Part 17 (1/2)

”Yes, Hazel.”

Spade Jones shooed us all home, me, Hazel, the two waiters, the other barman, and Jack Joy. I think he was tempted to hold Jack simply because he wouldn't talk but he compromised by telling him that if he stuck his head outside his hotel, he would find a nice policeman ready to take him down to a nice cell. He tipped me a wink and put a finger on his lips as he said good night to me.

But I didn't keep quiet. Hazel let me take her home readily enough. When I saw that she lived alone in a single apartment in a building without a doorman, I decided it called for an all night vigil and some explaining.

She stepped into the kitchenette and mixed me a drink. ”One drink and out you go, Ed,” she called to me. ”You've been very sweet and I want to see you again and thank you, but tonight this girl goes to bed.

I'm whipped.”

”I'm staying all night,” I announced firmly.

She came out with a drink in her hand and looked at me, both annoyed and a little puzzled. ”Ed,” she said, ”aren't you working just a bit too fast? I didn't think you were that clumsy.”

”Calm yourself, beautiful,” I told her. ”It's not necessarily a proposition. I'm going to watch over you.

Somebody is trying to kill you.”

She dropped the drink.

I helped her clean it up and explained the situation. ”Somebody stabbed a girl in a dark room,” I finished. ”That somebody thought it was you. He knows better by now and he will be looking for a chance to finish the job. What you and I have got to figure out is: Wd wants to kill you?”

She sat down and started to manhandle a handk chief. ”n.o.body wants to kill me, Eddie. It was I telle.”

”No, it wasn't.”

”But it couldn't have been me. I know.”

”What do you know?”

”I- Oh, it's impossible. Stay all night if you wa to. You can sleep on the couch.” She got up and pull the bed down out of the wall, went in the bath, cbs the door, and splashed around for a while. ”That ba is too small to dress and undress in,” she stated flat ”Anyhow I sleep raw. If you want to get undressed y won't scare me.”

I said. ”I'll take my coat and tie and shc

”Suit yourself.” Her voice was a little bit smother as she was already wiggling her dress over her hea She wore pants, whether Estelle ever did or notplain, white knit that looked clean and neat. She c not wear a bra.s.siere and did not need to. The concc tion I had gotten of her figure in the Magic Mirror '~ entirely justified. She was simply the most magn~ cently beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. street clothes she was a beautiful, well-built wom~ in her skin-wars have started over less.

I was beginning to doubt my ability to stay on t couch. I must have showed it, for she snorted, ”Wi the drool off your chin!” and stepped out of Ipants.

'Scuse, please,” I answered and started unlaci my shoes. She stepped over and switched off the ligI then went over to the one big window and raised t shade. It was closed but, with the light out, you coi see outside easily. ”Stand back from that window, said. ”You're too good a target.”

”Huh? Oh, very well.” She backed up a few steps ic continued to stare thoughtfully out the window. I stared thoughtfully at her. There w~as a big neon sign across the street and the colored lights, pouring in the window, covered her from head to foot with a rosy liquid glow. She looked like something out of a dream of fairyland.

Presently I wasn't thinking how she looked; I was thinking about another room, where a girl had lain murdered, with the lights of a night club s.h.i.+ning through a pane of gla.s.s, s.h.i.+ning through like this neon.

My thoughts rearranged themselves rapidly and very painfully. I added them up a second time and still got the same answer. I did not like the answer. I was glad, d.a.m.n glad, she was bare naked, with no way to conceal a gun, or a knife, or any other sort of deadly weapon. ”Hazel,” I said softly.

She turned to me. ”Yes, Eddie?”

”I've just had a new idea .. . why should anyone want to kill you?”

”You said that before. There isn't any.reason.”

”I know. You're right; there isn't any. But put it this way-why should you want to kill Estelle?”

I thought she was going to faint again, but I didn't care-I wanted to shock her. Her lusciousness meant nothing to me now but a trap that had confused my thoughts. I had not wanted to think her guilty, so I had disregarded the fact that of all the persons involved she was the only one with the necessary opportunity, the knowledge of the swapped shows, and at least some motive. She had made it plain that she detested Estelle. She had covered it up but it was still evident.

But most important of all, the little stage had not been dark! True, it looked dark-from the outside.

You can't see through gla.s.s when all the light comes from one side and you are on that same side-but light pa.s.ses through the gla.s.s just the same. The neon on the street illuminated this room we were in fairly brightly; the brilliant lights of Jack's bar illuminat the little stage even when the stage floodlights we: out.

She knew that. She knew it because she had been there many times, getting ready to pose for the suc ers. Therefore she knew that it was not a case of mi taken ident.i.ty in the dark-there was no dark! And would have to be nearly pitch black for anyone to mi take Hazel's blue-black mane for Estelle's peroxid mop.

She knew-why hadn't she said so? She was lettir me stay all night, not wanting me around but riskii her reputation and more, because I had propound the wrong-girl-in-the-dark theory. She knew it wou not hold water; why had she not said so?

”Eddie, have you gone crazy?” Her voice was frigF ened.

”No-gone sane. I'll tell you how you did it, n beautiful darling. You both were there-you admitt that.

Estelle got in her pose, and asked you to pun the buzzer. You did-but first you grabbed the kni and slid it in her ribs. You wiped the handle, look around, punched the buzzer, and lammed. About t seconds later you were slipping your arm in mir Me-your alibi!”

”It had to be you,” I went on, ”for no one else wou have had the guts to commit murder with nothing b gla.s.s between him and an audience. The stage w lighted-from the outside. You knew that, but it didi worry you. You were used to parading around nak4 in front of that gla.s.s, certain you could not be se~ while the house lights were on! No one else would ha dared!”

She looked at me as if she could not believe her ea and her chin began to quiver. Then she squatted do~ on the floor and burst into tears. Real tears-tb dripped. It was my cue to go soft, but I did not. I dor like killing.

I stood over her. ”Why did you kill her? Why did you kill her?”

”Get out of here.”

”Not likely. I'm going to see you fry, my big-busted angel.” I headed for the telephone, keeping my eyes on her. I did not dare turn my back, even naked as she was.

She made a break, but it was not for me; it was for the door. How far she thought she could get in the buff I don't know.

I tripped her and fell on her. She was a big armful and ready to bite and claw, but I got a hammer lock on one arm and twisted it. ”Be good,” I warned her, ”or I'll break it.”

She lay still and I began to be aware that she was not only an armful but a very female armful. I ignored it. ”Let me go, Eddie,” she said in a tense whisper, ”or I'll scream rape and get the cops in.”

”Go right ahead, gorgeous,” I told her. ”The cops are just what I want, and quick.”

”Eddie, Eddie, listen to reason-I didn't kill her, but I know who did.”

”Huh? Who?”

”I know.. . I do know-but he couldn't have. That's why I haven't said anything.”

”Tell me.”

She didn't answer at once; I twisted her arm. ”Tell me!

”Oh! It was Jack.”