I shrugged. “Where do I find that little fable?”
“You’ve been warned off before, but it seems like you won’t learn. I’ve decided to stop you putting your oar in.”
Boy! Would I like to have my hands free so that I could have socked that guy one? “Ain’t you barkin’ up the wrong alley?”
“I’m going to be frank with you,” he went on. “It would be very inconvenient to have a further investigation in the Richmond murder. I’ve got the business to think of and, as I say, it would be inconvenient. You’ve been offered big money to start trouble, haven’t you?”
I looked at him thoughtfully. Then I said: “Maybe your pal Katz has told you my angle.”
Spencer nodded. “Yes,” he said, “I know about that.”
“All right,” I said. “Now I had decided to leave the business alone. What’s one cheap crook among so many? I didn’t have to grieve about Vessi. I was bein’ offered ten grand. That ain’t such a lot of dough. So I decided to leave it alone. Then, when you started trouble for Miss Jackson, I just had to come into it again.”
Spencer glanced at Mardi and then back at me. His eyebrows went up a little, and he pursed his mouth. “So that’s how it sits, huh?”
“If you mean that I ain’t sitting still when you start pushing a nice girl around, you’re right,” I said.
“No more than that?”
I wanted to belt that guy in the puss very badly indeed. I didn’t say anything.
He chewed his cigar thoughtfully. “You’ve got me in a spot, Mason,” he said at last. “You and this young woman here could be a nuisance. Between you both you might start trouble which might upset my plans. If we can’t come to terms, I’m afraid you two are in for a bad time.”
His voice was very casual, but I didn’t like his tone. I glanced across at Mardi and she wasn’t looking too grand.
“Suppose you put your cards on the table,” I invited.
He looked over at Gus. “Clear out, you two,” he said. “I’ll call you if I want you.”
When they had gone he began to pace up and down the room. I could see he had a lot on his mind.
“Look,” he said at last, “I’ve got to find out who’s at the bottom of all this. Who’s willing to pay you ten grand to make things awkward for me.”
I bet he’d like to know that, but he wasn’t getting any help from me. I had already made up my mind that I was going to look into that also.
I shrugged. “You can search me,” I said. “I’ve been asking myself the same question.”
He came over and stood close to me. “I’ve got a hunch that you know something that would give me the key to this. I’m going to ask you to come clean.”
As I began to speak he held up his hand. “Don’t be in a hurry,” he said; “Think first. If you can’t remember, I’m going to jog your memory.”
I said, “I’ve told you I got a note which was typewritten. I’ve no more idea than the dead who it could be.”
He said, “Would it be a man or a woman?”
I shook my head. “I tell you I can’t help you.”
He stood looking at me, his face slightly flushed. “That’s a pity,” he said. He walked over to the door and jerked it open. “Gus, come in here.”
The thin dope shuffled in and stood waiting. His little eyes restlessly wandered from my face up to the ceiling and back again.
Spencer said, “I think this guy knows something. At the moment he won’t talk. Suppose you strip our friend here… maybe he’ll get inspiration that way.”
Mardi started to her feet. Her face had gone very white. Gus stepped over to her, and as she turned to run he grabbed her and twisted her round. One of his hands held her wrists.
Spencer looked over at me. “Well,” he said, “you can make your mind up. Gus has done this sort of thing before.”
I said with difficulty, “Tell that swine to take his hands off her.”
Spencer said coldly, “You’re wasting time.” He jerked his head at Gus. “Go ahead,” he said.
Gus grinned at me and moved towards Mardi. She suddenly came to life and kicked him on his shin. Her shoes weren’t hard enough to stop a guy like Gus.
I said quickly, “Okay, don’t touch her.”
Spencer said, “Hold it, Gus.” Then he turned to me. “Was it a man or a woman?”
“It was a woman.”
“How do you know?”
“She came through on the telephone.”
Spencer said to Gus, “All right, wait outside.”
Gus went out slowly.
Mardi leant against the wall. I could see her mouth was quivering, but she still kept her chin up.
Spencer looked at me keenly. “What sort of voice did she have?”
I shrugged. “I guess she disguised it. It was hard and metallic, but it wasn’t a natural sort of voice.”
He wandered about the room a bit, then he came and stood over me. “So it was a woman, eh? I’ve got to look for a woman.”
I didn’t say anything.
He looked at Mardi and then at me. “As for you two…” he passed his hand over his hair, “you don’t know what you’re bucking. Take my advice and keep clear of this business. If that woman comes over the ’phone again, let me know.. I’ll give you a lot more than ten grand if you can turn her up.”
I said, “I’m through with this business, anyway,” and meant it.
Tm going to turn you loose, but take my tip… get out of town.” He walked over to Mardi. “I’m sorry you got smart, baby,” he said. “You did some good work for me.”
Mardi turned her face away and he shrugged. Then he walked to the door and went out.
Mardi came over to me unsteadily.
“Get me free, honey,” I said urgently. “I don’t like the sound of this.”
She got the knot undone after a struggle and I stood up, rubbing my wrists.
The fat guy came in, holding his gun. He jerked his head. “You can beat it,” he said curtly. “Come on, get out of here.”
We went down the dark stairs, and he followed us closely. Gus was standing holding the front door open. I had my muscles tense, ready to start something if those two wanted trouble, but they just saw us to the door.
We stepped into the dark, cold street and the door slammed behind us.
J turned and looked at Mardi. “Well, for Pete’s sake,” I said, “What do you make of that?”
Mardi put her hands to her face and I heard a little choking sob jerk in her throat. I put my arms round her and pulled her to me. She came to me with her head on my chest.
“It’s all right, honey,” I said. “We’re out of it now. Don’t worry… it’s all right now.”
In the distance a siren hooted, and the wash from a passing ship suddenly slapped against the side of the wharf.
I said, “Let’s get out of this. We’ve had enough grief for one night.”
It was several minutes before she drew away from me, and I was mighty sorry to feel her go. We went down the street together, out of the dark into the lights of the main street.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
IT WAS NOON before I woke. For several minutes I couldn’t make out where the hell I was, then I remembered and sat up on my couch with a rueful grin.
The sun was shining all right, and Mardi was in my bed in the next room. I didn’t have anything to beef about. I swung my legs to the floor and went into the bathroom. A cold shower did a lot to bring me to the surface, and
