapter seven. The room was
• 1:35:32
  half dark when Johnny liedll awoke. The alarm clock was ringing. There was
• 1:35:36
  a dark brown, fuzzy taste in his mouth that refused to be washed away
• 1:35:40
  by the tap water. He ran another glass of water, held it to
• 1:35:44
  his head. The clock on the kitchen wall said two o'clock. Muggsy,
• 1:35:48
  chilly, stirred uneasily on the couch, moaned softly in her sleep. Lydell
• 1:35:53
  splashed water in his face, swabbed it dry with a towel, ran a
• 1:35:57
  comb through his hair. He turned out all the lights, found his hat
• 1:36:00
  on the end table, kissed Muggsy softly, and left. The bright Light's
• 1:36:04
  tavern was a garishly lighted honky tonk on forty seventh Street, east of Broadway.
• 1:36:09
  The normal flow of traffic along the street had dribbled to an occasional vague
• 1:36:13
  eyed pedestrian, the type that had given the block the nickname of dream Alley.
• 1:36:16
  A group of heavily painted hustlers with three fresh faced, eager but drunken
• 1:36:21
  sailors in tow a mounted cop rode by his horse's hoofs striking hollow clinks in
• 1:36:27
  the emptiness of the street. Lydell took up his position outside the tavern,
• 1:36:31
  waited. It was almost twenty five minutes before he heard the trademark of the
• 1:36:35
  blind Beggar, a discordant guitar and strident, nasally off key voice doing unmentionable
• 1:36:42
  things to a mountain chant. After a moment, he came into Lydell's line
• 1:36:45
  of vision, a little man, a silver glint of bristles on his chin,
• 1:36:49
  a tin cup wired to the neck of his guitar, his eyes covered
• 1:36:53
  with a pair of opaque black glasses. He finished the song a few paces
• 1:36:57
  before he reached Lydell continued to shuffle along, coaxing a terrifying assortment of discords
• 1:37:01
  from the guitar as he went. When he was abreast of Lidel, he
• 1:37:05
  lowered his face as though to get protection from the wind. Give me a
• 1:37:10
  few minutes inside, then come in after me, Seamus, he muttered,
• 1:37:13
  with no apparent movement of his lips. Lydell gave no sign of having heard.
• 1:37:17
  Sucked deeply on the butt he held cupped in his hand, consulted his
• 1:37:20
  watch as though impatient over a stand up. The beggar shuffled by entered the
• 1:37:26
  tavern. A mixture of conversation and jukebox music spilled out into the street.
• 1:37:30
  As he opened the door, Lydell continued to smoke, finished his cigarette,
• 1:37:33
  flipped it toward the gutter. The mounted cop rode by again, stared at
• 1:37:38
  him in curiously, continued east toward fifth Lydell consulted his watch again, and
• 1:37:43
  turned and entered the tavern. The Bright Light's tavern got a good late hour
• 1:37:46
  play by servicemen. Bar girls of all sizes and vintage were working the sailors
• 1:37:51
  and marines that lined the bar too deep. On the way in, Lydell
• 1:37:55
  was almost bumped by a buxom redhead leading a sailor. She was back in
• 1:38:00
  ten minutes without the sailor. As Lydell walked in, a heavily bleached woman
• 1:38:04
  sitting in a booth near the door, studied him speculatively passed an unseen signal.
• 1:38:10
  Almost immediately, the girls drifted away from their prospects and headed for the
• 1:38:13
  ladies room or found seats together in a booth. Lydell walked through the blue
• 1:38:17
  white haze of cigarette smoke, found a place at the bar ordered bourbon.
• 1:38:21
  The bartender grabbed a bottle from the back bar, slid a shot glass in
• 1:38:26
  front of him, filled it to the brim all in one motion. Well,
• 1:38:30
  I see a by particular mista. He studied Lydell with pig like eyes
• 1:38:32
  that were almost obscured by the scar tissue of hundreds of ring battles such as
• 1:38:40
  Lydell asked. The bartender shrugged bulky's shoulders. Lil maybe big lil. She
• 1:38:45
  handles the local boys on this spot. He indicated the bleach blonde with a
• 1:38:49
  toss of his head. Lydell swung around, saw the woman studying and walked
• 1:38:55
  over to where she sat. The bartender thought, I wanted to see you,
• 1:39:00
  should I from close. The woman was old, her make up a
• 1:39:02
  stiff mask covered with indifferent success, the sag and wrinkle of age. Her
• 1:39:09
  eyes were bright and hard, her hair thinned by constant exposure to chemicals.
• 1:39:14
  Her lipstick was glaring, smeared, her teeth nicotine stained. What's the beef
• 1:39:19
  we're paid up to date? You got me wrong. I have no beef.
• 1:39:23
  I just got cold waiting out there for a babe that never showed.
• 1:39:26
  He held up his drink. I came in to get thawed out. The
• 1:39:30
  bright eyes rolled in the dead wide of the old woman's face. You're not
• 1:39:33
  the law, lied elk grinned. I was wondering why you called time out.
• 1:39:39
  He shook his head. I'm no copper. The woman studied his face,
• 1:39:43
  looked past him to the bartender, nodded. The bartender reached up on
• 1:39:46
  the back bar, turned a beer ad face to the wall. Almost immediately,
• 1:39:49
  the girls resumed their stations at the bar, pushing drinks and mixing with
• 1:39:54
  the service men. Sorry, mister, the old woman croaked. He can't
• 1:39:58
  be too careful around now. Without these blue noses yelling for action. You
• 1:40:02
  never know when they're going to buy past the local station house and send in
• 1:40:05
  a fly cop. She folded, blue vein faded hands in front of her
• 1:40:10
  on the table. Can't be too careful, Lydell nodded, started back toward
• 1:40:15
  the bar, spotted the blind man sitting in a booth at the rear of
• 1:40:18
  the room. He ambled down, slid in beside him. Mind if I
• 1:40:23
  join you? Pop? The blind man bared his gums and a cackle.
• 1:40:28
  They're scaring the girl's hey, Lydell. He peered near sightedly at the glass
• 1:40:31
  in Lydel's hand, signal for the bartender. You're buying, ain't you?
• 1:40:36
  Lydel grinned, nodded. I thought you were blind just during business hours.
• 1:40:43
  He grinned up into the bartender's battered face as he came toward the table.
• 1:40:46
  Man wants to buy a kid, Let's get it on the table before it
• 1:40:49
  changes his mind. A couple of brew I'm drinking bourbon. Lydell told him,
• 1:40:57
  okay, so you tucked me into it, I'll drink both the bruise.
• 1:41:00
  The bartender twisted his thickened lips and a grin. You could fool me,
• 1:41:04
  buster. I thought she was a new flatty on the beat too.
• 1:41:08
  He was back in a few seconds with two beers. Picked up the dollar
• 1:41:11
  bill lydel laid on the table, dropped two quarters a diamond, two nickols,
• 1:41:15
  shuffled back to the bar. The blind man tilted his glass to his
• 1:41:18
  lips, approved the brew, audibly drained the glass, set it down,
• 1:41:24
  thirsty work pounding that beat all night. He looked inquiringly at the other glass,
• 1:41:29
  drew a nod from Lidell, pulled it over with a toothless grin.
• 1:41:32
  Work up, quiet at theirs that you do. Dummy's a tough bas eh.
• 1:41:39
  The beggar took a swallow from the second glass, wiped his mouth with
• 1:41:42
  his sleeve. Take a beat away from you soon as you look at you
• 1:41:45
  and the way he's got this town organized. If you lose a beat,
• 1:41:48
  you might as well go to work. He couldn't make a dime panhandling.
• 1:41:51
  He's got it sewed up that tight Lydel nodded, tossed off his bourbon,
• 1:41:57
  set the glass down. How buy my merchandise? Got it lined up for
• 1:42:01
  you? The blind man nodded. Only he ain't even be easy to get
• 1:42:05
  at it? Where is he? Cross the street? The hotel sirt he's
• 1:42:11
  got an office there. Lydel made concentric circles on the table top with the
• 1:42:15
  wet bottom of the glass. Nodded. I shouldn't be too tough. Think
• 1:42:20
  again, it ain't an ordinary hotel. The old man looked around, dropped
• 1:42:26
  his voice. Most of these girls are syndicate girls. The sert is where
• 1:42:30
  the syndicate has its headquarters. That's where Cupole is. What room you still
• 1:42:35
  want to go up against him on his own home grounds. There was a
• 1:42:41
  note of respect in the beggar's voice. What room, third floor front?
• 1:42:45
  He put a hand on Lydell's arm, kept him from getting up. He's
• 1:42:49
  got a lookout staked in the lobby and another on the third floor. He'd
• 1:42:54
  never make it. I can make a damn good try at it. The
• 1:42:58
  old man shook his head. You wouldn't get past the lobby. You gotta
• 1:43:01
  use your head on this one. There's ways of doin it. An shooting
• 1:43:04
  your way in. Ain't one of em. Lydell grunted, settled back.
• 1:43:11
  You've got an idea. I'll get you past the gun in the lobby.
• 1:43:14
  Give him past the one on the third floors. You a problem, okay,
• 1:43:17
  Lydell nodded, how you goin to do it? The old man grinned
• 1:43:21
  obscenely looked past Lydell signaled one of the girls. She pasted a wide mouthed
• 1:43:27
  grin on her face, sauntered down to the booth, slid in across from
• 1:43:30
  Lydell. She couldn't have been over twenty five, but already there was a
• 1:43:33
  fine network of lines under her eyes. Her make up was losing the first
• 1:43:38
  skirmishes of what would soon develop into a battle with the crows feet around her
• 1:43:42
  eyes and at the sight of her mouth. Her hair was raven black,
• 1:43:45
  parted in the center, allowed to cascade down over her shoulders on to the
• 1:43:49
  white satin blouse that made a half hearted attempt to disguise the shapeliness of her
• 1:43:54
  breasts. She looked Lydell over approvingly, fluffed her hair over her shoulder with
• 1:44:00
  flame. She licked fingers. Who's your friend? Pop? Her voice was
• 1:44:03
  throaty husky, not unpleasant. I'm Lorraine, she told Lydel. He's in
• 1:44:11
  from the coast. Laurie doesn't know anybody here. Come over to buy an
• 1:44:14
  old man a drink. The old man lowered his voice. He couldn't keep
• 1:44:17
  his eyes off you, So I'm returning to favor by introducing him. The
• 1:44:21
  girl regarded Lydell from under lowered lids. He doesn't look like a guy who'd
• 1:44:27
  have to wait to be introduced. Her eyes approved, the gray tinged hair,
• 1:44:30
  the bulky shoulders. Maybe it's too public here, eh, lour.
• 1:44:35
  The old man winked obscenely. Maybe he don't like an audience. Why don't
• 1:44:42
  we go across to my place. The girl's voice fell automatically into a commercial
• 1:44:45
  sing song. She smiled mechanically at Lidel. We can be alone over there.
• 1:44:50
  I could pick up a bottle here and we can have a drink or
• 1:44:54
  two if you like. Sounds good to me. Lydell pulled a roll of
• 1:44:59
  bills from his pocket, separated a tin, passed it to the girl.
• 1:45:02
  You handle the bottle part, will you. The hard ready smile was back.
• 1:45:06
  She slid out of the booth, started for the rear Lydell noticed that
• 1:45:11
  the wary lines in her face had no counterpart in her body. She stood
• 1:45:14
  about five six weighed about one hundred and twenty eight, and not an ounce
• 1:45:16
  of it was misplaced or unaccounted for. After she had disappeared through the door
• 1:45:21
  in the rear, Lydell growled, what's the idea? You know what I'm
• 1:45:26
  after? Why not mix business with pleasure? The old man cackled. You
• 1:45:30
  have to get past the gun and the lobby, don't you. Well,
• 1:45:33
  what's better way than to have one of the syndicate gals passed you through as
• 1:45:38
  a john. Then all you gotta do is get past the guard on the
• 1:45:40
  third floor. Lightel considered it, nodded, not bad. Pop got any
• 1:45:46
  ideas about how I get past the one on the third floor. Well,
• 1:45:49
  one of the reasons I picked Laurie for you is because she's got fourth floor
• 1:45:53
  front. The guy you wants third floor front From here on in, the
• 1:45:57
  rest is up to you. There was no mistaking in the guard in the
• 1:46:00
  lobby of the hotel's sert. He was thin shouldered, sunken cheeked. An
• 1:46:05
  immaculate pearl gray fedora sat on top of his head. Its rolled brim parallel
• 1:46:10
  to the cold button eyes, the bloodless slid of his lips. The collar
• 1:46:15
  of his camel's hair coat was up. There was no tie on the gray
• 1:46:17
  silk sports shirt he wore with his blue flannel suit. The black eyes flicked
• 1:46:23
  contemptuously over Lidell as the girl led him to the registration desk. A pudgy
• 1:46:28
  little man with wet, pouting lips stood behind the desk. His bulging eyes
• 1:46:31
  had a disconcerting habit of appearing to roll from side to side as he talked.
• 1:46:35
  His skin was blotchy, his hair obviously marceled. He favored Lidell with
• 1:46:40
  what he obviously intended to be a provocative glance. The girl laughed right in
• 1:46:44
  his face, bringing patches of color. If I knew you cared, I
• 1:46:47
  would have gotten another and we could have had a double date, she taunted.
• 1:46:51
  The pudgy man's eyes rolled, his pouting lips trembled. A bubble formed
• 1:46:56
  between them as he spoke. I don't have to stand for any of that
• 1:46:59
  from me, you, he spat out indignantly. The girl winked at lydel
• 1:47:03
  placed the bottle on the desk. We'll want some ice in soda and don't
• 1:47:08
  bother bringing it yourself. The pudgyman rode a slip with a hand that shook,
• 1:47:13
  threw it across the bar. The room is ten dollars in advance,
• 1:47:16
  he told Lydell, between murderous glances at the girl. Lydell peeled a tin
• 1:47:20
  from his roll, dropped it on the desk. The girl winked again at
• 1:47:25
  the pudgyman. Caught Lydel by the arm led him toward an old, open
• 1:47:28
  grille work elevator. A pimply faced operator grinned vacuously at her as they got
• 1:47:32
  in, started the ancient contraption wheezing upward. As they passed the third floor,
• 1:47:38
  Lydel had a momentary glimpse of the twin to the guard in the lobby,
• 1:47:42
  the same camel's hair coat, the same gray fador at the same angle,
• 1:47:45
  the same blue flannel suit and gray sports shirt. He sat in a
• 1:47:48
  wooden armchair that commanded a view of the staircase and elevator well. He paid
• 1:47:53
  no attention to the elevator as it wheezed past him. On the fourth floor,
• 1:47:58
  the elevator creaked to a shuddering stop. The operator slid the grill work
• 1:48:00
  door back with A shrill creak watched hungrily as the girl led Lydell down a
• 1:48:05
  long, bare, semi dark corridor of closed doors. There was the occasional
• 1:48:11
  mutter of low conversation, a shrill drunken laugh. Lydell wrinkled his nose at
• 1:48:15
  the strong odor compounded half of cheap perfume and half of perspiration. The girl
• 1:48:20
  stopped in front of the in door on the left side of the long hallway,
• 1:48:25
  opened it, led the way in. She indicated the rickety old iron
• 1:48:29
  bed, the stand, and two chairs with the sweep of her hand.
• 1:48:32
  It ain't much, but it's home. She pulled the door closed behind her,
• 1:48:36
  came close to him, looked up into his face. Going to be
• 1:48:40
  in town. Long, honey, long enough, Lydell grunted. The girl
• 1:48:45
  looked piqued by his failure to draw her any closer. The ice will be
• 1:48:48
  right up, honey, The professional term of endearment failed to wipe away the
• 1:48:53
  peak. Make yourself at home, Lydell wandered around the room, stopped at
• 1:48:58
  the window. He raised the shape, looked down into the darkness of an
• 1:49:00
  alley four stories below. He caught a red pin point of light that glowed
• 1:49:04
  brightly for a moment, faded, only to glow again. Lydell scowled.
• 1:49:10
  A guard in the alley made that means of exit impossible. To the left,
• 1:49:14
  the gaunt skeleton of an iron fire escape loomed. Lydell swung suddenly at
• 1:49:18
  the sound of a knock on the door. The girl stood in front of
• 1:49:21
  a mirror, completely naked, admiring the full blown lines of her figure.
• 1:49:26
  Come in, she called. The door opened, and the pimply faced elevator
• 1:49:30
  operator sidled in pitcher of ice and two glasses on a tray. His watery
• 1:49:34
  eyes fastened on the girl as he walked across the room. His tongue licked
• 1:49:39
  wetly at his slack lips. Give him a tip, will you, honey?
• 1:49:43
  The girl called over to Lydell. He's saving his pennies to come see
• 1:49:45
  me, aren'tye. Buster. The elevator boy nodded, wiped his lips with
• 1:49:49
  the back of his hand, deftly caught the coin Lightell flipped it'll be sooner,
• 1:49:55
  and ye think lori. He shuffled to the door, turned for a
• 1:49:59
  last look through it to the hall beyond. Why don't you give the cat
• 1:50:02
  a break? Lightel grinned that drip, the girl wrinkled her nose. He
• 1:50:08
  gives me the willies. She caught a robe from the closet, slipped into
• 1:50:12
  it. How about a drink? Lydell nodded, walked over, started to
• 1:50:16
  open the bottle they had brought. Not that stuff, that's for the suckers.
• 1:50:20
  I've got some real stuff stashed away. She reached into the closet came
• 1:50:25
  out with a half filled bottle. Lydell sniffed at the bottle he had in
• 1:50:29
  his hand, wrinkled his nose. What's this stuff? Slops? We get
• 1:50:33
  half of everything we sell, and what's left over is used to refill bottles
• 1:50:36
  from the bar. She dropped some ice into each of the glasses, poured
• 1:50:41
  liquor over it, handed lidella glass. I save this for special people.
• 1:50:46
  What makes you think I'm special? The girl grinned, tasted or drink.
• 1:50:51
  In my business, you meet a lot of people. You get so as
• 1:50:55
  you can pick out the regulars and the grifters. You're not in ordinary John
• 1:50:59
  out after a girl? What am I you tell me? The young old
• 1:51:04
  eyes looked him over. In the first place, a guy like you would
• 1:51:09
  never have to pay for a girl. What are you a cop, lydel
• 1:51:13
  shook his head. What makes you think that, Big Lil ain't wrong?
• 1:51:16
  Very often? She tagged you as a cop. You talked her out of
• 1:51:20
  it, but I'm not so sure. She swirled the liquor over her eyes.
• 1:51:25
  There going to be a raid. Lydell dropped into a chair, caught
• 1:51:29
  her by the arm, pulled her down into his lap. I'm no cop,
• 1:51:32
  and there's not going to be any raid. His eyes dropped to the
• 1:51:35
  open house coat. I'm here on business, but you're making it awfully tough
• 1:51:40
  to keep my mind on it. The girl grinned impishly, made no effort
• 1:51:45
  to pull the house coat closed. You mean you just came here to talk.
• 1:51:49
  That's right, Laurie reached up, ran her fingers through his hair.
• 1:51:55
  What'll we talk about, Frankie cupola? The girl's eyes widened. She got
• 1:52:00
  up from his lap, finished her drink. Uh ah, not me.
• 1:52:03
  When I go swimming, I like to know about it. Lydell pulled himself
• 1:52:09
  out of his chair, walked over, freshened his drink, poured a stiff
• 1:52:12
  slug into the girl's glass. This isn't charity, Laurie. I pay my
• 1:52:15
  way. He pulled the roll of bills from his pocket. Who are you?
• 1:52:21
  Her eyes refused to leave the roll of bills. Private eye, Johnny
• 1:52:26
  Lydell's the name. I'll tell you something about Frankie, and for free,
• 1:52:30
  stay away from him. He plays for keeps. She took a drink from
• 1:52:34
  her glass, put it down on the dresser, walked over to Lidell,
• 1:52:39
  slid her arms around his neck. Be smart, Johnny, She laid her
• 1:52:43
  cheek against his shoulder. Why not stay here with me instead of going out
• 1:52:46
  looking for trouble, Lydell sighed, Debating the urgency of seeing Cupola lost the
• 1:52:53
  decision. Don't make it any tougher on me than it is, baby,
• 1:52:57
  he groaned, I've got to see Cupola tonight. The girl looked up at
• 1:53:01
  him, grinned ruefully. I must be slipping. I thought I could at
• 1:53:05
  least hold my own against that fat slob. She brushed the thick black hair
• 1:53:11
  back over her shoulder with a sweeping motion of her hand. You might get
• 1:53:15
  in to see him, baby, but you wouldn't be in any condition to
• 1:53:16
  see. She picked up her drink stared at him morosely. That gorilla on
• 1:53:21
  the third floor isn't some interior decorator's idea. He's there to discourage curious people
• 1:53:29
  like you. Lydell nodded. How about the one in the lobby a look
• 1:53:33
  out mostly let Frankie know if anyone comes in. Frankie might not like to
• 1:53:39
  see, like the cops, for instance. And what does Frankie do?
• 1:53:45
  Blows? You don't think the only way out of this trap is through the
• 1:53:47
  lobby? Do you go on? You're getting interesting, The girl grinned.
• 1:53:54
  Don't get your hopes up, Buster. The escape patch is at the far
• 1:53:58
  end of the hall. You'd still have to pass the guns will reach it.
• 1:54:00
  She looked meaningly at the bills in Lydell's hand. He peled off three
• 1:54:05
  tins, folded them, watched glumly while she stuck them in the house coat
• 1:54:10
  pocket. There's another one staked out in the alley. This place is about
• 1:54:14
  as easy to get out of as Alcatraz if they don't want you to leave.
• 1:54:17
  Lydel nodded, scowled. Where is the escape hatch on the third floor,
• 1:54:23
  Laurie. It's a back staircase that runs through the third door from the
• 1:54:26
  back. We use it to empty the joint in case of a raid.
• 1:54:30
  It comes out in an alley opening on forty sixth Street. Lydell pilled five
• 1:54:33
  tins off his roll, laid it on the table. I need ten minutes,
• 1:54:38
  Laurie. The girl looked hungrily at the money up at lydel for what
• 1:54:44
  to get, cupola. He nodded his head to the window down the fire
• 1:54:47
  escape. What happens to me when they find out I wouldn't live long enough
• 1:54:51
  to spend it? Lydell added more bills to the pile. How could just
• 1:54:57
  stop me? I tied you up and gagged you. Laurie considered it.
• 1:55:00
  Bit her lip. They wouldn't buy that, But if you knocked me cold,
• 1:55:04
  I couldn't do anything about it. She looked up that cost extra.
• 1:55:10
  Lydell counted out twenty dollars, added it to the money on the dresser's your
• 1:55:15
  idea? He watched while the girl scooped up the bills, added the money
• 1:55:18
  from her pocket, pulled out a drawer on the stand, stuck the money
• 1:55:21
  in the recess, closed the drawer. She held up her glass drained it.
• 1:55:27
  As long as I'm going to wake up with a headache, I might
• 1:55:29
  as well have a reason for it. She replaced the glass on the stand,
• 1:55:32
  slept out of the house coat, stood before him, naked, her
• 1:55:35
  eyes bright, her color high. I'm ready any time you are. You
• 1:55:40
  call the turnbuster. She straightened up, closed her eyes. There must be
• 1:55:45
  an easier way, Lydell growled, If you insist on going through with it,
• 1:55:49
  get it over with. The girl urged, I'd rather get slugged by
• 1:55:54
  you than stop a couple of their thugs. She opened her eyes, looked
• 1:55:58
  from her nakedness to him. Unless you've changed your mind, the punch traveled
• 1:56:03
  less than twelve inches exploded on the side of her jaw. The girl's eyes
• 1:56:08
  glazed, rolled back in her head, her knees buckled, her body fell
• 1:56:12
  toward him. Lydell caught her under the arms dragged her to the bed.
• 1:56:16
  He arranged a pillow under her head, threw the sheet over her body.
• 1:56:19
  A thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. A large
• 1:56:23
  welt was already discoloring on the side of her jaw. Sorry, baby,
• 1:56:28
  he whispered, It had to look good for your sake. End of chapter
• 1:56:33
  seven. Chapter eight. Lydell doused the light in the room, walked over
• 1:56:39
  to the window, slid it up. The fire escape landing was about four
• 1:56:43
  feet from the window opening into the adjoining room. He slid one leg over
• 1:56:46
  the sill, found a tiny cornice, leaned his weight on it experimentally,
• 1:56:51
  then carefully hooking the toe of his left foot inside the window jam, he
• 1:56:55
  leaned slowly toward the fire escape. After what seemed an eternity, felt the
• 1:57:00
  cold metal touch his finger tips, wiggled farther forward until he could grab the
• 1:57:04
  landing with both hands. Then releasing his foot from the window, his body
• 1:57:09
  swung dizzily toward the fire escape. A minute later, he sat, panting
• 1:57:13
  on the landing. He dried the palms of his hands along the side of
• 1:57:16
  his thighs, looked down into the alley below. As he watched, he
• 1:57:20
  saw the guard's cigarette redden to a bright dot and fade. He strained his
• 1:57:25
  eyes against the darkness, failed to make out the shape of the man below.
• 1:57:29
  Hoped he was equally invisible. Keeping as close to the wall as possible,
• 1:57:33
  Lidel felt his way down the stairs to the third floor landing. The
• 1:57:38
  window was dark. Carefully, he tried it, breathed a sigh of relief
• 1:57:41
  as it slid quietly up. He threw a leg over the sill, followed
• 1:57:45
  it into the room, closed the window behind him. The room was apparently
• 1:57:48
  used as an office of sorts. A large desk took up most of the
• 1:57:53
  room. The walls were lined with what appeared to be filing cabinets. Lidel
• 1:57:57
  felt his way carefully around the desk toward the door. Opened at a crack,
• 1:58:00
  applied his eye to it. The hallway was empty, but at the
• 1:58:02
  far end, commanding a view of it, he could see the guard sitting
• 1:58:06
  his chair tilted back against the wall. Lydell swore under his breath. Closed
• 1:58:12
  the door noiselessly. He felt through his pockets, came up with a paper
• 1:58:15
  package of matches, scratched one. Looked around. On the far side of
• 1:58:19
  the desk was the door. He held the match, walked to the door,
• 1:58:23
  burnt his finger. Dropped the match. At the door, he placed
• 1:58:26
  his ear against it, listened. There was no sound from the room beyond.
• 1:58:30
  He caught the door knob, turned it carefully, pulled the door open
• 1:58:32
  a crack. A man was sitting in a large over stuffed chair, facing
• 1:58:36
  away from him. He held a phone against his ear. A cigar clinched
• 1:58:41
  between his teeth waggled when he talked. Lydell had a clear view of the
• 1:58:44
  pouting lips, the fat neck that bulged over the tight collar. He pulled
• 1:58:47
  the forty five from its holster, waited until the fat Man had knotted into
• 1:58:51
  the phone, dropped it back on its hook with a grunt. Cupola was
• 1:58:56
  holding a match to the cigar when Lidel stepped into the room. His forty
• 1:58:59
  five pointed at the fat Man's stomach. Hello, Frankie, Lydell greeted him.
• 1:59:04
  The fat Man turned his head laboriously. The cigar that had been standing
• 1:59:09
  at right angles to his pouting lips suddenly drooped. The rolls of fat around
• 1:59:13
  his neck bellowed as his jaw dropped. His pig like little eyes receeated behind
• 1:59:16
  their discolored pouches flashed a combination of hate and fear. What is this?
• 1:59:23
  He growled? His voice was heavy, blubbery, as though choked by the
• 1:59:26
  fat around his neck. Is that a nice way to talk to a guy
• 1:59:30
  who went through all the trouble I've gone through to see you? Frankie?
• 1:59:32
  The fat Man started a sneer. You don't even know what trouble is yet,
• 1:59:39
  lydel kept the muzzle of the forty five pointed at the fat Man's belt
• 1:59:43
  circled in front of him. Took up a position with his back to the
• 1:59:45
  wall near the hall door. You're scaring me to death, The fat man
• 1:59:49
  squinted at him, scowled. Who are you? And what's the idea?
• 1:59:55
  My name's Lidell mean anything to you? Not a thing. Lightel grinned tightly.
• 2:00:02
  It must have. The other night you tried to part my hair with
• 2:00:04
  a Tommy gun. I kept Skoto as a souvenir. Remember. The fat
• 2:00:10
  Man's face drooped, his lower lips sagged, showing the discolored stumps of his
• 2:00:14
  bottom teeth. The pinkness left his face, leaving the sacking jaws of muddy
• 2:00:17
  white. Oh no, what you're talking about? You will, Lydel promised
• 2:00:25
  we'll take a little ride to clear your head. Coppola said nothing, rolled
• 2:00:29
  his cigar between thumb and forefinger, stared fixedly at Lidel. First, we
• 2:00:34
  call your boy in from the hall. The fat man continued to regard Lydel
• 2:00:39
  with sinister eyes, his eyelids drooping until the eyes themselves were mere slits.
• 2:00:43
  He made no move Lydel grinned frostily. Course, I don't have to talk
• 2:00:48
  to you. I could just blast you where you're sitting. I get out
• 2:00:51
  the same way I got in, but you wouldn't be going any place.
• 2:00:56
  Coupola's face sprouted a crop of globules of sweat that gleamed wetly in the light.
• 2:01:00
  He looked down at his pudgy white hands, played with a diamond ring
• 2:01:03
  on his fourth finger. Okay, suppose I do go along? Then what
• 2:01:11
  depends. I've got a lot of questions I want answered. You tell me
• 2:01:14
  the answers, and that's all I want with you. How do I know
• 2:01:17
  you're not gonna blast me as soon as I tell you what you want to
• 2:01:19
  know? Lydell shrugged, You don't, but you're sure of getting it if
• 2:01:25
  you make me do it the hard way. Ask them here too many distractions.
• 2:01:31
  Lydel shook his head motioned with the forty five, get the gunzel in
• 2:01:35
  here. As the fat man's pudgy hand moved toward a button on the wall,
• 2:01:39
  Lydel stopped him. Don't forget Frankie. If you tip him in any
• 2:01:43
  way, if he comes in shooting, you won't be around to get the
• 2:01:45
  score. Cupola wiped the red smear of his mouth, nodded, jabbed at
• 2:01:50
  the button. He returned his hands to his lap, crossed them across the
• 2:01:55
  stomach, settled back to wait. Lydell flattened back against the walls for five
• 2:02:00
  trained on the man in the chair. A strange smile paceded on his face.
• 2:02:03
  They both started. When the rap came on the door. The fat
• 2:02:06
  Man's eyes rolled to Lidel, who nodded, come, Cupola ordered. The
• 2:02:13
  door opened. The man in the camel's hair coat and gray Fedora walked in,
• 2:02:15
  closed the door behind him. When he saw Lydell, his hand streaked
• 2:02:18
  for his right lapel froze with his fingertips inches from the butt of his gun.
• 2:02:24
  How'd you get in here? He growled. I borrowed a pair of
• 2:02:28
  wings from that ferry and the lobby and flew in. Lydel grunted, turn
• 2:02:31
  around and keep those hands up where I can watch him. The guard turned
• 2:02:35
  around, faced the wall, gave no resistance when Lydel fanned him relieved him
• 2:02:40
  of a snub nose. Thirty eight. Now what, Frankie, Copola demanded,
• 2:02:45
  You and I go for a ride, Frankie, the fat Man sneered,
• 2:02:49
  that's what you think. There's a guard down in the lobby and there's
• 2:02:53
  no way I can call him up here. There's another one down in the
• 2:02:56
  alley. So how do we get out? Hang round, Frankie, and
• 2:03:00
  I'll show you, Lydell told him. With one motion, he knocked the
• 2:03:03
  fedora from the guard's head, chopped the barrel of the forty five above his
• 2:03:08
  right ear, stood back as the man slid to the floor. Now on
• 2:03:12
  your feet, fat boy. The fat man looked at the unconscious guard with
• 2:03:15
  disbelieving eyes, pulled himself out of the chair. He permitted Lydell to get
• 2:03:19
  behind him relieve him of a luguer, which Lydell transferred to his own pocket.
• 2:03:25
  Two bad house in that chair and couldn't get at it, Capola growled.
• 2:03:30
  Lydell was unimpressed. If you couldn't do any better with this than you
• 2:03:33
  can do with a tommy gun, it wouldn't have done you much good.
• 2:03:36
  He jammed the snout of the forty five into the fat Man's side, propelled
• 2:03:41
  him to the door. Stand there, face on the wall, Frankie,
• 2:03:43
  it might help your memory. He leaned down, stripped the camel's hair coat
• 2:03:46
  from the guard, picked up the gray fedora, set it on the top
• 2:03:49
  of his head, the brim parallel to his eyes. Let's get going,
• 2:03:54
  Frankie. Where down the hall to the third door from the end. We'll
• 2:03:58
  use the escape hatch. He could feel the fat man stiffened. Yeah,
• 2:04:02
  the one you use for raids. The fat Man's shoulders drooped as the fight
• 2:04:06
  seeped out of him. Okay, shame, I s your hold. The
• 2:04:10
  aces the concealed stairway leading from the third floor of the hotel Sert came out
• 2:04:15
  in a courtyard that opened on forty sixth Street and the yard, a large
• 2:04:18
  black sedan was parked whose car Lydel wanted to know mine, get into it.
• 2:04:26
  The fat man hesitated, the forty five, boring into his side,
• 2:04:30
  prodded him forward. He slid in behind the wheel lightel slid in beside him.
• 2:04:34
  The forty five jabbed into the fat man's side. Where are we going?
• 2:04:40
  He breathed, noisily. Your place. The fat Man's face gleamed wetly
• 2:04:45
  in the dim light as he turned to face light. L my place.
• 2:04:49
  It'll be the last place they'll think of looking for you when your boy comes
• 2:04:53
  to life and tells them you've been snatched. That way, we won't be
• 2:04:56
  interrupted. I own alad, I got a sheck up deal Lydel grunted,
• 2:05:02
  lucky girl. He jabbed the snout of the gun deeper into the fat man's
• 2:05:06
  side, brought a gasp from the pouting lips. You'll be able to persuade
• 2:05:12
  her to leave us alone. How bet you're a hard man with the ladies.
• 2:05:15
  Get this heap moving, Capola kicked the motor to life, eased the
• 2:05:18
  big car up the alley out to forty six. He swung left on forty
• 2:05:23
  six to six, turned north to Central Park South. Pulled the car up
• 2:05:26
  in front of a modern apartment house facing on the park. Is it?
• 2:05:30
  He gurgled Lydell nodded, Pull the car up a block or two. We
• 2:05:34
  don't want to advertise where you are. Besides, the exercise will do you
• 2:05:38
  good, put you in the right mood to do some talking. Go count
• 2:05:42
  on it, Lidel. They fitted the big sedan between two other black cars
• 2:05:46
  and a row of parked cars a block east of Capola's apartment house. Walked
• 2:05:50
  back Lydel stayed a pace behind the fat man. The forty five, pointed
• 2:05:56
  unwaveringly at the small of his back. They took the automatic elevator to the
• 2:06:00
  fourth floor, walked down a carpeted corridor to a door marked for seat.
• 2:06:05
  The name on the bell was Claire Rhodes. Lydell looked at the fat Man
• 2:06:09
  inquiringly. It's the broad's name, Cupola growled. He started to go for
• 2:06:15
  the keys in his pocket, groaned when the Lydel jabbed the snout of the
• 2:06:17
  gun into his already tender back. Stay away from the pockets, the fat
• 2:06:23
  Man glared, I'm gootin my key. Knock. The fat Man's jowls quivered
• 2:06:30
  their indignation, but he did as he was told. Inside they could hear
• 2:06:33
  the sound of a woman's high heels tapping across the floor. Then who's there?
• 2:06:39
  Who are you expected? Open it up? Cupola growled. The door
• 2:06:44
  swung open. A tall brunette with a vacuously pretty face stood in the doorway.
• 2:06:47
  Why didn't you use your key, Frankie? I Her hazel eyes flowed
• 2:06:51
  past. Cupola fastened on Lidel. That's not mickey, what's wrong, Frankie?
• 2:06:57
  The fat Man put his hand against a woman's shoulder, shoved sent her
• 2:07:00
  reeling into the room. You talk too much, he growled. Lydel followed
• 2:07:05
  them into the living room, closed the door behind them. He pulled the
• 2:07:09
  forty five from his pocket, held it in full view. Anybody else in
• 2:07:13
  the place, he asked. The girl made an ineffectual attempt to pull her
• 2:07:16
  negligee around her shook her head. The blood had drained from her face,
• 2:07:20
  leaving in a transparent ivory, her makeup standing out like blotches on her skin.
• 2:07:26
  Her hand was at her throat, as though to stifle the scream that
• 2:07:28
  was rising. There no noise, baby Lydel told her, nobody's going to
• 2:07:32
  get hurt. The fat boy here and I have some business to talk over,
• 2:07:36
  private business. He's going to tie you in the bedroom until we're finished.
• 2:07:42
  I'm damned if I go. Cupola's jowls quivered lightel grinned tightly and double
• 2:07:47
  damned if you don't make it easy on yourself, fatso, and don't keep
• 2:07:50
  reminding me that you tried to use me for a shooting gallery. Capola tried
• 2:07:56
  to stare him down. Then his eyes wavered and fell com here you,
• 2:08:01
  he snarled at the girl. The girl stood her ground, a faint flush
• 2:08:05
  of color returning to her cheeks. Don't let him push us around like this,
• 2:08:09
  Frankie. You're always telling me how tough you are. The fat man
• 2:08:13
  lashed out, caught her across the cheek with a sharp crack. The girl
• 2:08:16
  fell back, hand to face, lay off the rough stuff Copola. Lydel
• 2:08:22
  growled for a fraction of a second, he took his eyes off The fat
• 2:08:24
  man was unprepared for the speed with which Copola caught the girl by the arm,
• 2:08:28
  spun her into position between him and Lydel, and threw her forward.
• 2:08:33
  The girl's body caught lydell A glancing below, throwing a momentarily off balance,
• 2:08:37
  Capola was on top of him. Before he could regain his balance, lashed
• 2:08:41
  out with a foot at Lydell's groin, missed by inches. Lydel chopped at
• 2:08:45
  the leg with the barrel of the gun, drew a yelp of pain from
• 2:08:48
  the fat man. He regained his balance, braced himself, was ready for
• 2:08:52
  the fat man's next lunge. Slammed him across the mouth with the flat of
• 2:08:56
  the barrel, smashing the pouting lips like an over ripe tomato. Capole La,
• 2:09:00
  howling with pain, lowered his head charged again. Lydell side stepped,
• 2:09:03
  chopped at the back of the fat neck. Cupolea hit the floor face first,
• 2:09:07
  lay there moaning Lydell stood over the quivering hulk on the floor, breathing
• 2:09:11
  hard. He looked over to where the brunette stood, rubbing the side of
• 2:09:15
  her face. You all right, Claire, Lydell asked. The girl nodded
• 2:09:20
  no, thanks to him. He didn't care if you shot me when he
• 2:09:24
  pushed me at you. She glared at Cupola looked up at Lydell. You
• 2:09:28
  won't have to tie me, mister. I won't make any trouble. I've
• 2:09:31
  waited too long to see someone work him over, she indicated the prostrate gunman
• 2:09:35
  with a contemptuous toss of her head. I've had to wait a long time,
• 2:09:39
  but it was worth waiting to see it done right. She leaped toward
• 2:09:41
  the bedroom door. I'll put the key on the outside. You can lock
• 2:09:45
  me in if you want to. Lydell satisfied himself that there was no extension
• 2:09:48
  to the telephone in the bedroom, no exit via a fire escape. He
• 2:09:52
  put the girl in, locked the door behind him, returned to the living
• 2:09:56
  room. Frankie Coppola was still sprawled out on the floor, face down.
• 2:10:00
  Okay, tough guy, now for the conversation. Lydel stirred him with the
• 2:10:05
  tip of his toe. When the fat man made no move to get up,
• 2:10:07
  he caught him by the collar, dragged him to his feet, pushed
• 2:10:11
  him to a chair. The fat man was still having trouble and focusing his
• 2:10:15
  eyes. There was a welt on the side of his face and a stream
• 2:10:18
  of blood had cascaded from the smashed lips. Who put me on that spot
• 2:10:22
  the other night? Frankie Cupola managed to arrange his battered lips in a sneer.
• 2:10:26
  I know what you're talking about, Lydel sighed. Don't make me do
• 2:10:31
  it the hard way, Frankie. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it, but
• 2:10:35
  I haven't got the time right now. I'll ask you just once more.
• 2:10:39
  Who told you to burn me down on that corner? The fat man ignored
• 2:10:43
  him, looked down at his white hands, played with the diamond ring on
• 2:10:46
  his finger. Lydel growled, reached over, caught a handful of the fat
• 2:10:50
  man's hair, yanked his head up until he was looking Lydel in the eye.
• 2:10:54
  Don't go hard to reach on me, Frankie, Lydel told him in
• 2:10:58
  a low voice. I'm gonna get the answers I want. How I get
• 2:11:01
  them depends on you. Make it easy on yourself. Capola's breath whistled between
• 2:11:07
  his smashed lips. I don't know a thing. Not very smart, are
• 2:11:11
  you, Frankie? You think you are being here, You're not getting a
• 2:11:16
  thing out of me, led old, grinned, bleakly. That's what makes
• 2:11:22
  horse racing fatso difference of opinion me. I think you're gonna sing like a
• 2:11:28
  stage struck canary. He reversed the gun, held it by the barrel for
• 2:11:33
  one thing. If you don't talk, I'm gonna feed you this rod,
• 2:11:35
  but first, so help me. I'll leave you as toothless as the day
• 2:11:39
  you were born. Caupola squeezed back against the cushions. I don't know why
• 2:11:43
  you were on the spot. Look orders from Scota on, No one go
• 2:11:48
  on. The fat Man wiped the perspiration off his upper lip with the back
• 2:11:52
  of his hand. I just went along to give him cover. He had
• 2:11:56
  the contract to blast you who from The fat Man shook his head, agitating
• 2:12:01
  the rows of fat that wringed his neck. I don't know what about Ricci.
• 2:12:09
  The fat Man shruck so violently his chin seemed about to overflow his collar.
• 2:12:13
  I wasn't in on that one. That was Riccie's job, not mine.
• 2:12:16
  What's it all about, Frankie? Why am I on the spot?
• 2:12:20
  Maybe you make too many people hite your guts, like me, for instance,
• 2:12:24
  Lydell snorted. Or maybe because the word is out to keep me from
• 2:12:28
  reopening the Matt Merrit killing. A stubborn look of fear washed all other expression
• 2:12:33
  from the fat face. I don't know anything about it. Scota was in
• 2:12:39
  charge of that job. I just went along to give him cover. Where's
• 2:12:41
  Geane Merrit? Frankie, how do I go? Lydell put his face close
• 2:12:46
  to Cupola's until he could smell the foulness of the fat man's breath. Because
• 2:12:50
  Scota took her out of the Hotel Westmore just before you opened up on me.
• 2:12:56
  Where did he take her? The fat man managed to but the apprehension
• 2:13:01
  in his eyes persisted. Ask him, I don't know how to work Ouigia
• 2:13:05
  boards end of chapter eight, Chapter nine. Perspiration beat it on Johnny Lilydell's
• 2:13:15
  face as he stood looking down at the man in the chair. The past
• 2:13:18
  hour had not improved Coppola's appearance. You're being awfully hard to get along with,
• 2:13:24
  Frankie, he told him. All I want to know is where Gene
• 2:13:26
  Merritt is and who gave you the office to spray let at me the other
• 2:13:31
  night? The beaty little eyes glared from behind their pounches. You're having all
• 2:13:35
  the fun to not, Lydell, Caupola muttered through smashed lips. I never
• 2:13:41
  forget a face, and I'm double sure to remember yours. Lydell's hand described
• 2:13:48
  a short arc caught the man in the chair smartly across the cheek. Never
• 2:13:52
  mind what's going to happen to me, Frankie, just give some thought to
• 2:13:56
  what's going to happen to you. You scared me to death. The fat
• 2:14:01
  Man snarled, Okay, fat, so if that's the way you want it,
• 2:14:05
  I mightn't have scared Ricci and scoted a death, but it's a cinch.
• 2:14:09
  The forty five slugs I pumped into them didn't lengthen their lives. He
• 2:14:13
  pointed to forty five at Copola's bulging waistline. One more won't hurt. The
• 2:14:18
  fat Man studied Lydell's face for signs of a bluff. Lydell returned the scrutiny
• 2:14:24
  unblinkingly, his finger tightened against the trigger. Copola squeezed back against the cushions
• 2:14:28
  of the chair, his fat face slack with fear. A minute, I'll
• 2:14:35
  talk, Lydell released his pressure on the trigger. He became suddenly aware that
• 2:14:39
  Copola's eyes were staring past him at the door. There was a faint,
• 2:14:43
  almost imperceptible creak behind him, as though the door was being opened. Without
• 2:14:48
  attempting to turn, Lydell blasted away at the only lighted lamp in the room.
• 2:14:52
  The forty five slug tore the fixture half off the wall, leaving the
• 2:14:56
  room in darkness. As he fired, he threw himself to one side,
• 2:15:01
  flattened out against the floor. The door scraped all the way open, simultaneous
• 2:15:05
  with the crashing of the light bulb. There was a faint PLoP and a
• 2:15:09
  short flash near the door, followed by a soft sigh and the sound of
• 2:15:11
  someone sitting down hard. The light in the hallway had been turned off,
• 2:15:16
  and the gunman in the doorway provided no target. Lydell slid cautiously to the
• 2:15:20
  left in an attempt to get a shot at him, caught the leg of
• 2:15:24
  a small table with his foot, knocking it to the floor with a crash.
• 2:15:26
  There was another muffled PLoP from the doorway, and Lydell heard the buzz
• 2:15:31
  of an angry bee whiz past his ear. He squeezed the trigger of the
• 2:15:33
  forty five threw two shots at the doorway. The forty five made a deafening
• 2:15:39
  roar in the cramped space. He heard the patter of running feet in the
• 2:15:41
  hallway. By the time he reached the door, the hall was empty.
• 2:15:46
  He sprinted down the corridor, arrived at the elevator in time to see that
• 2:15:48
  it was on its way down. He debated the advisibility of trying to race
• 2:15:52
  it to the lobby by way of the stairs, decided against it. Returned
• 2:15:56
  to Capola's apartment, walked in, let a match close the door behind him.
• 2:16:03
  He found an undamaged lamp, turned it on. Frankie Coppola was still
• 2:16:07
  sitting in the chair, grinning at him. A small blue black hole in
• 2:16:11
  his forehead had spilled a bright red stream that ran down the side of his
• 2:16:13
  nose and was dripping from his chin down onto his white collar. The beady
• 2:16:18
  little eyes secure behind their purple buttresses, regarded Lydell soberly, were glaring no
• 2:16:24
  longer. There was a muffled pounding on the bedroom door. Lydell walked over,
• 2:16:30
  turned the key. The bedroom spilled yellow light across the carpet to the
• 2:16:35
  chair where Frankie Coppola sat grinning. What happened? The brunette tried to look
• 2:16:39
  into the room over Lydell's shoulder. Coppola's dead. Someone stuck his head in
• 2:16:45
  the door, started pitching lead. Frankie fielded one with his head. The
• 2:16:50
  girl's hands shook as she pulled her robe close around her. What doll we
• 2:16:52
  do call the police? I guess, Lydell grunted. Someone else's bound to
• 2:16:58
  probably has already. We better get it on record that we reported it as
• 2:17:01
  soon as it happened. They'll kill me, the girl moaned. They'll blame
• 2:17:05
  me for it. They'll think I put him on the spot. Who will
• 2:17:11
  his friends? The pallor had returned to the girl's face. Her voice was
• 2:17:13
  high, squeaky with fright. They'll think it was me. Lydell patted her
• 2:17:20
  arm. Don't worry about it. I'll see to it that your booked as
• 2:17:22
  a material witness and put away some safe place until I can take care of
• 2:17:26
  those friends of his. The girl licked her lips, made a visible effort
• 2:17:31
  to get herself under control. Why what do you want me to do?
• 2:17:35
  Forget what happened tonight? You and Frankie expected me over. You went inside
• 2:17:39
  while Frankie and I were talking. The first thing he knew there was shooting.
• 2:17:43
  Leave the rest to me, but his friends they'll know. Lydell nodded,
• 2:17:50
  leave them to me too. The brunette took a deep, shuddering breath,
• 2:17:54
  nodded, okay. She looked down at her gown, pulled it together.
• 2:17:58
  I bet get some clothes on. After she had returned to the bedroom,
• 2:18:03
  Lydell took Capola's luguer from his pocket, wiped it carefully with his handkerchief,
• 2:18:07
  Then, lifting the dead man's hand from where it hung limply over the
• 2:18:11
  side of the chair, he pressed the gun into the lifeless hand. In
• 2:18:13
  several positions. He blew on the gun, seemed satisfied with the number of
• 2:18:18
  prints that showed up. Holding it with his handkerchief, he slipped it into
• 2:18:20
  the fat man's holster, walked over to the telephone, dialed Inspector Hurley he
• 2:18:24
  had headquarters. A few minutes later, one of the radio patrol men who
• 2:18:30
  had been the first to answer the call opened the door for Inspector Hurley,
• 2:18:33
  he and his men. The inspector pushed his broad brimmed hat back on his
• 2:18:37
  head, scowled at Lydell. He crossed the room and bent over the corpse.
• 2:18:41
  After a careful scrutiny of the wound, he nodded for the headquarters men
• 2:18:43
  to take over. Then, perching himself on the arm of the sofa,
• 2:18:46
  he regarded Lydell soberly plus like ya Lux run out, Lidell. No one
• 2:18:52
  could call this one's self defense. Lydell managed to look surprised. You don't
• 2:18:56
  think I did it, Inspector her He shifted his gum from his left cheek
• 2:19:01
  to his right, grinned humorlessly. You kidding this morning? You find out
• 2:19:05
  this guy tried a machine guny the other night, he turns up dead and
• 2:19:09
  you're on the scene with that hole in his head. It's a cinch.
• 2:19:11
  He didn't die of old age? How would you figure it? Lydel shrugged,
• 2:19:16
  I didn't kill him, Inspector Hurly, he grunted, got a gun
• 2:19:20
  on you here, it is, sir. One of the uniform men produced
• 2:19:24
  the forty five wrapped in a handkerchief. Hurly he held the barrel to his
• 2:19:26
  smoke, sniffed, No, you're smelling it. Inspector Lydell told him,
• 2:19:31
  you won't have any trouble proving it was fire tonight. Your trouble's going to
• 2:19:35
  prove how I shot Frankie with a forty five and he turned up dead with
• 2:19:37
  a thirty two hole in his head. Curly, he stared at him thoughtfully,
• 2:19:41
  a troubled frown on his face. He spun on his heel walked over
• 2:19:45
  to the uniform patrolman. Anyone else in the place when it happened? He
• 2:19:48
  barked. The patrolman referred to his black leather notebook. Ah, woman names
• 2:19:54
  Claire Rhodes. She's an entertainer at the showplace out in Brooklyn. What's she
• 2:20:00
  doing here? The patrolman scratched his head. She lives here, the place
• 2:20:05
  is listed in her name. Hurly, he turned back to glare at Lidell.
• 2:20:09
  Ah wouldn'tess eh, Let's have a look at her, demmoch. The
• 2:20:13
  uniform man disappeared into the bedroom, reappeared a moment later, leading the brunette
• 2:20:18
  by the arm. She made a determined effort to keep her eyes off the
• 2:20:20
  body. Lost the match when they roved there uncontrollably. You were here when
• 2:20:24
  the shooting took place, Miss Rhodes. Hurly, he barked at her.
• 2:20:28
  The girl nodded, then you knew this man. He stepped aside so she
• 2:20:33
  could get a good look at Cupola. The brunette's pallor turned a patchy gray.
• 2:20:37
  She swallowed audibly, averted her eyes. He was my fiancee, Hurly,
• 2:20:43
  he nodded. How about him? He indicated Lidell. The girl's eyes
• 2:20:48
  sought out Lidell, then dropped. I never met him until to night.
• 2:20:52
  Frankie was expecting him. They had something to talk over. Frankie told me
• 2:20:56
  to go to bed as soon as he came. A trouble v creased the
• 2:21:01
  inspector's brow. They were friendly, The girl nodded. They were while I
• 2:21:07
  was here. But they had an argument and Lydell shot him. I didn't
• 2:21:11
  say that it was somebody else that shot Frankie. Somebody opened the door,
• 2:21:15
  stuck a gun in and killed him. Hurly. He growled deep in his
• 2:21:18
  chest. He said, you were in the bedroom. How do you know
• 2:21:20
  all this? He snapped, I told her Lydell broke in. Hurly.
• 2:21:26
  He fixed Lightell with a baleful glare. It wasn't that considerate of you.
• 2:21:30
  Suppose you tell me what happened? Lydell shrugged. It's just like Claire says.
• 2:21:35
  The door opened, someone stuck a gun in and plugged Frankie. You
• 2:21:39
  didn't even get a look at the killer, no, doubt Lydell grinned bleakly.
• 2:21:45
  I didn't have a chance to do anything but duck. It happened so
• 2:21:48
  fast. Frankie didn't even have time to go for his gun. He indicated
• 2:21:52
  the butt of the luger peeping from under the fat man's jacket. Either that
• 2:21:56
  or he knew the guy in the doorway and didn't expect any trouble. He's
• 2:22:00
  pretty theory. What were you doing when the shooting started? Talking to Frankie,
• 2:22:03
  he was in the chair and I was standing with my back to the
• 2:22:07
  door. I heard it open and someone threw a shot. I died for
• 2:22:09
  the floor and took the light with me. Then I threw a couple at
• 2:22:13
  the doorway and tried to get a crack at the killer. He raised his
• 2:22:16
  shoulders in an eloquent shrug. He got away. Do tell Hurley. He
• 2:22:20
  spun on his heel, swung back to the patrolman standing with the girl.
• 2:22:24
  Take her down and book her as a material witness. Arrange for a paraffin
• 2:22:28
  test while you're at it. Maybe she'll be ready to do some talking.
• 2:22:31
  After a couple of knights in the tank, there was a light tap on
• 2:22:35
  the door. Another patrolman opened it. The medical examiner breezed in greeted the
• 2:22:41
  inspector with a cheery grin. He whistled soundlessly as he took inventory of the
• 2:22:45
  girl being hustled through the door. I'm glad it wasn't her. He's not
• 2:22:50
  half as pretty. He dropped his hat on the table, leaned over the
• 2:22:52
  body, examined the wound with the practiced air hum A thirty two way,
• 2:22:58
  Inspector Hurley. He slammed his hat down on the tip, ran his fingers
• 2:23:01
  through the thick mane of his hair. How the hell can you tell it's
• 2:23:03
  thirty two until you get the damn bullet out, he roared. The medical
• 2:23:07
  examiner dropped his top coat on the couch, took off his jacket, started
• 2:23:11
  to roll up his sleeves. I can't, if you are going to get
• 2:23:15
  technical about it, inspector, not anymore that you can tell when you find
• 2:23:18
  a hole under you to sink, whether it's made by a mouse or an
• 2:23:20
  elephant. He busied himself at the body, made a series of notations on
• 2:23:24
  a printed form. If it'll make you feel any better, I'll have him
• 2:23:28
  tag for an autopsy to make sure he wasn't poisoned, he added maliciously.
• 2:23:33
  Hurly, he started to retort. Let the fingerprint man catch him by the
• 2:23:35
  arm, draw him aside. A whisper in his ear, the red flush
• 2:23:39
  crept all the way up from the Inspector's collar. You're absolutely sure that fnce,
• 2:23:46
  the fingerprint man looked unhappy. Positive, Inspector cupolas are the only prints
• 2:23:52
  on the luguer, Just like I tried to tell you, Inspector light El
• 2:23:56
  grinned, I'm as innocent as a newborn babe. Stilled, determined to toss
• 2:24:00
  me into the pokey Hurly, he gave his wad of gum a murderous pounding
• 2:24:05
  swore under his breath. I could lock you up as a material witness,
• 2:24:09
  but chances are the legitimate prisoners would be circulating a petition to get rid of
• 2:24:13
  you. Can I have my gun back, Lydell asked hurly. He handed
• 2:24:16
  it back wordlessly, watched while the private detective fitted it into his holster.
• 2:24:22
  Still insists, you don't know what's going on, Lydell, now as much
• 2:24:24
  as in the dark as you are. Lydell nodded. The inspector sniffed.
• 2:24:28
  It's not what the district attorney thinks. God help you if you make one
• 2:24:33
  slip. Your department hasn't got a thing on me, and you know it.
• 2:24:37
  It's not my department you'd better be worried about. It's the health department.
• 2:24:41
  You're a public menace and more fatal than an epidemic. End of chapter
• 2:24:48
  nine, Chapter ten. The phone jangled so hard it almost danced off the
• 2:24:52
  night table. Johnny Lydell groaned, turned over, tried to keep out the
• 2:24:56
  strident sound by pulling the covers over his head, Trying to make believe the
• 2:25:01
  phone wasn't there. Didn't work. It stood on the end of the table,
• 2:25:05
  shrilled at him. He consulted his watch, couldn't see the time and
• 2:25:09
  the dimness of the room. Reached up, pulled on the bed lamp,
• 2:25:13
  was almost blinded by the flood of yellow light. It was eleven o'clock.
• 2:25:16
  He reached over, scooped the phone from its cradle, eh, the receiver
• 2:25:22
  laughed in his face. The Lydell Detective Agency never sleeps. What a laugh
• 2:25:28
  it was, mugs Achille, her voice so cheerful that it made his stomach
• 2:25:31
  new backflips. I've been ringing this phone for half an hour, no accounting
• 2:25:37
  for tastes, Lidell grunted, Wake up, Johnny, I'm on my way
• 2:25:39
  up. Lydell scowled at the phone, tried to think of some argument to
• 2:25:43
  stave off the threatened invasion, gave it up as hopeless. Don't hurry on
• 2:25:48
  my account. That's what I love about you, Lidell. You're so impetuous.
• 2:25:54
  Lidell tossed his receiver on the hook, walked over, ran up the
• 2:25:58
  shade, blink at the sunlight. On the way to the bathroom, he
• 2:26:03
  unlocked the apartment door, was already under the shower when he heard it open
• 2:26:05
  and close. Be right out, he yelled, above the roar of the
• 2:26:09
  water. Take your time, Muggsy called in. He finished showering, rubbed
• 2:26:15
  himself down briskly, tried with no noticeable success, to wash the dark brown
• 2:26:20
  taste out of his mouth. He stuffed his legs into a pair of gray
• 2:26:22
  flannel pants, ran an electric razor over his face and was feeling reasonably human
• 2:26:28
  by the time he walked out to face Mugsy. She was sitting on her
• 2:26:31
  feet in the only decent chair in the room, skimming through a two column
• 2:26:35
  story on the front page of the Advance. She looked up as he walked
• 2:26:37
  into the room, grinned. Her face was free of make up, her
• 2:26:41
  thick blonde hair fluffed out beneath the dark blue, jaunty tam. She looked
• 2:26:45
  more like a college senior in her well filled sweater than most college seniors ever
• 2:26:48
  managed to look. She tossed the paper onto the floor, got up,
• 2:26:52
  walked over to Lidel, slid her arms around his neck. It sounds like
• 2:26:56
  you had an exciting evening after you left me. Just routine. Not a
• 2:27:01
  couple of interesting women, he planted his lips on hers. A couple of
• 2:27:05
  women. I only read about one. Who is the other a hustler who
• 2:27:09
  works forty seventh Street. Her name's Laurie. Interesting. Muggsy nodded in mock
• 2:27:16
  gravity. Oh, I'll bet no doubt she told you the story of how
• 2:27:18
  she was lured unwillingly into a life of sin. Laurie. Hell no,
• 2:27:24
  she loves it. He stepped around the girl found a fresh shirt in his
• 2:27:28
  biureau drawer. What have they done with the roades? Gal put her in
• 2:27:33
  deep freeze early. He thinks she may start remembering things if he keeps her
• 2:27:35
  there long enough. Lydell shrugged into the shirt, grinned, good, that's
• 2:27:41
  just what she wants him to do. He selected a tie from the rack,
• 2:27:45
  put it back docily when Muggsy selected another one. She's afraid Cupola's men
• 2:27:50
  will be after her. Muggsy watched the tie tying process critically approved, sat
• 2:27:54
  on the side of the bed, and fumbled through her oversized perse for a
• 2:27:58
  cigarette. The store worry is that this mass marvel crept up behind you and
• 2:28:01
  pop poor Frankie right over your shoulder, and you don't have any idea what
• 2:28:05
  he looks like. She lit the cigarette. That's the story. Muggsy blew
• 2:28:11
  a stream of smoke at him, shook her head. You could do better
• 2:28:13
  than that, Johnny. Don't believe me, huh. The girl grinned,
• 2:28:18
  that's not important, did her? Lee Lydell shrugged. He hated to stand
• 2:28:22
  still for it, but he had no choice. Frankie was popped with thirty
• 2:28:26
  two my gun's a forty five and Frankie's as a luger. Smoke tickled Muggsi's
• 2:28:31
  nostrils. You could have gotten rid of it, or the stripper could have
• 2:28:33
  done the shooting. Don't think they missed that one either. They gave the
• 2:28:37
  roads gal the paraffine test the minute they got her to the station, he
• 2:28:41
  dragged a comb through his tangled hair, slipped into his shoulder harness. Take
• 2:28:45
  my word for it that the kid didn't do it, Muggs. She was
• 2:28:48
  locked in the bedroom when the shooting started, and you lydel fished his forty
• 2:28:52
  five out of the bureau drawer, checked it, slid it into the shoulder
• 2:28:56
  holster. Act your age, baby. If I'm going to try to beat
• 2:29:00
  an experienced hood to his gun, I'm going to use a forty five that'll
• 2:29:03
  stop him cold, not a thirty two that might just sting him. Find
• 2:29:07
  out the answer to those questions you wanted answered? No Lydell shook his head,
• 2:29:11
  But I would have if I had just a little more time. Frankie
• 2:29:16
  was beginning to soften up, real nice. What did happen, Johnny?
• 2:29:20
  He took the cigarette from between her lips, took a deep drag replaced it.
• 2:29:26
  After I left your place, I went over to meet one of Dummy's
• 2:29:28
  men in a joint on forty seventh Street. He had run Copola down in
• 2:29:31
  a riding academy called the Sert. He fixed it so as I could get
• 2:29:35
  into the place. That's where Laurie came in. Lydell nodded. I went
• 2:29:39
  up to her room with her. She was right above Copola's room. I
• 2:29:43
  managed to get to him, snatch him. I didn't think they'd find him
• 2:29:46
  at his own place. He scowled, rubbed the heel of his hand along
• 2:29:50
  his jaw. They must have spotted us. I made the mistake of using
• 2:29:52
  Copola's car, and Lydell shrugged, And that's all the rest happened, just
• 2:29:58
  like it's says in the paper. While I was sweating him, the door
• 2:30:01
  opened and died for the floor. Took the light out with me. Frankie
• 2:30:05
  didn't move fast enough. Muggsy smoked silently for a moment. It gets screwier
• 2:30:11
  and screwier. Where does this leave you? Up a dead end without a
• 2:30:15
  parachute. I'm trying to figure out what I'm knocking my brains out for.
• 2:30:18
  You're not letting it get you, Johnny, I'm getting superstitious, that's for
• 2:30:24
  sure, He admitted. Things have happened to me since I took this case
• 2:30:28
  on that shouldn't happen to a dog. If I had any sense, i'd
• 2:30:31
  throw it away. Muggsy looked shocked. You can't walk out in the middle
• 2:30:35
  of a case. Case? What kind of case? Some old guy blows
• 2:30:39
  the top of his head off, his daughter blows her top and takes off.
• 2:30:43
  Then a bunch of trigger happy hoods nominate me as target for today.
• 2:30:46
  You call that a case? You says yourself that Matt Merritt was murdered.
• 2:30:50
  I talk too much, lied old growled. But if he was murdered,
• 2:30:54
  you can't drop the case, Johnny. Nobody else believes he was. You
• 2:30:58
  can't let the killer get away with it. What more can I do,
• 2:31:01
  Muggs. With all the prowling and ducking I've been doing, I haven't come
• 2:31:05
  up with a single thing that I can sink my teeth into. Muggsy found
• 2:31:09
  another cigarette in her purse, chain lit it from the one she held.
• 2:31:13
  There's got to be a connection. Once we find that, it should all
• 2:31:16
  fall into place. She leaned back, blew a stream of smoke at the
• 2:31:18
  ceiling if we could only find it. Unless you know how to operate wija
• 2:31:24
  boards, we haven't got a chance. Cupola was my last hope, and
• 2:31:26
  they've fixed it so he won't be doing any talking. Muggsy shook her head.
• 2:31:31
  There must be others. Cupola wouldn't be the only one to know about
• 2:31:35
  a connection between Merritt and Vailey. There's bound to be others. You couldn't
• 2:31:39
  keep a thing like that quiet. Merritt's dead and Vailey is the original sphinx.
• 2:31:43
  Whom would you suggest? Muggsy blew more smoke at the ceiling considered,
• 2:31:50
  how does that saying go? Johnny, the moving finger writes, and having
• 2:31:52
  writ moves on something like that, isn't it? This is the hell of
• 2:31:56
  a time to impress me with your culture. The girl sat up, no
• 2:32:01
  kidding. That quote applied to the hand of fate, I think. But
• 2:32:03
  the hand of fate isn't the only thing that writes. Newspapers do too,
• 2:32:07
  only what they write doesn't move on. It stays right in their files.
• 2:32:11
  Go on. Most of the people mixed up in this mess so far,
• 2:32:16
  Vailey, Cupola, Merritt, Jean, they're all well known they've all been
• 2:32:20
  good copy, so the chances are that everything they've ever done is hit the
• 2:32:24
  papers. Why don't we hot foot it down to the shop and see if
• 2:32:26
  they ever cross paths anyway, they may give us a lead. That's my
• 2:32:31
  girl, light Owl leaned over, kissed her hard. That's what I love
• 2:32:35
  about your mugs, your brain, Muggsy pouted prettily. That's what I was
• 2:32:39
  afraid of. The Advanced Morgue was on the ground floor of the pile of
• 2:32:43
  stones on South Street that housed the newspaper office. It was a huge,
• 2:32:48
  metal drawered mausoleum where all the dead news of yesterday's editions are laid to rest.
• 2:32:52
  Tier upon tier of metal faced drawers and still filing cabinets stretched from the
• 2:32:56
  floor to the ceiling for as far as the eye could reach. It was
• 2:33:01
  presided over by Pop Michaels, veteran of the City Room for forty years now,
• 2:33:05
  put out a pasture among many of the stories he had originated and followed
• 2:33:09
  through. His only connection with the city side now was limited to the occasional
• 2:33:13
  pounding out of an editorial. He took a charred brier from between his teeth
• 2:33:18
  and grinned to welcome at Johnny Lydell and Muggsy Keeley. Well, well,
• 2:33:22
  if it ain't Johnny Lidell, don't tell me they got you farmed out on
• 2:33:26
  the oh bit beat two, he wheezed, winking broadly at Muggsy fine way,
• 2:33:31
  at a great and old Powell who got up at this unearthly hour of
• 2:33:33
  the morning just to drop by and pay his respects. Johnny grinned, that'll
• 2:33:39
  be the day, Hey, Muggsy. The old man nodded. How's Jim
• 2:33:43
  feeling these days? The old ulcer's a kickin up again, Pop, but
• 2:33:48
  he's back at the desk. He can't figure out how the sheet could get
• 2:33:50
  out without him out there in the slot. The old man sighed, shook
• 2:33:54
  his head. He was one of the greatest, Muggsy. They don't grow
• 2:34:00
  newspaper man like Jim Keey anymore. It was in his blood he drew on
• 2:34:05
  the juicy old pipe. Let his mind tumble back over the years, sighed
• 2:34:09
  again. Never forget how disappointed he was when you were a girl. Never
• 2:34:15
  thought in those days the women would take over the city room. He's sure
• 2:34:18
  proud of you, No, Buggsy grinned, Not that he admits it.
• 2:34:24
  He keeps preaching that newspaper work is no job for a woman. The old
• 2:34:26
  fake. He gets as much of a bang out of my byline as I
• 2:34:30
  do. Pop Michaels nodded. You can be sure that comes down here often
• 2:34:35
  he does to get copies of your stuff for a scrap book he's been making
• 2:34:39
  on the Sly says he's gonna give it to your kids. He tossed a
• 2:34:43
  sly look at Lighthel says, he hopes it ain't in twenty volumes before you
• 2:34:48
  get around to having Eddy. See how it is, Johnny. Even Pop
• 2:34:52
  is out trying to get me a man discourage. It ain't it, pomp.
• 2:34:56
  The old man grinned his young bucks. Don't know how good they got
• 2:35:00
  it, mugs if I was forty years younger myself. He caught himself grinned.
• 2:35:05
  You didn't come down here to hear an old man's life history? Though,
• 2:35:09
  what are you really after? Johnny Lydell scratched his head. Damned.
• 2:35:13
  I find no exactly, Pop, anything that'll show a connection between Matt Merritt
• 2:35:18
  and Pete Vailey. I guess Pop Michael sucked on his pipe, pursed his
• 2:35:22
  lips. It's kind of a broad order, Johnny, break it down for
• 2:35:26
  me. Put it this way, Pop. Matt Merrett and Pete Vailey have
• 2:35:31
  cropped up in a case I'm working on the way things stack up. It
• 2:35:33
  looks like they knew each other sometime in the past. I've got to find
• 2:35:37
  out when and how ever hear of their paths crossing. The old man clamped
• 2:35:43
  the pipe stem between his teeth, ran the heel of his hand across the
• 2:35:46
  silver bristles on his chin. His bright blue eyes seemed to be consulting the
• 2:35:50
  card in decks of his mind. Matt Merritt and Pete Vailey. Eh.
• 2:35:54
  He sucked contemplatively on his pipe, shook his head. Recall that they ever
• 2:36:01
  did, Johnny, I've known Pete ever since. He used to raid push
• 2:36:03
  carts as a fresh kid on the East Side, and I was a district
• 2:36:07
  man in the courts. He shook his head again. He never played in
• 2:36:11
  Merritt's league, not that I can recall. Muggsy nodded. It sounds goofy
• 2:36:16
  does too, Pop, But it's worth to try get us the files on
• 2:36:20
  Merrit and Vailey, would you. The old man pushed over a pad of
• 2:36:22
  forms to be filled out waited until she had written the information, then shuffled
• 2:36:26
  down the line of filing cabinets towards the rear. Let's see anything you have
• 2:36:31
  on Frankie Coppola too, will you? Pop Muggsy called after him. After
• 2:36:35
  a minute, the old man was back carrying three bulging Manila envelopes. Been
• 2:36:41
  reading the story on the Cupola killed Johnny, He said, what's the inside?
• 2:36:46
  Lightell shrugged, just like it says pop. He and I were having
• 2:36:50
  a little talk when somebody started tossing lead. Frankie forgot the duck. The
• 2:36:54
  old man grinned slyly pushed the envelopes across the desk. Frankie was a bad
• 2:37:00
  boy. Funny thing about him not going for that luger of his. Wasn't
• 2:37:03
  it if it was in his holster when the shooting started? That is yeah,
• 2:37:09
  isn't it? Lightdell agreed. I hear the da is wondering about that
• 2:37:13
  too, Johnny. If I were you, I'd watch my step Deet's file
• 2:37:18
  back. There is a pretty skinny one. You don't care how he fattens
• 2:37:20
  it or who he has to stant flat to do it. Thanks for the
• 2:37:24
  tip, pop Lydell winked, they don't have a thing on me, not
• 2:37:28
  a thing yet, added Mugsy. She picked up the folders led the way
• 2:37:35
  to a library table at the side of the room spilled the contents of the
• 2:37:37
  merit file out. Let's see what we can find in this one. They
• 2:37:41
  divided the clips into two finals, each poured through half. The clippings ran
• 2:37:46
  back through the years, traced the growth of a poor Irish immigrant who rose
• 2:37:50
  to an important national figure before his death. Roteo prints, news stories of
• 2:37:54
  trips abroad, news photos, predictions of prosperity at the height of the depression,
• 2:38:00
  warnings of recession at the height of prosperity, business and social triumphs,
• 2:38:05
  his daughter's debut, his son's death in a shooting accident, and finally his
• 2:38:09
  own death in the homage paid him by friends and associates at the funeral.
• 2:38:13
  After half an hour of examining the file, Lidell straightened up, eased the
• 2:38:18
  cramp in his back, suppressed a yawn. Looks like Merrett never knew Pete
• 2:38:22
  Vailey existed, he grumbled. Muggsy Keelly chewed on the end of a finger
• 2:38:26
  nail. Merritt was a big contractor, maybe he used Vaily in some strike
• 2:38:31
  breaking or keeping his workers in line. Think that could be pump. The
• 2:38:35
  old man sucked on his pipe, considered it, shook his head. Merritt
• 2:38:39
  never had any labor trouble far as I know, he pointed with the stem
• 2:38:43
  of the pipe. If he had, you would have come across it.
• 2:38:46
  In there. The kind of stuff always hit the papers, especially if there
• 2:38:50
  was violence, and if Pete was mixed up there was violence, no hits,
• 2:38:54
  no strikes, plenty of misses, Lydell said with a grunt. Muggsy
• 2:38:58
  nodded, rifled the pile of clips with her fingers. How about the daughter,
• 2:39:03
  Maybe she got mixed up with Pete in some way. Wasn't Pete kind
• 2:39:07
  of old? For that wouldn't make any difference to a screwball glamor puss like
• 2:39:11
  Jean Merritt. You know the way the movies and t V have glamorized To
• 2:39:16
  hit hoolimbs like Vailey in her circles. Knowing Pete Vailey would be a real
• 2:39:20
  accomplishment, She shoveled the clippings back into the folder marked Matthew Merritt deceased,
• 2:39:24
  handed it back to Pop. It's not like in her old man's day when
• 2:39:28
  the racket boys and society traveled in different circles. Now they both hang out
• 2:39:33
  and the upholstered sewers we laughably call night clubs. It's worth a try,
• 2:39:39
  as long as we're here. I guess how about it? Pop? You
• 2:39:41
  knew Valley from way back? Was he the kind of guy that might take
• 2:39:45
  a shine to a society kid like Jean Merritt? The old man scratched his
• 2:39:48
  head, surrounded himself with the blue fog of pipe smoke, shook his head.
• 2:39:54
  I wouldn't know, mugs, that society stuff was off my beat.
• 2:39:56
  I can let you have her file, though, he shuffled back to the
• 2:40:00
  files, reappeared with another Manila envelope. Another half hour of pouring through gossip
• 2:40:05
  items and columns, reams of copy on Jean Merritt's debut, an announcement of
• 2:40:11
  her engagement to doctor Tony Seville got them no farther. What a screwball?
• 2:40:16
  Looks like I had the dot wrong. She seems to have leveled off a
• 2:40:18
  little since she met him. Lightell growled, hooray for him. Maybe we've
• 2:40:24
  both been wrong. Mogsy sighed, Maybe this isn't such a good idea after
• 2:40:28
  all, Lydell rubbed his eyes wearily, yawned. One more to go,
• 2:40:33
  then we'll pack it in. He poured the voluminous contents of the Pete Vailey
• 2:40:37
  file out on the table in front of them, selected a handful at random,
• 2:40:41
  started glancing through them. They went through the pile methodically, reading,
• 2:40:46
  discarding, reading, discarding. Suddenly lightel stiffened. He held a clipping up
• 2:40:52
  to the light, studied it carefully for a minute. I think I got
• 2:40:56
  something, baby, His voice was heavy with superst excitement. So help me,
• 2:41:01
  Hannah, I think I've struck Paydart. He was holding a two column
• 2:41:05
  picture that had apparently been used in a center spread picture layout. Take a
• 2:41:09
  look at this one, pop, The old man took the picture, adjusted
• 2:41:13
  his glasses, peered at the date August twelfth, nineteen thirty eight. Eh,
• 2:41:18
  that was in my time, all right. He held the picture out
• 2:41:22
  at arm's length studied it. It was the picture of a man sprawled out
• 2:41:26
  on his back in the gutter, a folded overcoat under his head. A
• 2:41:28
  white clad intern was kneeling at his side. Two uniform patrolmen were watching with
• 2:41:33
  half hearted interest. That's Pete Vailey, there the old man stabbed the man
• 2:41:39
  in the gutter with a gnarled finger. I remember that time. That was
• 2:41:43
  the garage ambush back in thirty eight down on the east side. Damn near
• 2:41:48
  got Pete that time too. Okay, okay, I know that's Pete Vailey.
• 2:41:50
  But who is this? Lydell pointed to the intern. Pop Michael studied
• 2:41:56
  the picture, shook his head. Just a ambulance. Doc, far as
• 2:42:01
  I can see them, young fellers came and went. Johnny never round long
• 2:42:05
  enough to get to know them. Well, how about letting me in on
• 2:42:07
  this, Muggsy complained. She took the picture from Pop Michael's hands, studied
• 2:42:11
  it, frowned. What's all the excitement, Johnny, I thought you had
• 2:42:16
  something. Take another look at that Doc. Doesn't he look familiar? Muggsy
• 2:42:22
  studied the picture obediently shook her head. Not a bit, just another intern.
• 2:42:28
  She read the caption under the picture. He wrote the Governor Hospital Ambulance
• 2:42:33
  name of Anthony and Seville auro So so what he means, so clied al
• 2:42:39
  roared, You mean you don't recognize him as Doc Saville, the guy Jean
• 2:42:43
  Merritt's going to marry Doc Seville. You sure, Johnny, of course,
• 2:42:48
  I'm sure i'd know that smooth hair pill push or any place, even if
• 2:42:52
  he has changed his name. It could be Muggsy, conceded. I don't
• 2:42:58
  know Seville well enough to say say for sure, but it could be.
• 2:43:01
  Even the name and Savillaro to Seville, it could be. It's got to
• 2:43:09
  be. It's the link we're looking for. Now. At least we can
• 2:43:11
  tie two people up in a screwy mess, Seville and Vailey. Now we're
• 2:43:16
  beginning to get someplace. He turned to the old Man. Got a file
• 2:43:20
  on Doc Seville pop end of chapter ten, Chapter eleven. The file on
• 2:43:28
  Tony Seville proved disappointing. The batch of clippings dated no further back than five
• 2:43:33
  years, the earliest being an account of doctor Seville escorting one of that season's
• 2:43:37
  more publicized debs. He had apparently made no effort to get publicity of either
• 2:43:41
  nature. After the files had been returned to the metal drawers, Laide leaned
• 2:43:46
  back stared morosely at the ceiling. I'm beginning to get a couple of ideas
• 2:43:50
  of what's been playing around here for the past couple of days. But it
• 2:43:54
  sounds so screwy. Even to me that I'm afraid to mention it. Muggsy
• 2:43:58
  Heey made an effort to erase her disappointment, but failed. Her full lips
• 2:44:03
  drooped, though she showed no signs of giving up. Think hard, Pop,
• 2:44:07
  can't you tie this young doc in with Pete in any way? It
• 2:44:09
  can't just be coincidence. There's got to be a connection between them. The
• 2:44:13
  old man sucked noisily on his pipe, rattled the juice in the stem.
• 2:44:18
  Can't say I do mugs. Matter of fact, I don't believe there was
• 2:44:22
  any Pete was the last guy in the world to have any truck with medics
• 2:44:26
  anyway. Why Pop scared to death of him? Always was? How come
• 2:44:31
  Pop Michaels chuckled deep in his throat A good reason to be. I guess
• 2:44:37
  doctor's always meant trouble for Pete. Back in the old days, he was
• 2:44:41
  always getting shot up, and every time he'd go to a dock for treatment,
• 2:44:43
  they'd turn him in. You'd think he'd have stayed away and taken his
• 2:44:48
  chances. The old man shook his head. Ah, Pete muggs he was
• 2:44:52
  scared to his kid brother Micky died from an infected wound he refused to have
• 2:44:56
  treated. Pete saw the kid die, and he he had none holy fear
• 2:45:00
  of infection after that. Yet he knew, Saville, that's the only thread
• 2:45:05
  we've got, and we're hanging on to it. Let's take it from there,
• 2:45:07
  see where it goes. Try fill innocent on this little garage ambush,
• 2:45:11
  pop Lydell prompted. The old man chewed his pipe, stem ran his mind
• 2:45:16
  back over the stories he had covered. Who's a good yarn? He nodded.
• 2:45:20
  They backed my piece up with a centerfold of picks that, when you
• 2:45:24
  saw, was one of them. He tapped the ashes out of the pipe,
• 2:45:26
  started repacking it. They surprised Pete and five of his boys in a
• 2:45:31
  garage down on Monroe Street. Pete was the only one to walk away.
• 2:45:35
  Who did it? Word around was that it was the Mulligan boys. Always
• 2:45:39
  was bad blood between Laradiy Mulligan and Pete ever since they were kids. Anyway,
• 2:45:45
  Pete clammed up and the case was never solved, not by the cops
• 2:45:48
  anyway. Lydell nodded, watched the old man light his pipe with a long
• 2:45:52
  wooden match. Pete shot up bad, pretty bad. But Pete always was
• 2:45:58
  a tough one to kill. We got to flash down at the Elizabeth station,
• 2:46:01
  got there before they loaded him into the ambulance. Real scared, Pete
• 2:46:05
  was that time, real scared. But you didn't know the intern Lydell persisted,
• 2:46:11
  Like I said, Those kids came and went, never paid them much
• 2:46:15
  mind. Pop shook his head. Never saw him before, can't recollect ever
• 2:46:18
  seeing him after that. How about Pete the old man screwed up his forehead
• 2:46:24
  in concentration. No recall that I saw much of him after that either,
• 2:46:28
  until they sent him up on the federal rap No, wait a minute,
• 2:46:31
  I did. About a year later he was up for questioning about the epidemic
• 2:46:35
  of lead poisoning. Already, Mulligan and his boys suddenly contracted eight of him
• 2:46:39
  in two weeks. Nothing come of it. Bob Michaels shook his head,
• 2:46:43
  not in the courts, but the other Mulligans didn't take it. Lying down.
• 2:46:48
  Every so often you'd hear one or another of Pete's boys being found with
• 2:46:50
  a Mulligan trademark in his back, but not Pete. Lydell made some rapid
• 2:46:56
  computations. That was almost fifteen years ago. Pete's been inside for about three
• 2:47:01
  on the federal wrap. You mean that in twelve years he never turned up.
• 2:47:05
  You saw his file. He's been off for questioning on a couple of
• 2:47:09
  killings and things. I guess Lydell nodded, but he never showed up with
• 2:47:13
  any bullet holes. Can't say that I ever remember Pete getting into a shooting
• 2:47:18
  scrape from that day to this. None of his boys either, now that
• 2:47:20
  you mention it, dead, yes, but not wounded. Lydel beat a
• 2:47:24
  noiseless tattoo on the table with his fingertips. He stared at a framed picture
• 2:47:30
  on the wall above Pop Michael's head. After a moment, as though arriving
• 2:47:33
  at a decision, he stood up, caught Muggsy under the arm, lifted
• 2:47:37
  her to her feet. Thanks Pop. That's about all we can learn around
• 2:47:41
  here, I guess. He pulled a roll of bills from his pocket,
• 2:47:43
  separated two fives, shoved them into the old man's hand. Have a beer
• 2:47:48
  on us. He caught Muggsy by the arm, led the way out of
• 2:47:52
  the morgue, down the corridor toward the advanced editorial offices. Ten bucks.
• 2:47:56
  You must really have an idea of vegetating under that spreading scalp What is it,
• 2:48:01
  Johnny, Nothing, very definite, just an idea. Baby. Don't
• 2:48:05
  kid me, Johnny, this is muggsy, the girl chided. You just
• 2:48:09
  aren't the type to go scattering five dollar bills in your patches because somebody gave
• 2:48:13
  you an idea. Something Pop said back there rang a bell? What was
• 2:48:16
  it? You heard what he said? I heard, but to me it
• 2:48:22
  didn't mean anything it did to you. Don't hold out on me, Johnny,
• 2:48:24
  she pleaded. I'll give you the whole thing when I'm sure that I'm
• 2:48:28
  on the right track. There's no use in both of us being confused.
• 2:48:31
  Scout's honor, Mydell grinned, chucked her under the chin. You know I
• 2:48:37
  never hold out on you, baby, Then what hit you so hard?
• 2:48:39
  Back there? She persisted Lyadell pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket,
• 2:48:45
  held it out to the girl, who shook her head. Hung one from
• 2:48:48
  the corner of his mouth. Quits, darling, Johnny, what hits you?
• 2:48:52
  A lot of things? I guess. For instance, what's a kid
• 2:48:54
  who was interning in a city hospital a few years ago doing with a fancy
• 2:48:58
  Park Avenue office and private sanitarium in Westchester? And Blydell shrugged and how come
• 2:49:05
  Pete Vailey gets involved in a gang war with the Mulligans, and yet neither
• 2:49:09
  he nor any of his boys ever showed up for treatment of gunshot wounds.
• 2:49:15
  You think there's a connection, could be, but first we've got to be
• 2:49:18
  sure that Ann Savellaro and Seville are both the same guy. Muggsy considered it,
• 2:49:22
  conceded that it was reasonable. How are you planning to go about that?
• 2:49:28
  I thought you might dig me up a press card for a couple of
• 2:49:30
  hours. What for? Blydell shrugged, just checking a hunch. I can
• 2:49:35
  do it without the car, but happn one will make it a lot easier.
• 2:49:39
  Can you get one? I suppose so. Jim ben Arsdale always keeps
• 2:49:43
  a couple of extras stashed away in the city side for when the Space Rate
• 2:49:48
  boys need one. She led the way to a frosted glass door labeled Advance
• 2:49:52
  Editorial employees only and parked him on the door. Still, she was back
• 2:49:56
  in a few minutes with a shilled shaped card in her hand. And you're
• 2:50:01
  now Tom Terry of the Advance. Every guy on assignment who needs a card
• 2:50:03
  becomes Tom Terry on account of that's the name. The card is made out
• 2:50:07
  to. Lydell stuck the card in his hat band, shoved the hat on
• 2:50:11
  the back of his head. Now, if only I had on my baggy
• 2:50:15
  pants and hadn't shaved, the disguise would be complete. Owhawa look like Darrell
• 2:50:20
  Xanik's conception of a reporter. You think that's bad, Lydell countered Hurst never
• 2:50:26
  saw the day he could pay his reporters what Xanak pays his Where do we
• 2:50:30
  go from here? Lydell took the press card from his hat band, slid
• 2:50:33
  it under the cellfane flap in his wallet. You go home and wait to
• 2:50:37
  hear from me. This is strictly a one man operation. Muggsy started to
• 2:50:41
  protest, permitted herself to be dragged to the street. Lydell flagged down a
• 2:50:46
  cab, pushed her into it, gave the cabby her address. I'll check
• 2:50:50
  on you as soon as I get this off my chest, he promised.
• 2:50:52
  How nice, I'll have some beer and cheese ready. Lydell was pleasantly surprised.
• 2:50:58
  Now you're making sense. I thought you were going to cut up,
• 2:51:01
  And how do you want your cheese? I'm bread or in a trap?
• 2:51:03
  The girl snapped, let's go driver. The cab charged away from the curb,
• 2:51:07
  leaving Lydell standing his mouth open. As it pulled away, he had
• 2:51:11
  a final view of Muggsy in the rear window. He waved, and she
• 2:51:15
  put her thumb up to her nose and waved back. A half hour later,
• 2:51:18
  Lydell loped up the steps of the drabbed stone building that housed the administrative
• 2:51:22
  offices of Governor Hospital. He walked down a poorly lighted hallway to a door
• 2:51:28
  marked information. Inside, a white haired woman sat behind a grilled counter making
• 2:51:33
  entries into a large ledger. She raised her eyes as Lydell walked in smiled.
• 2:51:37
  Can I help you? She asked. Lydell flashed the shield shaped press
• 2:51:41
  card. I'm Tom Terry of the Advance. I'm down here to do some
• 2:51:45
  feature pieces on famous doctors who have then turned here. Who would I have
• 2:51:48
  to talk to? The woman was suitably impressed. I think you'd want to
• 2:51:52
  talk to mister Morsey, our director. Will you come this way, sir?
• 2:51:56
  She opened the gate led him to a wooden door in the rear of
• 2:51:58
  the office. Would you wait here a moment, mister Terry. She disappeared
• 2:52:01
  into the office. Beyond was gone only a minute, mister Morrisey, will
• 2:52:05
  see you now, mister Terry. Mister Morrisey had a thin, long,
• 2:52:09
  sad face, running up into a thatch of iron gray hair that matched the
• 2:52:13
  bushy eyebrows perched precariously over a pair of cold, gray of praising eyes.
• 2:52:18
  His mouth was a thin, colorless split that formed the base of a triangle
• 2:52:22
  connecting with the long, pinched nose. He delicately removed a pince nez as
• 2:52:28
  Lydell walked in. Good morning, mister Terry. His voice was deep,
• 2:52:33
  funereal, always glad to meet with members of the press. His eyes rolled
• 2:52:37
  sideways to the white haired woman. That will be all, miss Dennis,
• 2:52:41
  he said coldly. Johnny Lydell pulled a wooden arm chair close to the desk,
• 2:52:46
  dropped into it, found an old envelope in an inside pocket. We're
• 2:52:50
  thinking of doing a series on famous doctors who got their start here at Governor
• 2:52:54
  mister Morsey. I hope you have no objection, of course not. We'll
• 2:52:58
  be glad to co operate. Did you have any particular person in mind to
• 2:53:01
  start with or did you wish suggestions? Lydell shook his head. He thought
• 2:53:07
  we'd do it alphabetically, just to avoid ruffling any feelings, you understand.
• 2:53:11
  He consulted the scribbled notes on the back of his envelope. I thought we'd
• 2:53:16
  tee off with a sketcher on doctor and Sevolaro. The long, sour face
• 2:53:20
  of the director seemed to lengthen as he sucked on his lower lip. And
• 2:53:24
  Sevilaro, you say, Lydell looked up. He interned here, didn't he?
• 2:53:30
  Yes? And Silviolaro was with us for a few years. But don't
• 2:53:33
  you think there are others, possibly more distinguished men among our alumni. He
• 2:53:37
  started to tabulate on long bony fingers. There was Ryebeck, the chest man,
• 2:53:43
  the Steckler brothers Cove who did all the research on vitamins, and Lydell
• 2:53:46
  interrupted with a wave of his pencil. Good men, but they have no
• 2:53:50
  oomph. The heavy eyebrows of the director arched upwards, corrugating his brow with
• 2:53:54
  ridges. Umph reader interest Lydell explained circulal and several arrows. A glamour boy,
• 2:54:03
  a society doctor. The stinnows would eat up a story about him.
• 2:54:05
  Of course, if you say no. Morrisey shrugged his shoulders, attempted a
• 2:54:11
  smile that only succeeded and making him look as though he tasted something sour,
• 2:54:15
  then laced his fingers on top of the desk. Certainly not. We're only
• 2:54:18
  too glad to cooperate in any way. You say, exactly what can we
• 2:54:22
  do? You can sketch out the background for me, and then, if
• 2:54:26
  possible, I'd like to talk to someone who has worked closely with him for
• 2:54:28
  the details and color. He held his breath mentally crossed his fingers. There
• 2:54:33
  is somebody around that he worked with or who knew him as an intern.
• 2:54:37
  Morrissey japped at a button. I can tell you better when I've refreshed my
• 2:54:41
  memory of what services he was on. The white head of the clerk appeared
• 2:54:46
  in the doorway. Let me have the personnel file for nineteen thirty eight,
• 2:54:48
  Miss Dennis. The woman nodded, closed the door behind her, was back
• 2:54:52
  in a moment with a large, loosely folder. She laid it on the
• 2:54:56
  desk walked back to the outer office. The then men flipped through the pages
• 2:55:01
  of the binder until he came to one headed and Savalaro Anthony j His long,
• 2:55:05
  bony fingers ran through the short paragraph that followed the name, I'm sorry,
• 2:55:09
  I won't be able to be of much help with his background. Doctor
• 2:55:13
  and Sivioalaro gave us very few facts concerning himself. Lydell nodded, acking get
• 2:55:18
  that material direct if I need it. Just give me some of his educational
• 2:55:22
  background. His college, City College, then Bellevue on a scholarship. Lydell
• 2:55:28
  scribbled the information on the back of the envelope. When did he finish his
• 2:55:31
  internship in nineteen forty? The director closed the loose leaf book leaned back directly.
• 2:55:37
  Upon completion of his internship, he left Governeur, and we have no
• 2:55:41
  record of him since he replaced the pence Nez on the high bridge of his
• 2:55:45
  nose. That accounts for my surprise at yours selection of doctor A. Sevilaro
• 2:55:50
  as one of our outstanding alumni. There was a faint gleam of suspicion in
• 2:55:54
  his cold gray eyes. Johnny Lydell pulled his wallet from his breast pocket extracted
• 2:55:58
  a clipping over to Morrissey. Then you probably don't know that he's changed his
• 2:56:03
  name to Saville. The director's eyebrows arched in surprise. He took the clip,
• 2:56:07
  studied it. That's doctor A. Sibilaro. All right, you say
• 2:56:11
  he's doing well, as doctor Seville, very well. For the past five
• 2:56:16
  years, he's been society's number one medicine man. You must have seen his
• 2:56:18
  name in the papers at some time or other. Morrissey continued to stare at
• 2:56:22
  the picture. Yes, of course, I guess I never associated the two,
• 2:56:26
  though I did hear something about him. It's nice to know he's doing
• 2:56:30
  so well. Lydell took back the clipping, replaced it in his wallet.
• 2:56:35
  Now about someone who knew him while he was here. The thin man took
• 2:56:39
  off his penson AZ tapped him thoughtfully against the palm of his hand. Almost
• 2:56:43
  twelve years ago, eh, he mused. Of course, there would be
• 2:56:46
  many changes in that time, not among the charge nurses. Perhaps, he
• 2:56:50
  considered the possibility for a moment, shook his head. I doubt if they'd
• 2:56:54
  remember him, a retiring young man, I think, I mentioned. Lydell
• 2:56:58
  nodded. Anybody else The thin man sucked on his lower lip. The labman
• 2:57:03
  or the X ray technician might possibly remember him. Most of the interns spend
• 2:57:07
  a lot of time in the lab doing their own work. Ups Suddenly his
• 2:57:11
  face cleared, of course, why didn't I think of him before, Vinnie.
• 2:57:15
  He'd be sure to remember Aunt Savolaro if any one did. Vinnie,
• 2:57:20
  he drives the bus ambulance. You know. He's been here for about twenty
• 2:57:22
  years and is the unofficial father confessor to most of the interns. He japped
• 2:57:28
  at the desk button again. The whitehead of the clerk popped in the open
• 2:57:31
  doorway, Miss Dennis, will you call the garage and tell Vinnie that I'm
• 2:57:35
  sending over mister He fumbled for the name, turned to Lydell for help.
• 2:57:39
  Terry Tom Terry. Lydell filled in, I'm sending mister Terry of the advance
• 2:57:43
  over to talk to him. Ask him to give mister Terry any assistance he
• 2:57:48
  can. The white head in the doorway nodded, was withdrawn. I am
• 2:57:52
  certain Vinnie would have the kind of information you want, mister Terry. Lydell
• 2:57:56
  nodded, pulled himself out of his chair. Thanks for the left, mister
• 2:58:00
  Morrisey. I'll keep in touch. End of chapter eleven, Chapter twelve.
• 2:58:07
  The ambulance garage for the hospital was in the back of the building, facing
• 2:58:11
  on east Side Drive in the river, reached by a long inclined ramp.
• 2:58:15
  A short, fat man his bay window, resting comfortably on his belt.
• 2:58:18
  A blue uniform hat on the back of a bald head stood leaning against a
• 2:58:22
  shiny, sleek new ambulance. He watched Lidell approach, with no visible change
• 2:58:26
  of expression, continue to execute a delicate operation on a moler with the ragged
• 2:58:31
  end of a toothpick. I'm looking for a driver named Vinnie, Lydell told
• 2:58:35
  him. The short man nodded, that's me. His bright blue eyes flicked
• 2:58:41
  over. Lidell seemed to hesitate a moment at the left lapel, where an
• 2:58:45
  almost imperceptible bulge was there to be seen by an experienced eye. You the
• 2:58:50
  one in the office called about Yeah, Lydell told him, what's on your
• 2:58:54
  mind? The short man was fat, but it wasn't a soft Dowey fat.
• 2:58:58
  It was muscled that had been allowed to run to fat. But it
• 2:59:01
  was still muscle. He could have been fifty, looked forty. Lydel dug
• 2:59:07
  his wallet from his pocket, held the press card out. I'm digging some
• 2:59:11
  stuff for a feature article. Lydell told him, Morris, he thought you
• 2:59:13
  could help. The blue eyes flicked over the press card seemed unimpressed. Like,
• 2:59:20
  for instance, little instance, touches of color, anything that will dress
• 2:59:24
  up an article and bring en Savolaro to life for our readers. Tony N.
• 2:59:28
  Salvolaro. Eh, the short man pulled the toothpick from between his teeth,
• 2:59:33
  took a last look at the freighted end, flipped it to the concrete
• 2:59:35
  floor. What's the beef against the kid? No beef, I just want
• 2:59:39
  to do a story on him. The driver nodded toward Lydel's left lapel.
• 2:59:43
  Sin's when to report is go around carry an iron. Lydel grinned, you
• 2:59:48
  are pretty sharp, Vinny, I didn't know it showed. He sized the
• 2:59:52
  little man up, decided to play it straight. I always carry one sometimes
• 2:59:56
  in my racket you have to. You step on toes, and you gotta
• 3:00:00
  carry some authority or you get pushed around, he figures. The fat man
• 3:00:03
  conceded, what about Tony Lydell shrugged? He's been doing all right for himself.
• 3:00:09
  Office on Park, private hospital up in Westchester. How's that set him
• 3:00:13
  up for a ride up? There's hundreds at dot got the same setup,
• 3:00:18
  maybe, But he's the only one who's scheduled to marry the only child to
• 3:00:20
  one of the richest men in the country. That makes some news. Then
• 3:00:24
  he pulled a cigarette from behind his ear, fitted to the corner of his
• 3:00:28
  mouth. So he played his cards right. Eh, feels like he said
• 3:00:31
  he would. Lydell held a lighter to the other man's cigarette, watched him
• 3:00:35
  suck it into life. Ambitious, say he knew what he wanted. What
• 3:00:41
  was that? Money? Plenty of money, Lydell nodded, Most poor kids
• 3:00:46
  do. He came from a poor family, didn't He family never had a
• 3:00:50
  dime live down here on the east side Mulberry Street. Tony hated everything connected
• 3:00:54
  with poverty in the east Side. The short man took a deep drag on
• 3:00:58
  his cigarette, blew the smoke and wind streams through his nostrils. He even
• 3:01:01
  hated the poor slobs that came here to the clinic. Hated them because they
• 3:01:05
  were poor. He used to say he could smell their poverty, and the
• 3:01:07
  smell made him sick. Was he popular with the staff? Then he shook
• 3:01:13
  his head, kept to himself pretty much. Only one he spent any time
• 3:01:16
  with it was a little redhead on Maile surgery. The bright blue eyes squinted
• 3:01:22
  Laura Malleson. I think her name was. She left just before Tony did.
• 3:01:26
  Always had it figured. She went with him. Do you spend much
• 3:01:28
  time on the ambulance same as the others, No more, no less?
• 3:01:33
  All in turns rotate one month they ride bus the next, maybe in admissions,
• 3:01:37
  then the whole swing. Male medicine, accident, mail, surgery,
• 3:01:41
  all of them. He stood his trick on them all. You got to
• 3:01:45
  know him pretty well. Or he was riding bus with you. The fat
• 3:01:48
  man shrugged. He used to like to ride with me. We got two
• 3:01:52
  buses and two win turns on call. Like I said, if I was
• 3:01:54
  in Tony would always jump mine lydel nodded. Pretty excited riding the bus down
• 3:02:01
  this part of town. I guess plenty of stabbings and shootings. He looked
• 3:02:05
  up from the envelope where he had been jotting notes. Plenty of everything,
• 3:02:09
  people getting born and dying all the time. How about some famous people that
• 3:02:13
  you picked up with an sevalaro anyone interesting? Depends on what you call famous.
• 3:02:18
  Down here. The biggest excitement we get his gang stuff. Used to
• 3:02:20
  get a lot more of it years ago. It's sort of tapering off now.
• 3:02:24
  They got it too well organized. Wasn't that garage masker pulled in this
• 3:02:28
  district, Pete, Velly, you mean then he took a last drag on
• 3:02:31
  his cigarette, dropped it to the floor, crushed it out. Yeah,
• 3:02:35
  well you picked him up. Tony did a good job on him, saved
• 3:02:37
  his life. Kid really knew his stuff, you know, so I understand
• 3:02:43
  Lydel put his envelope and pencil into his pocket. Guess Pete was pretty grateful
• 3:02:46
  to the doc. Eh Benny shrugged. I don't know if he ever saw
• 3:02:52
  him again. I thought you said on Sevalaro saved his life. He did,
• 3:02:56
  stopped him from bleeding to death in the street. But the man on
• 3:02:58
  the bus doesn't take care of the cases he brings in. They go right
• 3:03:01
  into the services. Lydell frowned over it. Seen on Sevalaro since he left
• 3:03:07
  or heard from him? Vinnie once the short man nodded about three four months
• 3:03:11
  after he left, wanted me to drive for him. He pushed the uniformed
• 3:03:16
  cap back on his head, scratched the ball of pate. I had to
• 3:03:20
  turn him down. I couldn't see giving up a civil service job to work
• 3:03:22
  for a kid fresh out internship. Maybe I didn't play it as smart as
• 3:03:24
  I thought. You can never tell. Lydell agreed. He pulled the envelope
• 3:03:31
  out of his pocket, consulted his notes. You say the nurse's name was
• 3:03:33
  Mellicon, Laura Mellison. The fat man nodded. I got a funny idea
• 3:03:39
  that she want to find her. All you gotta do is ask Tony.
• 3:03:41
  I still think she left to go with him. The redhead in the outer
• 3:03:46
  office was still pecking haphazardly at the keys of her typewriter when Lydel walked in.
• 3:03:50
  She had substituted a loose fitting white silk peasant blouse for her customary sweater,
• 3:03:56
  but it did nothing to disguise her assets. She looked up, followed
• 3:04:00
  him with her eyes as he slammed through to his private office. He tossed
• 3:04:03
  his hat at the coach tree, dropped into the swovel chair behind the desk,
• 3:04:07
  gave the mail a fast shuffle. I haven't heard from Jean Merritt by
• 3:04:11
  any chance, Pinky, he called out to the girl. Not a peep.
• 3:04:13
  Her check clear, though I checked the bank this morning. She appeared
• 3:04:18
  in the doorway, her notebook in hand, walked over to the desk with
• 3:04:20
  a disconcerting motion of her hips. There's been some other calls. Want to
• 3:04:24
  hear about them. Lydell nodded, leaned back. The Masterson's out in Great
• 3:04:28
  Neck. Want a man for five days to keep an eye on wedding presents
• 3:04:31
  for their daughter next Wednesday through Sunday. I told him we'd have a man
• 3:04:33
  there. Lydell groaned. As long as it isn't me, Pinky nodded.
• 3:04:39
  I already ranged to borrow an up from lou Blake. He'll cost us ten
• 3:04:43
  a day. We're getting thirty five, okay, Lydell nodded. After what
• 3:04:46
  I've been through on this merrit job, I'm beginning to think that play a
• 3:04:50
  nurse maid to a raft of ten coffee pots is a nice clean way to
• 3:04:52
  make a living. Pinky nodded. Miss Keey called twice wants you to call
• 3:04:58
  her as soon as you get in. That's about it. Anything new on
• 3:05:01
  your end. Lydell shook his head. There'll probably be a call from Albany
• 3:05:05
  if I'm not here. Take the message. That's about a registered nurse named
• 3:05:07
  Laura Malleson. I want to know where she is now. Check anything else
• 3:05:13
  not right now. If Muggsy calls again, tell her the ringing of the
• 3:05:16
  phone cut him off. He scooped the receiver off the hook, held it
• 3:05:20
  to his ears. The operator informed him that she had a call for him
• 3:05:22
  after a moment, mister Lydell, this is the State Board of Registration at
• 3:05:28
  Albany. He placed a call here this afternoon to request some information. That's
• 3:05:33
  right Lydell nodded about a registered nurse named Laura Malleson. Have you got it
• 3:05:37
  for me? I'm very sorry, The receiver told him. The last year
• 3:05:41
  of registration of miss Malleson's nurse license was nineteen forty two. We have no
• 3:05:43
  record of her since that time. Lydell cursed under his breath. Could she
• 3:05:48
  be nursing in another state? The receiver hesitated. It's possible, but in
• 3:05:54
  cases of reciprocal granting of licenses by other states, there is usually some notice
• 3:05:58
  given to this state of original license. We have no such notation on miss
• 3:06:01
  Melleson, nor do we have any indication that she served with the armed forces
• 3:06:05
  during the last war. Lydell nodded, thanks very much, I'm sorry we
• 3:06:11
  couldn't be of more help. The line went dead. Lydell dropped his receiver
• 3:06:16
  back on its hook, glared at the instrument. Bad news I'm getting used
• 3:06:20
  to. It wasn't too important anyhow. I was just trying to check something
• 3:06:24
  I'm pretty sure of anyway. He laced his fingers behind his head, stared
• 3:06:28
  up at the ceiling. This damned case. It's almost like somebody is looking
• 3:06:33
  over my shoulder figure in my next move and beating me to it. Pinky
• 3:06:37
  clucked sympathetically smoothed her skirt over her thighs with a practiced motion. Lydell continued
• 3:06:43
  to stare at the ceiling. I wonder why she let her registration lapse.
• 3:06:48
  Most nurses don't, even if they don't figure on going back to nursing.
• 3:06:52
  He dropped his eyes to the red head scowled. I've got an idea.
• 3:06:54
  But he wouldn't be that careless. He chewed on his lower lip, nodded
• 3:07:00
  just the same. I'm about right for a break in this case. He
• 3:07:03
  reached over, lifted the receiver off its hook, dialed a number. After
• 3:07:07
  a moment, a pert voice informed him the events. Good afternoon, Jim
• 3:07:13
  Keeley on the desk, He told her, one moment, please, she
• 3:07:16
  chirped. Then a heavy voice growled, desk, let me talk to Jim
• 3:07:20
  Keeley. Will you this is Johnny Lidell. This is Jim. Johnny,
• 3:07:24
  what's up? I need a fast check on vital statistics, Jim, would
• 3:07:28
  your city hall man give me a lift? The receiver hesitated. I guess
• 3:07:33
  so, Johnny. Nothing much brickin down there right now? What's the check?
• 3:07:37
  A marriage license in the name of Anthony Seville and Laura Malleson, or
• 3:07:41
  maybe the groom's name is listed as a Savolaro. Should be in nineteen thirty
• 3:07:45
  nine or nineteen forty, preferably forty. Where are you now, Johnny?
• 3:07:50
  My office. I'll wait here for your call. Likely to be long,
• 3:07:52
  depends. I'll get back too, as soon as we get anything. By
• 3:07:56
  the way, what's in it for us? A good yarn? I think
• 3:08:00
  Mugs knows the score to date, and if it breaks, you'll have the
• 3:08:01
  works all wrapped up for you. Sounds good. Drop by and let's see
• 3:08:05
  you one of these days, Johnny, it's been a long time. Lydel
• 3:08:09
  nodded, dropped the receiver back on the hook, sighed. He reached down
• 3:08:13
  to the bottom drawer brought up a bottle and two glasses. Well, while
• 3:08:16
  we're waiting, there's no reason we can't be comfortable. Sit down pinky and
• 3:08:20
  relax. The Redhead looked doubtful, shrugged, walked over, dropped into the
• 3:08:26
  client's chair. This is no way to run a business office. You know,
• 3:08:30
  it can be a lot of fun, though. He poured a stiff
• 3:08:33
  drink into each glass, handed one to the red Head. Pinky took the
• 3:08:37
  glass, grinned, made a half hearted effort at pulling her skirt down over
• 3:08:39
  her knees. Gave it up as a bad job. In business school,
• 3:08:43
  they told me there'd always be days like this. What's wrong with the little
• 3:08:48
  relaxation? Nothing, I guess it's just that I'm still an employee and you're
• 3:08:52
  my employer. Lydel nodded, held his glass up in a toast. Here's
• 3:08:58
  to more and better employer employee relations. The Redhead lifted her glass, sipped
• 3:09:03
  at the contents, studied him over the rim. You're kind of crazy.
• 3:09:05
  You know, you don't have to be crazy to get into this racket,
• 3:09:09
  but it does give you a head start. He scowled at the phone as
• 3:09:11
  it jangled, nodded for the red Head to answer it. She walked over
• 3:09:16
  to his side, lifted the receiver from its hook. Johnny Lightell Agency,
• 3:09:20
  She said, inspector herlickey. She glanced at Lydell inquiringly, received a nod.
• 3:09:26
  Just a minute, Inspector, I'll get mister Lydell for you. Lydell
• 3:09:28
  slid his arm around her waist tried to pull her down onto his lap.
• 3:09:33
  She wriggled out of his grasp, leaving him with only a phone in his
• 3:09:35
  hand. He grinned ruefully put it to his ear. Hello, Inspector.
• 3:09:39
  Herlee's voice was gruff, impatient. You're in trouble now, Lydell, serious
• 3:09:45
  trouble, Lydell sighed, what I do now? Unwarranted invasion of privacy anyway,
• 3:09:52
  that's what the DA is going to try to tag you with. Doctor
• 3:09:54
  Seville spent the last hour with him in his office, says, you're apparently
• 3:09:58
  trying to put a shake on him. That's a cock eyed lie. Maybe
• 3:10:03
  that's why I'm tipping you off. You may still be able to call off
• 3:10:05
  the dogs. I don't like to see any guy hound it out of a
• 3:10:07
  job unless he's got it coming to him. Thanks, Inspector, don't think
• 3:10:11
  me. You never even heard from me. Just get yourself straightened away with
• 3:10:15
  deats in the dock. Otherwise you're out Lydell nodded, I'll do what I
• 3:10:20
  can. Thanks for the tip. He returned the phone to its cradle,
• 3:10:22
  glared at it, swore under his breath. More Trapple. They're really turning
• 3:10:28
  the heat on now, Pinky. They've got the das steamed up to lift
• 3:10:31
  my license. I must be worrying them. He chewed on the side of
• 3:10:33
  his thumbnail, considered, what are you going to do? Lydel shrugged.
• 3:10:39
  I've got to get something to fight back with. I know the old man
• 3:10:41
  was murdered, but that doesn't do any good until I can prove it.
• 3:10:45
  With Doc Seville tossing his weight around, I'm a dead duck unless I come
• 3:10:48
  up with something awful soon, an awful good. He finished the drink,
• 3:10:54
  put the glass back in the bottom drawer. Call Muggsy, tell her to
• 3:10:58
  meet me at Luigi's in about an hour, Pinky. From here on in
• 3:11:01
  and I've got to keep moving so they can't tag me with a writ.
• 3:11:03
  I'll keep in touch with you by phone. But the telephone jangled again.
• 3:11:07
  Light l picked it up, answered in a guarded tone, is light El
• 3:11:11
  there. This is Johnny Harris of the Advance. Hello Harris, what's up?
• 3:11:16
  Got the dope you one from the old man Johnny. There was a
• 3:11:18
  pause. Then Anthony Joseph and Savalaro and Laura Jane Mellison were married at City
• 3:11:24
  Hall on September second, nineteen forty. That's what you want, Lightel nodded,
• 3:11:28
  jotted the information down. That's my boy. Remind me to buy you
• 3:11:31
  a drink. Next time I see you drink, Hell, I'll buy you
• 3:11:35
  the whole bottle. This I've got to see, Harrison chuckled. See here,
• 3:11:39
  Ren Pinky leaned across the desk excidedly, the folds and the peasant blouse
• 3:11:43
  filling out with breath taking effect. Got something, Lightel nodded, depressed the
• 3:11:48
  button on the phone, pulled an envelope from his pocket, found the telephone
• 3:11:52
  number he was looking for, started dialing. I've got that club I wanted.
• 3:11:56
  Baby, Maybe I can still hold them off. He told the voice
• 3:11:58
  that answer that he wanted to talk to doctor Sabyl. After a few moments,
• 3:12:03
  a silky voice came on, doctor Sabyl, This is Lydell. Doc.
• 3:12:07
  I understand you've been making some complaints about me down at the DA's office.
• 3:12:11
  The receiver nodded, that's right. Your unwarranted invasion of my privacy has
• 3:12:16
  become annoying. I intend to stop it. Just awm my invading your privacy.
• 3:12:20
  Doc. The receiver snorted that clumsy masquerade as a reporter delving into my
• 3:12:26
  background for one thing. Lydell considered it. Agreed, it was pretty clumsy,
• 3:12:31
  but it was never intended to win an Academy award. It served its
• 3:12:35
  purpose, and the purpose to prove that doctor Anthony and Savalaro and doctor Tony
• 3:12:39
  Saville are one and the same person. Of course, you could have gotten
• 3:12:43
  the same information from the Hall of Records. The change in name is quite
• 3:12:46
  plainly recorded, so is your marriage to Laura Mellison. Doc. There was
• 3:12:52
  a short pause. Then I don't see that has anything to do with you,
• 3:12:56
  Lydell. I might since your plan in to marry Jean Merritt. This
• 3:13:01
  state is very narrow minded about begamy. Since when is it bigamy for a
• 3:13:05
  widower to remarry my first wife? Laura has been dead since nineteen forty five,
• 3:13:09
  Lydell made a fast recovery from the body blow died just about the time
• 3:13:15
  you met Jean Merritt. Interesting, isn't it? Yes? Very, but
• 3:13:18
  I'm afraid you won't be finding out how the story ends, since, according
• 3:13:22
  to the district attorney, you may not only lose your license, but could
• 3:13:26
  conceivably end up in jail as well if you persist in this malicious invasion of
• 3:13:30
  my privacy. End of chapter twelve, Chapter thirteen. Luigi's was located in
• 3:13:37
  the heart of Brooklyn, a brownstone house and a row of brownstone houses,
• 3:13:41
  with no indication of its identity as a restaurant other than the oversized garbage can
• 3:13:46
  in the area way. The walls of the basement apartment had been knocked out
• 3:13:50
  to make one huge room at the far end of which a huge wood burning
• 3:13:54
  stove chuckled and snapped. Lydell selected a table near the wall, tossed his
• 3:13:58
  hat on the hat rackaddle down away from Muggsy. A huge woman waddled slowly
• 3:14:03
  over to his table, her face wreathed in a toothy smile that was given
• 3:14:07
  added brilliance by a slight mustache. It's nice to see you, mister Lyddell,
• 3:14:11
  she puffed. Long time, since you pay Luigi and Serafina visit Miss
• 3:14:16
  Ronnie she come in too. She is supposed to meet me here, Seraphine.
• 3:14:20
  He glanced at his watch. She shouldn't be long now, you like
• 3:14:24
  maybe some kianti while you wait? She pursed, Her lips, rolled her
• 3:14:26
  eyes, touched the tips of her thumb and index finger. He's good kianty,
• 3:14:31
  just like you, like, mister Laddell. Lydell nodded, watched her
• 3:14:33
  waddle to a nearby cabinet come back with a fiber covered bottle. She gave
• 3:14:37
  him another smile, waddled back to preside over her pots. Lydell was on
• 3:14:43
  his second cigarette when Muggsy walked in. She waved to Seraphene came directly to
• 3:14:46
  the table. Something happened. Johnny Lydell poured some wine into her glass,
• 3:14:50
  refilled his plenty. Savelle's put in the heat on the DA to lift my
• 3:14:56
  card, And there's nothing that clothing store dummy would like better, He sipped
• 3:15:00
  at his wine morosely. Can't you do anything about it? Isn't there any
• 3:15:03
  way to stop it? Not unless I get something to use as a lever.
• 3:15:07
  I thought I had it, he growled, But the dock keeps one
• 3:15:11
  step ahead of me. What do you have? Lydell shrugged. I established
• 3:15:16
  the fact that Seville is Ann Savalaro. He admits that I also stumbled over
• 3:15:20
  the fact that he married a nurse named Mellison in nineteen forty I thought I
• 3:15:24
  had him on that one. He just laughed at me. Mellison died in
• 3:15:26
  nineteen forty five, leaving him conveniently free to marry Jean Merritt and leaving me
• 3:15:31
  holding a nice right bag. But you said Matt Merritt was murdered. If
• 3:15:35
  you can prove that, Lydell snorted if I could prove a lot of things.
• 3:15:41
  Sure, I know Merrit was murdered, but nobody will believe me.
• 3:15:43
  I know his daughter didn't disappear, she was snatched by Skota, but I
• 3:15:46
  can't prove it. I even know why Vailey's boys have been trying to blow
• 3:15:48
  my brains out. So what there's not a damn thing I can do about
• 3:15:52
  it. Well, you can't sit here and swill KEIANTI and let them lift
• 3:15:56
  your license without fighting back. If you can just prove if any one of
• 3:16:00
  those things pop in the paper could start a big enough fire under the DA
• 3:16:03
  that he'd be too busy keeping his own rear end from getting sined to be
• 3:16:07
  trying to burn yours. Her eyes mirrored her concern. Don't you have any
• 3:16:11
  ideas? Just one, and it's so damn far fetched, I'm afraid to
• 3:16:16
  count on it. He finished his glass of wine. I'm going out to
• 3:16:20
  carport. If Merritt was murdered, there must be some trace of it if
• 3:16:24
  I can't find it, he shrugged. I just let myself in for something
• 3:16:28
  I should have stayed out of. Muggsy drained her glass. I'm going with
• 3:16:33
  you, Lydell shook his head. Yeah, you'd better not. Baby.
• 3:16:37
  Why should you get dragged into this mess Because I'm a special correspondent from the
• 3:16:41
  advance assigned to it. We're going to string along with you on it.
• 3:16:43
  Johnny Pop doesn't know it, but I'm back on the staff. Lydell started
• 3:16:48
  to argue, decided it was a lost cause. It's your time if you
• 3:16:52
  want to waste it. Saraphene waddled over as they stood up. You not
• 3:16:58
  going, miss Ronnie. I'd fixed something special for you. You're not going
• 3:17:01
  without trying it. Muggsy patted the fat woman on the shoulder. We'll be
• 3:17:05
  back, Serphene. We can't take the time to eat now. We've got
• 3:17:07
  a train to catch. The Long Island Railroad wheezed its way to a jerky
• 3:17:11
  stop in front of a one story weather beaten frame building that had a shingle
• 3:17:16
  hanging from its roof that identified to stop as carport two. Dust bagrime sedan
• 3:17:22
  stood under another sign captioned taxi, their operators lounging indolently against their front fenders.
• 3:17:28
  They watched Muggsy and Lidel alight from the train with no sign of interest.
• 3:17:31
  Know where the merit places, Lydel asked the cabby. He addressed,
• 3:17:35
  a tall, lanky man with a red ski cap, a brightly colored plaid
• 3:17:39
  shirt, a lined leathery face, shifted the water tobacco from his right cheek
• 3:17:43
  to his left, spat in the dust at his feet. No sense going
• 3:17:46
  out there, mister. Ain't no one there, he opined. Isn't there
• 3:17:52
  a caretaker of some kind? The cabby considered the question conceited. There was
• 3:17:58
  fellow name Lessie, nice fellow. None of the family there, though the
• 3:18:01
  old man's dead, the rest are gone. Lydelf fished the Tom Terry press
• 3:18:05
  card from his wallet, showed it to the cabby. Now we don't have
• 3:18:09
  to see the family. We're just interested in doing a feature piece on the
• 3:18:11
  grounds itself. The Cabby side realized motion was inevitable, straightened up. Suppose
• 3:18:16
  you want to go out there, if it's not too much trouble. How
• 3:18:20
  far out of town is it? Ten fifteen minutes? Cabby directed a stream
• 3:18:26
  of tobacco juice in the general direction of the trash can depends on how much
• 3:18:30
  of a hurry you're in. He opened the rear door of the sedan,
• 3:18:33
  helped Muggsy in. The young one that miss Jean, she was always in
• 3:18:37
  a hurry, made at one time six minutes flat for wouldn't want to make
• 3:18:41
  a habit of it. He slid in behind the wheel, kicked it to
• 3:18:43
  the starter, headed the car out of the parking lot onto the town's main
• 3:18:48
  street. The route took them through the heart of town, making it necessary
• 3:18:52
  for the driver to weave in and out of double parked cars around trucks parked
• 3:18:54
  almost in the middle of the road. Throughout it, the driver kept up
• 3:18:58
  an endless stream of chatter. Finally, an old Matt merritt lydel asked knew
• 3:19:05
  him to see, not to speak to kept pretty much to himself. He
• 3:19:07
  did. The girl wasn't like that A little bit wild, I guess,
• 3:19:11
  but not snooty. The taxi passed the last cluster of stores that made up
• 3:19:15
  the main street, headed into a twisting road that skirted the bay. She
• 3:19:20
  used to spend a lot of time in New York. Ever run into her
• 3:19:22
  down there, never did, guess lately she didn't get in as office as
• 3:19:26
  she used to. Here she was running with a fast crowd, and the
• 3:19:30
  old man put his foot down. How about missus Merritt? The cabby concentrated
• 3:19:35
  on skidding the big sedan around the curve in the road, shook his head.
• 3:19:39
  Never saw much of her, kept pretty much to herself. I guess
• 3:19:41
  real broken up by the old man's desk. From what I hear, guess
• 3:19:46
  she would be lydell agreed. What did they think about the way he died?
• 3:19:50
  Around here? The cabby spit nextpert curve in the wind, didn't think
• 3:19:56
  much one way or the other. I guess man's got a right to do
• 3:19:58
  what he wants with his own life. He was a pretty sick man there
• 3:20:01
  tore the end. Don't know but what I'd do the same thing myself.
• 3:20:05
  He half turned looked back. Ain't want of them. People feel it ain't
• 3:20:09
  right to kill yourself if you got a mind too. That's all very fine,
• 3:20:13
  as long as you don't take other people with you. Us for instance,
• 3:20:16
  Muggsy muttered, if you made this drive in six minutes, you must
• 3:20:18
  have used a helicopter. The driver turned back to the road. Needn be
• 3:20:22
  nervous, miss, I can drive this road to mys close. That's what
• 3:20:26
  I thought you were doing, Muggsy told him. The car slowed down,
• 3:20:30
  swung off the county road onto a black top that wound up a hill through
• 3:20:33
  a twin lane of old trees. After a short climate reached a hidden driveway.
• 3:20:37
  Turned in the house was a huge, old frame building set back from
• 3:20:43
  the road in a sheltering grove of elms. It had a broad porch that
• 3:20:46
  ran around three sides of the house sat on a promontory that commended an unimpeded
• 3:20:50
  view of the bay beyond. The taxis skidded to a stop in the driveway.
• 3:20:56
  Want me to wait, the cabby asked Lydell considered it, nodded,
• 3:21:00
  might as well. I don't know how long we're going to be here,
• 3:21:03
  but I don't like the idea of walking back to the station. The Cabby
• 3:21:05
  grinned, patted his meter. Whatever you say, partner. It's your money
• 3:21:09
  if you want to go crazy with it. Lydell led the way up the
• 3:21:13
  short flight of wooden steps to the entrance, pulled the old fashioned door pull.
• 3:21:16
  A dark man with gray hair brushed up into a pompadoor opened the door.
• 3:21:20
  He looked from Lydell to Muggsy him back. Good evening, sir,
• 3:21:26
  you're Lessie, I suppose, Lydell greeted him. The man nodded, is
• 3:21:30
  there anything I can do for you? Lydell produced the press card. Let
• 3:21:33
  the man read it. We came out from New York to have a look
• 3:21:37
  around. We're working on a feature series about famous old homes out here on
• 3:21:39
  the island. We'd like to take a look around. The gray haired man
• 3:21:43
  looked undecided. I don't know, sir. As you may know, there
• 3:21:48
  was a tragedy in the family, and I know that makes the interest in
• 3:21:50
  this place all the greater. Lessie took another look at the press card,
• 3:21:54
  consulted his watch. It's too late to read, mister Bagussian today. That's
• 3:22:00
  the Merritt family lawyer. You understand I would like some authority before I Is
• 3:22:05
  it only a preliminary visit, Lessie. We wouldn't be taking any photographs or
• 3:22:07
  anything like that until you had time to check with Pogossian. The gray haired
• 3:22:13
  man made up his mind, swung the door open. Oh sure, that
• 3:22:16
  would be all right, sir. I know you'll understand my hesitation. I
• 3:22:18
  wouldn't like to exceed my authority. Lydell nodded, followed him into a large
• 3:22:22
  hall. At the far end, a broad, curving staircase led to the
• 3:22:26
  upper floors. On either side, huge doors led into other rooms. The
• 3:22:31
  entire hallway was covered with thick, yielding carpeting. The walls were hung with
• 3:22:35
  patently expensive tapestries. Is there any place in particular you would like to start,
• 3:22:41
  sir? Lydell dropped his hat on a carved oak chest of drawers,
• 3:22:45
  looked around. I suppose it's been closed up since mister Merritt's death. Nothing
• 3:22:50
  has been touched. As you may know, missus Merritt has been ill and
• 3:22:54
  miss Jean's been living in town. He indicated a door to the right.
• 3:22:58
  This is the parlor. You may be interested in some of the period pieces.
• 3:23:03
  I think I would rather see that in daylight. Lightel cut him off.
• 3:23:05
  Would it be possible to start with his study? And it's morbid,
• 3:23:09
  of course, but I would like to see where he met his death.
• 3:23:13
  The gray haired man looked at him, frowned, nodded, as you wish,
• 3:23:16
  sir, mister Merritt's studies at the head of the stairs, would you
• 3:23:20
  come this way? He led the way up a thickly carpeted staircase to a
• 3:23:24
  door at the head of the corridor. He opened the door, felt for
• 3:23:26
  a light switch, bathed the room in a subdued light. Mister Merritt spent
• 3:23:31
  most of his time here. One whole wall was of glass, looking over
• 3:23:35
  the bay. Two of the remaining walls were filled with bookcases, the fourth
• 3:23:39
  covered with beautiful tapestry depicting a savage tiger hunting scene. In the center of
• 3:23:43
  the room, a huge carved mahogany desk contained a radio, some correspondence trays,
• 3:23:50
  a pipe rack with four pipes, a silver hammered humidor. The entire
• 3:23:54
  room was covered with soft, gray green carpeting that seemed to merge and blend
• 3:23:58
  with the green of the trees and lawn that's stretched out below toward the bay.
• 3:24:01
  I don't blame him for spending most of his time here. If I
• 3:24:05
  had a study like this, I'd never leave. Lydell murmured. He stared
• 3:24:09
  up at the ceiling, found no trace of a scar, walked over to
• 3:24:11
  the window wall, seemed intent on studying the glass. Finally, he walked
• 3:24:16
  back to his desk, leaned against it. Where was he found? Lessie
• 3:24:20
  walked around the desk, faced them. He was standing here when he did
• 3:24:24
  it, standing. How do you know, Lessi frowned. He had to
• 3:24:30
  be. You see, the chair was pushed back when he shot himself.
• 3:24:33
  He fell to the floor. Here, he indicated a place on the carpet
• 3:24:35
  where a faint chalk outline was still barely visible could be He toppled off the
• 3:24:41
  chair, knocked it back out of the way. Muggsy suggested, hardly,
• 3:24:46
  Miss Lessa responded, pointing to the heavy carved armchair. There are no rollers
• 3:24:50
  on the chair. Lydel reached over, snapped on the desk light. It
• 3:24:54
  threw a yellow gleam of brilliance towards the ceiling. This is the only lamp
• 3:24:58
  in the room besides the end direct lighting. That's right, Why, I'm
• 3:25:03
  not sure, lied Al told him, just an idea. He walked around
• 3:25:07
  the desk, stood over the chalked spot on the rug, faced the lamp.
• 3:25:11
  Then he swung around looked at the tapestry directly behind him. The gray
• 3:25:16
  haired man and Muggsy watched him curiously as he walked over to the tapestry,
• 3:25:20
  examined it carefully. Suddenly his head jerked. Lessie, come here, please,
• 3:25:26
  he called over his shoulder. Lessie joined him at the tapestry. What's
• 3:25:30
  wrong, sir? What's that look like to you? Lydel pointed to an
• 3:25:33
  almost invisible hole. The man caught his breath, examined it more closely.
• 3:25:39
  A moth hole. I don't understand. This tapestry was supposed to be completely
• 3:25:43
  protected from No moth made that hole? Lessie? Help me lift this tapestry
• 3:25:48
  away from the wall. Uh, I don't know if I should, sir.
• 3:25:52
  Mister Merritt was very particular about anyone touching the tapestry. He won't mind
• 3:25:58
  it, won't hurt it a bit. Grab that end and lift. There
• 3:26:01
  was a sharp note in Lydell's voice. Mugs, you'd better come over here.
• 3:26:05
  I think we should have several witnesses. The girl walked over watched while
• 3:26:09
  the two men lifted the huge tapestry. Lidell gave a triumphant grunt. Take
• 3:26:13
  a look at that hole in the wall under the tapestry, Lessie, You're
• 3:26:18
  moth boored right through it. Only your moth was steel jacketed. There was
• 3:26:22
  a neat bullet hole in the wall. What could have done that, sir,
• 3:26:26
  Lessie gasped The bullet that killed mister Merrit The bullet The police couldn't find
• 3:26:33
  the bullet. That is the best proof in the world that Matt Merritt did
• 3:26:35
  not commit suicide but was murdered. End of chapter thirteen. The cab dropped
• 3:26:43
  Johnny Lydell and Muggsy Heely at the entrance to the courthouse. Lydell led the
• 3:26:48
  way to the basement office of the Medical Examiner, walked in. Doc Travin
• 3:26:52
  sat behind his huge desk, looked up as they walked in, grinned them,
• 3:26:56
  welcome. I wasn't expecting you two, beck so soon. What have
• 3:27:01
  you dug up now, a murder Lydell told him wearily. Doc Travin chuckled,
• 3:27:05
  not another one like the last one. Business share must be bad when
• 3:27:09
  you go out trying to make suicides look like murder. Lydell scowled irritably at
• 3:27:15
  the little man's humor dropped into a chair. What would you do if I
• 3:27:18
  brought you a murderer, a murderer, a motive, and an opportunity talk?
• 3:27:22
  Doc Travin brought up a chair for Muggsy helped her into it. I'd
• 3:27:26
  see to it that the killer got the chair. What else? Suppose you
• 3:27:30
  were positive that you had all these things, but you couldn't prove it to
• 3:27:33
  the satisfaction of a jury. The medical examiner perched on the corner of his
• 3:27:37
  desk. Either there's a murder or there isn't a murder. Either there's a
• 3:27:41
  corpus delecti or there isn't a corpus delecti. What's all the double talk for?
• 3:27:46
  Johnny Lydel grinned crookedly. I've got the corpus delecti and I've got the
• 3:27:50
  murder. I'm gonna hand them over to you, and it's up to you
• 3:27:52
  to prove them only. I'm damned if I think you can, Doc Travin
• 3:27:58
  snorted impatiently. If there's a murder, will prove it. He leaned back,
• 3:28:01
  pushed his desk buzzer. First, let's have a cup of coffee and
• 3:28:05
  talk it over. Muggsy nodded, we can both use some Smitty. The
• 3:28:09
  angular lab assistant stuck her head into the room. Three copies, Smitty,
• 3:28:13
  rush them one black, Muggsy put in. Smitty nodded withdrew her head.
• 3:28:20
  Now suppose you tell me what this is all about, Johnny, give it
• 3:28:24
  an order. First, Let's have the murder, he sniffed. A murder.
• 3:28:28
  That's not a murder, A corpus DELECTI, that's not a corpus deluctie.
• 3:28:33
  He turned to Muggsy. You know this story. Muggsy shook her head.
• 3:28:37
  Lydell's been doing a solo Sherlock Holmes all day. Only instead of using
• 3:28:41
  a needle, he's been using cognac. Lydell stuck a cigarette between his lips.
• 3:28:45
  Lit it. Your murder is the killing of Matt Merritt, he said,
• 3:28:50
  flatly. Oh not again. Doc Travin groaned, We've been all through
• 3:28:54
  that, Johnny. Mat Merrick committed suicide. You admitted it yourself when I
• 3:28:58
  showed you the records. I admitted you made a good case for suicide,
• 3:29:01
  but it wasn't good enough. I know he was murdered, and I can
• 3:29:05
  prove it, but not for a jury. The clerk came in, deposited
• 3:29:09
  three cardboard containers of coffee on the desk, went out. Nobody made a
• 3:29:13
  move. How could it be murdered, Johnny? He was shot through the
• 3:29:16
  mouth and there was no sign of a struggle. Lydell nodded, how about
• 3:29:20
  the bullet? Doc Travin scowled his impatience. So it wasn't found so wet?
• 3:29:28
  So I found it where Lydell took a deep drag on his cigarette blew
• 3:29:33
  it downward, right where it had to be if it was murder. Doc
• 3:29:37
  Travin looked from Lydell to Muggsy, who nodded and back. What the hell
• 3:29:41
  are you talking about. We gave that place a good going over and there
• 3:29:43
  was no bullet. If you're trying to pull anything, Lydell, Lydell sighed,
• 3:29:50
  pull anything, your grandmother. I've got two witnesses who saw me find
• 3:29:52
  that bullet, and when you dig it out of the wall, you're gonna
• 3:29:56
  find it matches the gone merit was killed with. I don't care where you
• 3:30:00
  found the bullet. It was suicide. Nobody can make me believe anything else.
• 3:30:03
  Travin stormed, Then, well, you might as well tell me where
• 3:30:07
  did you find it and the tapestry on the far wall. The medical examiner
• 3:30:13
  stared at him, open mouthed, how the hell did you come to look
• 3:30:16
  in the tapestry? It figured it didn't go in the ceiling. Your story
• 3:30:22
  about it falling to the floor spent was too silly to even consider. It
• 3:30:24
  had to go some place? Why not into a wall? Lydell enjoyed the
• 3:30:30
  speechlessness of the little man. One wall was glass, the other two full
• 3:30:33
  of books. I settled for the tapestry. Why Lydell shrugged the desk lamp.
• 3:30:39
  My guess was he would be facing the desk lamp. The bullet had
• 3:30:43
  to go into the tapestry that way. Travan was making a visible effort to
• 3:30:46
  keep up with the developments, having indifferent success. I don't care. Nobody
• 3:30:52
  can convince me that any man will let a killer stick a gun in his
• 3:30:54
  mouth without a struggle, unless it was his doctor. Lightel tossed the bomb
• 3:31:01
  show with startling success. Doc Travin's eyes bulged, his jaw dropped. Come
• 3:31:07
  again. The thing that three off is the fact that there was no struggle.
• 3:31:11
  You figure nobody would let a killer stick a gun in his mouth without
• 3:31:13
  a struggle, Right, Travin nodded wordlessly. But suppose the killer is his
• 3:31:18
  doctor and he's been feeding him a lot of malarkey about an imaginary throat infection,
• 3:31:22
  and the victim doesn't know it's a gun the doc is sticking in his
• 3:31:26
  throat. Break it down further, Johnny Muggsy urged, Okay, you've got
• 3:31:31
  a doc who tells you you have a throat infection. You let the doc
• 3:31:35
  look into your throat, even stick an instrument into your mouth so he can
• 3:31:39
  get a good look. One day, instead of an instrument, he shoves
• 3:31:41
  in the nose of a gun, and boom. He took the cigarette from
• 3:31:46
  between his lips, stared at it with distaste, crushed it out that way.
• 3:31:50
  The throat ailment gag serves two purposes, give a plausible reason for the
• 3:31:54
  suicide and provides the opportunity for committing the murder. Doc Travin was leaning forward
• 3:31:58
  his mouth. Gabe, he made an effort to pull himself together. You're
• 3:32:03
  wrong, Mugs. He has been using a needle. But there was a
• 3:32:07
  look of indecision on his face. So there's your murder and your opportunity.
• 3:32:13
  Wait a minute, you didn't explain how you knew where to look for that
• 3:32:15
  bullet, Travin protested, I knew if he had shot himself through the mouth,
• 3:32:18
  the bullet would be in the ceiling. Now, if the dock was
• 3:32:22
  pretending to examine the throat, Merritt would throw his head back right. The
• 3:32:26
  medical examiner nodded gloomily. He was standing when he got it. The only
• 3:32:31
  direct light in the room was on the desk, so he was facing the
• 3:32:33
  desk with his head thrown back. There was only one place the bullet could
• 3:32:37
  go. The medical examiner rubbed his hand across his mouth, tried to punch
• 3:32:41
  a hole in the theory failed. The killer Johnny, Doc Saville, what
• 3:32:48
  was his motive? Travin wanted to know Merritt's money. Of course, Lydel
• 3:32:54
  reached over, took one of the paper containers, handed one to Muggsy.
• 3:32:58
  He was slated to Mary Jean, the old man's only heir. He gouged
• 3:33:01
  the top out of his container. Savell killed him. But I can't prove
• 3:33:05
  it, and I don't think you can either, Doc. Why should he
• 3:33:09
  kill him? The old man thought a lot of him. He could still
• 3:33:11
  have married the girl and eventually inherited the money. The medical examiner argued,
• 3:33:16
  maybe Merritt found out that Tony Seville of Park Avenue and Anthony and Savalaro of
• 3:33:20
  Mulberry Street were one and the same guy. Maybe he also found out that
• 3:33:24
  Anne Savalaro had been married to a nurse named Mellison. Maybe he was figuring
• 3:33:28
  on breaking up the marriage. What's this and Sevalaro business? That's Savell's right
• 3:33:33
  name, the one he went through medical school and internship with, the one
• 3:33:37
  he was married under. He took an experimental sip of his coffee. He
• 3:33:41
  was a little Eastside kid with no future and plenty of plans. He ended
• 3:33:46
  up as a fifteen dollar a month intern in a city hospital without a dream
• 3:33:48
  of raising enough money to open his own office. Doc Travin pulled a desk
• 3:33:54
  pat over, scribbled a few notes on it. Go ahead, he nodded
• 3:33:58
  Lydell settled back in his chair, took another sip of coffee. One day,
• 3:34:01
  he gets what looks like a big break. Pete Vailey, top racket
• 3:34:05
  boy on the East Side, gets himself shot up in the Governeur district,
• 3:34:09
  and Savalaro is riding bus that day, does an extra special job of patching
• 3:34:13
  Pete up before he takes him into the hospital. Doc Travin looked disappointed.
• 3:34:18
  So what's that got to do with Mett Merritt and his daughter? Let me
• 3:34:22
  tell it my own way. Lydell held up his hand. After he finishes
• 3:34:26
  a stretch on the bus, he goes into mail surgery, starts to drop
• 3:34:30
  by Pete's room more and more often. Maybe Laura Melleson, who's in charge
• 3:34:33
  of male surgery at that time, sets it up for him. I don't
• 3:34:37
  know. Anyway, pretty soon he and Pete are telling each other they are
• 3:34:39
  troubles, such as Lydell shrugged. Pete had plenty of troubles in those days.
• 3:34:46
  He was just building up his organization, and he's got competition. Competition
• 3:34:50
  means a little rough stuff. And sometimes Pete and his boys need medical care,
• 3:34:56
  discreet medical care which they can't get the reported. Every time he or
• 3:35:01
  his boy show up for treatment, the medical examiner nodded, doodled on his
• 3:35:05
  desk. Pad Pete scared a death to ignore wound because his kid brother Micky,
• 3:35:09
  died from an infected wound. So when Anne Savalaro makes his proposition,
• 3:35:15
  Pete is plenty ready for it. Stop making like you read Crystal balls,
• 3:35:20
  Muggsy grinned pop Michaels told you that. Lydell nodded. I don't know who
• 3:35:24
  made whom the proposition, actually, but the upshot of it is that Anne
• 3:35:28
  Savalaro got a fancy uptown office and a private hospital in Westchester and Valley and
• 3:35:33
  his boys get constant and discreet medical care. Doc Travin stirred unhappily in his
• 3:35:39
  chair. These are serious charges you're making, Johnny, can you make them
• 3:35:43
  stick? I can't prove a bit of it, Doc, that's your job,
• 3:35:48
  Lydell admitted, cheerfully. All it can prove is that Anne Savalaro became
• 3:35:52
  sebil in nineteen forty and that as Anne Savalaro he married Laura Malleson, who
• 3:35:56
  conveniently died in nineteen forty five. For him to make an all out pitch
• 3:36:01
  for Jean Merritt, Doc Travin made a few more notes, Well, it
• 3:36:05
  won't be hard to establish when he opened that Park Avenue office and his Westchester
• 3:36:09
  set up. It will be to find out where he got the money to
• 3:36:13
  do it. You think Vailey underwrote it, Lydell shrugged, and may be
• 3:36:18
  a coincidence, But from that day to this neither Vailey nor any of his
• 3:36:22
  men have ever shown up for gunshot wound treatment. Oh kay, so Vailey
• 3:36:26
  sets him up. Then what Sidell's a good lucking boy, and with the
• 3:36:31
  front, Valley's money pays for Pretty soon he's doing all right with the debs
• 3:36:35
  all this time. Of course, he's married to Laura. Maybe she objects,
• 3:36:37
  maybe she doesn't. Anyway, there's no crisis until Seville meets Jean Merritt
• 3:36:43
  and falls hook line and sinker for the old man's bank account. Lydel drained
• 3:36:46
  his paper cup, crushed it with his fist, tossed it at the waste
• 3:36:50
  basket. Laura is now a handicap, so she's got to go. In
• 3:36:54
  nineteen forty five, she conveniently dies, clearing the way for Saville to marry
• 3:36:58
  Jean Merritt. If he has Vali's money in back of him, why I
• 3:37:01
  take the risk of getting rid of Laura just to marry more money. By
• 3:37:05
  nineteen forty five, Pete Valley is well organized and he's getting less and less
• 3:37:09
  action out of the dock for his money. He sees a chance of getting
• 3:37:13
  back some of his investment in Seville, so he backs the doc's play for
• 3:37:16
  Jean, he ran a hand across his eyes. There you are, Doc,
• 3:37:20
  It's all yours, the murder, the murderer, the means, and
• 3:37:24
  the motive. I'm not boring you, am I Doc. The medical examiner
• 3:37:28
  forced a grin that his eyes didn't join into Not a bit, Johnny.
• 3:37:33
  It's more soothing than mother Goose, if a little less probable, even if
• 3:37:37
  we can't move in on a reputable physician on the alcoholic day dreams of a
• 3:37:41
  punch drunk private Eye, go ahead anyway. I can't wait to hear how
• 3:37:45
  it turns out. I can tell you that too. Seville gets away with
• 3:37:48
  it and manages to muscle the district attorney into lifting my license for persecuting him.
• 3:37:52
  When things go quiet down a little, he'll marry Jean inherit the old
• 3:37:56
  man's dough and kick the kid around until she wears out. Where'd you come
• 3:38:01
  into this picture? Travin wanted to know, just in time to get my
• 3:38:05
  ears half shot off. The girl must have gotten suspicious of the way her
• 3:38:07
  father died, contacted the agency to dig into it, and some way Saville
• 3:38:11
  tumbled to what she did, sent a couple of Ailey's boys to discourage me
• 3:38:16
  muggs Achille was biting on her finger nails with concentrated energy. There's one thing
• 3:38:20
  about the whole picture I think you've got wrong, Johnny, the way you
• 3:38:24
  set it up. The doc waited for a night when nobody was home.
• 3:38:26
  There was somebody home that night, missus Merritt. That was her tough luck.
• 3:38:31
  Lightel nodded. She heard the shot, came running, found the dock
• 3:38:35
  leaning over her husband's body. She started to yell, and he must have
• 3:38:39
  slammed her over the head with his rod. His story that she got those
• 3:38:41
  injuries falling down the stairs wouldn't hold up. The carpeting on the stairs was
• 3:38:46
  too thick. Why didn't he kill her right there? Travin argued, that
• 3:38:50
  would ruin the suicide theory. Of course, he might have staged a suicide
• 3:38:54
  and murder, but that might have stirred up an inquiry. So he did
• 3:38:58
  it the easy way. Set the old guy up as a suicide. Lugged
• 3:39:01
  the old lady to the head of the stairs and pitched her down. Doc
• 3:39:05
  Travin pinched at his lower lip. She could have been killed by the fall,
• 3:39:09
  Well, that would have been all right. It would have looked as
• 3:39:11
  though she had started for help, fainted and was accidentally killed by a fall
• 3:39:16
  down the stairs. If she didn't die, as the family physician, he
• 3:39:18
  could lug her off to his private hospital, where he could see to it
• 3:39:22
  that she didn't do any talking. Doc Travin nodded. It all fits,
• 3:39:28
  he conceded, But where's the girl now? Saville has her someplace. She
• 3:39:33
  was afraid to be seen talking to me. Wouldn't come to the office,
• 3:39:37
  wouldn't let me come to the hotel. When Savill's boys grabbed her, they
• 3:39:39
  found out she was supposed to meet me at the drug store, sent a
• 3:39:43
  delegation to scare me off. Maybe they did get her, but she went
• 3:39:48
  peacefully enough. It seems to me, Muggsy put In, she could have
• 3:39:50
  kicked up a fuss at the hotel if they were taking her away against her
• 3:39:54
  will. Don't forget they had her mother in their hands. They might have
• 3:39:58
  told her the old lady would suffer if she coul gave them any trouble.
• 3:40:01
  Doc Travin chewed on his pencil, considered the picture lydel a drawn you figure.
• 3:40:05
  The reason they tried to get you is because the girl might have told
• 3:40:09
  you too much. Lydell nodded. Maybe they were only figuring on throwing a
• 3:40:13
  scare into me that first night, But Skota didn't look as if he was
• 3:40:16
  fooling without thirty eight in his fist. From what I heard, they weren't
• 3:40:20
  fulling that second time. Johnny muggs he put in Ricci was a killer.
• 3:40:24
  That was Doc Saville's work for suret Mugs. After I talked to him the
• 3:40:28
  morning after Jean Merritt disappeared, he realized I wasn't going to be scared off.
• 3:40:33
  He figured I knew more than I was admitting, so he sent Riccie
• 3:40:37
  to blast me right out of my hotel room. Doc Travin slammed his pencil
• 3:40:41
  down, hopped off the desk. Let's go get them, Lydell didn't move.
• 3:40:46
  Get home for what he asked, If you went into court with a
• 3:40:50
  story like this, you'd be laughed right onto the retirement list. Haven't you
• 3:40:54
  ever heard what happens to police officials who make false arrests and to private detectives
• 3:40:58
  who aid in a bet them. You don't think they can get away with
• 3:41:01
  this, Johnny Muggsy looked worried they're doing it, Mugs. We may know
• 3:41:07
  a lot of things, but proving them as another story. How about the
• 3:41:09
  old lady, Johnny Travin demanded. She's the weak link in Seville's armor.
• 3:41:16
  If you're right, she may be able to put the doc in the house
• 3:41:18
  the night Merit died. How are you going to get her testimony, get
• 3:41:22
  a warrant and raid the sanitarium? On what grounds? You can't move her
• 3:41:28
  without physicians? Okay, and that's Saville. You can't even bring in another
• 3:41:31
  doc to examine her because that's unethical or something, Idel growled. Get used
• 3:41:35
  to it. Doc Saville's holding all the aces. The little man took a
• 3:41:39
  deep breath. Let it whistle between his teeth. What do we do?
• 3:41:45
  Sit here and let him get away with it? Looks like he's doing it
• 3:41:48
  anyway, so we might just as well relax and enjoy it. Wouldn't it
• 3:41:52
  be worth while taking a chance on getting a search warrant like the doc suggests.
• 3:41:56
  Johnny Muggsy wanted to know. He'd hear about it, and the chances
• 3:42:01
  are that by the time the writ was issued, the old Lady would be
• 3:42:03
  dead from natural causes. As it is, the chances are that my license
• 3:42:07
  is just a memory. But the doc would be back wiping running noses and
• 3:42:11
  giving penicillin shots so far in the sticks that even a rumor could only reach
• 3:42:16
  him by carrier pigeon. Buggs Achilly dug a cigarette from the voluminous depths of
• 3:42:20
  her hand bag. If we could only find Jean, she must know something.
• 3:42:26
  Doc Travin grinned humorlessly. If Johnny's right, Bailey's boys have her on
• 3:42:31
  ice, and if we push too hard, it may be curtains for her
• 3:42:33
  too, write Johnny, I doubt it, Doc. They've taken too many
• 3:42:37
  risks to get their hands on that money. Their best bet is to rush
• 3:42:39
  the schedule and push the marriage through. After all, a wife can't testify
• 3:42:43
  against her husband. Blydell shook his head slowly. They may knock the old
• 3:42:48
  lady off, but not the girl. Doc Travin tore the top off his
• 3:42:52
  container of coffee, tested it with his finger. Damn near ice cold,
• 3:42:58
  he growled. You make your fairy story too interesting. What's with you two
• 3:43:01
  characters, Muggsy asked, in a shocked tone. You sound like you're gonna
• 3:43:05
  sit there and let them get away with this. I didn't say that exactly,
• 3:43:09
  muggs. Lydell told her, I said, Doc has all the aces,
• 3:43:13
  but Lightell shrugged. Sometimes a trump can take an ace. I think
• 3:43:18
  I have a couple of trumps. Then what are we waiting for? Lydell
• 3:43:22
  pursed his lips. It may be slightly illegal, he looked at Doc Travin,
• 3:43:28
  speculatively illegal and dangerous. Doc Travin stirred his coffee around the sonky container
• 3:43:35
  with his finger. How illegal, illegal entry, house breaking, robbery?
• 3:43:43
  What for? Lydell shrugged, evidence that may give us a foot in the
• 3:43:46
  door. Doc Travin drank his cold coffee, crushed the cup, dropped it
• 3:43:52
  into the waste basket. He leaned back, avoided Lydell's eyes. What a
• 3:43:58
  blessing to be deaf that way? You can't hear any illegal proposal. Lydell
• 3:44:03
  stared at him for a second, nodded, I mean you're right. Maybe
• 3:44:07
  it's a good thing you didn't hear me, because I'm going through with it.
• 3:44:09
  But you'd better stay out of it. Doc, You've got a job
• 3:44:13
  to worry about, that's right. I've got a job, and you've got
• 3:44:16
  a license. If he get caught at this caper, your license is gone.
• 3:44:20
  You'll be blackballed in every state of the Union and serve time on top
• 3:44:22
  of it. Muggsy got up, Come on, Johnny, what are we
• 3:44:26
  waiting for. Doc Travin shook his head. You're not going, Mugs.
• 3:44:31
  It's bad enough he's out of his mind and is going to bowl himself into
• 3:44:33
  his cell for the next five years. But you're too pretty to be cooped
• 3:44:37
  up. Besides, you wouldn't care for the styles they're wearing in there.
• 3:44:39
  Now. I'm going with him, Doc Muggsy stuck her chin out, her
• 3:44:45
  blue eyes flashing defiance. I'm not letting him go into this alone. Doc
• 3:44:50
  Travin grinned, who said he's going to do it alone. Muggsy blinked,
• 3:44:54
  you mean you're in, of course, I'm in, lydel grinned. I'll
• 3:45:00
  be crazy, Doc, A guy in your position can't afford to get fouled
• 3:45:01
  up in a mess like this. Ain't in a fact, Doc Travin's sighed,
• 3:45:07
  I've got a feeling I'm gonna hate myself in the morning, but I
• 3:45:11
  bet tonight's going to be fun. End of chapter fourteen. Chapter fifteen,
• 3:45:18
  Doc Travin drove. On the ride back to the city. Muggsy Keeley sat
• 3:45:22
  between him and Johnny Lidell on the front seat. Nobody did much talking until
• 3:45:26
  the car approached the Queensboro Bridge. How are we gonna work this, Johnny?
• 3:45:31
  Doc Travin wanted to know. He swung the sedan into a line of
• 3:45:35
  trucks and cars converging on the bridge entrance. I don't know, Doc Lydell
• 3:45:39
  grunted. I've got to keep away from the DA's man until we've got something
• 3:45:43
  to fight with. If they serve me any kind of papers before then,
• 3:45:46
  I'm done. Why don't you hold up at my apartment until you're ready to
• 3:45:50
  go up against eatch Johnny Muggsy suggested, I don't think he'd be crazy enough
• 3:45:54
  to try to crash there. Okay with you, Johnny Travin asked Lydel nodded,
• 3:46:01
  okay, No, id to go Crosstown It fifty ninth, make it
• 3:46:07
  sixtieth, then you can hit Central Park South at fifth. Conversation lagged again
• 3:46:11
  as the car separated from the stream of cars on the second Avenue side of
• 3:46:13
  the bridge. Fifteen minutes later, Doc Travin pulled his car to the curb
• 3:46:18
  in front of Muggsy's apartment. He leaned past Muggsy, opened the door.
• 3:46:22
  Suppose you two go up and have a sandwich. I'll be back in an
• 3:46:26
  hour or so, he consulted his watch. No self respecting burglar would break
• 3:46:30
  an enter much before midnight. Anyway, Where are you going? Lydell wanted
• 3:46:33
  to know. I think I'm gonna have a talk with Inspector Hurley he at
• 3:46:37
  headquarters and tell him what you told me. He's a good guy to have
• 3:46:39
  on your side at a time like this. Lydell nodded, I'll go with
• 3:46:43
  you better not Johnny, the medical Examiner shook his head. Right now,
• 3:46:48
  You're in no spot to win any popularity contests down there. What's more,
• 3:46:52
  of the DA may get a brainstorm, pick you up and jug you just
• 3:46:56
  long enough for Docsville to sweep up all the loose ends. I'll be back
• 3:46:58
  around to eleven. Lydel permitted himself to be shoved out the door, stood
• 3:47:03
  on the curb and watched Doc Travin sedan Melton to the stream of traffic.
• 3:47:07
  Come on, Johnny, I'll fix you a drink. Muggsy invited you going
• 3:47:11
  up. Mugs He told her, I'll be back in about an hour.
• 3:47:16
  Where are you going? I'm going on that expedition I mentioned, you don't
• 3:47:20
  think i'd let Doc take the risk of going along. I'm already a dead
• 3:47:22
  duck as soon as deets can tag me. The worst that can happen to
• 3:47:26
  me now is that they throw the book at me. But it's worth to
• 3:47:28
  try. You're crazy, Johnny Muggsy argued, Why don't you let Doc come
• 3:47:33
  all the way in from carport unless you're going to let him go along.
• 3:47:37
  I need Doc, If my hunch is right, his being medical examiner of
• 3:47:41
  the old lady's hometown might speed things up. What about Hurley, he lightell
• 3:47:46
  shrugged. I'll worry about Hurley. He when we get to him, he
• 3:47:50
  signaled. A cruising cab winced as it screeched to a stop at the curb.
• 3:47:54
  Have that drink ready, I'll probably need it by the time I get
• 3:47:56
  back. The cab dropped him at the corner of six the fourth and Park,
• 3:48:01
  a block from the building housing Dxaville's office. There was nobody in the
• 3:48:03
  lobby as he walked in. He avoided the elevator, climbed three flights of
• 3:48:07
  stairs to the office he had visited several days before. It was completely dark.
• 3:48:11
  He took out a ring of keys, tried several, found one that
• 3:48:15
  turned easily, walked into the doctor's office. He went through the door beside
• 3:48:18
  the receptionist's desk, walked straight to the cabinet where he had seen Duxaville place
• 3:48:22
  the X rays on Missus Merritt. With the questionable assistance of a cigarette lighter,
• 3:48:28
  he selected the proper envelope, stuck it in the waistband of his trousers,
• 3:48:31
  buttoned his coat over it. He closed the drawer, made sure there
• 3:48:33
  was no sign of his presence, walked through the two offices into the corridor.
• 3:48:39
  A half hour later, he was fitting his key into the lock on
• 3:48:41
  Muggsy Kielly's door. Muggsy came out of the kitchen to meet him. She
• 3:48:45
  had changed the royal blue house coat. Her thick blonde hair was caught behind
• 3:48:48
  the ears, with a matching ribbon allowed to cascade over her shoulders. Everything
• 3:48:52
  all right, Johnny Lydel nodded, tossed the Manila envelope on the table.
• 3:48:58
  So far, insulted his watch. Trave and call here. It's only nine
• 3:49:03
  thirty, he said, he wouldn't be here until midnight. Led El grinned
• 3:49:07
  crookedly. I have an idea that when he tells the story to Hurley,
• 3:49:09
  he'll get faster action than he expects. He walked into the living room,
• 3:49:13
  sank onto the couch with a sigh. How about that drink you started out
• 3:49:18
  to make an hour ago? Come in right up, Muggsy promised. She
• 3:49:22
  disappeared into the kitchen, returned with a tray loaded down with ice and glasses
• 3:49:26
  and a bottle of bourbon. She set it on the inn table, dumped
• 3:49:28
  some ice into each of the glasses, spilled a generous slug of bourbon over
• 3:49:33
  them. Get what you were after, lyedel nodded. I got what I
• 3:49:37
  was after. Whether it's what I need or not, it's a different story.
• 3:49:41
  He reached out, caught the girl by the hand, pulled her down
• 3:49:45
  into his lap. This may not go the way we hope it will,
• 3:49:48
  muggs, He told her. So far the dice have all been loaded against
• 3:49:52
  us. If our luck doesn't change, he shrugged, grinned at her,
• 3:49:56
  kissed the side of her neck. She reached over, placed one of the
• 3:50:00
  glasses in his hand, took one for herself. In that case, maybe
• 3:50:05
  I'll get some attention. Ever since you've been on this one, I've gotten
• 3:50:07
  about as much attention as last week's newspaper. Lydell looked at his watch.
• 3:50:13
  It's only nine thirty and Doc doesn't due back until twelve. That soon,
• 3:50:18
  she pouted. She reached up, opened his collar, loosened his tie.
• 3:50:22
  He certainly doesn't expect us to sit here and twil our thumbs until he gets
• 3:50:26
  here. They didn't. It was actually a quarter to twelve when the buzzer
• 3:50:31
  sounded. Lydell got up off the couch, walked to the phone, lifted
• 3:50:35
  the receiver off its hook. Yeah, he grunted. Okay, let him
• 3:50:41
  come up. He walked into the kitchen, ran the tap water, held
• 3:50:45
  a glass to his head. Who was it, Johnny Muggsy called in from
• 3:50:50
  the couch. Doc, he's on his way up. Water please. Muggy
• 3:50:54
  reached over, snapped on the light, spilled a yellow gleam into the room.
• 3:50:58
  Lydell brought the glass to her, picked up the bottle from the end
• 3:51:01
  table, spilled a little into his glass. A hair off the dog,
• 3:51:05
  he explained, down it shuddered, tastes like it too. Muggsies stifled a
• 3:51:11
  yawn, pulled her robe together. I'd better clean this up. She picked
• 3:51:16
  up the glasses. The melted bowl of eyes the almost empty bottle. Took
• 3:51:20
  them to the kitchen. Lydell had time to run his fingers through his hair,
• 3:51:24
  adjust his tie, and get back into his jacket. By the time
• 3:51:26
  the doorbell sounded. He walked over threw open the door. Inspector Hurley he
• 3:51:33
  stood, towering over Doc Travin in the corridor. He pushed past. Lydell
• 3:51:37
  stalked into the living room. The little medical examiner followed him in. Well,
• 3:51:41
  this is a surprise, Lydell grunted. I suppose you're all loaded down
• 3:51:46
  with warrants and everything. Stop, dog is Stupidlydell Hurly, he growled,
• 3:51:50
  deeds is after your hid, not me. I would have been over here
• 3:51:54
  hours ago if I wanted to find you Early. He's on our side,
• 3:51:58
  Johnny. I told him the whole story, Sorry, Doc Travin said.
• 3:52:01
  Lydell's eyes shifted back to Hurley. He believe it, Early, he growled,
• 3:52:07
  threw his hat on the couch, dropped down with a grunt. This
• 3:52:09
  sounds screwy, screwy enough to make sense. Why didn't you tell me all
• 3:52:13
  this? You didn't give me a chance anytime I tried to give you the
• 3:52:16
  score. You accused me of snowing you. You even tossed me to the
• 3:52:20
  da Okay, okay, so maybe I was wrong, Maybe you were leveling.
• 3:52:26
  The inspector found a fresh piece of gum in his pocket, denuded it
• 3:52:28
  of its wrapper. He nodded to Muggsy as she returned tray, fresh eyes
• 3:52:33
  and fresh bottle in hand. According to the doc, you got Seville Peggs,
• 3:52:37
  Matt Merrit's killer. Right Lydell nodded, But there's not a thing in
• 3:52:41
  what you gave, Doc that lets us move in on him. Not a
• 3:52:43
  shred of evidence. Hurly, he growled, that's what we're going after,
• 3:52:48
  Hurly, he Doc Travin put in. Hurly, he growled. Let Muggsy
• 3:52:50
  pour him a drink, accepted it. It won't do you any good,
• 3:52:54
  Doc, This guy's too smart. The way he's covered up, he's left
• 3:52:56
  us nothing. Lydell walked out to the foyer, came back with four X
• 3:53:01
  ray negatives, handed them to Travin. What do you make of these,
• 3:53:05
  doc? Doc Travin muttered under his breath, stood up, flattened the negatives
• 3:53:09
  against the lamp shade. He studied each one, carefully, put them down.
• 3:53:13
  What the hell's this got to do with it? What about them?
• 3:53:16
  Travin picked them up, held them to the light again. Must have been
• 3:53:20
  a bad accident. The old woman's got a bad concussion over the right ear.
• 3:53:22
  The oldest kid's jaw is a bad fracture. The other kids a compound.
• 3:53:26
  Lydell caught the medical examiner by the shoulder. What do you mean the
• 3:53:30
  old woman, the young kid, and the other kid, Doc, they're
• 3:53:31
  all x rays of the same person. The medical Examiner's eyes didn't leave Lydell.
• 3:53:37
  He picked the plates up, subjected them to another scrutiny, your nuts,
• 3:53:41
  lydel This one is the skull of an elderly person, probably a woman.
• 3:53:45
  This is the jaw an entirely different person, less than half the age
• 3:53:48
  of the first. And this is obviously the forearm of a youngster. He
• 3:53:50
  tossed the x rays on the table. What is all this? Those are
• 3:53:54
  the x rays Docsaville claims he took of missus Merritt right after he took her
• 3:53:58
  into the Hut Hospital, Inspector Hurley. He looked from lightel to Travian and
• 3:54:03
  back again. These facular injuries. Why Lydell snapped his fingers. Take a
• 3:54:09
  look at them? A broken jaw so she can't talk, a skull fracture
• 3:54:13
  so he can claim she's unconscious, even a compound fracture of the right arm
• 3:54:18
  so she can't write the answers to any questions. It's as clear as the
• 3:54:22
  nose on my face. Inspector missus Merrick knows something that Doc Saville doesn't want
• 3:54:26
  her to spell. Doc Travin groaned, what are we doing here? She's
• 3:54:31
  probably dead right now, Inspector Hurley, he looked worried. Why should they
• 3:54:35
  kill her? They think they're in the clear. They'd be better off waiting
• 3:54:39
  a couple of months and then letting her dive of natural causes. Doc Travin
• 3:54:43
  stamped the floor swore why should they She has no close relatives to ask embarrassing
• 3:54:48
  questions. Docxaville will just sign the desk certificate and the daughter will sign the
• 3:54:52
  burial for him. Then some undertaker pal of Saville's will cremate her, and
• 3:54:56
  who's the wiser Later on, if any questions are asked, they can always
• 3:54:58
  say as the old girls wished that the services be quiet and bribed hurly.
• 3:55:03
  He walked out to the foyer, picked up the phone, dialed headquarters never
• 3:55:07
  thought of that she might be dead already. He dropped his lip to the
• 3:55:11
  mouthpiece, gave an extension number. Then this is Inspector Hurley. Put a
• 3:55:15
  man to check vital statistics. See if a death certificate has been filed in
• 3:55:18
  the past week or ten days on Emma Merrit, Snap to it and call
• 3:55:22
  me at this number. He read the number off the instrument. He hung
• 3:55:26
  up the phone, sat twirling his thumbs. Nobody in the room spoke for
• 3:55:30
  the next ten minutes. Hurley he left the phone, started to pace the
• 3:55:33
  room, stopping only long enough to walk out onto the terrace, stared down
• 3:55:37
  at the network of lights that identified Central Park. Muggsy went into the bedroom
• 3:55:41
  to apply a fresh coat of makeup. Doc Travin sat staring moodily at the
• 3:55:46
  ceiling, and Lidell applied himself to a morose inspection of the tips of his
• 3:55:50
  shoes. The phone rang with a sudden, piercing sharpness. Hurly, he
• 3:55:54
  grabbed it from its hook, held it to his ear. You're sure of
• 3:55:58
  that, he demanded, Half far back, did you go good? Stand
• 3:56:01
  By a moment, he held his hand over the mouthpiece. He hasn't been
• 3:56:05
  filed yet. That means the old guile is still alive. We'd better get
• 3:56:09
  up to that sanitarium of his and make sure Seville doesn't rectify that oversight right
• 3:56:13
  away, Lydell growled. Hurley. He nodded, removed his hand from the
• 3:56:16
  phone. I want a car. Four men ride away. We'll pick them
• 3:56:20
  up at the fifty seventh Street entrance to the West Side Drive, Lieutenant hop
• 3:56:24
  to it. The Seville Sanitarium was a trim, two story stucco building sat
• 3:56:28
  behind a well manicured lawn on the outskirts of Bronxville. The big police sedan
• 3:56:33
  skidded to a stop in the crushed bluestone driveway. Inspector Hurley he jumped out,
• 3:56:37
  followed by Johnny Lydell and the medical examiner muggs Achielle followed them up the
• 3:56:41
  stairs. More leisurely, Hurley he strode purposefully across the small lobby to where
• 3:56:46
  a colored boy sat behind a small switchboard. Sorry, mister, he said,
• 3:56:50
  visiting hours over long ago. You can't come in here this hour.
• 3:56:54
  What room's missus, Meriden, Hurley, he demanded. He flashed his shield
• 3:56:58
  under the boy's sauce or sized eyes. This is police business. I don't
• 3:57:03
  know nothing about any police business, mister, he protested. I can't let
• 3:57:07
  you in without doctor Seville. Hurly. He reached over, caught the boy
• 3:57:09
  by the lapels of his white jacket, lifted him clear off his seat.
• 3:57:13
  I don't want to see doctor Seville, sonny. I ask what room,
• 3:57:16
  Missus Merritt is in. What is it? The whites of the boy's eyes
• 3:57:20
  stood out against the blackness of his skin. His eyes rolled from face to
• 3:57:22
  face, ended on Hurley. He's I don't know. I'm only the relief
• 3:57:26
  man, mister Hurly. He pushed him back in his chair. Find out
• 3:57:31
  you've got a register of some kind of round. The boy nodded, opened
• 3:57:35
  the card file with shaking fingers, went through it. Missus Merritt, she's
• 3:57:39
  in sixty two. Mister, yes, sir, it's sixty two Hurly.
• 3:57:43
  He nodded, spun on his heel started down the corridor. The boy behind
• 3:57:48
  the switchboard watched the four across the lobby. As soon as they had turned
• 3:57:50
  down the far corridor, he spun on his chair started plugging wires on the
• 3:57:54
  board. Room sixty two was almost in complete darkness. On the bed,
• 3:57:58
  a heavily bandaged figure lay, his features completely covered by white gauze, with
• 3:58:01
  only thin slits for eyes. The sheet rose and fell slightly with her breathing,
• 3:58:05
  but there was no other sign of life. Doctor Travin turned on the
• 3:58:09
  light over the bed. She's alive, isn't she, Doc, Lighthel demanded
• 3:58:13
  fiercely in a low voice. Travin nodded, caught the limp arm that hung
• 3:58:18
  over the side of the bed, counted the pulse. He scowled, walked
• 3:58:20
  to the foot of the bed, read the chart, replaced it. Fracture
• 3:58:24
  the right arm, fracture jaw, and lateral fracture of the skull. He
• 3:58:28
  looked a hurry. He if any one of those injuries is a phony,
• 3:58:31
  as the fake X rays would indicate, we've got enough on Seville to warrant
• 3:58:35
  our taking any necessary steps. Well, let's stop talking and do something.
• 3:58:41
  Travin looked down to the right arm. It's in a cast. Ethically,
• 3:58:45
  I have no right to remove it without the consent of her physician. Ethics
• 3:58:48
  be damned. You have every moral and legal right take it off, Doc.
• 3:58:52
  I'll assume all responsibility, Hurley, he said. The medical examiner looked
• 3:58:56
  at him, frowned, shrugged his shoulders. From an inside pocket, he
• 3:59:00
  pulled out a scalpel in a leather case. I'm not too sure about what's
• 3:59:03
  cooking, but from the smell, I'd say somebody's goose is being cooked.
• 3:59:07
  I hope it's not ours. The only sound in the room was the tearing
• 3:59:11
  sound of the scalpel ripping through the cast Lightel scuffled his shoe nervously. As
• 3:59:15
  the cast fell to the ground, they all leaned forward. Doc Travin took
• 3:59:18
  the woman's arm between his fingers, probed gently, then looked up at Hurley.
• 3:59:22
  He there's no more fracture here than I've got. He massaged the arm
• 3:59:26
  gently, held it under the light. But take a look here. The
• 3:59:31
  whiteness of the flesh was scarred by a score more tiny dots. Dope,
• 3:59:37
  hurly, he asked. Doc Travin nodded. I thought her pulse was funny.
• 3:59:41
  She's probably got a skinful of it. Let's do it inspect her Lydell
• 3:59:46
  demanded. Hurly. He nodded, Mord enough, Johnny, even deets will
• 3:59:50
  be satisfied with this one. He turned to Travin, tacked the bandages off
• 3:59:54
  her head. Dock and see how bad or skull and jaw really are.
• 3:59:58
  If the jaws I'm broken, she'll be able to tell us what did happen
• 4:00:01
  that night. Lydell exalted, I wouldn't count on it. A new voice
• 4:00:07
  interrupted, No, Doctor, I wouldn't move if I were you. Lydell
• 4:00:11
  went for his forty five, thought better of it at the sight of the
• 4:00:15
  thirty eight in Saville's hand. The hand was steady, the muzzle of the
• 4:00:18
  gun loomed as big as a cannon, pointed right at his belly. His
• 4:00:22
  hand frozen midair. Doctor Seville's thick black hair was slightly disarranged, and a
• 4:00:28
  thin film of perspiration beat at his forehead. He showed no other signs of
• 4:00:31
  apprehension. I suppose you realize that his trespassers. I'm perfectly within my rights
• 4:00:37
  to shoot you. You, inspector, have no right to invade my privacy
• 4:00:41
  without a search warrant. You, doctor, have no right, either medical
• 4:00:45
  or legal, to interfere with my patient, Inspector Hurley, he motioned to
• 4:00:50
  the figure on the bed, right or no right. We're removing your patient
• 4:00:54
  to another hospital, doctor, and we'd taken you one on suspicion of murder.
• 4:00:58
  I would bake on that inspector. The dark man raised his gun until
• 4:01:03
  the blank eye of its barrel looked hurry he in the eye. I'm afraid
• 4:01:07
  that neither you nor the bark of the gun. In the small room was
• 4:01:09
  a sharp, malicious spat. The slug caught Seville in the side of the
• 4:01:13
  head, spun him half around. He tried to regain his balance. There
• 4:01:16
  was a second spat, and he was slammed back against the wall to slide
• 4:01:20
  to a sitting position. He was dead by the time Doc Travin reached him.
• 4:01:24
  Who did it? Travin demanded lydel pointed to the figure on the bed,
• 4:01:30
  a thirty two in hand, holding herself half erect on her elbow.
• 4:01:33
  Hurly, he picked the telephone off the night table, barked a few instructions
• 4:01:37
  in it. Better get the bandages off of face, doc, he ordered.
• 4:01:41
  Doc Travin nodded, helped the woman on the bed to a sitting position.
• 4:01:46
  He took the thirty two from her nerveless fingers, laid it on the
• 4:01:48
  night table. From a pocket, he brought out a pair of surgical scissors,
• 4:01:52
  inserted the blunt end under the bandages and cut them away. The open
• 4:01:56
  like the shell of an egg fell away to reveal a youthful face. Hi,
• 4:02:00
  it's not missus Merrit. Who is it? Lydell demanded. The girl
• 4:02:03
  on the bed shook her head. I'm Jean Merritt. They kept me here
• 4:02:07
  so I couldn't go through with the investigation. Lydell cursed under his breath.
• 4:02:11
  What a perfect place to hide her. Why didn't I think o that?
• 4:02:16
  Thank god you came, Thank god you came. The girl in the bed
• 4:02:20
  murmured. Her shoulders shook as she wept. Yer mother, miss Merritt,
• 4:02:24
  where is she dead? They killed her? She pointed to the dead man
• 4:02:28
  on the floor. He did it. He killed her, just like he
• 4:02:31
  killed my father. You're sure what you say, miss Merrit? Hurley,
• 4:02:35
  he asked gently. The girl nodded. My mother caught him. He had
• 4:02:39
  to fix it so she couldn't talk. He threw her down the stairs and
• 4:02:43
  brought her here so she couldn't tell what she knew. She lifted a tear
• 4:02:46
  stained face to Hurley. He they told me if I didn't come, they'd
• 4:02:50
  kill her. But when I got here, she was already dead. They
• 4:02:52
  put the bandages on me and kept me here. She dropped her face,
• 4:02:56
  covered it with her hands. It was a nightmare. Lydell sat on the
• 4:03:01
  edge of the bed. I'm Lydell, miss Merrit. You hired my agency
• 4:03:05
  to look into this for you. The girl nodded. I thought they killed
• 4:03:09
  you. I heard Seville tell those others to do it. She shook her
• 4:03:11
  head helplessly. I thought I was all alone. I I had no one
• 4:03:16
  else to turn to, no one. Where'd you get the gun you used
• 4:03:20
  on Saville, Miss Merritt, Hurley, he asked. He picked it up
• 4:03:22
  with a handkerchief, wrapped it, dropped it into his jacket pocket. It
• 4:03:28
  was his. I I saw him put it in the desk one night.
• 4:03:31
  I've had it here, trying to get up enough nerve to kill myself,
• 4:03:33
  but but I didn't have the courage. She stole a terrified look at the
• 4:03:37
  bulge and Hurley his pocket. I I never handled a gun before. I'm
• 4:03:43
  terrified of them. But when I saw that he was going to get away
• 4:03:46
  with it again, I I just pulled the trigger. Doc Travin stepped in
• 4:03:50
  motioned them back. I think miss Merritt needs a little rest. Gentlemen,
• 4:03:54
  you can talk to her in a day or two. But She's in no
• 4:03:58
  condition to answer your questions now. He herded them to the door. I'll
• 4:04:01
  stay on here until everything is cleared away. End of chapter fifteen, Chapter
• 4:04:09
  sixteen. Two days later, Johnny Lydell walked through the doors that said Wilson
• 4:04:13
  Death's District Attorney in private. This time he did not have a uniformed escort.
• 4:04:20
  Muggsychielle sat in a chair near the window, a stenographer's notebook balanced on
• 4:04:24
  her knee. She was staring out onto the tree lined street below. When
• 4:04:26
  Johnny Lydell walked in. Inspector Hurley. He sat at Deed's right, pounding
• 4:04:31
  on the ever present wat of gum. On the other side of the desk
• 4:04:33
  was a breath takingly beautiful blonde, her coloring complimented by the dark black of
• 4:04:37
  her suit. As Lydell came in, she walked over to him, held
• 4:04:41
  out her hand. I understand. I owe my life to you, mister
• 4:04:45
  Lydell. Her voice was warm, caressing, even promising, you won't find
• 4:04:50
  me ungrateful. Her eyes smiled up at him. She turned returned to her
• 4:04:54
  chair. The district attorney, unwound his long, loose jointed frame from his
• 4:05:00
  chair, approached Lydell with outstretched hand, Nor will you find the District Attorney's
• 4:05:05
  office ungrateful, Lidell, Inspector Hurley, He's told me of the role you
• 4:05:07
  played in wrapping this case up. He wrapped a clammy hand around Lydell's I
• 4:05:13
  must say that to some extent, I disapprove of the extra legal methods you
• 4:05:18
  employed, but in view of the successful termination of the case, I am
• 4:05:22
  prepared to overlook them at this time. He waved Lydell to a chair,
• 4:05:26
  faced the others. I've asked you all here merely is a formality. He
• 4:05:31
  began. The back Bay Boston most pronounced in his voice. I think this
• 4:05:35
  office is about ready to close the case of the death of Miss Merritt's father
• 4:05:39
  and the several other cases. He smiled bleakly in Lydell's direction of justifiable homicide
• 4:05:48
  that were and parcel of it. He walked around his desk brought the thirty
• 4:05:52
  two out of his top drawer. You can identify this gun as Seville's Miss
• 4:05:56
  Martin. The girl nodded, yes, sir, in a lucid moment.
• 4:06:01
  I took it from the desk where I saw him hide it. The District
• 4:06:03
  attorney nodded, smiled benevolently. Thank you, lucky thing for the state that
• 4:06:09
  miss Merit. Such a good shot, Lydell grunted it. It was almost
• 4:06:13
  a miracle, mister Lydell, I know nothing about shooting. I I don't
• 4:06:18
  think I've ever fired a gun before in my life. The girl raised a
• 4:06:22
  handkerchief to her lips, made an effort to control herself. I'm sorry,
• 4:06:26
  I I guess I'm still not over it. Wilsondeeds fitted a cigarette to his
• 4:06:31
  holder, tilted it in the corner of his mouth. What exactly did you
• 4:06:35
  mean by that, remark Lydell. Lydell shrugged. I tied everything up so
• 4:06:41
  neatly. It might have been hard to pin Seville for murder, particularly for
• 4:06:45
  the murder of Merit. What are you talking about, early, he roared.
• 4:06:48
  You were the one who built up the case against him. You were
• 4:06:52
  the one who proved that it could be murdered, because a man would let
• 4:06:54
  his doctor shove a gun in his mouth if he thought he was examined in
• 4:06:56
  his throat. Lydell nodded morosely. I didn't say his doctor was the only
• 4:07:01
  one. There was a pregnant silence. Who else, Early he demanded Lydell
• 4:07:09
  pinched unhappily at his nostrils. Suppose it was his wife or daughter who was
• 4:07:15
  in the habit of spraying his throat. Suppose that instead of a spray,
• 4:07:20
  she put the muzzle of a gun between his teeth instead. Jean Merritt was
• 4:07:24
  on her feet, her face white, her handkerchief pressed against her mouth.
• 4:07:28
  I won't stand for this. You can't believe that my mother would have not
• 4:07:33
  your mother, miss Merrit. You you killed your father on the pretext a
• 4:07:37
  spray in his throat. You shoved a gun in his mouth and shot him.
• 4:07:41
  You must be crazy. Lydell, the district attorney, roared. Miss
• 4:07:46
  Merritt was a prisoner of Seville's. You saw yourself that she has been kept
• 4:07:48
  under narcotics. Lydell shook his head. Not a prisoner, mister Dietz,
• 4:07:54
  checked Doc Travin. They'll tell you that they are mostly old punctures. Little
• 4:07:58
  Jeanie here has been an addict for years, haven't you, Blondie? Isn't
• 4:08:01
  that what all the trouble with your father was about. I'm warning you all.
• 4:08:07
  The girl muttered between clinched teeth. Sure well, party to this persecution
• 4:08:11
  and I'm holding you all responsible Lydell nodded, well, take our chances.
• 4:08:18
  The way I figure it, your father found out you were on the junk.
• 4:08:20
  Maybe your brother told him, the one who was accidentally shot to death.
• 4:08:26
  He gave you an ultimatum, placed you under Seville's care, fixed it
• 4:08:30
  so you'd have to marry Seville or you wouldn't get a dime of his money.
• 4:08:33
  But Johnny muggs Achille put in. Jean Merritt hired you to prove her
• 4:08:37
  father was murdered. If she killed him, why wasn't she satisfied to let
• 4:08:41
  it be marked off as suicide. The blonde walked over to Lidel glared at
• 4:08:46
  him. That's right, mister, smart guy. If I killed my father,
• 4:08:50
  wouldn't I be glad to have it called suicide? Not necessarily? A
• 4:08:54
  couple of things went wrong. In the first place, your mother walked in
• 4:08:56
  on you. You had to shut her up, so you hit her over
• 4:09:00
  the head with the gun. That's a lie, the blonde roared, Is
• 4:09:03
  it? Then? How could you have known what did happen? You described
• 4:09:07
  it perfectly back at the hospital, but you didn't see your mother. She
• 4:09:11
  was dead when you got there, and she couldn't have told you at the
• 4:09:15
  house that night because she was unconscious. I'm not staying here to be insulted.
• 4:09:20
  The blonde screamed, you have no right to do this to me.
• 4:09:24
  Deets wiped the perspiration from his brow, raised a hand to stem the outburst.
• 4:09:28
  Let him hang himself, Miss Merrit, not me, mister Deets,
• 4:09:33
  but miss Merrit. He turned back to the girl. You needed help,
• 4:09:37
  so you called Doc Seville. He took care of things for you by setting
• 4:09:41
  the scene for the tragic accident. You still haven't told us why she should
• 4:09:45
  call you in, barked the district attorney. She no longer wanted it called
• 4:09:50
  suicide. She wanted us to discover it was murder, but she wanted us
• 4:09:54
  to saddle the murder on Seville. I won't stand here and listen to these
• 4:09:58
  ridiculous insinuations, the girl screamed, I'm leaving an nobody can stop me.
• 4:10:03
  They're not insinuations, miss Merrit. They're facts. You killed your father,
• 4:10:07
  were responsible for the death of your mother. Then you tried to cover up
• 4:10:11
  by killing Tony Sablle and saddling him with a guilt. The girl's face was
• 4:10:16
  white, haggard, Her lips were drawn back from her teeth. Her cheek
• 4:10:20
  was twitching uncontrollably. You can't prove a thing, Inspector Hurley. He dropped
• 4:10:26
  his hand on the girl's arm. We can try, miss Merrit. I'm
• 4:10:28
  arresting you on suspicion of murder. Murder, Who's murder? There was a
• 4:10:35
  new shrill note of hysteria in the girl's voice. My father's death is listed
• 4:10:39
  as a suicide. No amount of talk by this Shamus will change that.
• 4:10:41
  My mother has disappeared. Tony Sebil kidnapped me and was holding me in restraint,
• 4:10:46
  killing him with self defense. She started to laugh, very hysterically.
• 4:10:50
  You can't hold somebody for murder unless somebody was murdered. Frankie Coppola was murdered.
• 4:10:56
  Blondie Lidell told her. The laughter broke off on a high note.
• 4:11:01
  What's that got to do with me? Lydell turned to Hurley. He got
• 4:11:05
  a ballistics report on the thirty two. Hurley he nodded, pulled a typewritten
• 4:11:09
  sheet from his inside pocket. Frankie Coppola was killed with the same gun that
• 4:11:15
  killed Seville. It was his gun, Tony's. I told you that the
• 4:11:20
  girl screamed, he killed Frankie, not me. You can't prove I did.
• 4:11:24
  Yes, we can. Lydell told her the killer had a key to
• 4:11:28
  Coppola's apartment. He never would have given it to a lady killer like Seville.
• 4:11:33
  He would have given it to a girl, though, And besides,
• 4:11:35
  I wouldn't be surprised if we could persuade Clara Rose to do some talking about
• 4:11:39
  the times you visited Frankie there. Why should she kill Cupola Deats asked.
• 4:11:46
  Lydell wiped the thin film of perspiration off his upper lip with the side of
• 4:11:50
  his hand, because she saw he was the weak link. He could have
• 4:11:54
  told Seville that she had hired him to shoot at me, something she knew
• 4:11:56
  would make me determined to see the case all the way through. She was
• 4:12:00
  also afraid he might break and tell me what he knew, and she would
• 4:12:03
  have ended up in the death house instead of Saville. All eyes were on
• 4:12:07
  Lydell. No one could move fast enough to stop Jean Merritt from getting the
• 4:12:11
  thirty two on Deet's desk. She leveled it at Lydell. All right,
• 4:12:15
  maybe you can't prove it, Maybe you can't, but it won't do Ye
• 4:12:18
  any good, But you did kill mat merrit Lydell asked why not. I
• 4:12:24
  hated him. He always blamed me for my brother's death, and I wanted
• 4:12:26
  his money, but he tried to fix it, so I had to marry
• 4:12:28
  Tony to get it. I wanted that money, and I wanted it without
• 4:12:33
  Tony. What about your mother, the fool? She blundered in after I
• 4:12:37
  shot him, She was going to yell. I had to hit her to
• 4:12:39
  keep her quiet. Then I lost my head and I called Tony for help.
• 4:12:43
  He threw her down the stairs, so it looked like an accident,
• 4:12:46
  But from then on he knew, and I couldn't let him go on living
• 4:12:50
  knowing that I killed my father. The gun pointed unwaveringly at Lydell's mid section.
• 4:12:56
  Everything was going fine. I had Tony all set up as a fall
• 4:12:58
  guy, but you had to spoil everything. Her finger was tied on the
• 4:13:03
  trigger, her knuckles white from the pressure. You were too smart, Lydell,
• 4:13:07
  much too smart. She squeezed the trigger twice. There were two metallic
• 4:13:13
  clicks as the hammer fell on the empty cylinder. Hurly He jumped forward,
• 4:13:16
  pinned the girl's arms to her sides. Lydell wiped the perspiration from his face.
• 4:13:22
  None too smart, i'll admit, Blondie, but just a little bit
• 4:13:24
  smarter than you. Smart enough to know that they always take the shells out
• 4:13:28
  of a gun when they do a ballistics check on it. The City room
• 4:13:33
  of the Advance was in the grip of the anticlimactic stupor that afflicts newspaper offices
• 4:13:37
  after the last edition had gone to bed. Johnny Lydell picked his way through
• 4:13:41
  the organized confusion of the desks, passed a group of men in their shirt
• 4:13:43
  sleeves pecking away at typewriters of varying ages and vintages. At other desks,
• 4:13:50
  men were sitting back drinking coffee out of paper containers, running through smeared galleys
• 4:13:54
  of stories they had filed. For the addition, scraps of copy paper,
• 4:13:58
  crumpled newspaper telephones that had lost their luster were scattered all over the room.
• 4:14:03
  Lydell headed for the city desk, where a lean, gray haired man with
• 4:14:07
  sharp inquisitive features presided. His gray eyes widened as Lydell stopped in front of
• 4:14:11
  his desk. Hi Jem, he nodded. Johnny Lydell. He got up
• 4:14:16
  from his chair, shoved out a gnarl claw. Didn't expect to be seeing
• 4:14:20
  you tonight. I thought the d' a would have y on ice until he
• 4:14:22
  got the story. If Howie broke the Merrit's suicide, Lydell grinned, shook
• 4:14:28
  his head. He can get enough of me awful easy. Besides, the
• 4:14:31
  Merrick had cracked wide open. He knew that, didn't you. Keeley nodded,
• 4:14:35
  where's muggs. Keeley looked up at the fly specked face of the clock
• 4:14:39
  on the far wall. Blew out O here about a half an hour ago.
• 4:14:43
  Didn't even wait to see how the story looked. He picked up a
• 4:14:46
  blackened briar from his desk, clenched his teeth on it. She got a
• 4:14:50
  call from the coast to night Johnny water Back. Keeley pressed the tobacco down
• 4:14:54
  in the bowl of the pipe, applied a match. It made a sucking
• 4:14:58
  noise when he inhaled. She didn't say. He stared at Lidell with sharp
• 4:15:03
  gray eyes goin to try to stop her. Lydell shrugged with what Keeley nodded.
• 4:15:09
  Watched while a copy boy deposited a damp proof of the front page of
• 4:15:13
  the Advance on his desk. The merrit story was splashed blackly across the entire
• 4:15:18
  page, Muggsy's by line over three columns and fourteen point type. Keeley pointed
• 4:15:22
  to her name with the stem of his pipe. Imagine her blowin out o
• 4:15:26
  here without waitin to see that spread Lydell grinned, she must be sick.
• 4:15:33
  Got Hollywood fever again, I guess, the old man grunted. He pulled
• 4:15:37
  the page proof over, checked through it, initialed it with the stub of
• 4:15:39
  a copy pencil, pushed it at the copy boy. Tell him to run
• 4:15:43
  it, kid. I thought she said she didn't want to stay there,
• 4:15:46
  Keeley grunted, Who the hill knows what a woman wants, especially the woman
• 4:15:50
  herself. He jammed the pipe stem between his teeth. She probably had some
• 4:15:56
  blow up with somebody out there. Now that she is getting her way,
• 4:15:58
  she's on her way back. Guess she is headed back to the apartment a
• 4:16:03
  jim. The old man nodded. That's as good a place as any to
• 4:16:06
  start trying. Muggsy opened the door in response to his knock. Her face
• 4:16:11
  was wiped clean of all make up. The bridge of freckles across her nose
• 4:16:14
  was prominent. I've been trying to reach you every place, Johnny. She
• 4:16:18
  took him by the hand, pulled him in, closed the door after him.
• 4:16:21
  The most wonderful break has happened. Lydell nodded, you're going back to
• 4:16:26
  Hollywood. How'd you know? She demanded? Did Pop tell you? I
• 4:16:30
  dropped by the shop as soon as the DA's strong arm boys were done with
• 4:16:33
  me. They really gave you a spread on the story. You know.
• 4:16:37
  Muggsy's eyes were dancing. Tomorrow that'll be forgotten. But the assignment they dished
• 4:16:41
  out to me in Hollywood, Johnny, it's the biggest break of the year.
• 4:16:45
  She led the way through the French doors out to the sun deck.
• 4:16:48
  Muggsy pushed him into a wicker armchair. Relaxed, Johnny, Well, I
• 4:16:52
  get us the makings of a celebration. She disappeared into the living room.
• 4:16:57
  Lydell sprawled comfortably in the armchair, squinted at the tiny black dots that crept
• 4:17:03
  along the winding ribbon of the roads below. He looked up as Mugsy reappeared
• 4:17:07
  at the door, two glasses in hand. How's Jim taking it, Johnny?
• 4:17:11
  She handed him a glass, sat on the arm of his chair Lightell
• 4:17:15
  shrugged. He didn't say much. I guess all right. He was always
• 4:17:19
  preaching that newspaper work was no job for a woman anyway. He never meant
• 4:17:25
  a word of it, and you know it. She slipped at her glass.
• 4:17:27
  I get a bang out of the excitement and the pressure and all that,
• 4:17:30
  Johnny. But on the coast it's more than that. I don't know
• 4:17:33
  how to explain it, but it's a terrific bang. Jim will get over
• 4:17:37
  it, baby. He slid his arm around her waist pulled her down into
• 4:17:41
  his lap. I was wondering how long I was gonna have to ridge my
• 4:17:45
  fanny on that arm before you'd get the idea. She grinned up at him
• 4:17:48
  shamelessly. What do you think about my going, Johnny? It won't be
• 4:17:53
  the same old talent mugs. I'm kind of used to having you around,
• 4:17:59
  muggsy not that's what I thought. So I fixed it so as you could
• 4:18:03
  come with me doing what Lydell scowled. Changing the ribbons and your typewriter.
• 4:18:08
  Give me credit for some ingenuity. I cooked up a job that you'll fit
• 4:18:12
  like a glove. Technical adviser on what don't be so thick Johnny, they're
• 4:18:18
  going heavy on crime and gangster stuff out there. That's why they've signed up
• 4:18:21
  reporters like said Baum of the Journal, and Martin Mooney of the Old American,
• 4:18:25
  and me and lots of others. They want the pictures to have some
• 4:18:27
  guts. You know more about that kind of stuff than any of us.
• 4:18:32
  Ah, there's no future in it, Lydell growled. You mean there is
• 4:18:36
  a future in being a walking shooting gallery for twelve hours a day and a
• 4:18:40
  punching bag for the DA the other twelve. Lydel grinned, crookedly, and
• 4:18:45
  it's better than working. Muggsy reached up, kissed him. You always wear
• 4:18:49
  a screwball, you always will be. I guess you're right. It wouldn't
• 4:18:55
  be the same, Johnny Lidell, if you were to wear pin striped suits
• 4:18:57
  and punch a clock. She got up from his lap walked over to the
• 4:19:02
  railing. It won't be much fun out there without you. I guess it's
• 4:19:06
  like you said, I'm used to having ye round. I'll be around,
• 4:19:11
  baby when you need me. He got up, walked over to her,
• 4:19:14
  spun her around, kissed her hard. After a moment, she pushed him
• 4:19:18
  away. I've got a funny feeling, you'll be out there, she grinned.
• 4:19:23
  Lido kissed her again, you know, he said. Finally, I'm
• 4:19:29
  beginnin to get a funny feeling too. End of Chapter sixteen. End of
• 4:19:36
  Bulletproof by Frank Kine