‘No; it’s not that kind of a party,’ I said, and laid my busi- ness card on the counter. ‘I’m hoping you can give me some information.’
Blond eyebrows lifted. He peered at the card, read it, picked it up, and read it again.
‘Ah, yes, Mr. Malloy. What can I do for you?’ He glanced at Paula again, and unconsciously fingered his tie.
‘We’re trying to find a young woman who we think stayed here on the 12th or maybe the 11th.’
‘We don’t encourage inquiries about our visitors, Mr. Malloy.’
He was as stiff as a Dowager watching a bubble dance.
‘That I can understand. But she happens to be this young lady’s sister.’ I waved to Paula, who gave him a look from under her eyelashes that made his knees buckle. ‘She ran away from home and we’re anxious to trace her.’
‘Oh, I see.’ He hesitated. ‘Well, perhaps, in that case I might… What is her name?’
‘We think she was staying here under an assumed name. You don’t get many unattached young women staying here, do you?’
He shook his head regretfully.
‘Actually, not. I think I know the one you mean. Miss Mary Henderson, if I remember rightly.’ He flicked the pages of the register, ran a well-manicured finger down a page, paused. ‘Yes; Miss Henderson. Tall, dark, distinctly pretty. Would that be the one?’
‘Sounds like her. She wore a wine-coloured evening gown and a black silk wrap on the evening of the
He nodded, patted his lips with a snow-white handkerchief and gave Paula a dazzling smile.
‘That’s Miss Henderson.’
‘Fine. When did she book in?’
He consulted the register.
‘Six o’clock on the 12th.’
‘Any forwarding address?’
‘I’m afraid not.’
‘When did she leave?’
‘On the 13th. I remember now. I was rather surprised. She had booked the room for a week.’
‘Did she have a car?’
The clerk frowned, studied Paula’s lovely, intent face seemed to draw inspiration from it for he said, ‘Actually, not. At least, not when she arrived. But before she went up to her room, she arranged to hire a car. She said she wanted it that evening as she was going out.’
‘Did you hire the car for her?’
‘Oh, yes. We deal with the Acme Garage. You may know it?’
I said I knew it.
‘Ferris brought the car around at six-thirty or seven, and left it for Miss Henderson.’
‘Did he see her?’
The clerk lifted his eyebrows.
‘Why, no. That wasn’t necessary.’
‘You’re quite sure he didn’t see her?’
‘Yes.’
‘What happened to the car?’
‘As a matter of fact, it’s still in our garage. I’m glad you reminded me. Ferris usually comes and takes it away. I must remind him.’
‘Mind if I look at it?’
‘Why, certainly.’
‘What is it?
‘A black Lincoln. The attendant will show it to you.’ He was looking puzzled.
‘Well, thanks. One more thing; did Miss Henderson have any visitors while she was here?’
He thought for a moment.
‘One gentleman. Yes, that’s right. He came to see her in the afternoon on the 13th. She cancelled her room after he had gone.’
I lit a cigarette before I asked, ‘Did you see him?’
‘Certainly. He came to the desk and asked for her.’ Again he patted his lips with his handkerchief and gave Paula a quick, admiring glance out of the corners of his eyes.
‘Can you describe him?’
‘He was an elderly gentleman. Well dressed; obviously well-to-do. He said his name was Franklin Marshland.’
I drew in a slow deep breath, asked, ‘Short, suntanned, beaky nose and very small feet?’
‘I didn’t notice his feet, Mr. Malloy, but the rest is right.’
‘And Miss Henderson left almost immediately after? Did she seem upset?’
‘I wouldn’t say upset, but perhaps a little flustered. She seemed very anxious to go. I was rather surprised. I think I told you. She had reserved the room for a week.’
‘Did she take a taxi?’
‘I believe she did. The porter will remember her.’
‘If we could find the taxi-driver, he might know where she went.’
The clerk was taking a lot of interest by now.
‘I’ll ask the porter. Just wait a moment.’
When he crossed the lobby to the porter’s desk, Paula and I exchanged glances.
‘Well, we are certainly making progress,’ I said. ‘I wonder what Marshland wanted with her. You know, I’m beginning to think my idea that Marshland has something to do with the kidnapping isn’t such a scatty one at that.’
‘Do we know where he was at the time of the kidnapping?’
‘I don’t think that matters. He wouldn’t have had anything to do with it himself. He would have hired someone to do it.’
The clerk came back.
‘No luck, I’m afraid. The porter remembers Miss Henderson, but has no idea who the driver was. The cab was cruising when he stopped it.’
‘Well, thanks for giving me so much of your time. I’ll take a look at the car now. The garage’s around the back?’
He said the garage was around the back.
‘I hope you find her,’ he said to Paula.
Paula thanked him with a smile that had him running his hand over his curly blond hair.
As we walked across the lobby the well-fed loungers again paused in their conversations to stare at Paula’s ankles.
The attendant in the garage took us over to a black Lincoln.
‘That’s the job. Can’t understand why Ferris hasn’t collected it yet,’ he said. He too seemed smitten with Paula.
‘Do you remember what time she brought it in on the nightof the 12th?’I asked.
‘I can tell you. We log all cars as they come in.’
While he went over to the office, I examined the car, pushing my hands down the sides of the seats, turning up the floor mats, and going through the pockets, hoping to find some-thing she might have dropped or forgotten. I didn’t find a thing.
The attendant came back.
‘She booked in at twenty minutes to eleven.’
‘Did you see her?’
‘I must have, but I don’t remember.’
It would have been too good to be true if he had.
