Part 22 (1/2)
Fenner went over to her.
”He isn't a pretty sight, is he? The Grisson gang did that to him. We found the three of them: Riley, Bailey and Old Sam. It's a sweet setup for Ma Grisson, and what a laugh Eddie must have had when you believed Riley had walked out on you. Riley got the blame for everything and all the time he was dead and buried. Did you get any of the ransom money? I bet you didn't. All you got was a cheap strip job at the club and a tumble from Eddie. Well, here's your chance to even the score. How about it, baby?”
”Get away from me!” Anna screamed at him. ”I don't know nothing about nothing!”
”Get smart,” Fenner said. ”You're in the clear now; keep in the clear. You cooperate with us, and we'll cooperate with you. Now listen, we want to know if the girl's in the club. We think she is, but we've got to know for certain. She's in the locked room upstairs, isn't she?”
White-faced and shaking, Anna glared at him.
”Find out for yourself!”
”Put yourself in that girl's place!” Brennan said, leaning across his desk. ”How would you like to be shut up with a moron like Grisson? Come on, Anna, if you know anything, spill it. There's a fifteen grand reward, and I'll see you get it.”
”Oh, drop dead!” Anna said viciously. ”I've never squealed to a copper and I'm not starting now!”
Fenner said, ”Can I talk to this baby alone for five minutes?”
Brennan hesitated, then he got to his feet. Time was pressing. He went out of the room, jerking his head at the two detectives who followed him out.
Anna faced Fenner.
”You're wasting your breath,” she said. ”I've got nothing to tell you.”
”I think you have,” Fenner said. ”Anyway, I've something to tell you. I've been checking up on you. Brennan doesn't know you had a room at the Palace Hotel on the night Alvin Heinie was shot to death. He doesn't know you own a .25 automatic, but he does know Heinie was shot with a .25. It wouldn't take him long to put two and two together and slap a murder charge on you if I told him what I'm telling you. You had the motive, the opportunity and the gun. You cooperate with me and I'll keep my mouth shut, otherwise I'm going to tip Brennan off that you were at the hotel that night and then he'll really work you over.”
Anna's eyes s.h.i.+fted.
”How about it?” Fenner asked. ”We're wasting time. Is the Blandish girl in the club?”
Anna hesitated, then she said, ”I don't know, but there is a girl in that room. I've never seen her. I don't know if she's the girl or not.”
Fenner went to the door and called Brennan in.
”She's had a change of mind,” he said. ”She knows there is a girl in the locked room, but she hasn't seen her.”
”How do you know there's a girl there if you haven't seen her?” Brennan demanded.
”I've heard the boys talk,” Anna said sullenly. ”I've seen Ma go up there with stuff from the laundry. I've seen Slim go in there with packages from women's stores.”
”Now start using your brains,” Brennan said. ”How do we bust in there and get to the girl before she gets hurt?”
Anna shrugged.
”Search me. I'm not running your stinking police force. That's your job.”
”When the club's open, what are the chances of rus.h.i.+ng the place?” Fenner asked.
”Not a chance. They've really got that end organized. Every member is known. Until they identify themselves, the door's not opened.”
”Is there any other way in?”
”I don't know of one.”
Brennan and Fenner exchanged glances. Fenner shrugged.
”Okay,” Brennan said. He went to the door and called the wardress. ”Take her to Doyle's office and sit with her.”
”Hey!” Anna exclaimed, jumping to her feet. ”You're not keeping me here! Now listen...”
”You're staying here until we get die girl,” Brennan said. ”Take her away.”
Protesting loudly, Anna was pushed out of the room. When her yells had died away down the pa.s.sage, Brennan said. ”She's told us exactly nothing.”
”Except there is a girl in the locked room,” Fenner said, ”and it can't be anyone else but the Blandish girl, but how do we get her out?”
”If we're going to bust in there,” Brennan said, ”we've got to make sure none of the club members are there. The first move is to cordon off the joint and stop anyone going in. The club opens around ten o'clock,” He looked at his watch. ”It's not yet eight. If we could pick up one of the Grisson gang, we might be able to persuade him to talk. There may be another way into the club besides through that steel door.” He picked up the telephone receiver. ”That you, Doyle? I want one of the Grisson gang, and I want him fast. No, I don't care who it is. Get them all if you can, but I want at least one in a hurry. Okay.” He hung up. ”If any of those rats are floating around town, we'll have them. There's not much else we can do now except wait.”
”We should tell Blandish what's cooking,” Fenner said. ”After all, she's his daughter.”
Brennan hesitated, then nodded. He waved to the telephone.
”Okay: go ahead and tell him,” he said.
7.
Eddie Schultz discovered he wasn't as tough as he imagined he was. Although the movie he was watching had plenty of action, it didn't hold his interest.
He kept thinking of Miss Blandish. She would be dead by now, he told himself. What would Ma do with the girl's body? He guessed that would be a lousy job for him and Flynn to handle. How would Slim react? Eddie thought he wouldn't be in Ma's shoes for any money.
Suddenly he couldn't stand the darkness of the movie house any longer. He got up and pus.h.i.+ng his way roughly past the three people between him and the aisle, he walked to the exit. The time was three minutes past eight. He needed a drink. Crossing the street, he went into a bar, ordered a double Scotch, then went over to a telephone booth and called his apartment. He would tell Anna to join him at the bar, and they would have an early dinner together. He didn't feel like sharing his own company any longer.
He was irritated when he got no answer. It was unusual for Anna to leave the apartment before nine. Where had she got to? He went back to the bar, tossed off the drink, paid for it and left the bar. He decided he'd drive over to his apartment. Maybe Anna had slipped out for a moment and would be back.
He reached his apartment, parked his car and entered the apartment lobby.
The janitor, a heavily built Negro, was sitting in his office, reading the racing sheet.
”Hi, Curly,” Eddie said, pausing, ”did you see Miss Borg go out?”
The janitor lowered his newspaper.
”Sure did, Mr. Schultz. She went out ten minutes after you did.” He squinted at Eddie curiously. ”She had a suitcase with her.”
Eddie frowned.
”Okay, Curly.” He crossed to the elevator and rode up to his apartment, unlocked the door and entered. He went into the bedroom. The closet doors stood wide open. He saw at a glance most of Anna's clothes were missing.