Free 1945 - Blonde's Requiem by James Hadley Chase Page A

me—what about? ” Macey asked, thrusting his square jaw at me and bullying me with his eyes.
    “ I ’ m a licensed investigator, ” I told him. “ I want cooperation. ”
    He looked at me fixedly and rolled his cigar wetly between his lips. “ You do? Well, I ain ’ t interested. We don ’ t like private dicks. Do we, Beyfield? ”
    The man at the door agreed with him. “ We hate ‘ em, ” he said. His voice sounded like it came from his ankles.
    I shrugged and walked over to the dressing table. As I picked up a packet of Lucky Strike and shook out a cigarette, I glanced in the mirror.
    Beyfield had sunk a hand in his coat pocket. It might have been his finger or a gun that he was pointing at me through the cloth of his coat.
    “ That ’ s too bad, ” I said, lighting up. “ But I still want cooperation. ” I turned and leaned against the wall.
    Macey picked his nose. “ What sort of cooperation? ” He wasn ’ t looking at me now, but down his feet. I noticed he was wearing buckskin shoes and powder-blue socks.
    “ Four girls have disappeared from this town and nothing ’ s been done about it, ” I said; “ I ’ ve been hired to find them. ”
    “ Four girls? ” His voice was soft, but his jowls and where his neck ought to have been turned red. “ Who told you? ”
    “ Never mind who told me, ” I said. “ I hear things. You ’ re going to get a pain where you won ’ t like it if something isn ’ t done. ”
    He touched off ash before saying: “ Who told you about Mary Drake? ”
    “ You don ’ t have to bother with that angle, ” I returned, wandering over to the armchair and sitting down. “ You ’ re not making a secret of it, are you? You ’ d better tell Starkey to lay off. He ’ s overplaying his hand. ”
    Macey ’ s mouth pursed and he raised his eyebrows at Beyfield. “ Hear that? ” he said sourly.
    “ Maybe we ’ d better bounce him a little, ” Beyfield said. “ The guy ’ s hysterical. ”
    “ Don ’ t give me that stuff, ” I said, looking from one to the other. “ I ’ ve got enough evidence to stick the Feds on Starkey. How would you like that? ”
    Macey didn ’ t seem to think much of the idea. “ What evidence? ”
    I shook my head. “ You ’ re not acting like a policeman, ” I said, “ and I don ’ t trust you. Everything I ’ ve found I ’ m turning over to the Feds. ”
    He blew smoke in a thick cloud at his feet, reached inside his coat and pulled a blunt-nosed automatic. He pointed it at me and said to Beyfield: “ Take a look around. ”
    Beyfield went through the room methodically. He didn ’ t miss anything and he didn ’ t make a mess. He put everything back as he found it. After ten minutes he was through.
    I sat watching him. “ Don ’ t miss the bathroom, ” I said. He grunted and went into the bathroom.
    “ Smart guy, huh? ” Macey ’ s face was congested. “ I could book you and make you talk. ”
    “ Wolf wouldn ’ t like that, ” I returned. “ Be your age, Macey. You can ’ t afford to act the copper so long as you ’ re backing Starkey. I ’ m not scared of you or of any of your boys. Take me down to headquarters and see where it gets you. Wolf would raise such a squawk the Governor would hear him. ”
    Beyfield came out of the bathroom. He was still chewing placidly. “ Nothing, ” he said, and went back to loll up against the wall.
    Macey jerked his head at my suit that was lying on the chair. As he did so I remembered Mary Drake ’ s handkerchief. If they found that I ’ d be in a hell of a jam. They might even try to pin the kidnapping on me.
    “ I ’ ve had enough of this, ” I said angrily. “ You leave my personal things alone or come back with a warrant. ”
    The automatic came up slowly so the barrel pointed right between my eyes.
    “ At this distance, ” Macey said, showing his yellow teeth, “ I ’ m a pip of a shot. If you don ’ t believe it, start something and see where it gets