按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
nd back。 〃Did he borrow from you？〃
〃You're a little old…fashioned； aren't you？〃 She looked down at the hand I was holding。
〃I'm still working。 And your Scotch is so good it keeps me half…sober。 Not that I'd have to be drunk…〃
〃Yes。〃 She drew her hand out of mine and rubbed it。 〃You must have quite a clutch…in your spare time。 Lin Marriott was a high…class blackmailer； of course。 That's obvious。 He lived on women。〃
〃He had something on you？〃
〃Should I tell you？〃
〃It probably wouldn't be wise。〃
She laughed。 〃I will； anyhow。 I got a little tight at his house once and passed out。 I seldom do。 He took some photos of me…with my clothes up to my neck。〃
〃The dirty dog；〃 I said。 〃Have you got any of them handy？〃
She slapped my wrist。 She said softly：
〃What's your name？〃
〃Phil。 What's yours？〃
〃Helen。 Kiss me。〃
She fell softly across my lap and I bent down over her face and began to browse on it。 She worked her eyelashes and made butterfly kisses on my cheeks。 When I got to her mouth it was half open and burning and her tongue was a darting snake between her teeth。
The door opened and Mr。 Grayle stepped quietly into the room。 I was holding her and didn't have a chance to let go。 I lifted my face and looked at him。 I felt as cold as Finnegan's feet； the day they buried him。
The blonde in my arms didn't move； didn't even close her lips。 She had a half…dreamy； half…sarcastic expression on her face。
Mr。 Grayle cleared his throat slightly and said： 〃I beg your pardon； I'm sure；〃 and went quietly out of the room。 There was an infinite sadness in his eyes。
I pushed her away and stood up and got my handkerchief out and mopped my face。
She lay as I had left her； half sideways along the davenport； the skin showing in a generous sweep above one stocking。
〃Who was that？〃 she asked thickly。
〃Mr。 Grayle。〃
〃Forget him。〃
I went away from her and sat down in the chair I had sat in when I first came into the room。
After a moment she straightened herself out and sat up and looked at me steadily。
〃It's all right。 He understands。 What the hell can he expect？〃
〃I guess he knows。〃
〃Well； I tell you it's all right。 Isn't that enough？ He's a sick man。 What the hell…〃
〃Don't go shrill on me。 I don't like shrill women。〃
She opened a bag lying beside her and took out a small handkerchief and wiped her lips； then looked at her face in a mirror。 〃I guess you're right；〃 she said。 〃Just too much Scotch。 Tonight at the Belvedere Club。 Ten o'clock。〃 She wasn't looking at me。 Her breath was fast。
〃Is that a good place？〃
〃Laird Brunette owns it I know him pretty well。〃
〃Right；〃 I said。 I was still cold。 I felt nasty； as if I had picked a poor man's pocket。
She got a lipstick out and touched her lips very lightly and then looked at me along her eyes。 She tossed the mirror。 I caught it and looked at my face。 I worked at it with my handkerchief and stood up to give her back the mirror。
She was leaning back； showing all her throat； looking at me lazily down her eyes。
〃What's the matter？〃
〃Nothing。 Ten o'clock at the Belvedere Club。 Don't be too magnificent。 All I have is a dinner suit。 In the bar？〃
She nodded； her eyes still lazy。
I went across the room and out； without looking back。 The footman met me in the hall and gave me my hat； looking like the Great Stone Face。
19
I walked down the curving driveway and lost myself in the shadow of the tall trimmed hedges and came to the gates。 Another man was holding the fort now； a husky in plainclothes； an obvious bodyguard。 He let me out with a nod。
A horn tooted。 Miss Riordan's coupe was drawn up behind my car。 I went over there and looked in at her。 She looked cool and sarcastic。
She sat there with her hands on the wheel； gloved and slim。 She smiled。
〃I waited。 I suppose it was none of my business。 What did you think of her？〃
〃I bet she snaps a mean garter。〃
〃Do you always have to say things like that？〃 She flushed bitterly。 〃Sometimes I hate men。 Old men； young men； football players； opera tenors； smart millionaires； beautiful men who are gigolos and almost…heels who are…private detectives。〃
I grinned at her sadly。 〃I know I talk too smart。 It's in the air nowadays。 Who told you he was a gigolo？〃
〃Who？〃
〃Don't be obtuse。 Marriott。〃
〃Oh； it was a cinch guess。 I'm sorry。 I don't mean to be nasty。 I guess you can snap her garter any time you want to； without much of a struggle。 But there's one thing you can be sure of…you're a late er to the show。〃
The wide curving street dozed peacefully in the sun。 A beautifully painted panel truck slid noiselessly to a stop before a house across the street； then backed a little and went up the driveway to a side entrance。 On the side of the panel truck was painted the legend。 〃Bay City Infant Service。〃
Anne Riordan leaned towards me； her gray…blue eyes hurt and clouded。 Her slightly too long upper lip pouted and then pressed back against her teeth。 She made a sharp little sound with her breath。
〃Probably you'd like me to mind my own business； is that it？ And not have ideas you don't have first。 I thought I was helping a little。〃
〃I don't need any help。 The police don't want any from me。 There's nothing I can do for Mrs。 Grayle。 She has a yarn about a beer parlor where a car started from and followed them； but what does that amount to？ It was a crummy dive on Santa Monica。 This was a high…class mob。 There was somebody in it that could even tell Fei Tsui jade when he saw it。〃
〃If he wasn't tipped off。〃
〃There's that too；〃 I said； and fumbled a cigarette out of a package。 〃Either way there's nothing for me in it。〃
〃Not even about psychics？〃
I stared rather blankly。 〃Psychics？〃
〃My God；〃 she said softly。 〃And I thought you were a detective。〃
〃There's a hush on part of this；〃 I said。 〃I've got to watch my step。 This Grayle packs a lot of dough in his pants。 And law is where you buy it in this town。 Look at the funny way the cops are acting。 No build…up； no newspaper handout； no chance for the innocent stranger to step in with the trifling clue that turns out to be all important。 Nothing but silence and warnings to me to lay off。 I don't like it at all。〃
〃You got most of the lipstick off；〃 Anne Riordan said。 〃I mentioned psychics。 Well； good…by。 It was nice to know you…in a way。〃
She pressed her starter button and jammed her gears in and was gone in a swirl of dust。
I watched her go。 When she was gone I looked across the street。 The man from the panel truck that said Bay City Infant Service came out of the side door of the house dressed in a uniform so white and stiff and gleaming that it made me feel clean just to look at it。 He was carrying a carton of some sort。 He got into his panel truck and drove away。
I figured he had just changed a diaper。
I got into my own car and looked at my watch before starting up。 It was almost five。
The Scotch； as good enough Scotch will； stayed with me all the way back to Hollywood。 I took the red lights as they came。
〃There's a nice little girl；〃 I told myself out loud； in the car； 〃for a guy that's interested in a nice little girl。〃 Nobody said anything。 〃But I'm not；〃 I said。 Nobody said anything to that either。 〃Ten o'clock at