'A stunt flyer? You're not suggesting he should land on the roof, are you?'
Ferrari smiled.
'Nothing so obvious. I merely want him to divert attention. The trick is really very simple. You have seen a good conjuror? When he does a trick he makes sure the audience is looking at something else and not at what he is doing. The stunt flyer will do just that and give me my chance to strike.'
'I'll get you an aircraft and a stunt flyer. When do you want them?' Maurer asked.
'Today is Wednesday. Shall we say Friday? I must talk to him. There are certain things I have to tell him.'
'When does she get hit?' Maurer demanded.
'Saturday night. It is a good night. The hotel laundry is delivered on Saturday night.' Ferrari slid out of his chair. 'Another useful piece of information I picked up.'
'The laundry? What's that to do with this business?' Maurer asked blankly.
'It has everything to do with it,' Ferrari returned and walked over to the door. 'I'll be here Saturday morning. Have the flyer for me to talk to.'
He went out and shut the door.
Maurer drew in a long deep breath.
'What do you think, Abe?'
'He'll do it,' Gollowitz said.
Maurer nodded.
'I guess that's right. Smart little snake, isn't he?' He got up. 'I've got things to do, Abe. Ask Louis to come here, will you?'
Gollowitz gave him a hard, searching look, but gathered nothing from Maurer's deadpan expression. He went out.
Maurer began to pace up and down.
After a few minutes Seigel came in.
'You wanted me, boss?'
'Yeah,' Maurer said. 'Sit down, Louis.'
Seigel sat down. He looked at Maurer nervously.
'I've got a job for you, Louis,' Maurer said softly. 'Ferrari's going out to the Ocean Hotel, Barwood, on Saturday night. You're going out there too. On his way back, you're going to run into him. You're going to take care of him for me.'
Seigel stared at Maurer.
'Ferrari?'
'That's right.'
'You want me to hit him?'
'That's what I said.'
'For God's sake, Mr. Maurer . . .!'
'That's what I said,' Maurer repeated. 'It's either he or you Louis. Please yourself.'
III
The Ocean Hotel was always crowded at the week-ends, and on this Saturday afternoon the bathing-pool and the vast stretch of lawn was packed solid with people who had come down from San Francisco and up from Los Angeles for a week-end of swimming and lounging in the sun.
Conrad sat in a tub chair under a shady tree and watched the crowd as it played, lounged and gossiped around the swimming-pool. He kept an eye on the long drive that led to the hotel, watching for Forest's car.
Around four-thirty, he spotted the car coming up the drive. He stood up and waved. The car slowed down and stopped. Forest got out, said something to his chauffeur, then came across the lawn towards Conrad. The car went on towards the hotel.
Forest wended his way through the sun-bathers until he reached Conrad's isolated shade under the tree.
'Hello, there, Paul,' he said. 'Seems you've picked yourself a good spot. Plenty of pretty girls and plenty to keep your eyes busy.'
'Too much,' Conrad said, pulling up another tub chair. 'I had no idea this place got so crowded over the week-end. My boys are going crazy trying to keep a check on everyone.'
'Are they doing it?'
'Out here it's hopeless, but no one enters the hotel without being scrutinized.'
Forest sat down.
'How's it going?'
Conrad pulled a face.
