Sexus (The Rosy Crucifixion, book 1)

O'Rourke had evidently been making a similar appraisal. When he lifted his voice it was apparent that he was thinking only how to spare her unnecessary unpleasantness.

«Miss Nina,» he said, speaking like a father, «Mr. Miller asked me to come along. I'm the night inspector, you know. There's been some misunderstanding with one of our clients, one of the clients served by your office. Perhaps you will recall the name—The Brooks Insurance Agency. Do you remember that name, Miss Nina? Think, because maybe you can help us.»

«Of course I know the name,» she responded with alacrity. «Room 715, Mr. Harcourt. Yes, I know him very well. I know his son too.»

O'Rourke immediately pricked up his ears.

«You know his son?» he repeated.

«Why yes. We were sweethearts. We come from the same town.» She mentioned a little town up State. «You could hardly call it a town, I guess.» She gave a bright little laugh.

«I see,» said O'Rourke, lingering over his words to draw her on.

«Now I understand why I was fired,» she said. «He doesn't think I'm good enough for his son, this Mr. Harcourt. But I didn't think he hated me that much.»

As she rattled on I recalled more and more clearly the circumstances of her first visit to the employment bureau. One detail stood out clearly. She had specifically requested, when filling out the application blank, that she be sent to a certain office building. It was not an unusual request; applicants often gave their preference for certain localities for one reason or another. But I remembered now the smile she had given me when thanking me for the courtesy I had shown her.

«Miss Andrews,?» I said, «didn't you ask me to send you to the Heckscher Building when you applied for the job?»

«Of course I did,» she replied. «I wanted to be near John. I knew his father was trying to keep us apart. That's why I left home.»

«Mr. Harcourt tried to ridicule me at first,» she added. «I mean when I first delivered telegrams to his office. But I didn't care. Neither did John.»

«Well,» said O'Rourke, «so you don't mind too much losing your job? Because, if you'd like to have it back, I think Mr. Miller could arrange if for you.» He glanced in my direction.

«Oh, I don't really want it back,» she said breathlessly. «I've found a much better job—and it's in the same building!»

The three of us burst out laughing. O'Rourke and I rose to go. «You're a musician, aren't you?» asked O'Rourke.

She blushed. «Why yes... why, how did you know? I'm a violinist. That's another reason, of course, why I decided to come to New York. I hope to give a recital here some day—perhaps in Town Hall. It's thrilling to be in a big city like this, isn't it?» She giggled like a school-girl.

«It is wonderful to live in a place like New York,» said O'Rourke, his voice suddenly dropping to a more serious register. «I hope you will have all the success you are looking for...» He paused, a heavy pause, and then taking her two hands in his, he placed himself squarely in front of her and said:

«Let me suggest something to you, may I?» «Why of course!» said Miss Andrews, reddening slightly.

«Well then, when you give your first concert at Town Hall, let us say, I would suggest that you use your real name. Marjorie Blair sounds just as good as Nina Andrews... don't you think? Well,» and without pausing to observe the effect of this retort, he said, grasping my arm and turning towards the door, «I think we should be getting along. Good luck, Miss Blair. Good-bye!»

«I'll be damned,» I said, when we got to the street.

«She's a fine little girl, isn't she?» said O'Rourke, dragging me along. «Clancy called me in this afternoon... showed me the application. I've got all the dope on her. She's absolutely O.K.»

«But the name?» I said. «Why did she change her name?»

«Oh that, that's nothing,» said O'Rourke. «Young people find it exciting to change their name sometimes.... It's lucky she doesn't know what Mr. Harcourt told Mr. Twilliger, eh? We'd have a nice case on our hands, if that ever leaked out.»

«By the way,» he added, as though it were of no importance, «when I make my report to Twilliger, I'll say that she was going on twenty-two. You won't mind that, will you? They suspected, you see, that she was under age. Or course you can't check every one's age. Still, you have to be careful. You understand, of course....»

«Of course,» I said, «and it's damned good of yon to cover me up.»

We walked in silence for a few moments, keeping our eyes open for a restaurant.

«Wasn't Harcourt taking a big risk in giving Twilliger a story like that?»

O'Rourke didn't answer at once.

«It makes me furious,» I said. «Damn him, he almost lost me my job too, do you realize that?»

«Harcourt's case is more complicated,» said O'Rourke slowly. «I'm telling you this in strict confidence, you understand. We're not going to say anything to Mr. Harcourt. In my report I'll inform Mr. Twilliger that the case has been satisfactorily dealt with. I'll explain that Mr. Harcourt was in error as to the girl's character, that she immediately found another position, and recommend that the matter be dropped.... Mr. Harcourt, as I suppose you have already gathered, is a close friend of Twilliger's. Everything the girl said was true, to be sure, and she's a fine little girl too, I like her. But there's one thing she omitted to tell us—naturally. Mr. Harcourt had her dismissed because he's jealous of his son... You wonder how I learned that so quickly? Well, we have our way of learning things. I could tell you a lot more about this Harcourt, if you'd care to hear it.»

I was about to say «Yes, I would,» when he abruptly changed the subject.

«You met a chap named Monahan recently, I understand.»

I felt as if he had given me a jolt.

«Yes, Monahan... of course. Why, did your brother tell you?»

«You know, of course,» O'Rourke continued in his easy, suave way, «what Monahan's job is, don't you? His assignment, I mean?»

I mumbled some answer, pretending that I knew more than I did, and waited impatiently for him to continue.

«Well, it's curious in this racket,» he went on, «how things connect up. Miss Nina Andrews didn't go immediately to the messenger bureau in search of that job, when she got to New York. Like all young girls, she was attracted to the bright lights. She's young, intelligent, and knows how to take care of herself. I don't think she's quite as innocent as she looks, to be candid with you. Knowing Harcourt, that is. But that's none of my business.... Anyway, to make it short, Mr. Miller, her first job was that of a taxi girl in a dance hall. You may know the one...» He looked directly ahead of him as he said this. «Yes, the very place that Monahan has his eye on. It's run by a Greek. Nice chap too. Absolutely on the level, I should say. But there are other individuals hanging around who would bear looking into more closely. Especially when a pretty little thing like Nina Andrews walks in—with those red cheeks and that demure country-like manner.»

I was hoping I would hear more about Monahan when again he switched the subject.

«Funny thing about Harcourt. Shows you how careful you have to be when you begin checking up on things...»

«What do you mean?» said I, wondering what he was going to blurt out next.

«Well, just this,» said O'Rourke, measuring his words. «Harcourt has a whole string of dance halls here in New York, and in other places too. The insurance agency is just a blind. That's why he's breaking his son in. He isn't interested in the insurance game. Harcourt's one passion is young girls— the younger the better. Of course, I don't know this, Mr. Miller, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had already tried to seduce Miss Andrews—or Marjorie Blair, to use her right name. If anything had happened between them Miss Andrews wouldn't be apt to tell any one, would she? Least of all the young man she's in love with. She's only nineteen now, but she probably looked the same at sixteen. She's a country girl, don't forget. They start in early sometimes—you know, red, warm blood.»

He stopped, as if to study the restaurant which, unknown to me, he had been gently and slowly leading me to.

«Not such a bad place, this. Shall we try it? Oh, just a minute, before we go in... About Harcourt.... The girl, of course, doesn't suspect that he has anything to do with dance halls. That was