nose and out of his collar. His face must have given the midwife a series of nightmares when he was born, but I knew he was about the smartest Press man on the beat.
I wandered over to him and pulled up a chair. Then I shook him awake.
When he saw me, he sat up and glared. “You're a sweet pal,” he said. “Can't you let me snatch some sleep?”
“Aw, forget it, Mo,” I said. “Sit down, I wantta talk to you.”
Ackie rubbed his face hard with his hand, pushing his rubbery nose to the most extraordinary angles.
I took out a packet of Camels, gave him one and lit up myself. “What is it, you bum?” he demanded. “I bet you want to pick my brains again.”
I shook my head. “You ain't got brains,” I said. “You just think you have.”
Ackie shut his eyes. “They fixed Vessi to-night,” he said.
“Yeah,” I said, surprised.
“What made you turn up?” he asked, without opening his eyes.
“How the hell did you know I turned up?” I demanded.
When Ackie smiled he looked horrible. I shifted my eyes. “Not much I don't hear,” he said. “What made you turn up?”
“Listen, Mo,” I said patiently; “I came here to ask you somethin', not you to ask me.”
He lifted one hooded lid and squinted at me. “Why the interest, brother? Somethin' hangin' to it?”
These news-hawks were all the same. I dragged down some smoke and held it for a second, then let it drift down my nostrils. “I don't think Vessi did it,” I said, keeping my voice low.
Ackie groaned and shut his eye. “He's dead now, ain't he?
“This guy Richmond,” I said, selecting my words, “I guess he had more enemies than Vessi?”
“Yeah, he'd more enemies than most guys. Richmond was a heel. He had it comin' to him.”
“There was a woman hangin' to the killin', wasn't there? They never turned her up.”
Ackie lifted his shoulders. “There were hundreds of women,” he said indifferently. “That guy had women in his hair all day long.”
“Who was she?” I asked softly.
Ackie raised his head. “Nothin' doin',” he said. “Richmond's dead an' Vessi's dead; both those guys were rats. It's washed up... forget it.”
“Why the hell should everyone want to play this business down?”
Ackie grinned a little. “Do they?” he said.
“Now listen, Mo,” I said. “There's somethin' you know an' somethin' I know. Suppose we go round to my place an' talk about it?”
Ackie shook his head. “Just as soon as you get out of here I'm goin' to sleep,” he said firmly.
I shrugged. “There's a whole bottle of rye waiting,” I told him.
Ackie got to his feet hastily. “Why not say so before?” he demanded. “Where the hell's my hat?”
On the way down to my apartment Ackie talked ball games. He didn't know much about the game, but he liked to air his views. I let him talk. I'd got things to think about.
Once I got him in an armchair with a big rye and ginger in his hand, I got down to things.
“This ain't to go further, Mo,” I began, putting my feet on the table, “but it looks to me like I've gotta put the cards down before you'll give me a hand. I want help, Mo, and I want it from you.”
Ackie grunted, but he didn't say anything.
“I stand to pick up ten grand if I start a row about Vessi's execution,” I said.
Ackie looked up sharply. “Who's slippin' you the dough?”
I shook my head. “That's under my lid,” I said. “Ten grand's nice money, and from what I've picked up already there's something mighty phoney about Vessi's case. It begins to look as if it was a frame-up from the very start.”
Ackie looked worried. “You'd better lay off this, Nick,” he said seriously. “You might run into a lotta grief.”
“Come on,” I said shortly, “let's have it. What's it all about?”
I could see him making up his mind. In a minute or so I could see I was going to get it all right.
“Larry Richmond was the President of the Mackenzie Fabric Corporation,” he said slowly, fixing his eyes on a spot just above my head. “A great many guys are stockholders in this business. These guys are the big shots of commerce and industry. People who hold public office.”
I leant forward and took the glass out of his hand and refilled it. He took it from me with a little grimace. “Shouldn't touch the stuff,” he said. “It rusts my guts or somethin'.”
“Keep going,” I said.
“Maybe you think there ain't anythin' odd about this, but there is. Richmond privately negotiated all the
