Free Brass Rainbow by Michael Collins Page B

killed.”
    â€œThe uncle wouldn’t pay this time. He admits that.”
    â€œIt’s not enough, not with just a year to go. Anyway, show me how Walter kills from North Chester and I’ll book him.”
    â€œWhat about the weapon?”
    â€œLooks like a souvenir Malay kris Jonathan had on his desk. It’s missing.” Gazzo’s gray eyes jabbed through me. “Okay, sure, it was crazy for anyone to take the knife, but that’s just what a panicky killer might do. We all know Weiss wouldn’t plan a murder, but he’s just the type to grab the knife out of fear, and then run with it. Too scared to stop and wipe the knife, but just smart enough to know his prints would be on it. Panic.”
    I changed direction. “What do you know about Paul Baron?”
    â€œEverything, including that we have nothing against him, unless you want to make a charge.” Gazzo grinned. He knew I had no charge that could stick. When I said nothing, he went on, “After Walter Radford told us it was Baron he really owed the money to, we looked for Baron. He came in on his own late last night. After he worked on you, I guess. We talked to him. He said he’d sent Weiss for his money. He said Weiss never came back. He admitted he was looking for Weiss. He had an alibi for the time of the murder.”
    â€œWhat alibi?”
    Gazzo spoke straight-faced. “A singer-dancer at the Fifth Street Club, Misty Dawn, was with him until one o’clock at her place. A girl named Carla Devine was with him from about one-thirty until past six o’clock. He’s a lady-chaser. We talked to both women; they back him.”
    â€œYou’re kidding,” I said. “Who’s the Devine girl?”
    â€œCall her a B-girl if you want. She keeps rich men happy when they come to town. She lives with four other girls in an apartment on University Place. Baron hangs around the place. The girls work for themselves, but Baron drums up contacts.”
    â€œHell, they’re both in his pocket.”
    â€œGive me some proof they’re lying.”
    â€œI’m pretty sure I saw Misty Dawn with Weiss about eight P.M. Monday. They got into a cab together. Which means Baron is probably lying when he says Weiss never came back to him.”
    â€œNot necessarily. At that time Baron didn’t know Radford was dead. Weiss probably gave the Dawn woman the slip after you saw them, and then Baron started chasing Weiss.”
    I lighted a cigarette. “You know, Gazzo, Baron’s a sharp con man, yet he’s supposed to have let Walter Radford get into him for $25,000 when Walter couldn’t pay.”
    â€œYou think the money wasn’t a poker debt?”
    â€œBaron’s known more for con games, the squeeze. He works with women, the badger games. No capital, just some polite blackmail. A payoff is more in his line.”
    â€œDoes it matter, Dan?” Gazzo said. “Whatever it was for, the uncle wouldn’t pay, and that got him killed.”
    â€œI think it matters. It changes the degree of pressure. It’s no longer a one-shot $25,000. Motives get changed,” I said. “When Weiss came to me, he was worried, but he wasn’t scared to death. He tried to buy an alibi. He wouldn’t have done that if the charge was murder. He’d have run and never stopped.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œSo I don’t think he knew Radford was dead then. He’d never have tried to buy me on a murder rap; I wouldn’t stay bought. No, I’ll swear he didn’t know Radford was dead.”
    â€œSo he didn’t know the man was dead. So what?”
    â€œHe couldn’t have known there was even a chance Radford was dead, stabbed, and he couldn’t have stolen $25,000. Damn it, by coming to me he admitted he was there with Radford. It was as good as a confession. No, his story to me was true. If it hadn’t been, he’d have taken the money and