Part 40 (1/2)
”Cordelia,” I called as I entered. ”Cordelia,” I yelled again.
Something touched my temple. Something cold and metal. The barrel of a gun.
How comforting to know I was right after all.
Goon boy the third quickly patted me down and found my gun, then motioned me in front of him. He grunted directions at me and pointed me toward the ugly parlor where I had given Ignatious Holloway the film.
Alphonse Korby was there, sitting as if he already owned the plantation, along with my old friend Milo, and a.s.sorted goons and thugs.
Off in one corner, looking pale and drawn, was Cordelia. Th.o.r.eau was sitting next to her.
* 259 *
”Miss Knight,” Korby said. ”How nice of you to visit us. It saves us the time and expense of having to find you.”
”Anything to oblige a faithful family friend and respected businessman like yourself,” I replied. ”Not to mention anti-drug campaigner.”
”Don't push your luck, Miss Knight,” he responded, evidently not liking my greeting.
”Why? Will I get two bullets instead of one?”
”Micky, oh, Micky,” Cordelia said, shaking her head. ”Why are you here?” But she knew why I was here.
”I was actually headed for Biloxi but I took a wrong turn.”
”You ain't going to be laughing very long,” Milo opined.
”You two know each other?” said a man who had had his back to me when I entered. He indicated Cordelia and me.
”We've met,” I replied coolly, not wanting to give anything away.
I looked at him, that handsome smiling face. ”Raul Lafitte, police informant. How much do you get paid to be a murderer?” I taunted him.
He jerked up. ”Keep talking, Micky” he replied, his smile back in place. ”It's too late to do you any good.”
”Maybe. You're not as clever as you think. I've had you figured for a while now.” I was lying.
”How?” he demanded.
”Women's intuition,” I answered.
”Miss Knight,” Korby said, ”I would be interested in that information. Please tell us how you know Mr. Lafitte's ident.i.ty.”
”Lucky guess.”
”Milo, I am in no mood for Miss Knight's jocularity. Convince her to answer the question.” Korby had the emotional responses of a lizard.
His heavy-lidded eyes seemed to never blink.
Milo grinned. He motioned for two of the goon squad to grab my arms.
”No,” Cordelia protested, standing up. ”Don't hit her.”
”Beating helpless women.” Th.o.r.eau backed her up.
”This babe ain't helpless,” Milo commented, still grinning.
”Frankie Fitzsimmons told me,” I answered. ”Just before he died.
You know, like in all those old movies.” I was stalling to buy time, not out of any desire to get my face beaten in.
* 260 *
”I see you're going to be a good girl,” Korby said. ”Now, tell us who you pa.s.sed that information on to.”
I pretended to think for a minute.
”Everyone,” I answered. ”People I pa.s.sed on the street. The deli lady. At least three different winos...”
”Milo,” Korby interjected, ”it's late.”
”...and everybody I know on the police force and at the D.A.'s office.”
”Names, please,” Korby asked.
”They'll be here soon. You can meet them,” I said, hoping it was true.
”Joanne Ranson, Hutch Mackenzie, at best,” Lafitte supplied. ”It didn't get beyond them. I had Ranson's line bugged. She's a lesbian, isn't she?” he asked with a salacious expression.
”Joanne?” I didn't want to play his game. ”I've been trying to get her in bed for years, but there have always been too many men around for me to even get a chance. How many times did she turn you down?”
”The D.A.'s office, Miss Knight? Please explain,” Korby asked, evidently not interested in Joanne's s.e.x life. Lafitte had obviously propositioned her and she had just said no.
”A bluff,” I replied. I was not going to give away Danny.
”That's not a satisfactory answer, I'm afraid. Milo, jog Miss Knight's memory.”
”I always forget things when I get punched. Particularly names,” I quickly told him. I guess he didn't believe me.
Milo hit me in the stomach, hard enough to double me over. I had tightened my stomach muscles, like you're supposed to, but it didn't seem to help much. In karate we would occasionally have cla.s.ses in which you would stand still and let another person hit you. The idea was to find out what it felt like to be hit and to learn that you could take a punch.
Milo belted me again in the stomach.
No one in karate had ever hit as hard as he did. The blow staggered me. I would have fallen if the two thugs weren't holding my arms.
”No! Stop it! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Cordelia yelled.
She jumped between me and Milo. One of the nameless goons grabbed her arm to pull her away, but she wrenched free from him.
* 261 *