Джеймс Чейз - Not Safe to Be Free [= The Case of the Strangled Starlet]

As she entered the lobby, the two detectives came in.

“You again?” she said, showing her white teeth in a grin of welcome. “What’s troubling you now?”

Both the detectives knew Madame Brossette well. They had called on her from time to time trying to pick up evidence against the tobacco smugglers and they both knew what went on in the hotel.

“Look, Jeanne,” the taller detective said, “We have had a tip that Kerr is here. Do you want us to get a warrant or do you let us look the place over?”

Madame Brossette’s grin widened.

“You’re wasting your time, boys,” she said, “but you can look. He’s not here. Mind how you go.” She closed one heavy eyelid. “Some of the rooms are occupied. Better knock before you walk in.”

“Has he been here?”

Madame Brossette spread her hands.

“You didn’t ask me that before, did you? This morning you asked me if he was here and I said that he wasn’t. Now you ask me if he is here and I still say he isn’t, but when you ask me if he has been here, then I say he has. Yes, monsieur, he has been here.”

The detective hunched his shoulders in exasperation.

“Listen, you old fox, you know as well as I do when I asked this morning if he was here I meant was he staying here.”

“I didn’t. You can’t expect me to read your mind. You asked me if he was here and I said he wasn’t.”

“So he has been here?”

“Certainly. He stayed here for eight days. What is all the fuss about? This morning you gave me a description of the fellow, then asked if he was here. You can’t blame me, monsieur. I told the truth.”

“Then where is he?”

“He left this morning before nine o’clock. I think he was going to Marseille. He mentioned something about it but I was busy and didn’t pay much attention. But he is coming back. He has left all his things here.”

“Let’s have a look,” the detective said.

Madame Brossette turned to her daughter.

“You’d better run up and get the boys and girls out of here. These gentlemen will want to look at the other rooms. We don’t want to embarrass anyone.”

The detective looked over to where his companion was standing.

“Stay here and check them as they come out,” he said, then as Maria hurried up the stairs, he turned to Madame Brossette, “This is a serious matter, Jeanne. Kerr is wanted for murder. He killed this Balu girl.”

Madame Brossette’s face remained impassive, but inwardly she was badly shocked.

“He wouldn’t hurt a fly. What makes you think he did such a thing?”

“We have enough evidence to put his neck under the knife,” the detective said. “Come on: show me his room.”

Twenty minutes later, the detective came down the stairs, his face showing his disappointment. He had examined Joe’s belongings and had gone through all the rooms in the hotel and had found nothing. He was satisfied that Joe wasn’t in the hotel and now he walked over to the telephone and called Inspector Devereaux.

Devereaux listened to his report, then he said: “Leave Evrard to watch the hotel and come back here. I’ll send another man down right away. Is there a back exit?”

“No, Inspector.”

“You’re sure he isn’t in the hotel?”

“Yes, Inspector.”

“All right. Tell Evrard that, if Kerr enters the hotel, he is to bring him to me at once. You come back here,” and Devereaux hung up.

Madame Brossette watched the two detectives leave the hotel. She saw the shorter of the two stroll over to La Boule d’Or café and sit down at one of the tables that gave him a clear view of her hotel and her thick lips tightened.

She went into her private office and sat down. The situation was becoming complicated. She now regretted giving the Delaney woman so much time to hand over the necklace. She decided, she had better hurry up the transaction. What possible evidence could the police have against Joe? She reached for the telephone and called the Plaza hotel.

“Connect me with Madame Delaney,” she said.

There was a pause, then the girl on the switchboard said, “Madame Delaney is out. She is not expected back until after the film showing.”

Madame Brossette grunted and hung up. She stroked the side of her fat face, frowning, then she got to her feet, went into the bar, took up a bottle of whisky and plodded up the stairs.

She found Joe sitting on the edge of the bed, his face glistening with sweat and she could almost hear the thudding of his heart.

“What’s going on?” he demanded anxiously. “Look, I don’t like this! I’m going to the police right away. The whole thing was a mistake.”

Madame Brossette sat down on the chair, which creaked under her weight. She poured two inches of whisky into the glass and gave the glass to Joe.

“Don’t get excited,” she said. “It’s going to be all right.”

Joe drank the whisky greedily, blew out his raddled cheeks and set the glass down. He needed the drink. It restored his shaken nerves.

“What do you mean — all right?” he demanded. “The police are looking for me, aren’t they? If I’m not damn careful they may think I killed the girl. What do they want? What did they say?”

“They think you might have seen the boy,” Madame Brossette lied smoothly. “They know you were in the hotel from the time the girl was killed until pretty late. They are looking for information. That’s all. There’s nothing to get excited about.”

“I’m not excited,” Joe said, sweat running down his face. “They don’t think I killed her, do they?”

“Don’t talk like a fool! Why should they?” Madame Brossette said. “All the same I think it would be better if we changed our plans.” She tipped some more whisky into the glass. “I think we should ask for more money and settle for one payment. I think you’ll have to tell them the truth, Joe and show them the photographs, but before you do that, we’ll get as much as we can out of the Delaney woman.”

His hand shaking, Joe drank the whisky.

“I don’t like it. I’m going to give the photographs to the police right away.”

Madame Brossette moved impatiently. Although she was fond of Joe, she wasn’t going to lose the chance of picking up an easy ten million francs.

“I told them you had gone to Marseille, Joe,” she said, “but that you would be back to-morrow. Don’t let’s spoil this thing. By to-morrow I’ll get the Delaney woman to part with her diamonds. As soon as we’ve got them, then you can go to the police. The diamonds are worth at least ten million.”

The whisky was beginning to have an effect on Joe. He rubbed his hand over his face, trying to think clearly.

“What am I supposed to be doing in Marseille?” he demanded. “They’re certain to check up.”

“Relax, Joe,” Madame Brossette said soothingly. “I know a fellow who’ll swear you spent the day with him. You’ve nothing to worry about.”

“But she won’t part with the diamonds unless we give her the photographs and the negatives.”

“She’ll get them.” Madame Brossette winked. “But the police will also get them. We won’t give the police her photograph and I’ll tell her I’ve kept one back. She’ll keep her mouth shut if she knows we’ve still got her photograph.”

Joe reached out and took the whisky bottle from her and sloshed a huge drink into the glass.

“You think she’ll part with the diamonds?” he asked. “Phew! What one could do with ten million francs.”

“Yes, Joe.” Madame Brossette decided he was now over his scare and she could leave him. She didn’t like leaving Maria on her own in the lobby. “Now relax. Take a nap. You can leave it all to me.”

Joe lay back on the bed. He drank some of the whisky, then put the glass on the table beside him.