Maurer burst out laughing. His white plump hand came down on his knee with a loud smacking sound.
'What do you think of that, Abe?' he said. 'The guy's a trier, isn't he? Did you ever hear such a story?'
McCann sat back; a look of relief and surprise chased across his brick-red face.
Gollowitz rubbed his jaw and raised his bushy eyebrows. He didn't look anything like so amused as Maurer: he didn't look amused at all.
'What's his case?' he asked sharply.
'Don't be so damned stupid, Abe,' Maurer said easily. 'He hasn't got a case, and he knows it.'
Gollowitz ignored the interruption.
'What's his case?' he repeated, staring at McCann.
Seigel was listening to all this. He stood by the bar, behind Maurer and Gollowitz; there was a sick expression in his eyes that began to worry McCann.
'He's got evidence that Mr. Maurer and Miss Arnot were special friends, and that Jordan was scared of Mr. Maurer,'
McCann said slowly. 'He has a sworn statement to that effect.'
'Whose statement?' Gollowitz asked sharply.
'Jordan's dresser.'
McCann and Gollowitz looked at Maurer, who continued to smile.
'So what?' Maurer said carelessly. 'Who else has said so?'
'Just one statement,' McCann said.
Maurer shrugged and spread his hands, smiling at Gollowitz.
'That's nothing,' Gollowitz said. 'What else?'
'Flo Presser called on Conrad this morning. She reported that Paretti was missing. She said he had to do a job for Mr. Maurer at seven o'clock on the night of the murder, and Miss Arnot was murdered around seven o'clock.'
Gollowitz slightly relaxed.
'A streetwalker's testimony is about as effective as a handful of feathers,' he said. 'What else?'
'Flo was stabbed to death a couple of hours after she had seen Conrad,' McCann said, his eyes going to Seigel. He saw Seigel grimace uneasily.
'Who killed her?'
'Ted Pascal, one of the Brooklyn boys.'
Maurer shrugged.
'I don't know him. What's the excitement about? Can I help it if some whore gets knocked off?'
McCann's little eyes began to turn red. It had been a severe shock to him when he had listened to Conrad's report at the D.A.'s meeting, and Maurer's careless, indifferent attitude and his unconcern flicked his anger into life.
'Where's Paretti, Mr. Maurer?' he barked.
'Toni's in New York,' Maurer said smoothly. 'I sent him to collect a gambling debt. That was the job he had to do. He caught the seven o'clock plane.'
'Then you'd better get him back quick,' McCann said grimly. 'Conrad wants to see him. A sketch-plan of Jordan's apartment was found in Paretti's apartment.'
Gollowitz stiffened and shot a hard, searching look at Maurer, who waved his hand airily.
'I don't believe it,' he said. 'Who found it?'
'Van Roche.'
'Any witness?'
'No.'
'Obviously a plant,' Maurer said, and laughed. 'Abe can take care of that, can't you, Abe?'
Gollowitz nodded, but his eyes showed a growing uneasiness.
'If Toni shows up today or tomorrow,' McCann said, 'half Conrad's case will be knocked cold. You'd better get to Toni fast, Mr. Maurer.'
There was a long pause as Maurer studied the pattern on the carpet, then he said, without looking up, 'Supposing I couldn't get hold of Toni? Suppose he had decided to skip with the money I had sent him to collect? It is a big sum: twenty thousand dollars. I don't say he has skipped, but suppose he has?'
McCann's face suddenly turned purple. His big, hairy hands closed into knotted fists.
'He damn well better not have skipped!' he said through clenched teeth.
'Take it easy, Captain,' Maurer said, looking up and smiling. 'I don't think for a moment he has skipped, but even if he had, this cockeyed evidence of Conrad's wouldn't stand up in court. What have you got to worry about? I'm not worrying.'
'What else is there?' Gollowitz snapped, sensing that McCann hadn't told them the worst of it.
