information – we can’t, but at least we are geared and ready to go into action when the parents do ask for help.’
‘What makes you think the girl has been kidnapped?’ I asked, feeling I should say something.
‘She’s missing,’ Renick returned. ‘Malroux’s chauffeur is an ex-cop. When Malroux came to live here, he wanted a bodyguard. A man with his wealth is constantly being pestered by cranks. He asked us to recommend a thoroughly experienced man who could act as his chauffeur and keep him clear of trouble. O’Reilly wanted a change. He was a good cop, and he was sick of the way things were being run at that time. He took the job. I’ve had a word with him. He tells me Odette Malroux, the daughter, had a date last night to go to the movies with a girl friend. Odette didn’t turn up at the movies and O’Reilly says she didn’t come home last night.’
‘How does he know she didn’t go to the movies?’ Meadows demanded.
‘The girl friend telephoned and O’Reilly took the message.’
‘Malroux hasn’t asked for our help?’
‘No.’ Renick got to his feet and began to wander around the office. ‘I have a man watching the bank.
He’ll report to me as soon as Malroux gets the money.’
‘Is Masters recording the numbers of the bills?’
Renick made a grimace.
‘I don’t think so. Recording small bills worth five hundred thousand would take a hell of a time.’
‘What about this girl? Know anything about her? She couldn’t have run off to get married?’
‘Then why does Malroux want all this money?’
‘Blackmail?’
Renick shrugged.
‘I doubt it: more like kidnapping. As for the girl, she is about twenty and pretty. She gets around and has more freedom than is good for her. She’s had a number of speeding raps. We have her fingerprints and there are plenty of photographs we can get from the Press.’
Meadows brooded for a long moment, then he said, ‘If this is kidnapping, it is going to be a sensation.
We’re going to be right in the limelight.’ He looked over at me. ‘This is where you come in, Barber. It’ll be your job to handle the Press, and believe you me, every newspaper man in the country will come storming down here.’ He pointed a fat finger at me. ‘I like publicity, Barber, so long as it is good publicity. Understand? It’s your job to see I get it. It’s your job to see I don’t get panned. That’s what we are paying you for. It’s your job to put Palm City on the map. A kidnapping like this is just the thing to put a town on the map. You have a very responsible job, Barber: that’s why we picked you.’
‘I understand, sir,’ I said.
Meadows turned to Renick who was still prowling around the office.
‘Is her car missing?’
‘Yes. It’s a white T.R.3. O’Reilly gave me the number.’
‘Can’t do any harm to look for it. Tell the boys to find it. There’s not much else we can do until Malroux calls us in. I’ll talk to the Police Commissioner. How about talking to the Federal boys. They’ll come into this automatically.’
‘I’ll do that, sir.’
‘Okay, let’s get going.’ He looked over at me. ‘We don’t want you for the moment, Barber. You might as well enjoy your Sunday. Give Renick a call every two hours just in case something breaks.
Right?’
I got to my feet.
‘Sure.’ I hesitated, then went on, ‘Just an idea, sir. Couldn’t we watch Malroux when he’s got the money? Couldn’t we follow him if he delivers the money some place?’
Meadows shook his head.
‘That’s one thing we’re not going to do,’ he said. ‘We don’t do a damn thing until he asks us to.
Suppose we followed him, suppose we were spotted by the kidnappers and they flipped their lids and killed the girl: what would happen to me? No, I’m not taking that risk. We don’t do a thing until Malroux calls us in.’
Here then was a chance, I thought as I nodded.
‘I see that. Well, I’ll call you, John, at eleven-thirty.’
As I started across to the door, Meadows reached for the telephone. John was already on the other one.
I closed the door and went down the passage to my eleven o’clock rendezvous with Rhea Malroux.
CHAPTER SIX
I
As I drove to the beach cabin, it began to rain. There was a chilly wind and the sea was grey and rough: not a day to spend on the beach, and there was no one in sight as I drove into Bill Holden’s parking lot.
I went to the cabin, shut myself in and put a call through to the Regent Hotel, Los Angeles.
After a few minutes’ delay, I was speaking to Odette.
