“Yeah.” He didn’t seem to think much of that remark. “So you were held up? What
happened?”
101
“I guess we asked for it. We gave a fellow a ride. When we reached a lonely stretch of road
he hit Johnny over the head, made me stop, tossed us out and went off with the car.”
“Told the cops yet?”
“No. I wanted to get Johnny to Lincoln Beach first.”
“Like me to handle it? Hame will keep it out of the newspapers.”
“I wish you would.”
“What was this fella like to look at?”
“He was big, built on Johnny’s lines. He looked as if he had been in a fight. He wore a
white tropical suit. I didn’t notice anything special about him.”
“Why did you give him a ride?”
“He seemed in a hurry to get out of town. It wasn’t as if he; looked a tough. He said he was
heading for Miami and his car had broken down, and could we take him as far as Lincoln
Beach.”
“What town?”
“Pelotta.”
“Okay, I’ll fix it. Paul won’t like losing the Bentley.”
“He certainly won’t.”
Reisner was driving fast now, and for some minutes none of us spoke, then he said, “You
don’t talk much, Ricca. Kind of a quiet character, huh?”
“You wouldn’t talk either if you’d had a lump of iron bounced on your skull,” I said.
“Yeah, I guess that’s right. You look as if you’d been in a fight yourself.”
“You don’t think Johnny let this thug hit him and get away with it, do you?” Della put in.
“Although he was practically out on his feet, he made a fight of it.”
“A strong as well as a silent character,” Reisner said, and the sneer in his voice was
unmistakable. “Not like you, Mrs. Wertham, to stand on the sidelines and cheer.”
“What should I have done - joined in the brawl?” she said sarcastically.
102
“I was under the impression you always carried a gun. Not much use carrying it if you
don’t use it when you have to.”
I saw her clench her fists. He had scored a point there.
“I wasn’t carrying a gun.”
“You weren’t? About the first time, isn’t it?” He glanced at her in the driving mirror.
“Well, well, it always rains when you haven’t an umbrella.”
I was getting the idea he wasn’t talking just to hear the sound of his own voice. He was
suspicious, and although there was a bantering, don’t-give-a-damn-if-you-answer-or-not tone
in his voice, he was after information.
I touched Della’s knee, and when she looked at me I cautiously pointed to her handbag,
then to myself. She got it the first time. Keeping the bag below the level of the driving seat so
Reisner couldn’t see what was going on, she took out the gun and passed it to me. I slid it in
my pocket. It wouldn’t do to let him spot the outline of the gun in her bag as we got out of the
car. Our story had to stick.
“How come you stopped at Pelotta?” Reisner asked suddenly.
Della and I exchanged glances. I didn’t need any prompting. Now was the time to show
him he couldn’t go on asking any questions that came into his head.
“Look,” I said curtly, “do you mind if we cut out the small talk? I’ve a head on me like a
ten-day hangover. I’d just as soon catch up some sleep as answer your questions.”
