Crime of Their Life by Frank Kane Read Free Book Online Page A

moving in on Ingrid, and you have Cyril jumping for you. What’s the secret?”
    Liddell grinned. “I’ve got talent.”
    The white-haired man’s eyes hopscotched across the broad shoulders, down to the tapering waist. Then he dropped his eyes to his own slim figure, nodded glumly. “It shows.”
    Cyril was back with a Bloody Mary, slid it across the bar to Eldridge. “Like me to freshen your drink, Mr. Liddell? Next fifteen or twenty minutes, they’re going to be trooping in here dying of thirst. It usually gets pretty busy.” Liddell took a deep swallow from his glass, handed it to the bartender who reached for the scotch bottle, tilted it over the glass, filled it to the brim. He replaced the bottle on the backbar, handed the glass to Liddell, shuffled down toward the service end of the bar.
    The white-haired man shook his head in admiration. “Now that’s what I call a drink.”
    Liddell held the glass up, admired the deep color of the liquor. “No sense drowning the taste in water.” He raised the glass. “Here’s to a nice cruise.”
    The old man touched his glass to Liddell’s. “There’s room for a lot of improvement as far as I’m concerned.” He looked over to where his daughter and the officer were talking, heads together. “But as long as the girl has a good time, that’s all I ask.”
    Liddell followed the old man’s eyes. “Good-looking boy she’s with.”
    “Too good-looking,” the old man grunted. “Guy with his looks could move in on almost any female on the ship. Instead, he’s latched onto Fran and has been giving her a rush that would turn Suzy Parker’s head.” He sipped at his glass. “I just hope the kid doesn’t get hurt.”
    “She won’t be. These shipboard romances are just something to write in a girl’s diary. Besides, how do you know? Maybe he’s tired of the doll-faced ones and—”
    Eldridge shook his head. “The boys who work these scows are walking Dun and Brads. They know what a passenger is worth to the penny the minute he sets foot on the gangplank. And they act accordingly.”
    “You’ve been on board the Queen before, Mr. Eldridge?”
    “Make it Carson, Liddell. There are very few privileges left to a man these days. He’s told who he can eat with, who he can’t; who he can send his kids to school with, who he can’t; who he can do business with and who he can’t. The one privilege they haven’t taken away from him is the right to decide who he will permit to call him by his first name and who he won’t. I’d like you to.” He took a deep swallow from his glass. “Yes, I’ve been aboard the Queen a few times. It’s the first time for the girl, though.” He set the Bloody Mary down on the bar. “That’s why the trip has been a little trying. You see, Fran doesn’t live with me. Matter of fact, this is the first time I’ve seen her since her mother died ten or twelve years ago. The kid’s been living on a ranch with her grandparents.”
    “I see.”
    “When I saw her a month or so ago, I figured she could use some polishing up. So I booked passage for both of us.” He shook his head doubtfully. “I’m beginning to wonder if it’ll do any good.”
    At the girl’s table, the man in uniform looked toward where Eldridge stood with Liddell, said something to the girl, who nodded. He got to his feet, threaded his way through the tables to the bar.
    “Could I talk to you for a moment, sir?” he asked.
    Eldridge nodded, the smile on Crew Cut’s face became a little strained. His eyes flicked to Liddell uncertainly.
    “It can’t be that private. You haven’t known her long enough,” Eldridge snapped. “As a new member of our little band, Mr. Liddell here will be getting all the news along with everyone else.” He shook his head to Liddell. “You can’t blow your nose around here without everybody hearing about it by the time you get your handkerchief back in your pocket.”
    Crew Cut wasted an incurious glance on Liddell,