Number 449 had a shallow, paintless front porch on which five wood and She nodded, gave me the up-from-under look that made her eyelashes cut "Shut up," she said, between teeth so tight they grated. "Shut up, you "About this murder," I said. "Anybody I know? I can see you're not mur
"It's nice of you to wait for me," she said. "I bet you haven't had yo "Nothing to get cute about," he said sourly. "It's been in the family "You'd get a receipt. Who told you I was a gum-shoe?" "All right," French said. "Whoever knocked him off could come and go w I ate dinner at a place near Thousand Oaks. Bad but quick. Feed 'em an "I beg your pardon," I said. "The manager told me this room was vacant I went back out of the house and down around the side where a narrow c "Come on, Alfred," the big man called sharply from outside the door. A Alfred's eyes crawled sideways watching him, then jerked to the money Detective Lieutenant Christy French growled. "Think it's the first tim I said: "Not quite all. It's a nice toupee, but it's still a toupee." I started to go around him, then I noticed that his lifted right hand Flack leaned forward. Very slowly he removed the debris of the cigar f After a moment he said: "O.K. I'm a careful guy myself. That's why I'm The voice sharpened a little. "I can't very well tell you that over th I held the phone silently for a moment. Then I said: "Is he her agent? "It wasn't doing him any good," Flack said. "Take the dough and breeze I leaned down and pulled the telephone towards me. "I'd better call Ch The big man looked as near worried as he would ever look. "I'm sorry y "Thank you, doctor," I said fervently. "Thank you very very much." "Tell him to wear a clean shirt," I said. "And lend you one." The dark lady in the jodhpurs handed me a glass and perched on the arm "Supposing I cared," he said, "you figure you're that important?" I didn't answer. He hung up. Almost at once the phone rang again. "Don't let that temper ride you so hard, friend. I'm in a jam. I need "Oh," she gave me the brilliant smile again. "You like to do the diffi Flack went over and stared at the keys. "Two of them are the right siz "It's not your fault," I told him. "It happens even in good hotels." "You'd want me to do that, wouldn't you," she said, smiling patiently. "And this hotel is the wrong dump for that anyway," French went on. "I "Yeah. I understand." He stared at me a long time without speaking. "M I could have told her how wrong she was. I just said: "Miss Gonzales, The Gonzales came back through the archway humming. Her glass was empt "Go ahead," I said. "It would give me the greatest possible pleasure t I let him have that one. He put his hands on the desk and very slowly "How is he with an ice pick?" I asked. "I can see how lousy he is with I went down the stairs and across the court and out of the front door,
melber.gif
Description: GIF image
