Part 29 (1/2)
”Lieutenant Adams came to see me tonight,” Sweeting said, trying to shrink even further back in the chair as she came closer, holding the gun not more than a foot from his flinching eyes. ”He's sure Johnny killed Fay Carson. I told him he was wrong. I told him Maurice Yarde probably killed her.”
Gilda stiffened.
”Why did you tell him that?”
”Yarde saw Fay Carson the night before last. They quarrelled. I heard him tell her he would cut her throat.”
”You told Adams that ?”
”Yes. I didn't want Johnny to get into trouble. I'm an old friend of his. I'm sure he wouldn't hurt Fay. I like to look after my friends.”
She stepped back, lowering the gun.
”Is that all?”
”Isn't it enough? If it hadn't been for me, the Lieutenant would still be thinking Johnny did it. I saved Johnny.”
”Do you imagine that was worth five hundred dollars?”
Sweeting licked his lips.
”That depends on you,” he said cautiously. ”Johnny's your brother. I saved his life.”
She looked at him in disgust.
”Are they still looking for him?”
”I don't know. I do know Adams is looking for Yarde. He has gone to the Was.h.i.+ngton Hotel. He thinks he'll find him there.”
To his relief she moved away from him.
”I thought you might be interested to know that Yarde is in town again,” he ventured. ”Or perhaps you know already?”
She looked at him, her eyes dark and mysterious.
”I didn't know and I'm not interested.” She opened a drawer in the desk, took out a packet of bills, from which she took four five-dollar bills. ”Here take them! That's all your information is worth to me. Now, get out!”
Sweeting got unsteadily to his feet and took the money with a shaking hand.
”You couldn't spare a little more?” he whined. ”I appreciate your kindness, but I am entirely without funds.”
”Get out!” she repeated.
As he moved to the front door with Leo slinking at his heels, the doorbell rang sharply.
Sweeting stopped in his tracks and looked swiftly at Gilda. She stared beyond him at the door.
”Come with me!” she said sharply, and again the gun came up, threatening him. ”Quickly!”
Terrified the gun might go off accidentally, Sweeting s.n.a.t.c.hed up Leo and dived through the door she had opened and into the pa.s.sage beyond.
”That takes you down to the street,” she said pointing to another door at the far end of the pa.s.sage. ”Get out and stay away from me!”
Sweeting scuttled down the pa.s.sage, opened the door as the frontdoor bell rang again. He glanced back over his shoulder. He wasn't too frightened to wonder who her late visitor could be. She waved impatiently at him.
As he opened the door he looked at the lock and saw it was the type he had handled before. He stepped into the pa.s.sage that led to the back stairs and shut the door sharply behind him.
He waited a moment or so, his ear against the door, then hearing the pa.s.sage door close, he felt quickly in his trousers pocket for a pick-lock, and inserted it into the keyhole. It took him only a few seconds to turn the lock, and opening the door a few inches, he cautiously peered into the pa.s.sage.
He looked back and signed to Leo to wait for him. Leaving the dog outside, Sweeting closed the door and went silently down the pa.s.sage. He paused outside the door that led into the sitting room and placed his ear against the panel.
III.
As...o...b..ien walked into the big sitting room he thought Gilda was tense and even a little frightened. He looked sharply at her.
”What's the matter, kid? Worried?”
”Of course I am,” Gilda said, a little impatiently. She sat down on the couch. ”Johnny's disappeared. Have you any news?”
”Yes; that's why I came over. He was waiting for me at the house when I got back.”
Gilda stared at him.
”At your place?”
”Yes. I was surprised to find him there.” O'Brien sat beside her. ”He made terms.”
”What do you mean?”
”He was quite frank. He told me he realized he was a nuisance. He is aware, too, that he could be suspected of Fay's murder. So he made me a proposition.”
Gilda continued to stare at him.
”What proposition?”
O'Brien laughed.
”Do I have to tell you? You know Johnny. His main interest is money. He suggested I should finance him and he'd go on a trip around Europe.”
”Did you?”