Carolyn Banks - The New Black Mask (№6)

Abrams looks thoughtfully at David and says, “Hmmm, so that’s where the bonds came from?”

Dancer is watching Polly with hard, suspicious eyes. Nick, surprised, asks David, “Bonds?”

David nods slowly.

Abrams says to Polly, “This is no time to stop talking — go on, tell us more about this bond deal.”

Caspar comes forward importantly, saying to Polly “No, no, I think this is a very good time to stop talking at least until you’ve had some sort of legal advice—”

Polly says, “They know about it. Anyway, he does” (indicating David). “Besides, you’re Dancer’s and Lum’s mouthpiece, not mine. How do I know you won’t leave me holding the bag?”

Abrams looks pleased for the first time since he’s come into the room. He says to Polly, “Now just a minute — that’s fine!” He turns to Caspar and says, “So you aren’t her lawyer? Well, that’ll give us a little rest from your poppin’ off. You and your two clients are going outside and wait until we get through talking to the little lady—”

Caspar starts to protest, but Abrams nods to his detectives and two of them take Caspar, Lum Kee, and Dancer out. At the door, Dancer turns to warn Polly. “Don’t get yourself in any deeper than you have to.”

When the door is closed behind him, Abrams sits down with a sigh of relief and says, “It’s a lot better in here without them — especially that little shyster. Now maybe we can get somewhere!” He turns and sees that Nick, Nora, and David are huddled together whispering in a far corner of the room. David is telling Nick about Selma and the gun. Abrams says gloomily, “There it is again. If people got anything to say, why don’t they say it to me?”

The huddle breaks up, Nick saying “Just a little family gossip.”

Abrams says, “I’d even like to hear that.” He asks Polly, “Did you ever see Mr. Graham before?”

Polly says, “I saw him tonight, when we went to get the bonds.”

Abrams asks, “You and Robert Landis went to get them?”

Polly says, “Yes. He was waiting for us on the corner of ___ Street — and he gave them to Robert.”

Abrams asks, “And then what?”

Polly says, “And then nothing. We left him and Robert went home.”

Abrams asks, “And what did you do?”

Polly, after a moment’s hesitation, says, “I went with him.”

Abrams asks, “He took you home with him?”

Polly says, “Well, not in the house. I waited for him a block away — around the corner.”

Abrams asks, “And then what?”

Polly says, “I waited a long time and then I heard a shot — only I thought it might be an automobile backfire — it was foggy and I was too far away to see anything — and I didn’t know what to do — then after a while a policeman went past the doorway where I was standing — and a police car came — then I honestly didn’t know what had happened, but I thought I’d better get out of the neighborhood if I didn’t want to get in trouble — so I came back here—”

Abrams says, “Phooey!” and looks at Nick.

Nick says, “I think somebody ought to ask her where she was too far away from—”

Polly stammers, “From wherever it was it happened. If I hadn’t been too far away, I’d have known where it was, wouldn’t I?”

Nick says, “I give up.”

Abrams. “All right — we’ll come back to that later. So you were waiting for him? What were you going to do if he hadn’t been killed?”

Polly glances uneasily at the door through which Dancer went, then shrugs and says, “We were going away.”

Abrams. “Where to?”

Polly. “New York first, I suppose — then Europe, he said.”

Abrams (looking at her evening gown). “Dressed like that?”

Polly. “We were going to stop at my place for me to change.”

Abrams. “Dancer know you were going?”

Polly. “No.”

Abrams. “Think he found it out, and knocked Landis off?”

Polly, shaking her head quickly from side to side. “No!”

Abrams. “You’re supposed to be Dancer’s gal, aren’t you?”

Polly. “I work for him.”

Abrams. “That’s not what I asked you.”

Polly. “You’ve got it wrong — honest. He knew I was running around with Robert — ask anybody.”

Abrams. “How long?”

Polly. “A month — three weeks anyhow.”

Abrams. “Get much money out of Landis?”

Polly, hesitantly. “He gave me some.”

Abrams. “How much?”

Polly. “I don’t know exactly. I–I can tell you tomorrow, I guess.”

Abrams. “Did you split it with Dancer?”

Polly. “Why, no!”

Abrams. “Maybe you’re lying. Maybe Dancer found out you were going away where you could keep all the sugar to yourself — and he put a stopper to it.”

Polly. “That’s silly!”

Abrams. “Sure. And hanging up in the air with a hunk of rope around your neck is silly, too.”

After a little pause to let that sink in, he says, “Landis hadn’t been home for a couple of days. Was he with you?”

Polly. “Most of the time.”

Abrams. “Drunk?”

Polly. “Yes.”

Abrams. “In your apartment?”

Polly. “There and here.”

Abrams. “Anybody else with you in your apartment?”

Polly. “No.”

Abrams. “Let’s get back to the money. How much did you get out of him — roughly?”

Polly stares at the floor in silence.

Abrams. “As much as a grand or two? Or more?”

Polly, not looking up. “More.”

Abrams. “More than five grand?” Polly nods. “All right, kick through — about how much?”

Polly shrugs wearily, opens her bag, takes out a check and gives it to Abrams, saying “A couple hundred dollars besides that, I guess.”

Abrams looks at the check, then up at the girl and asks, “What’d he give you this for?”

Polly. “Well, I was chucking up a job and everything to go away with him, and I didn’t want to take chances on being stranded somewhere off in Europe.”

Abrams. “Looks like you didn’t, all right.” He beckons to the others, who come to look over his shoulders at the check. It is to the order of Polly Byrnes for $10,000 and is signed by Robert Landis. They look at one another in amazement.

Nick says, “Where do you suppose he got hold of that much?”

Abrams. “Why? Aren’t they rich?”

Nick. “The money is his wife’s, and she found out some time ago that she had to stop giving him too much at a time — just on account of things like this.”

Abrams. “Yeah? How about the signature?”

Nick. “Looks all right to me.”

David. “And to me.”

Abrams (as if thinking aloud). “But he don’t usually have this much money, huh?” He asks Polly, “Sure you didn’t take this to the bank today and find out it was no good?”

Polly. “I did not.”

Abrams. “That’s something we can check up. You know you’re not going to have any easy time collecting this — unless his wife’s as big a sap as he was.”

Polly. “Why? He gave it to me.”

Abrams. “Maybe. But his bank account’s automatically tied up now till the estate’s settled, and then I got an idea you’re going to have to do a fancy piece of suing — taking a drunk for his roll!”

Polly. “I’ll take my chances. Just the same, if his dying makes all that trouble, that shows we didn’t have anything to do with killing him, doesn’t it? Why wouldn’t we wait till after we’d cashed it?”

Abrams. “We, we, we! So Dancer was in on it! How about the Chinaman?”

Polly. “Nobody was in on it. There was nothing to be in on.”

Abrams. “Phooey!” He addresses the remaining detective. “Okay, Butch. Take her and her two playmates down to the Hall and let the district attorney’s office know you’ve got ’em there. We’ll be along in a little while.” He turns to Nick. “Or do you want to ask her something?”