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.
‘I said, good night. You can’t expect always to get your own way. Run along, Mrs. Dedrick. You bore me.’
‘There’s another way of taking care of you,’ she said with a cold, set smile. ‘I’ll give you one more chance. Two hundred thousand.’
‘Get out!’ I said, and crossed the room to throw open the door.
She went quickly to the telephone, dialled, waited a second then screamed in a voice that made me nearly jump out of my skin : ‘Police! Help! Come at once!’
She dropped the telephone and turned to me, the set smile still on her lips.
‘Very smart,’ I said, and sat down. ‘What am I supposed to be doing? Criminal assault?’
She put her hand on the front of her dress and ripped it down. Then she dug her nails into her shoulder and clawed into her white flesh, leaving four angry red marks on her skin. She ran her fingers through her hair. She kicked over a table, pushed the settee into the fireplace, scuffed up the rug. As she walked across the room to disarrange more furniture, I reached for the telephone, dialled, and waited.
‘Hello?’ Paula said.
‘I’m in trouble. Come over here fast. You know what to do, collect Francon and get down to Police Headquarters as fast as you can. In five minutes I’ll be on a charge of criminal assault. Mrs. Dedrick is setting the stage now.’
‘I’ll be with you,’ Paula said and hung up.
I dropped the receiver back on its cradle and lit a cigarette.
‘While you’re about it, I’d let my stockings down if I were you. It always gives a more authentic picture,’ I said gently.
‘You’ll be sorry you didn’t take the money, you stupid fool,’ Serena said. ‘They’ll give you two years for this.’
‘Pity you scratched yourself,’ I said, shaking my head at her. ‘Rather a wasted effort. They won’t find your skin under my nails, and they always look.’
A car drew up outside with a squeal of brakes. Serena gave a wild, piercing scream and went staggering out on to the veranda.
I didn’t move.
Feet pounded up the garden path.
‘All right lady. We’re here,’ a man bawled.
Sergeant MacGraw loomed in the doorway, a snarl on his face and a gun in his hand.
‘One move and you get it!’ he bellowed, glaring at me.
‘Don’t be dramatic,’ I said, tapping ash on to the floor. ‘She’s kidding.’
‘Yeah? She looks like it. Stand up and put your hands up!’
I stood up and put
my hands up. He came in cautiously.
‘Well, well, a sex-maniac, huh? I always thought you were a screw.’
A uniform cop came in supporting Serena, who collapsed into a chair. Her scratches were bleeding now, and blood ran over her white brassiere and on to her dress. She looked the part all right.
‘Holy cow!’ MacGraw gasped. ‘It’s Mrs. Dedrick! Here you, put the cuffs on that punk.’
The cop came over and snapped handcuffs on my wrist. He gave me a light punch on the chest.
‘It’s going to be an awful long time before you see another woman, Bud,’ he said in an undertone.
MacGraw was fussing over Serena. She was crying and trembling. He got her a drink and stood over her, his heavy face red and embarrassed, and every so often he kept muttering. ‘Holy cow!’ and scratched his jaw.
‘Give me my wrap,’ she said suddenly. ‘I’m all right now. I came here to talk to him about my husband. Without warning he—he flew at me like an animal.’
‘No animal would fly at you, baby,’ I said gently. You’d be surprised how fussy animals are.’
MacGraw spun round and hit me across the mouth with the back of his hand.
‘Wait till I get you to the station,’ he snarled. I’ve been waiting years just for this moment.’
‘Enjoy yourself,’ I said. ‘It’s not going to last long.’
‘Do you feel like coming down to Headquarters, ma’am?’ MacGraw asked. ‘You needn’t if you don’t feel like it.’
‘Of course. I wish to see Captain Brandon. This man must be taught a lesson.’
‘He will,’ MacGraw said and showed his teeth. ‘Well, if you’re ready, ma’am, we’ll go.’
The cop grabbed me by the arm and shoved me to the door.
‘Bend your nightstick over his skull if he tries anything funny,’ MacGraw said.
The cop and I got in the back of the police car; Serena and MacGraw got in the front.
Paula’s small convertible flashed past us as we turned the bead into Orchid Boulevard.
V
Mifflin was going off duty as we all tramped into the charge-room. He had his hat and coat on, and was leaning up against the desk, giving the sergeant in charge his final instructions.
When he saw the handcuffs on my wrists, his eyes grew round. He looked from me to MacGraw.
‘What’s buzzing?’ he demanded. ‘What have you got this guy here for?’
MacGraw puffed himself out with righteous indignation.
‘Charge of rape, Lieutenant,’ he said. ‘This rat assaulted Mrs. Dedrick. I got there just in time.’
Mifflin’s face was a study. His eyes grew to the size of doorknobs.
‘Is that right, ma’am?’ he said, gaping at Serena. ‘You’re charging Malloy?’
‘Yes,’ she said curtly. ‘Where is Captain Brandon?’
‘He’s off duty tonight,’ Mifflin said, and there was a note of relief in his voice. ‘Get Mrs. Dedrick a chair.’
As she sat down, she let her wrap fall open and both Mifflin and the desk sergeant had a view of the damage. Mifflin sucked in his breath and looked at me in reproachful horror.
‘Did you do that?’ he demanded.
I said I didn’t do that
MacGraw swung his fist at me, but Mifflin, moving much faster than I expected a man of his size to move, shoved MacGraw away, sending him reeling.
‘Cut it out!’ he said sharply. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
MacGraw snarled at me.
‘I want to get this rat downstairs.’
‘Shut up!’ Mifflin said. He turned to Serena. ‘What happened?’
‘I went to talk to him about finding my husband,’ Serena told him, her voice level and hard. ‘I hadn’t been in his place more than five minutes, when he suddenly caught hold of me. There was a struggle. I managed to get to the ‘phone and call for help. Then he tore my dress and scratched me. Fortunately the officer arrived as he was overpowering me.’
Mifflin pushed his hat to the back of his head and mopped his forehead with his handkerchief. He looked stricken.
‘Don’t get worked up,’ I said smoothly. ‘She’s lying. I suggest we go somewhere private. She, you and me. This isn’t anything she’ll want the Press to get hold of.’
‘I want the Press in here!’ Serena said. ‘I intend to ruin him. I want the widest publicity possible. He’s to be charged and imprisoned and forced out of business!’
Paula came in at this moment, carrying a leather-bound box She was breathing quickly, and for the first time in her life she looked disheveled. Her hair was all over the place, the light overcoat she was wearing was wrongly buttoned up, and the legs of her trousers looked like twin concertinas.
‘I couldn’t get Francon,’ she said, trying to get her breath. ‘He wasn’t in. They haven’t charged you yet?’
MacGraw caught hold of her arm.
‘You’ve no right in here. Get out!’
‘Lay off!’ Mifflin said. ‘What do you want?’ he went on to Paula as MacGraw reluctantly released her.
Paula put the box on a nearby table, opened it to reveal the small gramophone on which was a record.
‘You may remember, Mrs. Dedrick,’ I said quietly, ‘that just before we had our interesting conversation I turned down a switch, telling you it was a telephone extension switch. Actually it set a recording machine into motion. When I entertain wealthy women alone and at night, I take care they don’t bring an assault charge against me.’
Serena looked as if she could kill me.
‘He’s lying!’ she said. ‘Charge him! What are you waiting for.’
‘Go ahead and play it,’ I said to Paula.
Paula set the turn-table spinning and lowered the needle on the record.
Everyone was transfixed when my voice came out of the box with a clearness that was almost painful.
When Serena’s voice said: You can name your price, she started out of her chair and made a dart at the gramophone but Paula blocked her off.
‘Stop it!’ Serena cried. ‘I don’t want to hear any more! Stop it!
I nodded to Paula, who lifted the needle.
‘Better let it run through, Mrs. Dedrick,’ Mifflin said gently. ‘Or are you withdrawing the charge?’
She drew herself up. She made quite a regal figure. For a couple of seconds she stared right at me, her eyes glittering dangerously, then she walked to the door, opened it and went out, leaving the door open.
No one moved or said anything until her footfalls died away down the stone passage.
‘Take the cuffs off,’ Mifflin said shortly.
MacGraw took them off, looking like a tiger who had lost its dinner.
‘Well, you certainly know how to take care of yourself,’ Mifflin said with unconcealed admiration. ‘That was quite a jam you were in.’
‘Yeah,’ I said, massaging my wrists. ‘Let’s go to your office. I want to talk to you.’ I looked over to Paula, who was closing the lid of the gramophone. ‘Nice, quick work. What did I do? Got you out of bed?*
‘You got me out of a bath,’ Paula said. ‘If you’re not going to get into any more trouble, I’d like to go back to it.’
‘Go ahead, and thanks, Paula. You saved me from the tigers,’ and I gave MacGraw a grin.
He walked out of the room, the back of his neck purple.
When Paula had gone, and Mifflin and I were seated in his overheated office, I said, ‘If this case breaks the way I think it could break, there’s going to be an awful stink in the Press, Tim.’
Mifflin groped hopelessly in his pocket for a cigarette, found none and raised eyebrows at me.
‘Gimme a butt. What do you mean—stink?’
I gave him a cigarette, lit one for myself.
The chances are Marshland’s behind the kidnapping: Ded-rick’s a reefer-smuggler, working in with Barratt. He looks after the Paris end of the business. It’s my bet Marshland found out about him and hired someone to get him out of the wa
y. That’s why Mrs. Dedrick wanted to buy me off.’
Mifflin looked startled. ‘Then where the hell’s Dedrick?’
‘That’s what I want to know. I have an idea Barratt could tell us. There’s a new character on the scene who knows as much about it as Barratt: a tall broad-shouldered fella who wears a fawn suit and a white felt hat’
‘We’re looking for him. So it was you who phoned in that tip?’
‘Yeah; I had a job to do, otherwise I would have hung around. Did you get the clue in the refuse bin?’
‘He stayed the night there, huh?’
‘Must have done.’
‘Well, we’re looking for him. What makes you think Marshland’s hooked up with the kidnapping?’
I told him what I had found out at the Beach Hotel.
‘According to Mrs. Dedrick, he’s skipped to Europe, but I don’t believe it.’
‘Maybe I’d better go up there and see if I can talk to him,’ Mifflin said.
‘Look, will you hold back until tomorrow afternoon? Suppose you got evidence that Barrett’s a reefer-smuggler. Think you could make him talk?’
Mifflin smiled grimly.
‘We could try.’
‘Know where I can get some reefers: about a couple of hundred of them?’
‘The Narcotic Squad would have some. Why?’
‘Let’s have them. Barratt’s not the only one who can plant evidence. You’ll get a tip some time tomorrow where you’ll find two hundred reefers in his room. You take him in, and bounce him around. He doesn’t look as if he’d stand a great deal of toughing up. I think he’ll squeal.’
Mifflin’s eyes widened.
‘I can’t do that! If Brandon found out…’
‘Who’s going to tell him?’
He stared at me, scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully, shook his head.
‘I don’t like it, Vic.’
‘Nor do I, but there’s no other way to swing it. Let’s have the stuff.’
‘Well, all right. We’re going to look pretty wet if he doesn’t talk.’
‘That’s up to you. Turn MacGraw loose on him. He’s feeling frustrated he didn’t get his hands on me.’
Mifflin went out of the room. He was away for about twenty minutes. He came back with a small wooden box.
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