The Gutter and the Grave by Ed McBain Read Free Book Online

loved her. Or at least he made wounded male animal noises in her presence. A very jealous man when it came to my sister. Couldn’t even stand her
talking
to another man.”
    “
Was
there another man?”
    “I doubt it. My sister looks deadly, but she learned her catechism well. The body was strictly for Dom.”
    “I see.”
    “Somebody spotless can get annoyed when she’s constantly called unclean. If my sister ever entertained the thought of another man, she sure as hell never did anything about it. And it annoyed her that Dom constantly accused her. So she kicked him out.”
    “This was six months ago, you said?”
    “Yes.”
    “And he hasn’t been with her since?”
    “No. In fact, he thought she kicked him out because there
was
another man. He even hired a detective to watch the place and report comings and goings.”
    “How do you know?”
    “He told me.”
    “When?”
    “I met him one day. About two months ago, I guess it was. He said he’d hired a detective to watch my sister.”
    “Wasn’t that a little odd? Telling you, I mean.”
    “I don’t carry tales,” Laraine said flatly.
    “Not even to your sister?”
    “I keep my nose out of other people’s business. That’s why people tell me things. Dom knew he could tell me about the detective. In fact, he was probably dying to tell somebody.”
    “What was the detective’s name?”
    “Dennis something.”
    “Dennis Knowles?”
    “Yes. Do you know him?”
    “I know him,” I said, but I made no further comment.
    “Well, that’s the guy.”
    “Is he still on the job?”
    “I don’t know,” Laraine said. “That was the last time I saw Dom.”
    “Two months ago?”
    “Yes. Understand this, Matt. I think Dom hired that man to prove to himself that he’d been wrong. I mean, it sounds peculiar, but he really loved Christine and wanted to learn for himself that she
didn’t
have another man. Does that make any sense to you?”
    “Yes, it sounds reasonable.”
    “Well, I don’t know how reasonable it is, but that’s the way I see it.” She looked at her watch. “I’ve got to get out of here. Where are you going?”
    “I’ve got a few ideas,” I said.
    “Like what?”
    “I wanted to see your apartment.”
    Laraine looked at me quizzically. “Why?” she said.
    “I’d like to go to bed with you.”
    She nodded. “Really?” she said.
    “Yes. Really.”
    “That might be nice,” she told me, “except for several items.”
    “Like what?”
    “Like, for one, I have a very sensitive skin. I’m afraid the beard would be out of the question.”
    “I’ll shave.”
    “That’s nice of you,” she said, “but there are other reasons.”
    “I’m still listening.”
    “I have a band rehearsal in ten minutes. Singing is a little more important to me than you are.”
    “I wouldn’t think of interfering with your career,” I said.
    “You couldn’t, believe me.” She grinned. “But the third reason is the most important one.”
    “And what’s that?”
    “I don’t want to go to bed with you, Matt Cordell.”
    “Why not?”
    The smile dropped from her face. Her eyes got very serious. “Because I have a feeling I should stay away from you. Far away. I have that feeling.”
    “That’s going to be difficult,” I said. “I’m coming to your band rehearsal.”

Chapter Four
    You might say that I was digressing.
    I was.
    In later rationalization, I suppose I could claim that I knew the leader of the band in which Laraine Marsh sang was a kid named Dave Ryan who happened to be a part-time presser in Johnny’s tailor shop. In truth, I did not know this when I offered to accompany Laraine to her rehearsal. I went with her because of a good many sound investigatory reasons, naturally. But the real reason I went with her was because she was a blonde who reminded me of Toni, and I was back where I had first met my ex-wife, and I wanted to be near this woman, and that was it. As a matter of fact, there