Carolyn Banks - The New Black Mask (№6)

Abrams turns to Nick and says, “Phooey! I won’t be more than a minute. I’m going to turn him over to the boys. I’m afraid to trust myself with him this morning — I’m liable to slap him around too much.” He and Dancer go back into the Hall of Justice.

Abrams returns almost immediately, gets into the car with Nick and Nora complaining “What stories these guys think up.” They drive off.

Interior Nick’s car. Nick, Nora, and Abrams are sitting together. Nora is nodding sleepily, her head keeps bobbing in front of Nick, interfering with his vision. Whenever Nick turns to speak to Abrams, her head falls back, concealing him.

Abrams. “Sure I believe David Graham — I guess, but how do I know he ought to have believed Mrs. Landis? Well, I’m going to talk to her today, if I have to lock up that lame nut doctor while I do it. On the level, Mr. Charles. What’s she doing with him around if she isn’t at least a little bit punchy?”

Nick. “I don’t think she is — just very nervous. You know how idle wives get — look at Mrs. Charles, for instance.”

Abrams looks at Nora, who by this time is sound asleep, her chin resting on her chest.

Nick goes on — “and then, living with Robert wasn’t doing her any good.”

Abrams. “You honestly don’t think she did it?”

Nick. “No.”

Abrams. “She had the best reason. Graham had paid him to go away and he was going away, so he didn’t have much reason — Dancer and the Chinaman and the Byrnes gal were taking him all right, but killing him made it tough for them on the check. Besides, why didn’t they grab the bonds and that jewelry of his wife’s that he had on him? And that goes for the Byrnes gal, even if she was double-crossing the others.”

Nick asks, “How about Phil — her brother?”

Abrams. “There’s no telling exactly until we get hold of him, but he figures to be out for the dough, too — so why don’t he grab the bonds? He don’t sound to me like a lad who would kill somebody just because he was running off with his sister.”

Nick. “Lots of stickups go wrong — perhaps he had to leave before he could get the stuff.”

Abrams. “You mean on account of Mrs. Landis running around the corner with a gun in her hand like she said she did? If he saw her, why didn’t she see him, and she didn’t say anything about that, did she?”

Nick. “Back in the office, you said Landis and Pedro were killed with bullets from the same gun. She doesn’t fit in very well with Pedro’s killing; but Polly lived in his house, which ties his killing up at least a little with her and the others.”

Abrams. “That’s right enough, and I guess there’s not much doubt that he was killed because he was on his way to tell you something. It’s a fair bet that that something he was going to tell you had to do with Robert Landis, but there’s something funny about that house that I want to show you. Maybe, if you’ve got a few minutes—”

Nick. “You don’t mean the goats in the hallway?”

Abrams, surprised. “What goats?”

Nick. “Never mind — but Mr. and Mrs. Charles aren’t going anywhere but home — to sleep. Think you’ll be able to fish Mrs. Landis’ gun up from where David threw it?”

Abrams. “I guess so. Anyway, the boys are down there working now.” He pauses. “—and when we get that, then we’ll know. It will only take a few minutes to go over to that apartment house.”

Nick. “Call me later. We’ve been on a train for three days and look what kind of a night we’ve had.”

Abrams. “All right — I could use a little sleep myself but I’ve got to talk to Mrs. Landis and got to stop at the bank and see about that check.”

Harold pulls over to the curb and Abrams gets out. Nora almost falls out after him as he withdraws his support. Abrams helps Nick put her back on the seat and placing her head on his shoulder, Nick nods goodbye to Abrams, who waves to him as they drive off.

Nick and Nora in their car going home. She is sleeping on his shoulder. With his free hand he unties his necktie and takes off his shirt. When he twists around a little to unbutton his collar, in back, Nora wakes up and asks, “What are you doing?”

Nick. “I’m getting as few clothes as possible between me and bed.”

Nora. “That’s cheating.” She begins to loosen her clothes. They arrive at the house. As they go up the front steps, Nora says, “Last one in bed is a sissy!” They run into the house pulling off clothes.

From the living room to meet them come Asta and the reporters that they left at the Hall of Justice, the reporters asking questions “Do the police suspect Mrs. Landis?” “What connections had Pedro Dominges with the Landis killing?” et cetera, et cetera.

Nick insists he knows nothing about it and has nothing to say as they go back into the living room, winding up with “I’m going to give you boys one drink apiece and then put you out.”

One of the reporters asks, “Well, answer another question for us and we won’t print it if you don’t want us to. Is it true that you actually didn’t retire as a detective but are working under cover?”

Nick, starting to pour drinks. “No, it’s not true, but don’t print it because I don’t want my wife’s relatives to know I’m living on her money.”

A stone with a piece of paper wrapped around it crashes through the glass of the window and knocks the bottle out of his hand. Asta joyfully grabs the stone, runs under a sofa with it, and starts to chew the paper off while Nick and the reporters scramble after him. By the time Nick recovers the stone with the paper, the note has been pretty well chewed up. He spreads it out, glances at it and puts it in his pocket before the reporters, who are crowding around him, can read it.

Nick. “Silly little woman. I told her to stop writing me.”

The reporters, failing to get anything else out of Nick, rush out to see if they can find out who threw the stone. Nick smooths the note out and he and Nora, patching it as well as they can where Asta’s teeth have tom it, read it. It is crudely printed.

MR. CHARLS PHIL BYRNES ALIAS RALPH WEST IS A EX CON AND WAS MARRIED TO POLLY IN TOPEKER THREE YERS AGO. HE LIVES AT THE MIL

The rest of the note has been chewed off by Asta.

Nick, indifferently. “Well, what are we supposed to do, send them an anniversary present?”

Nora. “Nick, phone Lieutenant Abrams!”

Nick. “And have him up here to keep us awake some more?”

Nora insists. “Phone him, Nick. Don’t you see, if Phil was her husband...”

Nick grumbles, “I guess you’re right,” and goes out of the room.

Nora plays with Asta for a minute or two and then goes to the door of the next room where the phone is. Not seeing Nick, she calls him. There is no answer. After a little hesitancy, she goes up to the bedroom. Nick, in pajamas, is asleep. On her pillow is a sign: SISSY.

Aunt Katherine at telephone at her home. Dr. Kammer is sitting in a chair nearby. She calls a number and asks, “Mr. Moody. This is Miss Forrest calling.”

Series of Short Shots. Printing press running off extras with enormous headlines: MEMBER OF PROMINENT FAMILY KILLED.

Editorial room of newspaper office — men being assigned to cover this story.

Then up to publisher’s office, where Peter Moody, a very dignified old man with a grave and courteous manner, is picking up the phone, saying “Yes, Katherine, how are you? I’m awfully sorry to hear about Robert’s death.”

Aunt Katherine. “Thank you, Peter. It’s terrible and that’s what I called you about. The police, it seems, are trying to make a great deal of mystery out of what must have been — it couldn’t have been anything else — simply an attempted holdup. I hope I can count on you to do your best to give the whole terrible affair no more publicity than is absolutely necessary.”