you?”
I said: “What of it?” It struck me that if this guy talked enough, I might learn something.
“We’re interested to find who sent you… get this right, we don’t care about you… we just want to find who’s paying you; get it?”
I looked at Blondie. I was getting a little of the angle. “I thought you were Vessi’s side-kick,” I said. “I see. I’m wrong. Vessi was framed, an’ you know it. This guy’s no pal of Vessi’s… what the hell are you playin’ ball with him for?”
Blondie said viciously: “You lay off that. Who sent you that five grand… that’s what you gotta tell us.”
I shook my head. “I can’t tell you that… I don’t know myself. I just got a note offerin’ me five grand to bust the frame-up open, an’ I was interested. I went along to see Vessi die…. I didn’t learn anythin’, and the five grand turned up to encourage me, an’ you knocked it off. That’s the history as far as I’m concerned.”
I was careful not to tell them that I had my instructions by ’phone, because I didn’t want to give them a lead that it was a woman. I reckoned I’d given them just enough information without telling them more than they knew.
Katz scratched his jaw with his thumbnail. “That all?” he said.
I nodded.
Blondie said suddenly: “What the hell’s the matter with you, Earl? Why don’t you rough this guy around. You won’t get anywhere talkin’ soft to him.”
Do you get the idea now? This dame was real poison ivy. I said quickly: “What more do you want me to say? I can’t tell you somethin’ I don’t know.”
Katz still sat there scratching his chin with his thumbnail. He kept his eyes fixed on my face, and I don’t mind telling you that I didn’t like the look in his eye. This guy was as tough as Blondie, only in a different way. He wasn’t all wind. When he started something, you’d know about it all right.
He said at last: “Okay, I guess you can beat it. You better keep clear of this place. You won’t find that five grand, an’ you’d better not go to the cops about it… get it?”
Blondie pushed forward. “You’re crazy,” she said. “Look what this heel’s done to me. You ain’t lettin’ him get away with that?”
A sudden flash jumped into Katz’s eyes. He looked mean. “Listen, Roundheels,” he said, “You lay off. I’m handlin’ this… so shut your trap.”
Blondie stepped away, shrugged, and walked into the bathroom. Katz watched her go and then turned back to me. “She’s mad with you,” he said, chasing holes in his teeth with the pick. “I’d watch my step with her. Once she gets mad with a guy, she stays mad.”
I sat up. “Suppose you get rid of this strap, an’ I’ll scram.”
He looked at me thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t start anythin’ if I were you,” he said.
I grinned. “That’s okay, I assured him. “I never hunt around for trouble.”
He jerked the strap off my wrists and stood up. He was a cautious guy but I wanted to get out of that room badly. If they had my five grand I wasn’t going to risk my skin for it. After all, I’d never really had it, so I wouldn’t miss it.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and gently massaged my wrists.
Katz leant against the chest of drawers. He still held the automatic limply at his side. “Take my tip, bozo,” he said, looking at me from under his hat, “you lay off this Vessi business… it ain’t healthy. We don’t want to get a guy like you into trouble. We know all about you. You ain’t bad. The boys think you’re an all-right guy. Okay, that suits me, but stay an all-right guy.”
I raised my head and shot him a look. “Meanin’?”
“Just forget about Vessi, an’ go on with your pen-pushin’. Forget about everythin’ an’ forget you ever seen me or Blondie.”
“Suppose I don’t; what happens then?”
“Well, things happen, you know. The guys who run this show are big guys. They could make a smear of you if they wanted to. They could run you outta town. They could turn on the heat. Yeah, I guess plenty would happen.”
I scratched my head. “You sure got this thing worked out,” I said. “I guess I’d better think it over.” I got to my feet and hunted around for my hat. I found it lying by the door. Someone had trodden on it. I stood there working it into shape. “You better kiss Blondie good night for me… I don’t think I could trust myself to do it.”
Katz compressed his lips. He didn’t seem to think much of my humour. “Sure,” he said, “I’ll tell her you’ve gone.”
I opened the door and took a step on to the landing. “I guess I’ll see you some time,” I said, and pulled the door to.
I wanted a drink badly. My nose was feeling like hell, and my right eye was beginning to close. I thought a stiff drink might set me up.
When I got into the street I walked rapidly to the end of the block, hailed a taxi and directed him to a bar near my apartment.
I was glad the bar was empty. The barman gave me a long look, but he didn’t say anything. After the second bourbon I began to feel better. I had a third and took that one more slowly.
My mouth was feeling sore, but I lit a cigarette and held it in my slip without much trouble. Fighting dames was going to be struck off my list of hobbies.
Although I hadn’t got my five grand, I had learnt a lot. It looked to me that Vessi had been properly double- crossed. If his girl friend had joined the other side, he’d had a raw deal all round. It was over Blondie that the shooting was supposed to have happened. Maybe they had given her enough dough to fix the trial. I would have a look into this angle. Then I paused. Or should I? This guy Katz was dangerous, and I was bucking a big outfit. Was it worth going on? What had I got out of it up to now? I felt my nose and eye thoughtfully.
Unless I found out something good that would blow the lid off this business quickly, I was going to run into trouble. I ordered a fourth bourbon. Suppose I left it alone? Okay, I’d still be right where I was, and maybe I’d be a lot better off.
With the bourbon inside me, I decided definitely to go home and forget all about it. Then I suddenly thought of Mardi. When I thought of her, I felt good. Now that was my idea of a swell girl. She’d got everything. I told myself that to-morrow I’d take her out to lunch. I could do with a lot of her company.
I didn’t take long to get to my apartment. As I let myself in the telephone began to whir. I hesitated before answering it. The bourbon had made me feel fine, and I didn’t want any more trouble for to-night. Anyway, I answered it.
“Nick Mason?”
It was that dame again. I sat on the edge of the table. “Yeah,” I said.
“I sent you—”
“I know,” I broke in. “I’ve had a swell time since you sent me that five grand. You don’t know what you’ve been leadin’ me into, baby. First Vessi’s old moll steals the five grand. Then I go round and see her an’ we have a hell of a scrap, that’s nearly ruined me. Then Katz, Spencer’s gunman, turns up and points a rod at me, and tells me to lay off or else….”
I grinned a little at the sudden silence at the end of the ’phone. I guessed that had certainly given her something to hold.
“An’ what is more, baby, I’m through… I ain’t interested any more, so forget all about it, will you?”
“So you are not interested any more?” Her voice was very cold.
“You’ve got it right the very first time,” I said.
There was a short pause, then she said: “But you will be, Mr. Mason… believe me, you will be very interested before long,” and she hung up.
Just like that.
CHAPTER SEVEN
