‘And spent an hour with that awful, washed-out blonde,’ Myra said. ‘Lovely for him. I hope he enjoyed himself.’
I drove with exaggerated care up Monte Verde Avenue.
‘He’s risking his neck to keep it quiet,’ I said. ‘There’s that in his favour.’
‘Oh, shut up!’ Myra said, her voice unsteady. ‘You don’t have to make a case out for him. There wasn’t a damn thing I wouldn’t have done for him: not a thing. When he was in jail, I waited for him. When he came out, I was right on the doorstep. When he was short of money, and he was always short of money, I kept him going. I’ve been walking the floor all last night, worrying about him. And he has to cheat with a hustler like that in a sordid little room, and pay for it.’
‘You’re breaking my heart,’ I said. ‘Okay, so he cheated on you. So what? You don’t have to stand by him now. You’re free. There’re hundreds of men who’ll give you a good time. What are you worrying about?’
She swung round in her seat, catching her breath, her face tight with rage.
I grinned at her.
‘Get off your high horse, honey. It doesn’t suit your complexion.’
She started at me, bit her lip and managed a wry smile. ‘I guess you’re right. They’re all alike. I wish I didn’t love that heel. If he ever gets out of this mess, I’ll have something to say to him. He’ll be allergic to blondes for the rest of his life by the time I’ve finished with him!’
I pulled up outside her bungalow.
‘Go to bed and get some sleep. I have to do a little more thinking.’
‘What’s the matter with going to the police and getting them to talk to that blonde? Won’t her evidence get Nick out?’
I shook my head.
‘Not a hope. They wouldn’t believe her, for one thing. A woman like that hasn’t any standing in a court of law. There’s no other witnesses. Nick realized that.’
‘So tonight’s been so much waste of time?’
‘That’s right. I’ve got to cook up another angle. ‘I’ll keep in touch.’
I leaned across her and opened the door.
‘Don’t worry. You may not think it, but we’re making progress. We’ll have made some more by tomorrow. So long for now.’
She put her hand on my arm.
‘Thanks for what you’ve done so far. Keep trying. I want that heel back.’
I watched her walk up the path to the dark little bungalow, then engaged gear and drove away.
IV
As I drove along the wide track that led through the sand dune to my cabin, the headlights of the Buick picked out a big battle-ship of a car parked outside my front gate.
I slowed down, threw out the clutch, shifted into neutral and cruised to a standstill.
I got out of the Buick and walked over to the car. The tight from the dashboard reflected on Serena Dedrick’s pale, set face. She turned her head and we looked at each other through the open window.
‘I hope you haven’t been waiting long,’ I said, startled to find her here outside my cabin.
‘It doesn’t matter. I want to talk to you.’
‘Come in.’
I opened the car door.
She got out, holding a crimson silk wrap closely to her. She made a lovely, impressive figure of beauty in the moonlight. Silently, we walked together up the path that led to the veranda.
‘I opened the front door, switched on the light and stood inside, wondering what she wanted.
‘She went into the lounge. I followed, closed the door, and turned on the standard lamp by the settee.
‘Would you like a drink or coffee?’
‘Nothing,’ she said curtly, and sat down on the settee. The wrap fell open. She had certainly dressed for the occasion. The white satin dress, the skirt heavy with gold brocade, was fit for a State ball. Diamonds glittered at her throat. A diamond bracelet, four inches wide, imprisoned her left wrist. She seemed determined I shouldn’t forget she was the fourth richest woman in the world.
I poured out a stiff whisky, carried the glass to my favourite armchair and sank into it. I felt tired and a little depressed. All the way from Myra’s bungalow I had been racking my brains to find a way of cracking this case, but it was like hammering my head against a brick wall.
Then, being suspicious by nature, an idea floated into my head. I considered it, decided it was a sound one, got to my feet again, crossed the room and thumbed down an electric switch on the wall. Then I came back to the chair again and sat down.
Serena watched me, under down-drawn eyebrows.
‘I have a telephone connection in my bedroom. It wasn’t switched through,’ I explained; went on, ‘Well, now, Mrs. Dedrick, what can I do for you?’
‘I want you to stop interfering with this kidnapping case,’ She said.
I sipped a little whisky, stared at her, not very surprised, but taking her believe I was.
‘Are you serious?’
Her mouth tightened.
‘Of course I am. You’re being a nuisance. You’re prying into things that don’t concern you. The police have made an arrest. I’m satisfied that this man kidnapped my husband. There is no point in you stirring up more trouble.’
I lit a cigarette, tossed the match into the fireplace, and blew a little cloud of smoke to the ceiling.
‘The man the police have arrested didn’t do the job, Mrs. Dedrick. He happens to be a friend of mine. I shall continue to investigate this business until I have cleared him.’
She went very pale and her eyes lit up. Her hands became fists in her lap.
‘I am willing to pay you to stop being a nuisance,’ she said in a hard, tight voice.
‘The number of times beautiful women with more money than ethics have tried to bribe me to give up a case really astonishes me,’ I said. ‘Sorry. I’m not interested.’
‘You can name your price,’ she said, her voice edged with anger.
‘Yeah, I’m sure, but I’m still not interested. If that’s all you have to say, I’ll turn in. I’m tired.’
‘Fifty thousand dollars,’ she said, watching me.
I grinned at her.
‘We’re bargaining for a man’s life, Mrs. Dedrick. If I don’t go on working on this case, Perelli will go to the gas chamber. Do you seriously mean that’s what you want?’
‘I know nothing about Perelli. I’m not interested in him. If he is tried and found guilty, then he is guilty. I will give you fifty thousand dollars to go away for a month. Will you take it?’
‘I can’t go away for a month, Mrs. Dedrick. I’m busy trying to find out who kidnapped your husband.’
‘Seventy-five thousand!’
‘What are you scared of? What don’t you want me to find out?’
‘Seventy-five thousand!’ she said.
‘What’s happened to Dedrick? Did someone hit him too hard? Have you discovered your father’s at the back of this, and you want to buy his life? Or is it purely selfish motives and you don’t want the great American public to know you were taken for a ride by a reefer-smuggler?’
‘A hundred thousand!’ she said, through white lips.
‘Not a million!’ I said, getting to my feet. ‘So save your breath. I’m going ahead with this job, and I’m going to finish it. Good night!’
She stood up. There was a dangerous stillness about her that made me look quickly to see if she had a sandbag with her, but she hadn’t. In the mood she was in now I wouldn’t put it past her to shoot me.
‘Are you sure?’ she said.
