Part 10 (2/2)
”Okay?” Eddie asked.
”She's coming. She'll be here in half an hour.”
”Thanks, Pete. I'll tell Ma. She won't forget you.”
”I'd rather she did forget me,” Pete said uneasily. ”And listen, Eddie, no rough stuff with Anna.”
”Relax. I just want a brotherly talk with her.” Eddie grinned. ”Suppose you take a walk and leave me here. Come back in an hour.”
Pete shrugged his shoulders.
”Well, it's time I had lunch. I guess I'd better have it.”
”And Pete,” Eddie said. ”You got a gun?”
”What do you want a gun for?” Pete asked startled.
”Come on, come on! Don't talk so much. Have you got a gun?”
”In the top left hand drawer,” Pete said.
”Okay. You take off.”
When Pete had gone, Eddie went around and sat behind the desk. He opened the drawer and took out a .38 which he laid on the desk. He didn't intend to take any chances with a girl who carried a gun for Riley. Gun-girls had lots of nerve, and besides, he was pretty sure Anna had knocked Heinie off.
After a wait of thirty minutes, he heard the click of high heels coming down the pa.s.sage. He put his hand on the gun.
The door swung open and Anna walked in. She was wearing a pale green summer dress and a big straw hat. Eddie thought she looked terrific.
She was halfway across the room before she saw him. She had swung the door to as she had entered. She stopped short, the color leaving her face. Her eyes went to the gun on the desk.
”h.e.l.lo, baby,” Eddie said. ”Come on in. Keep your pants on. This is a friendly meeting, but let's have your handbag. Pa.s.s it over.”
She hesitated, then tossed her handbag on the desk. Eddie scooped it into a drawer. He put the gun in the drawer beside the bag.
”I don't have to introduce myself, do I?” he said.
She had recovered from the shock of seeing him. The color came back to her face. She moved to a chair and sat down. She crossed her legs, showing him her knees before adjusting her skirt.
”I know who you are,” she said.
He took out a pack of cigarettes, got up and offered her a cigarette. She took it and he lit it. He sat on the edge of the desk close to her.
”What was the idea handing me your address and then yelling for the cops, baby?” he asked. ”You nearly had me in trouble.”
She let smoke drift down her nostrils. She didn't say anything.
”Don't act sullen, baby. You and me could get along fine together,” he said.
”Could we?” Her blue eyes were cold. ”Where's Frankie?”
”What makes you think I know where Frankie is?”
”You and Flynn met Frankie the night he disappeared. You met him at the filling station outside La Cygne. The boy there is a friend of mine. He called me. He said you and Flynn had guns. The next day, the boy was found shot through the head. Where's Frankie?”
Eddie was a little startled by this information. He saw now Ma had been smart to have thought of getting rid of the boy.
”I don't know, baby,” he said. ”I guess he's holed up some place. You should know more about him than I do.” Anna continued to stare coldly at him. ”What did you want to pull a gun on Frankie for?” she asked.
”Bailey was jumpy,” Eddie said. ”I didn't pull a gun, it was Flynn. There was nothing to it. He had the Blandish girl with him. I was a dope not to recognize her. If I had recognized her, I'd've taken her from Frankie, but I didn't. I've been kicking myself ever since. He told me she was a new girl friend and I fell for it. I let him drive away.”
Two spots of red showed on Anna's cheeks and her eyes flashed angrily.
”I don't believe Frankie would walk out on me,” she said. ”I think something's happened to him and you know what it is.”
”You're wrong, baby,” Eddie said. ”I'm just as much in the dark as you are, but I've got a few ideas.”
”What ideas?”
”Forget it,” he said, shaking his head. ”Why rake over dirt? I know what the boys are saying, but they could be wrong.”
”What are the boys saying?” Anna demanded, her eyes glittering.
”They say Riley's walked out on you. He's fallen for this Blandish girl.”
Anna jumped to her feet.
”That's a lie! Frankie loves me! I know it's a lie.”
”Sure, sure,” Eddie said. ”It could be, but where is he? Why hasn't he contacted you? When he lays his hands on the ransom, is he going to give you any of it? Doesn't look like it, does it?”
She began to move around the office. He could see he had undermined her confidence in Riley.
”That Blandish girl's a beauty,” he went on. ”You know it could be that Riley has ideas about her. You'd only be in the way if you were with him. I'm not so sure the boys are wrong about you and Riley. I guess he's taken you for a ride.”
She confronted him.
”Shut up!” she shrilled. ”Frankie wouldn't do a thing like that to me!”
”They all say that,” Eddie said and moved over to look out of the window. He could see he had said enough. After a moment or so, she came over and stood by him.
”What am I going to do?” she said. ”I haven't a dime.”
”I'll lend you some money,” Eddie said. ”I like you, baby. How much do you want?”
”I wouldn't take money from you!”
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