was not only ruining the lives of hundreds of girls, but its repercussions were affecting the lives of their menfolk. It made him all the more determined to burst it open.
On the top floor he found Benny seated at a table scribbling away at a furious pace. A large stack of addressed envelopes lay on the table and bundles of other envelopes lay around the room. Benny looked a complete wreck. He hadn't shaved for several days, and his eyes were heavy and glazed. A strong smell of stale whisky came from him as he lurched to his feet, nearly overturning the table.
He said, “For God's sake,” and shook hands eagerly. “I've given you up. Sit down, buddy, an' have a drink.”
Jay looked round the grimy room. One glance was enough to tell him that Perminger was up against it. He refused the drink, but lit a cigarette. Benny poured himself a long shot of neat spirit. He held the unlabelled bottle to the light and scowled. “Hell! Someone's been stealing this stuff.” He said angrily, “There was half a bottle here last night.”
Jay said, “Forget it. I want to talk to you. What's all this business?” He waved his hand around the room.
Benny shrugged. “I gotta live,” he said. “It's a lousy job, but it pays for this.” He tapped the bottle and winked.
Jay got up and wandered to the window. “You didn't turn up anything when I was away?” he said over his shoulder.
“Listen, I ain't interested any more.” Benny's voice was sullen.
“Lost your guts?” Jay said.
“Yeah, so would you.”
“Well, come on, let's have it. Have you found out anything about your wife?”
Benny poured himself out another drink. “I haven't got a wife,” he said.
Jay lost patience with him. He came back to the table. “Listen. Don't be a heel. Your wife disappeared, didn't she? She's probably working for this Slave racket right now. I'm going to find her, and you're going to help me.”
Benny's face was white and his eyes looked wild. “No, you're not,” he said, speaking through clenched teeth. “She wasn't slaved. I've seen her. It was a trick. She's livin' with some guy at the St. Louis Hotel. I even spoke to her, but she cut me dead. Wouldn't even look at me.”
Jay stiffened to attention. “You're sure of this?” he demanded.
“Think I'd make a thing like that up?” Benny said, looking at him with hurt, angry eyes. “Of course I'm sure. She's livin' with that guy in luxury. That's what she's always wanted. She was always bellyachin' about doin' the washin' and lookin' after the apartment. Now she's got what she wants. The dirty little chippy.”
“You may be misjudging her, Perminger,” Jay reminded him. “She might have to be there.”
Benny sneered. “Don't talk bull. I tell you I spoke to her. She just looked through me. She could have got away if she wanted to. She was by herself. I followed her to the hotel. I found out from the porter all about them. The guy's name's Cruise. She's posin' as his wife.”
Jay sat down limply. He felt the ground had been cut from under him. “Who is this guy Cruise?” he asked.
Benny shrugged. “I don't know, an' I don't care. I ain't goin' to start anythin' with him. If that's the life she likes, she can have it. I'm through with her.”
Jay got slowly to his feet. He felt that it was only wasting time. He said, “Well, I'm sorry, Perminger. It's tough,” and shook hands.
Out in the street he paused before getting into his car. On the face of it it looked as if the whole of the business had fallen to pieces. The only thing he had to go on was Fletcher's testimony, and Fletcher was dead.
He got in the car and engaged the gears.
Who was this Cruise? Had he anything to do with Grantham? Could it be possible that Perminger's wife had really gone off with him and had made up the note about going to police headquarters? It didn't seem likely. There was something wrong there. He made up his mind abruptly to take a look at Cruise. If he looked all right, then he'd try some other angle, but if he didn't, then he'd keep a watch on him.
He drove over to the St. Louis Hotel and parked. He knew the house dick and went straight to his little office.
The house dick was resting his feet and reading the newspaper. He glanced up as Jay came in.
“Hyah, Harris,” Jay said, shaking hands. “How you makin' out?”
Harris was a little plump guy, who lived in a bowler hat. He shook hands suspiciously. “Well, what is it this time?” he said. “I haven't been bothered by you for months.”
Jay grinned at him. “I've been covering the Tammany Hall trial. Too bad that guy got off.”
Harris grunted. “They'll get him the next time, you see,” he said. “Now what do you want? I'm busy.”
“All right, all right, keep your shirt on.” Jay grinned at him. “Can you give me a line on a guy named Cruise who hangs out here?”
Harris's little eyes opened. “Aaah!” he said. “Now, I was wonderin' when you boys were goin' to get on to him. What makes you ask?”
Jay shrugged. “Curiosity. I've never seen the guy, but I've heard about him.”
Harris wasn't to be drawn. “What have you heard?” he asked, looking cunning.
Jay knew there was only one short cut to getting anything out of Harris. Reluctantly he took out his roll and thumbed off ten bucks. He dangled the notes in front of Harris's nose. “No questions,” he said.
Harris grinned and grabbed the notes. He tucked them in his vest pocket. “Well,” he said, “I don't like him.
I don't like the mob he has up in his suite. I don't like the dame who lives with him.”
Jay waited patiently.
“For one thing,” Harris went on, “no respectable guy associates with the kind of hoods that go up there.
I've had my eye on him ever since he moved in. He's a mean?lookin' guy himself. I'll swear the dame ain't his wife. She acts sortta strange. She's scared of him. Three punks see him every day. They drive up in the staff elevator. You ought to see the way one of them dresses. Still, they pay all right and we've got nothing against them, but I'm watching 'em.”
This sounded promising to Jay. He said, “Can I get a room on their floor, Harris?”
“Like that, is it?” Harris looked interested. “Yeah, I guess that could be arranged. Shall I fix it?”
Jay nodded. “Another thing. Maybe this guy's got a record. Suppose you get his prints?”
Harris sneered. “Talk sense. I can't do a thing like that.”
Jay took out his silver cigarette?case. “Take this up to him. Push it into his hands. Tell him you found it outside his apartment and you think it's his. Then bring it back and let me have it. I'll take it to the F.B.I. for a test.”
Harris gaped at him. “Jeeze,” he exclaimed, “that's smart!”
He took the case from Jay and got up. “I'll see him right away. You wait here.”
He came back again after some time, his fat face beaming. “That's a laugh,” he declared. “You've lost your case. He took it all right, said it was his, gave me a buck for my trouble and shut the door in my face.”
Jay sat back limply. “Goddam it,” he said with a weak grin, “that shows he's a crook.”
Harris nodded. “I've fixed a room for you,” he said, “you can move up whenever you like.”
Jay got to his feet. “I'm on my way,” he said, and left Harris still grinning.
9
LU ELLER walked casually down the corridor leading to Raven's suite. He knew Raven was out. He had seen him leave not five minutes ago. He'd been waiting for him to go for a long time. Even now he'd got to be careful. Someone else beside Sadie might be in the suite.
He listened outside the door for several minutes, but couldn't hear anything. Then he knocked softly.
