The Virtuous Woman by Gilbert Morris Read Free Book Online Page B

it, then. How much do I owe you?”
    “One seventy-five.”
    He pulled two dollars out of his billfold and handed it to the driver.
    “You know, a lotta them movie actors come to this here clinic,” the man said as he took the money. “I brung John Barrymore here twice already. The place is filled up with famous drunks. Hey, thanks for the tip.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    Key stepped out of the cab and glanced up at the azure sky through the towering palm trees. Light, fleecy clouds drifted lazily along. It was like a spring day in the tropics, with the breeze barely stirring the trees. As he walked up the steps, a gigantic yellow cat appeared from nowhere and stared at him suspiciously before turning and running, intent on some urgent business of his own.
    Key stepped inside the glass door and approached the information desk to the right. A curvaceous woman in a white nurse’s uniform sat behind the desk, reading a fan magazine. “Can I help you?” she said, smiling brilliantly.
    “Do you have a Mr. Charles Bannister as a patient here?”
    “Oh yes, indeed!” Her blue eyes quickened, and the smile became even more engaging. “Are you in the movie business?”
    “No, I’m afraid not.”
    The smile disappeared, and the receptionist fluffed her auburn hair. “His room is two twenty-six, but you’ll probably find him out sitting beside the pool. Right down this hall and to your left. You can’t miss it.”
    “Thanks. I hope you make it in the movies.”
    “How did you know I wanted to be a movie star?”
    “Doesn’t everyone?” Francis grinned at her and winked before striding off down the hall. He turned left and followed the signs, stepping outside into the open air at the back of the hospital. To his right was a pool shimmering like a huge emerald. He passed several chaise longues and chairs occupied mostly by female patients. Francis slowly walked along until he saw a man lying on his back with a towel over his face under a colorful umbrella. Francis cleared his throat, and the man lifted the towel. “Who are you?” he mumbled.
    “My name’s Francis Key. Are you Mr. Bannister?”
    “Yeah, that’s right.” Bannister sat up and looked Key over carefully. He was tall, finely tanned, and had a rather muscular body, spoiled by a roll of fat around the middle. “I don’t know you, do I?”
    “No, you don’t.”
    “What a shame for you,” Bannister said with a grin. He had an actor’s voice, full and strong, and spoke a little too rapidly. “You’re not from Liberty, are you?”
    “Liberty?”
    “Yeah, Liberty Pictures. You know.”
    “No, I’m afraid not. I’m from New York, and I’m working on a case I thought you might be able to help me with.”
    “A case? You a doctor or a policeman?”
    “Neither one,” he said carefully, wondering how best to approach Bannister. It was a touchy situation, and he did not want to offend the man. “I don’t know how to tell you this—it’s actually a little embarrassing.”
    Bannister laughed, and his capped teeth flashed against his tanned skin. “I doubt if anything you could say would embarrass me. Just spit it out, partner.”
    Key nodded, understanding that straightforward tactics would work best with this man. “I’m looking for a young woman named Ruby Zale.”
    Bannister’s eyes opened wide but almost immediately narrowed with suspicion. “You’re lookin’ for Ruby? What for?”
    “It’s confidential, I’m afraid.”
    “That means you’re a cop.”
    “Not at all,” he said quickly.
    “You have to be a cop if you’ve come all the way out here lookin’ for Ruby.”
    “Actually, Mr. Bannister, I once served as a private investigator for the Rader Agency. Now I’m employed by a family that’s anxious to find the young woman.” He hesitated, then added, “I think there might be some money in it for her.”
    Bannister shook his head, and his mouth twisted in a grimace. “It couldn’t be from her old lady. She didn’t