James Chase - He Won't Need It Now

“And money?”

“Suppose you put up some dough? It’s worth a lot to fix this mess, ain’t it?”

English walked to the door. “We’ll see about that,” he said. “Suppose you come down to headquarters and we’ll talk things over with the right man.”

Duffy looked at him hard. He shook his head. “You gotta fix that,” he said. “This is too important to me to risk a double-cross. I’d look a grand mug walking into headquarters, if you were losing your grip.”

English shrugged. “You have a strange way of expressing yourself,” he said. “But have it your own way. I’ll ring you.”

Duffy looked at the clock on the desk. It was just after eleven o’clock. “I’ll do the ringing. I’ll come through after one o’clock, I’ll expect to get moving right away by then.”

English nodded, then, as if a thought had struck him, he said, “Where’s Annabel now?”

Duffy shrugged. “The last time I saw her, she was telling a little nance to shoot me in the guts. You’ve got a grand daughter, ain’t you?”

Leaving English, Duffy picked up the Buick and drove slowly back to the Bronx. He left the car at the garage and then went to his room.

He sent the thin man out to get the newspapers. While he was waiting for them he mixed himself a strong Scotch and lit a cigarette. He let his mind wander as he sat there, but he kept coming back to Olga. He could see her lying naked with the dagger in her breast. He tried to think of other things, but his mind kept switching back to that picture.

He was glad when the thin man came in and dumped several tabloids on the table. Duffy gave him some small change. Then he went through the papers carefully. When he had finished them, he sat back and lit another cigarette. There was nothing in any of the papers about Gleason’s murder.

He got up, went to the telephone and dialled Annabel’s number. He sat for a minute or so listening to the buzz, and then hung up. Well, anyway, she had skipped all right.

Then he wandered about the room, thinking. He wondered if Morgan’s gang had wiped her out and got rid of both bodies. He thought that was an idea, but he couldn’t do anything about that for the moment.

Just before one o’clock, Gilroy came in with two other men. Gilroy said, “This is Shep,” to Duffy. Duffy looked at Shep and nodded. He thought Shep was an extraordinary-looking man. He had a very small head perched on a long neck, and the rest of his body was grossly fat. His head just didn’t fit his body. Duffy thought it looked like the maker of Shep had run out of the right size, and had just slapped on the first head that came to hand. Schultz was a tall, wiry bird, with a thick mop of black hair, that stood up like a wire brush.

Duffy said, “Sit down, boys, and have a drink.”

They sat down self-consciously, looked at the empty table and then at Duffy. The thin man put his head round the door and Duffy said, “Let’s have some Scotch.”

Gilroy stood by the window. He said, “I’ve put the general idea up. They’ll go for it okay.”

Shep said in a gritty voice, “Ain’t you the guy the cops are looking for?”

Duffy glanced at Gilroy, who nodded. Then he said, “That’s right, but not for long.” He got up and went over to the telephone and dialled. While he was waiting for the line to connect, the thin man came in with the drinks. Schultz reached out a bony hand and began to fix them.

Duffy said into the ’phone, “English?” then he said, “You fixed it yet?”

English said, “It wasn’t, easy, but you’re in the clear now. You gotta pin this rap on someone, but it’s not to be you know who.”.

Duffy grinned. “That’s okay. I only want a stiff or two, and that’s who’s done it.”

English grunted. “You’ve got to have your stiffs first,” he said.

“If you could see this outfit sitting right here, you wouldn’t worry about that. I want some dough, don’t I?”

English said, “If you run Morgan out and Annabel where I don’t have to see her again, you’re going to get plenty.”

“It’s got to be better than that. I want some on the nail.”

English was silent for a moment. “I’ll open an account for you at the National. You can draw up to five thousand dollars.”

Duffy said, “You do that,” and hung up.

Gilroy came over from the window and took a glass from Schultz. He said, “Let’s go.”

Duffy sat down. “English is covering me. He’s lifted the heat for the moment. He’ll back me for dough if we give him action. I guess we might start right away.”

Schultz said, “What’s my split?”

“Five grand each,” Duffy said, doing sums in his head.

Shep nodded. “I could use that,” he said.

“Your first job is to find Annabel English,” Duffy said, folding his arms and resting his elbows on the table. “That jane is dangerous, and she’s got to be put where she won’t be.”

Gilroy said, “Knock her off?” He said it with distaste.

Duffy shook his head. “I don’t want any killings I can fix her. She’s as crazy as a coon.”

Shep said, “We’ll find her, but the nut angle is not up our street.”

Duffy said, “You find her. I’ll do the rest.”

“Where do we start?”

“The last time I saw her, she was with Morgan’s mob. They will know what happened to her.”

Shep clambered to his feet. “That’s easy,” he said. “I know that gang. Leave it to me.”

Duffy waited until he had lumbered out, then he looked at Gilroy. “Give me the lowdown on Morgan?”

Gilroy said, “He’s running three clubs. He’s got offices on Transverse Avenue by the river. That’s where he does his business.”

“What business?”

“All his rackets. Calls the place the Morgan Navigation Trust Co. It’s his headquarters for vice, smuggling, getting girls over from Cuba, you know the whole works.”

Duffy went over to the book and turned up Morgan Navigation Co. He dialled and waited. Then he said, “Mr. Morgan there?”

A pert voice said, “What’s it about?”

Duffy said curtly, “I’ll ask him to tell you, if he wants you to know.”

She connected him. Before she plugged, he heard her say, “Some day these sharp punks will cut themselves with their own wit.”

Duffy grinned. Morgan’s voice came over. “Yes?”

Duffy said, “Listen, Morgan. Your mob let you down.”

Morgan said very evenly, “You had the breaks that time, Duffy, but watch out.”

“Gleason’s out of the bidding,” Duffy said, looking with blank eyes at the wall in front of him. “That little book’s going to cost you fifty grand.”

He heard Morgan draw his breath in, then he said, “My boys are collecting that free of charge. I’ve warned you. They’re coming gunning for you.”

Duffy said, “On second thoughts, I’ll turn the book over to the State.”

“I shouldn’t do that.” Morgan said it just a little too quickly. There was no punch in the threat.

“I’m turning it over, just the same. Then we’ll see what happens. I got twenty-five grand out of Gleason, so I should worry.”

“Wait.” Morgan raised his voice. “I’ll give you five grand.”

Duffy said, “Make it twenty-five, and it’s yours.”

“Okay,” Morgan’s voice was very soft. “You bring the book over, and I’ll have the money here.”

“I’m not that screwy,” Duffy said. “Turn it over in the open. I’ll be in the lobby of the Belmont Plaza at six o’clock tonight. We’ll make the exchange.”

There was a short pause, then Morgan said, “Okay,” and hung up.

Gilroy had been listening, his eyes on Duffy’s back. He said, “You’re going to have a sweet time bringing that dough home.”