Джеймс Чейз - You’re Lonely When You’re Dead

‘She quit when Thayler quit?’

‘Oh, no. She quit before that: when Thayler started to make passes at Anita Gay. That put the skids on his act. He couldn’t find another girl with, the right kind of nerve. He wanted Anita to take Gail’s place, but she wouldn’t touch it; I didn’t blame her either.’

‘Were Gail Bolus and Thayler anything to each other?’

‘I guess so. A mixed act usually gets around to sleeping together sooner or later. They were no exception. But she wouldn’t stand for him and Anita getting together, and she told him so. They quarrelled and she walked out on him.’

‘She quit about six months ago?’

Nedick said, yes, it would be about six months ago.

‘What happened to her?’

‘We lost sight of her. She didn’t register with any agent. She hadn’t any particular talent except to stand still and let Thayler shoot at her. I guess she quit show business.’

‘You never ran into a guy named Caesar Mills?’

He explored his memory, finally shook his head.

‘It’s not a name I recall.’

‘Would you know anything about Louis?’

He stroked his moustache and let out a half-hearted chuckle.

‘You certifiably believe in getting value for your money, don’t you, young man? I can’t sit around all day talking to you. I have a business to look after.’

‘You leave it to Julius,’ I said, and reached for my wallet again. ‘Suppose we say another twenty-five?’

He filled up the glasses as a sign of assent. The money exchanged hands, and he settled back in his chair again.

‘You’re a man after my own heart, Mr. Malloy,’ he said, beaming. ‘Now what do you want to know about Louis?’

‘What kind of man is he?’

Nedick spread out his big fat hands and hunched his shoulders.

‘An arty guy. He can take pictures, and he’s cheap. He gets all our trade.’

‘Concentrate on what he looks like.’

‘Tall, weedy, effeminate, chin bead and has two convictions for criminal assault,’ Nedick said rapidly.

That gave me a picture. I liked this guy, Nedick. He was saving me an awful lot of leg work.

‘How does he stand with the cops?’

‘Not good. The assault raps hang over him, although they happened five and ten years ago. I guess he’s got used to taking girls in the flesh by now. But there are rumours...’

I waited, but as he said nothing, I said, ‘Don’t dry up on me. I’ll have the rumours as well as the facts.’

‘If you can handle a camera well, Mr. Malloy,’ Nedick said, pulling at his lower lip, ‘and you haven’t any moral scruples, you can always earn a living: even if it’s a smelly one.’

‘Don’t go vague on me,’ I pleaded. ‘I’ll treat it in confidence.’

‘The cops think he’s running a blackmail racket. I wouldn’t know if they’re right or not. He takes his camera out nights in Buena Vista Park. It’s a nice spot for couples to get to know each other. Some of the couples don’t always want their photographs taken. You know how it is. Some of the negatives might be worth quite a bit of money. It’s just a rumour. Nothing you can pin on him.’

I said I knew how it was.

I said, ‘From what you know of Thayler, could you see him mixed up in blackmail?’

Nedick laughed.

‘Thayler was the kind of guy who would be mixed up in anything. He was ambitious. He had no nerves. He wanted money. Believe me, Mr. Malloy, no one or nothing would stop him once he had made up his mind. I told Julius over and over again Thayler was dangerous. I said sooner or later he would get us into trouble, but Julius wouldn’t listen. Well, he didn’t get us into trouble because he quit before he had time to get into trouble. It wouldn’t surprise me if he turned out to be a killer. Blackmail? Sure. Thayler wouldn’t worry about blackmail. He’s ruthless. I was glad to see him go. If he hadn’t taken Anita with him I would have hung out a flag when he did go. I didn’t like him, and I didn’t like his act; but Julius kept him on because he brought in business. Only a man without a conscience would have put on an act as dangerous as that cigarette routine. It worried me. I was glad when he went.’

I couldn’t think of any more questions to ask him so I slid off the desk.

‘Well, I guess that’s all then,’ I said, and shook hands with him. ‘If I think of anything else I’ll call in and see you. And thanks for your help.’

‘That’s all right,’ Nedick said. ‘Just so long as you have what you want. Take my tip and don’t monkey with Thayler. One of these days he’ll shoot someone. I wouldn’t like it to be you.’

I said I wouldn’t like it to be me either.

After leaving the Brass Rail, I went straight back to the hotel The bellhop was hanging around the lobby, and I told him to have some sandwiches and four bottles of beer sent up to our room.

I hadn’t been in the room more than five minutes before Kerman came in with the bellhop close on his heels.

‘What’s the idea of sandwiches?’ Kerman asked in disgust. ‘Can’t we afford to go to a restaurant?’

The bellhop put the beer and sandwiches on the bamboo table and stood around, waiting to see if there was anything in it for him. I gave him half a buck and told him to scram.

‘If you guys are looking for a little recreation,’ he said hopefully, ‘I have that blonde lined up, waiting.’

Kerman opened the door.

‘Beat it!’ he said.

When the bellhop had gone I opened a couple of bottles of beer and started pouring.

‘I thought we’d better talk up here where we wouldn’t be overheard,’ I explained.

‘Well, all right,’ Kerman said, and sat in the armchair. ‘You were long enough in that dump. I was getting ready to organize a rescue.’

I gave him a beer and went over to sit on the bed.

‘I’ve picked up a lot of stuff,’ I said, and told him what I had learned. I told him everything except about the girl contortionist. I thought if I told him about her he wouldn’t be able to keep his mind on business.

He listened without saying anything, but he didn’t touch his beer, and that’s a sure sign I had his attention. When I was through, he let out a long, low whistle.

‘For crying out loud!’ he exclaimed. ‘What does it all mean?’

‘All these facts are pieces in the jigsaw puzzle,’ I said. ‘They need fitting together. I had no idea Gail Bolus was hooked up in this business. All right, you don’t have to grin.’

‘Think she’s working hand-in-glove with Thayler?’

‘She might be. I don’t know. It may be a coincidence she turned up in Orchid City. She may have cut Thayler right out of her life. I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. The big discovery is that Anita was married when she married Cerf. If she married Cerf secretly — that is if Thayler had no idea what she was up to, and then found out — we shan’t have to look far for the blackmailer. And another thing that’s interesting. Thayler is an expert with a .45. He may be the boy who has done the killings.’

Kerman grunted and drank some beer.

‘Do you think Thayler knocked off Benny?’

‘Thayler or Louis or both.’

‘And how about Mills? Is he out of it?’

‘I don’t know. I think there’s something going on between Natalie Cerf and him, but whether it has anything to do with this setup or not I don’t know.’

‘You don’t know much, do you?’ Kerman said. ‘You’ll have to do a lot better than this if you’re going to make a name for yourself.’

‘I know enough to tackle Louis now,’ I said. ‘And that’s what we’re going to do.’

I opened my suitcase and took out a writing-pad. I wrote in big block letters the words: