“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, Mr. Tapkow.”
“No. Cigarette?”
“Thank you, but I don’t smoke. My, I am surprised to see you again,” she said. Then she didn’t know what to say next.
He had to help her out He had to give her a little rope so she could lead the way. “Same here, Miss Driscoll. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, either.” He gave her a smile.
“Why don’t you call me Nancy?” she said. “Somehow I feel we actually know each other well enough, don’t you?” and then came her giggle.
“Sure, Nancy. And you call me Benny. I feel we actually know each other, too.” He looked down and then at her face. “Or we almost did.”
She tried to laugh as if that were funny, just one of those things in the car there on the highway, making a tipsy pass at Tapkow the chauffeur. He kept watching her and the slow blush she couldn’t control.
“How things do work out!” She laughed. “I suppose I should never have met Mr. Alverato if you-if you and I-” She really looked coquettish then, ending it with a blase sigh that came off very well, only the weird thing was that she kept blushing through it all.
Benny was sure that hadn’t been part of the rehearsal. “I guess you didn’t come to see me, then,” he said.
She smiled. “I’m sorry, Benny, but I didn’t.” The look she tried didn’t come off at all, but Benny went right on.
“I guess it’s Al, then. I don’t think he knew you were coming, though.”
“Goodness, no, and it makes it just a wee bit embarrassing. Of course, he and I had made all kinds of plans during the cruise-you know of the cruise, of course-but then with getting back to work so late, and all that dreadful excitement about Pat-you know about Pat, of course. She hasn’t come back to school yet!”
“You still working in the Dean’s office?”
“Oh, yes. They were very considerate.”
“Must be a good job.”
“I like it. Of course, the pay in an academic place-but then, if you love your work-”
He helped her along again. “Al’s going to be pretty excited when he finds you here, Nancy.”
“Do you think so, Benny?” Her eyes got wide with the smile she was putting on. It didn’t look like love to Benny, more like fright.
“Oh, sure. He was just talking about you the other day. He was telling me about another cruise he’s planning to take.”
Miss Driscoll’s smile got fluttery.
“Of course, your not calling him or anything-But then, he didn’t know about the troubles you’ve been having. Poor Pat and everything.”
She felt rescued for a moment and switched away from Alverato. “Yes, isn’t it the strangest thing? I had an idea that you two-I thought at first she’d been with you. But now that you’re back in town, and she hasn’t even called or anything! Is she in this house, by any chance?”
She shouldn’t have thought that Benny figured she shouldn’t even have known enough to make such a guess.
“As a matter of fact, Nancy, she is.”
“She is!”
“But you can’t see her right now. Pat hasn’t been well for a few days, hasn’t been out at all.”
“Dear, dear. It isn’t serious?”
“No, nothing like that She does get out, you know. I don’t know why she hasn’t bothered getting in touch or anything. But then, she and I have spent a lot of time together. You know how it is.”
“Why, of course, Benny.” She looked maternal.
“She’ll be up and around soon, though. Fact is, we’re planning an evening out. Got reservations and everything. Monday night, at the Beau Brummel Club. Do you know it?”
“No, I don’t know it.”
“Would you like to join us?”
“The Beau Brummel Club?”
“Yeah. Monday night.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly, Benny. I had a time to get off just for today. Dear, how late it’s getting! I think-”
“But it’s in the evening.”
“I really hadn’t noticed the time. And the train schedules, so long between-”
“Don’t you want to see Al?”
That hunted look showed for a second. “I do, Benny, I really do, but-”
“Fact is, Nancy, he won’t be back till late.”
“Dear, dear-”
“Perhaps you’re right, though. Perhaps you better let it go this time and come back later. Call up first. He’ll be anxious to see you.”
She didn’t look hunted any more. She looked relieved.
Now that the worst was over, and she didn’t have to see Alverato to go through with goodness knows what, she wasted no time. Benny took her to the door and told one of the men to drive her back. “When do you have to make that train?” he asked her.
“Seven sharp. If they didn’t come so few and far between-”
“I know how it is. Grand Central?”
“Yes, Grand Central.”
While Miss Driscoll stood on the steps, Benny told the man what car to use. By then he had moved out of earshot. “Take her to Grand Central and watch where she goes. Then call me.”
The man nodded and went for the car. He and Miss Driscoll left in time to make that train at seven sharp. Benny waited till nine before he got his call. “I lost her,” said the man.
“What happened?”
“I got to Grand Central a quarter to seven. She goes in and I go after. Left the car right there on Forty- second. I got a ticket for that. Who’s gonna-”
“Never mind that crap, what happened?”
“Nothin! She hangs around the windows, then the clock. Then she goes out again.”
“Waiting for somebody?”
“Naw, just tripping around, sort of. Then she goes out and it’s getting closer to seven all the time, Benny; she goes out and comes back.”
“So go on, for chrissakes!”
“She makes a phone call. I seen her use a dime, I think, just one coin, you know? Then she talks and naturally I don’t hear what she says.”
“Then what?”
“Nothin’. She goes out and I lose her. She takes a cab and off she goes.”
“Did you get the number? The cab number?”
“I’m a gumshoe?”
Alverato was watching the fights on the television set. He was lying on the couch with his shoes off and didn’t pay any attention when the door opened.
“Al, you’ll want to hear this.”
“Later, later.” He was watching hard. “There’s some trouble.”
“Cover up, ya bum!” he yelled, and his balled fists jerked in the air.
“Hey, Al. Remember a dame called Driscoll?”
“You still bothering me?” Alverato reared up on one arm.
“Nancy Driscoll.”
“What?”
“She was visiting today. Came to see you.”
