was going for a swim.”
“Who’s looking for him?”
“That fat fool Louis and Miss Doering.” She stubbed out her cigarette. “I’ve done my share
in this. You’d better do yours. You know what to do. Be careful. They’re still out there
searching the beach.”
I went over to the liquor cabinet and poured myself a shot of Scotch.
“What do I do?”
“You take him down to the lion’s pit and you throw him in.”
I drank the Scotch. It was like drinking water.
“And what do you do while I’m doing it?”
Her lips moved into a frozen smile.
“I stay here. What do you think I’m going to do?”
“You’d better come with me. If I ran into anyone …”
“I’m staying here, Johnny. You haven’t been much help up to now. Go ahead and make
yourself useful. You killed him, lover. I didn’t.”
The thought of tackling this job alone scared the daylights out of me.
“Now, wait a minute. You’re in this, too. You got his gun. If they’re out there looking for
him …” I stopped, the words freezing in my mouth. A sharp rap had sounded on the door.
I looked at her and she looked at me. Very slowly I put down the half-finished Scotch. I
was as stiff as a statue.
The rap came again.
“Are you there, Mrs. Wertham? This is Hame.”
His voice sounded sharp and impatient.
I was so scared I couldn’t move or even think. I stood there while she slid off the divan.
149
“One moment, Captain,” she called, her voice steady and calm, but I could see by her eyes
she was nearly as shaken as I was. “Go in there,” she breathed, pointing to the bathroom.
“Don’t make a sound.”
I opened the door, slid into darkness and closed the door, holding on to the handle so the
catch wouldn’t make a noise.
There was a five-second pause, then Hame said, “Sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Wertham.
You’ve heard Reisner’s missing?”
“Come in,” she said. “Hasn’t he turned up yet?”
“No.” His heavy footfalls creaked across the carpet. “Miss Doering is worried about him.
She phoned me so I thought I’d call up.”
“But there’s nothing to worry about, surely?” Her voice sounded mildly amused. “I expect
he’s over at Bay Street.”
“He hasn’t left the grounds.”
“Do sit down. Won’t you have a drink?”
I stood with my head pressed against the door panels, my heart pounding, and listened.
“I guess not.” His voice was curt. “I’m on duty.”
“Nick’ll be very flattered when he hears you came up here because his secretary was lonely
without him,” Della said, and laughed.
“This may be serious. He was with you all the afternoon, I understand?”
“Why, yes. He left at six. He said he was going for a swim.”
“No one saw him on the beach.” There was a pause, then he asked, “Were you two talking
business?”
Again there was a pause. I could imagine her looking at him: he wasn’t likely to rattle her.
“Perhaps, after all, Captain, I’d better take you into my confidence,” she said. “Please sit
down.”
