carefully through the apartment and searched it pretty thoroughly, but I didn’t find anything.
After all the excitement, I was no further to finding Mardi. That was getting me steamed up. I had one taste of the type of thug that Spencer employed, and if they were capable of getting tough with Blondie the same methods could be handed out to Mardi.”
I was certain that Blondie knew something and they were trying to find out what it was. The fact that she had made up her mind to leave town showed that she was scared. To leave a nice little apartment like this in a hurry, as well as to lose her connections, pointed that she knew that she was on the spot.
I’d never get anything out of her unless she wanted to tell me. She was far too shrewd to be jumped. Now that Mardi was missing, I had to bust this thing open. There was no other way round it.
When I got back to my apartment I found Ackie there. He was sitting on the foot of my bed, talking to Blondie.
I stood in the doorway and glared at him. He looked over his shoulder. “H’yah, pal,” he said. “I’m mighty glad I looked in.”
I dumped the suit-case down and glanced over at Blondie. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
“Well, for God’s sake,” I said, “can’t you keep out of my place when I’m busy?”
Ackie shook his head. “You may have to thank me,” he said. “Don’t bother to introduce us, we’ve already done that.”
“So I see,” I said sourly. “You might keep your trap shut about this… I don’t want the whole town talkin’.”
Ackie grinned. “Hear that?” he said to Blondie. “You’d think he was a saint, wouldn’t you?”
Blondie liked to see me getting fussed. “He ain’t no saint,” she said, bringing her arms and shoulders into view.
“Come on, Buddy,” I said, “you an’ me will have a little talk outside. The lady wants to get up.”
He was obviously reluctant to go, but I got him outside at last.
“Well, well,” he said with a leer, “I shouldn’t have thought it of you.”
I was pardonably annoyed. “I can’t explain just now,” I said heatedly. “But for Gawd’s sake keep your trap shut about this. You recognise that dame?”
Ackie screwed up his face thoughtfully. “Yeah,” he said, “I know her all right. I suppose you’re still chasing up the Vessi affair. Well, I guess you’re having a swell time doin’ it.”
“Suppose you tell me what you want bustin’ in like this?”
He thought for a moment, then his face brightened. “You know, I’d forgotten all about it. When I walked into your bedroom and found that dame in your bed, I certainly had a shock. Yeah, now about to-night. The boys are throwing a little party down at Hughson’s place. I thought maybe you’d like to come with me. It’s as well to meet the boys every now and then, what do you say?”
To get rid of him, I’d’ve agreed to anything. “Sure,” I said, “that’s grand. Suppose you pick me up, and we’ll go along together.”
I took him by the arm and led him to the door. He got it all right. “Now mind you be careful,” he said.
I shoved him out of the door and slammed it behind him. Then I went back to Blondie. She was doing her hair with my hair-brushes. Everyone seemed to be using my place like it was a hotel. I sat on the bed.
“A real funny guy,” I said.
“Oh, I like him, darlin’,” she said, glancing back over her shoulder. “I think he’s cute.”
She would. They were a pair.
“Well, baby,” I said, anxious to get her off my hands, “I got your stuff so I guess you’ll be moving out.”
She finished her hair and opened up the suit-case. I saw her make a little grimace at the way I had packed her things, but that didn’t worry me. She’d got a hell of a crust asking me to do it, so if she didn’t like it she could do what the monkey did.
She sorted some things out that she wanted to wear and began to get dressed. I sat there and watched her. The thing uppermost in my mind was that she was leaving town and I might never see her again. She was an important link between Katz and Spencer, and consequently she might be able to lead me to Mardi. I risked everything and had another try.
“There was a girl working for Spencer at the Mackenzie Fabrics. She was a mighty swell dame an’ I got interested in her,” I began.
“Listen, hayseed,” she said, without looking up. She was bending over, fixing her suspender. “I ain’t interested in your love life.”
I was tempted to take a sock at her, but I kept my hands in my pockets. “This dame has disappeared,” I went on. “I can’t find her—”
“If she was a good girl she’s saved herself a lot of grief,” she said, straightening up and reaching for her dress.
“I could do things to you,” I said grimly.
“I know—I know. It’s no use makin’ a beef now.”
I went over to her and put my hands on her arms. I held her tight. She looked up at me, her face hardening. “Don’t start getting tough,” she said. “I’ll get that way too.”
“You haven’t thought that Katz is hanging around waiting to put a slug in you, have you?” I said. “You think you’re bright enough to play a solo hand on this and get away with it. You might, but then again you might not. If one day I read that a nice-lookin’ blonde has been fished out of the drink, I’ll have a laugh. I am ready to take this thing over if you’re ready to tell me what you know. If you wait too long, you might never be able to talk. So this is your last chance to get it off your chest.”
She sneered. “What a mouthful,” she said. “I can look after myself, big boy, don’t let that grieve you. I’ve done it before, an’ I’ll keep on doin’ it. I ain’t tellin’ you a thing. If you’re so anxious, try and find out for yourself.”
I shrugged and let her go. “Okay, wise guy,” I said. “Go ahead and work on your own. Don’t say I haven’t warned you.”
She pulled on her dress and fixed her hat. As she closed her case, she said: “The next time you see me, raise your lid. I shall be in the money.”
That crack told me something. Blondie had her eye on some easy dough. That meant blackmail. It explained why she wanted to work on her own. It explained quite a lot of things.
I said: “You watch your step, Blondie. That game’s dangerous.”
Her face was expressionless. She picked up her bag and moved to the door. “I’ll get by,” she said. “If I don’t see you again, keep sober.”
She opened the door and stepped into the passage. I watched her walk away, her tall figure swaying a little and her head held high.
I was just going back to my room when I saw the guy opposite standing in his doorway. His eyes were popping.
“Still seein’ things?” I asked pleasantly, and went inside, shutting the door quietly against his palpitating curiosity.
CHAPTER TWELVE
BY THE TIME ACKIE and I got round to Hughson’s place the party was well under way.
There were eight couples crammed into his small room and the air was thick with smoke. Everyone was drinking as hard as they could put it down and everyone was smoking.
There was a general shout when Ackie edged his way in. Most people got a laugh when they saw him. He got rid of his hat and coat and grabbed a bottle of Scotch.
Hughson came over to me and shook hands. “This is a bum party, Nick,” he said apologetically. “But I’m glad you’ve come.”
He led me round the room, introducing me. Most of the
