by George Baxt
Downstairs, Marlene silently applauded Villon. He didn’t like what he was hearing. It wasn’t what Anna May had outlined earlier. She was off on a different tack altogether. He suspected what was coming and he dreaded it. Although he didn’t share his fears with Marlene, she could see in his face that he felt something was going wrong. Anna May. Nothing must happen to Anna May.
“You’re very right. He is very clever. He knows who the murderer is.”
“Really.” His voice was hoarse.
“He lacks the proof but he says he will soon have it. There were fingerprints on the knife that killed Morton Duncan …”
“Bullshit!” shouted Li Po. “That hilt was wiped clean and …”
Downstairs, Villon said, “That’s it!”
Marlene waved him quiet. Anna May was plunging ahead, treading where angels fear.
Anna May spoke softly. “So you killed Morton Duncan. And it was you who paid him to poison Mai Mai. Raymond Souvir could no longer be trusted, so you poisoned him.” Li Po’s eyes reflected menace. “Sadly, Anna May, only you and I know this. I don’t think 1 can trust you to keep quiet.” Quietly and unseen, Marlene slipped out of Lotus Blossom’s apartment and hurried up the stairs to Anna May’s.
“Of course, you can! You’re going to help me. You need me.”
“Anna May, you’re a very good actress. There were no fingerprints on the hilt. Where are the police? On the roof?” Marlene knocked on Anna May’s door and shouted, “Anna May, it’s Marlene. Let me in! I’m sorry I’m late.” Anna May picked up her cue. “You’re always late.” She was staring at the gun Li Po was holding. “What’s that for?”
“Let her in.”
Anna May persisted. “Why the gun? I don’t like guns. Put it away.”
Damn Dietrich, thought Villon. “We can’t use the stairs. Miss Dietrich had to get into the act! The fire escape! Quick!” As they hurried out of the room into the bedroom that led to the fire escape, they heard the familiar strains of the Al Jolson favorite. Lotus Blossom was on one knee serenading the recording engineer, “Maaaaaaammmmmmyyyyyyyy!”
In Anna May’s living room, Li Po grabbed Anna May’s arm and forced her to the door. “Open it,” he commanded as he stepped back.
“Anna May, why don’t you open the door?” pleaded Marlene.
The door opened. “What kept you?” Marlene remained in the doorway. Anna May faced her, shielding her. Li Po stood directly behind Anna May. Marlene did not see he had a gun aimed at Anna May’s back. “Dong See, how good to see you again! Anna May, you look absolutely terrified, what’s the matter?”
Anna May said, “You shouldn’t be here, Marlene.” Villon and Mallory entered stealthily through the window with guns drawn. In the street, the unmarked squad cars instructed to take up positions after Li Po entered the building were in place and waiting. In the apartment underneath, the recording engineer carefully wrapped the incriminating disc and placed it into a container while Lotus Blossom continued her serenade, enthusiastically but sadly off-key.
“Why shouldn’t I be here?” asked Marlene. “You invited me for a drink.”
Li Po moved swiftly. He grabbed Anna May around the waist, using her as a shield. He said to Villon and Mallory. “I suspected you’d be coming up the fire escape. You’re very brave Miss Dietrich to set yourself up as a decoy, but I’m leaving here with Anna May and I don’t think you want to be the cause of her death.”
“Murder comes so easily to you,” said Dietrich.
“I was trained by a master. Get out of the doorway.”
Villon commanded, “Come inside, Marlene.”
She entered slowly. She and the detectives were of the same mind. The recording engineer was hearing everything that was going on. He was a detective. He had a gun. Li Po was unaware of his existence. He had no idea Villon and Mallory had materialized from the apartment below. He had to assume they climbed up from the street. Marlene was their decoy. A very glamorous one. Marlene was at the table examining the hors d’ouevres.
“Anchovies. I adore anchovies.” She popped an hors d’ouevre into her mouth. Villon and Mallory couldn’t believe their eyes. The woman was amazing.
Li Po, with Anna May as his shield, backed out into the hallway. Marlene asked him as they went, “I don’t know why you had to kill Raymond. He was a nice boy. Of course, we know you didn’t like the way he drove.”
Her hands flew to her face as she heard the pop of the engineer’s service revolver. Li Po cried out and dropped the gun. Anna May moved away as he fell to his knees. Villon and Mallory moved swiftly. The engineer was a crack shot. He’d hit Li Po in the right shoulder.
Anna May said, “All right, Marlene. You can look now.” Marlene looked, was relieved at seeing Mallory handcuffing Li Po, and she and Anna May embraced. “Anna May, you fool!”
Villon said angrily, “Marlene, you fool.”
Dietrich said, “Don’t be ridiculous. I had to cause a diversion. I knew you’d come up the fire escape behind him. And besides …”—she opened her handbag and showed them a handgun—“I borrowed this from one of my bodyguards. And I’m one hell of a shot.”
The backup detectives had arrived and two were leading Li Po away. He was cursing them all in a Chinese dialect. “What’s he saying.7” asked Marlene.
Anna May said wearily, “Marlene, better you shouldn’t know.”
An hour later, in a booth at the Brown Derby, Marlene asked Villon, “What will you do with the others?”
Anna May and Mallory waited for Villon to answer Marlene. “By me, you mean the police? We do nothing. My job was to catch a murderer, and thanks to you two babies I’ve made my pinch. As for the others, that’s up to the Feds. I’ll make some guesses. I’m no Mai Mai Chu, but here’s what I predict. The Ivanovs will declare diplomatic immunity, Tensha will envelop himself in the protective cloak of his billions.
Marlene added, “Of course, Trevor will be permitted to flee to Mexico, where he will be punished with a severe attack of the turista and spend much of the time on a different kind of throne than the one he envisioned. Countess di Frasso will have an excellent lawyer who will get her cleared of the charges that she was an accessory to murder. Brunhilde will be deported and will try to sell the film rights to her story, and I’ll probably be offered the chance to play Brunhilde, which I will decline with alacrity. And Li Po? I suppose he will be tried and convicted.’’
“He will die,” said Anna May.
“I’ll sing no sad songs for him,” said Marlene.
“Li Po will never stand trial. They will have him killed. It’s in his chart, and Mai Mai is rarely wrong.”
Villon made a mental note to increase the security guarding Li Po.
“Mai Mai Chu.” Marlene spoke the name reverently. “Now there’s a part I’d love to play.”
“You see,” Anna May exploded. “She wants the part of Mai Mai Chu! I should play it, not you, Marlene, 1 should play it.”
“Calm down, sweetheart. They’ll never let me play character roles. They’ll make me go on playing the one part I play the best.” She raised her glass of champagne in a toast. “And that part is familiar to all of you. It’s known as Marlene Dietrich.”
She sipped and then winked an eye at Jim Mallory. He winked back and felt wonderful.
