1945 - Blonde's Requiem by James Hadley Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

useful to work on.
    “ We want to be in on this, Mr. Spewack, ” Ted said anxiously. “ You won ’ t leave us out? ”
    “ I ’ m working for Wolf, ” I reminded him, “ but if you want these girls found, you give me all the information you have. ” I glanced at my watch. It was just after eleven. “ Do you know where the photographs are collected? ”
    “ It ’ s a shop called the Street-Camera and it ’ s halfway down Murray Street. ”
    “ Okay. ” I lit another cigarette. “ We ’ ll go back now. Where can I get you if I want you? ”
    He scribbled a telephone number on the back of an old envelope and gave it to rue. “ You ’ ll be careful, won ’ t you? ” he said. “ My father will be mad. ”
    “ Don ’ t worry, ” I said. “ I ’ ll take care of that. ”
    He started the engine and then he said: “ I hope your wife won ’ t be worried about you. ”
    “ My wife? ” I said, surprised. “ I haven ’ t a wife. ”
    “ I ’ m sorry. ” He sounded embarrassed. “ I thought the lady you were with . . . ”
    I laughed. “ She ’ s not my wife, ” I returned. “ I only met her tonight. We were lonely, so I took her out to dinner. ”
    “ I see. ” He still seemed embarrassed. “ I thought I hadn ’ t seen her before. She ’ s very beautiful, isn ’ t she? ”
    I grunted. “ Drop around one of these days. I ’ ll introduce you. She could do with a little company. ”
    “ I most certainly will, ” he said, brightening, and, engaging gear, drove back the way we had come.

    * * *

    I walked into the lobby of the hotel and glanced around. The place was empty except for a girl who sat behind the reception desk. She was chewing gum and reading a movie magazine. She didn ’ t look up until I reached the desk.
    “ Good evening, ” I said.
    She shot me an interested look and then reached for my key. “ 367? ” she said.
    “ Right first time. ” I took the key from her.
    She was small, dark and nicely built. She had a red, pouting mouth and big, sulky eyes.
    “ Do you go with the hotel or are you hired by the hour? ” I said, leaning on the desk and admiring her figure.
    “ Whichever way it is, it wouldn ’ t mean anything to you, ” she said, touching her black curls with plump little fingers.
    “ It might, ” I said. “ I go for sophisticated dames in a big way. ”
    She chewed thoughtfully and then lifted her shoulders. “ Don ’ t waste your time on me, ” she said. “ When I prospect for gold I use a dredger. ”
    I took out a roll of notes and showed it to her. “ I light cigars with this stuff, ” I said carelessly. “ I keep my spending money in the bank. ”
    Her eyes popped a little and she became more friendly.
    “ Maybe we could call on your bank one day, ” she said.
    “ Sure, any day you like, ” I returned, and feeling I had gained her interest, I went on: “ Tell me, who ’ s the guy in 369? ”
    “ 369 ’ s empty, ” she returned. “ Why? ”
    “ Did I say 369? ” I shook my head. “ That ’ s the third mistake I ’ ve made today. I meant 365. ”
    Her eyes became calculating. “ I can ’ t tell you things like that, ” she said, resting her cheek on her hand. “ This is a respectable hotel. ”
    “ I ’ m glad to hear it. ” I took out my roll and pulled off a five-dollar note. I put my roll back and laid the five-spot on the desk. “ Who did you say was in 365? ”
    Her hand whipped the note out of sight so fast I could scarcely follow the movement. “ A guy called Jeff Gordan. ”
    “ Jeff Gordan, ” I repeated, smiling at her. “ Isn ’ t he one of Starkey ’ s boys? ”
    Her face froze and her eyes became sulky again. “ I wouldn ’ t know, ” she said, and turned back to her magazine.
    I said good night and went upstairs.
    In my room, I hung my hat on a peg on the door and walked over to the bureau. I walked heavily so the guy next door would know I was back. I poured myself a large whisky and sat down.
    For my