Carolyn Banks - The New Black Mask (№6)

Polly says, earnestly, to Nick, “I honestly didn’t know, Mr. Charles. I never knew what his name was, except Pedro.”

Abrams asks, “What did you know about him besides that?”

Polly says, “Nothing. I’ve only lived there a couple of months and I never even seen him more than half a dozen times—”

Abrams asks Nick, “You believe her?”

Nick says, “I believe everybody. I’m a sucker.”

Abrams asks Polly, “Who do you think would kill Landis?”

She says, “I haven’t the faintest idea. Honest I haven’t.”

Nick says, “Miss Byrnes has a brother who carries a gun. Dancer was chucking him out when I came in. I hear he hung around for a while outside... Perhaps until just about the time that Polly and Landis left.”

When Nick says “Dancer was chucking him out,” Polly looks sharply at Dancer, but when Nick finishes his speech, Polly jumps up and comes over to him, saying earnestly “Phil didn’t have anything to do with it, Mr. Charles. He wouldn’t have any reason.”

Nick says, “I’m not accusing anybody. I’m just talking.” Then he tells Abrams, “Dancer says he threw him out because he was bothering Polly for money.”

Polly turns to Dancer, angrily exclaiming “That’s a lie! You had no right to—”

Little Caspar interrupts her, saying “Take it easy — take it easy. That’s the idea of this police clowning — to get you all at each other’s throats. Just answer any of their questions that you want to and don’t let ’em get under your skin.”

Abrams complains to Nick, “That’s the way it goes. I leave that little shyster stay in here because I got nothin’ to hide and he keeps buttin’ in. If he don’t stop it, I’m going to put them where he’ll need a court order to get to them.”

Caspar smiles and says, “Well, that’s never been much trouble so far.”

Abrams turns to Polly again, asking “Where is this brother of yours that didn’t kill anybody?”

Polly says, “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him today.”

Abrams asks, “Does he live with you?”

Polly says, “No. He lives in a hotel on Turk Street. I don’t know just where.”

Abrams says, “You don’t know much about anybody, do you?”

Polly says, “I honestly don’t know what hotel. Phil’s always moving.”

Abrams says, “What’s the matter — does he have to move every time he don’t kill somebody? What does he do for a living — besides not killing anybody?”

Polly says, “He’s a chauffeur, but he hasn’t been able to get much work lately.”

Abrams asks if anybody knows a Selma Young. Nobody does.

Abrams asks Nick, “What do you think of it now?”

Nick says, “My dear Lieutenant, you wouldn’t expect me to question a lady’s word.”

Abrams says, “It’s all right for you to kid. Nobody jumps on your neck if you don’t turn up a murderer every twenty minutes.” He sighs and, indicating Dancer and Lum Kee, asks, “Well, what about them?”

Nick says, “They seem to have disappeared not long after Polly and Landis went out. Then showed up again with their hats on around the time I heard about the murder.”

Abrams asks Dancer, “Well?”

Dancer says, “I went out to get some air. What city ordinance does that break?”

Lum Kee, who has continued to read all through the scene so far, puts down his book and says, “I went with him.”

Dancer tries not to show surprise.

Abrams says, “Yeah? Where’d you go for all this air?”

Lum Kee says, blandly, “Air pretty much same everywhere. We go in my car — ride around. Ask chauffeur.”

Nick says, “There was another little point: I told Dancer Landis had been killed, but he seemed to know that he’d been shot.”

Abrams asks Dancer, “How about that?”

Dancer says, disagreeably, “This is the twentieth century — in a big city. How do most people get killed — battle axes? I just took it for granted, like you would when you don’t know you’re on the witness stand.”

Abrams asks, “Have you got a gun?”

Dancer takes an automatic out of his pocket and gives it to Abrams. From a card case he takes a slip of paper and gives it to Abrams, saying “Here’s my permit.”

Abrams asks Lum Kee, “You?”

Lum Kee brings Abrams an automatic and a permit.

Caspar says, “If you’re going to take those, Lieutenant, we should like a receipt.”

Abrams complains to Nick, “I can’t stand that shyster.”

Nick. “I was beginning to suspect that.”

Abrams asks Polly, “Have you got a gun?”

Polly shakes her head no.

Abrams. “What’d you do with it?”

Polly. “I never had one.”

Abrams, wearily. “Nobody has anything, nobody knows anything. I don’t see why I don’t give up this racket and go farming.”

Dancer, to Caspar. “Everybody thought he did a long time ago.”

Abrams. “I’m laughing. Did you know this Pedro Dominges?”

Dancer. “No.”

Abrams looks at Lum Kee, who says, “No.”

Abrams stands up wearily, saying “Come on, we’re going down to the Hall of Justice.”

Caspar. “On what charge?”

Abrams, disgustedly. “Charge, me eye! Witnesses. You ask ’em questions — where were you when you were over there? — and you have a stenographer take it down. You ought to know. Your clients spend nine-tenths of their time doing it.” He looks at his watch, nods at the door through which the sound of music comes, says, “Or maybe for staying open after hours. Didn’t you ever tell ’em about the two-o’clock closing law?”

Caspar. “I’m going with ’em.”

Abrams. “And you can bring the wife and kiddies for all I care.”

The door opens and Nora and David come in accompanied by a detective. David and Polly look at one another with startled recognition, but neither says anything. Nora goes quickly over to Nick, who asks, “What are you up to now?”

Nora. “Have they found out who did it? Who did it, Nick?”

Nick. “Sh-h-h, I’m making Abrams guess.”

Abrams looks from David to the detective and asks, “Where’d you find him?”

Detective. “You told me to shadow anybody that left the Landis house. Well, Mrs. Charles did, and went over to his apartment, and I knew you wanted to talk to him, so as soon as I found out who it was, I went on up and got him. There’s something about a fellow on the fire escape, but they can tell you better than I can.”

Abrams looks questioningly at Nora, who says, “Yes, it was—” She looks at Polly, hesitates, says, “It was her brother.” Then to Dancer. “The one you threw down the stairs when we came in.”

Everybody looks expectantly at Polly, who seems dumbfounded. After a long moment she exclaims, “I don’t believe it!”

Nick says, “That’s certainly a swell answer.”

Abrams asks Nora, “What was he doing on the fire escape?”

Nora. “I don’t know. He went away as soon as we saw him, and by the time we could get the window open there was no sign of him. You know how foggy it is. And then this man came” — indicating the detective — “and by the time we could persuade him to do anything, it was too late.”

The detective, apologetically. “I reckon maybe I wasn’t up on my toes like I ought to’ve been, Lieutenant, but it sounded kind of screwy to me at first.” He addresses Nick, “I didn’t know she was your wife then.”

Nick. “You never can tell where you’re going to find one of my wives.”

The sound of music suddenly stops. Out in the restaurant, the customers, complaining about this unaccustomed early closing, are being shooed out.

Polly flares up, saying angrily “What are you picking on Phil for? What’s the matter with Robert’s wife killing him? He told me himself she was batty as a pet cuckoo and would blow up and gum the whole thing if she found out that this guy—” pointing at David “—was paying him to go away. Maybe she did find out about the bonds. What’s the matter with that?”