Part 19 (2/2)
”daer said sourly ”It would have been awfully funny if you'd found it stuck between your own ribs”
”I didn't figure she'd let Johnny find it,” chink said
”How do you know he found it?” Coffin Ed asked
”We haven't got tier said They removed the handcuffs from chink's wrists and ankles and booked him on suspicion of murder
Then they tried to contact the Mr Burns whoiven hiht clerk at the University Club said, in reply to their phone call, that Mr Burns was in Europe so the bell and hammered on the door No one answered They tried the service door Grave Digger listened with his ear to the panel
”Quiet as a grave,” he said
”So,” Coffin Ed said
They looked at one another
”If we go in without a search warrant it's going to be risky,” Grave Digger said ”If he's in there and he's already killed her, we're going to have to kill hi to her at all and they're both in there just keeping quiet and we break in, there's going to be hell to pay He's liable to get us busted down to harness”
”I just hate to have Johnny kill his woo to the chair on account of a rat-tail punk like chink,” Coffin Ed said ”For all we know she ot the knife from chink, her life ain't worth a daested
”If he is, he'd better disappear froo in the front way then,” Grave Digger said ”If Johnny's laying in there in the dark with his heater we'll have a better chance in that straight hall”
The door was frale-bars,it impossible to pry open, and it was secured by three separate Yale locks
It took Coffin Ed fifteen ot it open
They stood flanking the door with drawn revolvers while Grave Digger pushed it open with his foot No sound came from the dark tunnel of the hail
There was a chain-bolt on the door which, when f astened, kept it fro more than a crack, but it hadn't been fastened
”The chain's off,” Grave Digger said ”He's not here”
”Don't take any chances,” Coffin Ed warned
”What the hell! Johnnys no lunatic,” Grave Digger said, and walked into the dark hall ”It's er, and Ed Johnson, if you're in here, Johnny,” he said quietly, felt for the light switch and turned on the hail light
Their eyes went straight to a hasp and staple fitted to the outside of the master-bedroom door It was fastened with a heavy brass Yale padlock Coffin Ed closed the outside door, and they went down the hail and listened with their ears against the panel of the bedroom door The only sound froht disk jockey prograer said ”He wouldn't lock up a corpse”
”But he's got hold of so his top,” Coffin Ed replied
”Let's see what's in the rest of the house,” Grave Digger suggested
They started with the sitting room across the front and worked back to the kitchen None of the roolass fro-rooh,” Coffin Ed observed ”It could be he's beaten her up,” Grave Digger conceded
The two bedrooms were across the hall from the kitchen and were separated by the bathroom There, doors from each opened into the bathroo into the room Val had occupied was ajar, but the one to the er slipped the bolt and they went in
The shades were drawn and the roolow froht
Dulcy lay on her side with her knees drawn up and her hands between her legs She had kicked the covers off, and her nude sepia body had the dull sheen of reasy from sweat and saliva had drooled fro like a baby,” Grave Digger said
”A drunken baby,” Coffin Ed aer admitted
There was an empty brandy bottle on the carpet beside the bed and an overturned glass in the center of a wet stain
Coffin Ed crossed to the singleopening onto the inside fire escape and parted the drapes The heavy iron grille on the outside of the as padlocked
He turned and ca beauty knows she's been locked in?” he asked
”Hard to say,” Grave Digger adure it is Johnny's on to so, but he doesn't knohat,” Coffin Ed said ”He's out scouting about tiying to find Out so, and he's locked her up just in case he finds out the wrong thing”
”Do you think he knows about the knife?”
”If he does, he's out looking for chink, and that's for sure,” Coffin Ed said
”Let's see what she's got to say,” Grave Digger suggested, shaking her by the shoulder
She awakened and brushed at her face drunkenly
”Wake up, little sister,” Grave Digger said
”Go way,” she ot” Suddenly she giggled ”All but you-knohat Ain't never going to give you none of that, nigger That's all for Johnny”
Grave Digger and Coffin Ed looked at each other ”I don't figure this at all,” Grave Digger admitted ”Maybe we'd better take her in,” Coffin Ed ventured ”We could, but if it turns out later that we're wrong and Johnny hasn't got anything against her other than just being nor nor up your wo normally jealous?”