rc.theladyinthelake-第25章

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　　〃People　thought　so；　but　they　always　do。　Some　time　later　I　heard　what　purported　to　be　the　lowdown。　I　met　this　man　Brownwell　on　Vine　Street　and　he　asked　me　to　have　a　drink　with　him。　I　didn't　like　him；　but　I　had　half　an　hour　to　kill。　We　sat　at　the　back　of　Levy's　bar　and　he　asked　me　if　I　remembered　the　babe　who　threw　the　drink　in　his　face。　I　said　I　did。　The　conversation　then　went　something　very　like　this。　I　remember　it　very　well。
　　〃Brownwell　said：　'Our　pal　Chris　Lavery　is　sitting　pretLy；　if　he　ever　runs　out　of　girl　friends　he　can　touch　for　Jough。'　〃I　said：　'I　don't　think　I　understand。'　〃He　said：　'Hell；　maybe　you　don't　want　to。　The　night　the　Almore　woman　died　she　was　over　at　Lou　Condy's　place　losing　her　shirt　at　roulette。　She　got　into　a　tantrum　and　said　the　wheels　were　crooked　and　made　a　scene。　Condy　practically　had　to　drag　her　into　his　office。　He　got　hold　of　Dr。　Almore　through　the　Physicians'　Exchange　and　after　a　while　the　doc　came　over。　He　shot　her　with　one　of　his　busy　little　needles。　Then　he　went　away；　leaving　Condy　to　get　her　home。　It　seems　he　had　a　very　urgent　case。　So　Condy　took　her　home　and　the　doc's　office　nurse　showed　up；　having　been　called　by　the　doc；　and　Condy　carried　her　upstairs　and　the　nurse　put　her　to　bed。　Condy　went　back　to　his　chips。　So　she　had　to　be　carried　to　bed　and　yet　the　same　night　she　got　up　and　walked　down　to　the　family　garage　and　finished　herself　off　；with　monoxide。　What　do　you　think　of　that？'　Brownwell　was　asking　me。
　　〃I　said：　'I　don't　know　anything　about　it。　How　do　you？'　〃He　said：　'I　know　a　reporter　on　the　rag　they　call　a　newspaper　down　'there。　There　was　no　inquest　and　no　autopsy。　If　any　tests　were　made；　nothing　was　told　about　them。　They　don't　have　a　regular　coroner　down　there。　The　undertakers　take　turns　at　being　acting　coroner；　a　week　at　a　time。　They're　pretty　well　subservient　to　the　political　gang　naturally。　It's　easy　to　fix　a　thing　like　that　in　a　small　town；　if　anybody　with　any　pull　wants　it　fixed。　And　Condy　had　plenty　at　that　time。　He　didn't　want　the　publicity　of　an　investigation　and　neither　did　the　doctor。'〃　Miss　Fromsett　stopped　talking　and　waited　for　me　to　say　something。　When　I　didn't；　she　went　on：　〃I　suppose　you　know　what　all　this　meant　to　Brownwell。〃
　　〃Sure。　Almore　finished　her　off　and　then　he　and　Condy　between　them　bought　a　fix。　It　has　been　done　in　cleaner　little　cities　than　Bay　City　ever　tried　to　be。　But　that　isn't　all　the　story；　is　it？〃
　　〃No。　It　seems　Mrs。　Almore's　parents　hired　a　private　detective。　He　was　a　man　who　ran　a　night　watchman　service　down　there　and　he　was　actually　the　second　man　on　the　scene　that　night；　after　Chris。　Brownwell　said　he　must　have　had　something　in　the　way　of　information　but　he　never　got　a　chance　to　use　it。　They　arrested　him　for　drunk　driving　and　he　got　a　jail　sentence。〃　I　said：　〃Is　that　all？〃　She　nodded。　〃And　if　you　think　I　remember　it　too　well；　it's　part　of　my　job　to　remember　conversations。〃
　　〃What　I　was　thinking　was　that　it　doesn't　have　to　add　up　to　very　much。　I　don't　see　where　it　has　to　touch　Lavery；　even　if　he　was　the　one　who　found　her。　Your　gossipy　friend　Brownweli　seems　to　think　what　happened　gave　somebody　a　chance　to　blackmail　the　doctor。　But　there　would　have　to　be　some　evidence；　especially　when　you're　trying　to　put　the　bite　on　a　man　who　has　already　cleared　himself　with　the　law。〃　Miss　Fromsett　said：　〃I　think　so　too。　And　I'd　like　to　think　blackmail　was　one　of　the　nasty　little　tricks　Chris　Lavery　didn't　quite　run　to。　I　think　that's　all　I　can　tell　you；　Mr。　Marlowe。　And　I　ought　to　be　outside。〃　She　started　to　get　up。　I　said：　〃It's　not　quite　all。　I　have　something　to　show　you。〃　I　got　the　little　perfumed　rag　that　had　been　under　Layery's　pillow　out　of　my　pocket　and　leaned　over　to　drop　it　on　the　desk　in　front　of　her。
　　
　　
　　19
　　
　　She　looked　at　the　handkerchief；　looked　at　me；　picked　up　a　pencil　and　pushed　the　little　piece　of　linen　around　with　the　eraser　end。
　　〃What's　on　it？〃　she　asked。　〃Flyspray？〃
　　〃Some　kind　of　sandalwood；　I　thought。〃
　　〃A　cheap　synthetic。　Repulsive　is　a　mild　word　for　it。　And　why　did　you　want　me　to　look　at　this　handkerchief；　Mr。　Marlowe？〃　She　leaned　back　again　and　stared　at　me　with　level　cool　eyes。
　　〃I　found　it　in　Chris　Lavery's　house；　under　the　pillow　on　his　bed。　It　has　initials　on　it。〃　She　unfolded　the　handkerchief　without　touching　it　by　using　the　rubber　tip　of　the　pencil。　Her　face　got　a　little　grim　and　taut。
　　〃It　has　two　letters　embroidered　on　it；〃　she　said　in　a　cold　angry　voice。　〃They　happen　to　be　the　same　letters　as　my　initials。　Is　that　what　you　mean？〃
　　〃Right；〃　I　said。　〃He　probably　knows　half　a　dozen　women　with　the　same　initials。〃
　　〃So　you're　going　to　be　nasty　after　all；〃　she　said　quietly。
　　〃Is　it　your　handkerchief…or　isn't　it？〃　She　hesitated。　She　reached　out　to　the　desk　and　very　quietly　got　herself　another　cigarette　and　lit　it　with　a　match。　She　shook　the　match　slowly；　watching　the　small　flame　creep　along　the　wood。
　　〃Yes；　it's　mine；〃　she　said。　〃I　must　have　dropped　it　there。　It's　a　long　time　ago。　And　I　assure　you　I　didn't　put　it　under　a　pillow　on　his　bed。　Is　that　what　you　wanted　to　know？〃　I　didn't　say　anything；　and　she　added：　〃He　must　have　lent　it　to　some　woman　who…who　would　like　this　kind　of　perfume。〃
　　〃I　get　a　mental　picture　of　the　woman；〃　I　said。　〃And　she　doesn't　quite　go　with　Lavery。〃　Her　upper　lip　curled　a　little。　It　was　a　long　upper　lip。　I　liked　long　upper　lips。
　　〃I　think；〃　she　said；　〃you　ought　to　do　a　little　work　on　your　mental　picture　of　Chris　Lavery。　Any　touch　of　refinement　you　may　have　noticed　is　purely　coincidental。〃
　　〃That's　not　a　nice　thing　to　say　about　a　dead　man；〃　I　said。
　　For　a　moment　she　just　sat　there　and　looked　at　me　as　if　I　hadn't　said　anything　and　she　was　waiting　for　me　to　say　something。　Then　a　slow　shudder　started　at　her　throat　and　passed　over　her　whole　body。　Her　hands　clenched　and　the　cigarette　bent　into　a　crook。　She　looked　down　at　it　and　threw　it　into　the　ashtray　with　a　quick　jerk　of　her　arm。
　　〃He　was　shot　in　his　shower；〃　I　said。　〃And　it　looks　as　if　it　was　done　by　some　woman　who　spent　the　night　there。　He　had　just　been　shaving。　The　woman　left　a　gun　on　the　stairs　and　this　handkerchief　on　the　bed。〃　She　moved　very　slightly　in　her　chair。　Her　eyes　were　perfectly　empty　now。　Her　face　was　as　cold　as　a　carving。
　　〃And　did　you　expect　me　to　be　able　to　give　you　information　about　that？〃　she　asked　me　bitterly。
　　〃Look；　Miss　Fromsett；　I'd　like　to　be　smooth　and　distant　and　subtle　about　all　this　too。　I'd　like　to　play　this　sort　of　game　just　once　the　way　somebody　like　you　would　like　it　to　be　played。　But　nobody　will　let　me…not　the　clients；　nor　the　cops；　nor　the　people　I　play　against。　However　hard　I　try　to　be　nice　I　always　end　up　with　my　nose　in　the　dirt　and　my　thumb　feeling　for　somebody's　eye。〃　She　nodded　as　if　she　had　only　just　barely　heard　me。　〃When　was　he　shot？〃　she　asked；　and　then　shuddered　slightly　again。；　〃This　morning；　I　suppose。　Not　long　after　he　got　up。　I　said　he　had　just　shaved　and　was　going　to　take　a　shower。〃
　　〃That；〃　she　said；　〃would　probably　have　been　quite　late。　I've　been　here　since　eight…thirty。〃
　　〃I　didn't　think　you　shot　him。〃
　　〃Awfully　kind　of　you；〃　she　said。　〃But　it　is　my　handkerchief；　isn't　it？　Although　not　my　perfume。　But　I　don't　suppose　policemen　are　very　sensitive　to　quality　in　perfume…or　in　anything　else。〃
　　〃No…and　that　goes　for　private　detectives　too；〃　I　said。　〃Are　you　enjoying　this　a　lot？〃
　　〃God；〃　she　said；　and　put　the　back　of　her　hand　hard　against　her　mouth。
　　〃He　was　shot　at　five　or　six　times；〃　I　said。　〃And　missed　all　but　twice。　He　was　cornered　in　the　shower　stall。　It　was　a　pretty　grim　scene；　I　should　think。　There　was　a　lot　of　hate　on　one　side　of　it。　Or　a　pretty　cold…blooded　mind。〃
　　〃He　was　quite　easy　to　hate；〃　she　said　emptily。　〃And　poisonously　easy　to　love。　Women…even　decent　women…make　such　ghastly　mistakes　about　men。〃
　　〃All　you're　telling　me　is　that　you　once　thought　you　loved　him；　but　not　any　more；　and　that　you　didn't　shoot　him。〃
　　〃Yes。〃　Her　voice　was　light　and　dry　now；　like　the　perfume　she　didn't　like　to　wear　at　the　office。　〃I'm　sure　you'll　respect　the　confidence。〃　She　laughed　shortly　and　bitterly。　〃Dead；〃　she　said。　〃The　poor；　egotistical；　cheap；　nasty；　handsome；　treacherous　guy。　Dead　and