Free Boldt by Ted Lewis Page B

look.”
    â€œWhat for?” the clerk says. “I already told you about that.”
    â€œLet’s take a look anyway.”
    â€œIt’d be a waste of your time. The room’s empty.”
    I’m about to tell the clerk again when a small sound stops me saying what I was going to say. The sound comes from behind the door of the room which is supposed to be empty, and the sound is the sound of a man coughing, just once. Murdock and me look at one another and then at the clerk.
    â€œThe key,” I tell him. “Which one’s the key?”
    The clerk selects a key and pushes the key ring at me. I take it off him and say quietly, “Okay, who’s in there?”
    The clerk shakes his head. I get a grip on his collar. “Who’s in there?”
    â€œI don’t know. Honest. I don’t know who it is.”
    â€œThere somebody supposed to be in there?”
    The clerk nods his head.
    â€œThen who—”
    â€œLook, I don’t know. A guy called Newman. He paid me not to tell anybody about him, that’s all. I don’t know who he is.”
    â€œOkay,” I tell him. “All right, you don’t know anything about him. But you can go on right over there and unlock the door, okay?”
    â€œListen—”
    â€œJust like you did the other times. It’s easy. You’re good at it.”
    â€œI—”
    â€œDo it,” I tell him. “Right now. Just unlock the door and push it wide open.”
    I give him back his keys and he has no choice but to go over to the door and do as I’ve told him. Murdock and me are right behind him. The clerk puts the key in the lock, we get either side of the door, the clerk turns the key and then pushes the door wide open almost falling over himself trying to get out of the way.
    Nothing happens. That goes on for a moment or two then I draw my gun and stick my head around the corner of the door to take a look.
    There’s nothing there but an empty room.
    I lean off the wall and stand in the doorway taking another look but the room’s still empty. I walk a couple of steps forward. Now I can see the bed and the bedside table and on the bedside table there is a pair of field glasses.
    I cross the room and look down at the field glasses. Murdock comes in after me and says, “What have you got?”
    A voice behind us replies.
    â€œSo far he’s got the glasses, but up to now he’s overlooked me.”
    We both whirl around in the direction of the voice which has come from behind the open door. At first I can’t see who the voice belongs to or do anything about it if I have to, then Murdock moves and I see, leaning against the wall with his arms folded, a guy in a short-sleeved shirt. He’s a young guy, a sneer on his fresh face. We cover him and Murdock says, “Raise your arms, you mother.”
    The young guy shakes his head, unfolds his arms and says, “Ain’t no need. I mean, if I was who you were looking for, you wouldn’t be looking at me right now.”
    â€œFace the wall, just face the wall,” Murdock says.
    The guy shrugs and turns around.
    â€œSave a lot of trouble if you feel in my vest pocket.”
    â€œShut up,” Murdock snaps, and goes over the guy. When he’s satisfied, he feels in the guy’s vest pocket and pulls out what looks like an I.D. wallet.
    â€œMy gun’s on that chair over by the window underneath my coat,” the guy says.
    Murdock looks at the wallet while I go over to the chair and lift up the guy’s coat. Sure enough, there underneath it is a shoulder holster holding a piece of government issue.
    Murdock says, “This says this guy’s Secret Service.”
    â€œLet me see.”
    I take the card off Murdock.
    â€œCan I turn around now?” the guy says.
    â€œShut up,” Murdock replies.
    â€œOh, Jesus,” the guy says.
    I look at the card for a minute or two, then hand it back