said, “You didn’t complain last night.”
She said, “My God, if that’s all you can think about, go ahead and get it over with.”
I let loose of her and moved away. She straightened up on the bench and rubbed her wrists. She said, “I went to ask for his help. I didn’t know where else to turn.”
I said, “What was wrong with the police?”
“I didn’t dare. I’ve been too deeply involved, Martin.”
I said, “How did you figure Aggie could help?”
She said, “I was going to tell him that everything was going to be blamed on him.”
“What does ‘everything’ mean?”
“The sinking of the
Temoc
,” she said.
“I suspect Aggie knows,” I said. “He arranged the deal.”
“But he didn’t, Martin,” she protested. “He was going to be what Vann called the patsy.”
I said, “Nuts. Aggie owns the
Temoc
. Who else can collect the insurance?”
“I don’t know. But I do know that Vann expects to make a lot of money.”
I said, “A hundred thousand is a lot of money.”
“More than that. He talked about hundreds of thousands.”
I said, “Just how much do you know?”
“That’s all,” she said. “I overheard a little. He wouldn’t tell me very much except what I was supposed to do.”
I said, “You let Vann hook you in one of his gambling dives, is that it? Then he made you shill for him and get Jaspar in deep.”
“He threatened to tell my firm I’d been gambling heavily,” she said. “I worked hard to get where I am. I just couldn’t sacrifice it.”
I said, “What got you started gambling in the first place?”
She said simply, “What usually starts someone gambling? A need for release.”
I said, “Try men, they’re cheaper.”
“I didn’t know any I liked well enough,” she said.
“Until me,” I said.
“That’s true. Don’t mock me.”
I said, “All right, you got hooked. You helped hook Jaspar. Then what?”
“Then I asked for my I.O.U.’s back. Vann said he’d give them to me as soon as he collected from Jaspar. But instead of giving them back, he asked me to do more work for him.”
I said, “After you were tranferred down here?”
“Yes, just recently, when Jaspar came down. Vann told me to play up to him and see that he didn’t get any ideas of not co-operating.”
“I should think Jaspar would be sore as hell at you.”
“He never did realize my part in it,” she said. “Oh, Martin, I feel so terrible. Without me, it never would have happened.”
I said, “They’d have got another dame.”
“No,” she said. “Vann told me I was the only one who could do the job. He made a point of that.”
I said, “All right, he hooked you. You claim you refused to help against me. But what are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?”
She said, “I tried to follow Mrs. Minos. I got up to her house just as a sedan drove away. She came right after it. I followed her. Only she dodged me. The next thing I knew, she’d come up from behind me. She had a gun. She asked me what I was doing following her. I told her I’d heard you were killed and I wanted to warn her husband. Then she told me you were alive. We got to talking and decided how I could help. She told me where you were and I came here.”
Great little helper, Bonnie Minos. I said, “And on your way, you stopped and called Vann?”
“Believe that if you want,” Irma said wearily. “I can’t change your mind.”
I said, “Keep trying. What plan did you and Bonnie cook up?”
“I was to drive you in this thing to the
Temoc
.”
“While Bonnie does what?”
“She’s looking for her husband.”
I said, “Very neat. And after you deliver me, then what?”
“Then I bring the—this thing back here and wait for her.”
I said, “Let’s get started.”
She sat up straight. “You do believe me then, Martin!”
I said, “I wish I knew whether I did or not. I’ll find out in a few minutes, though.”
She didn’t say anything. She gave me the
She said, “My God, if that’s all you can think about, go ahead and get it over with.”
I let loose of her and moved away. She straightened up on the bench and rubbed her wrists. She said, “I went to ask for his help. I didn’t know where else to turn.”
I said, “What was wrong with the police?”
“I didn’t dare. I’ve been too deeply involved, Martin.”
I said, “How did you figure Aggie could help?”
She said, “I was going to tell him that everything was going to be blamed on him.”
“What does ‘everything’ mean?”
“The sinking of the
Temoc
,” she said.
“I suspect Aggie knows,” I said. “He arranged the deal.”
“But he didn’t, Martin,” she protested. “He was going to be what Vann called the patsy.”
I said, “Nuts. Aggie owns the
Temoc
. Who else can collect the insurance?”
“I don’t know. But I do know that Vann expects to make a lot of money.”
I said, “A hundred thousand is a lot of money.”
“More than that. He talked about hundreds of thousands.”
I said, “Just how much do you know?”
“That’s all,” she said. “I overheard a little. He wouldn’t tell me very much except what I was supposed to do.”
I said, “You let Vann hook you in one of his gambling dives, is that it? Then he made you shill for him and get Jaspar in deep.”
“He threatened to tell my firm I’d been gambling heavily,” she said. “I worked hard to get where I am. I just couldn’t sacrifice it.”
I said, “What got you started gambling in the first place?”
She said simply, “What usually starts someone gambling? A need for release.”
I said, “Try men, they’re cheaper.”
“I didn’t know any I liked well enough,” she said.
“Until me,” I said.
“That’s true. Don’t mock me.”
I said, “All right, you got hooked. You helped hook Jaspar. Then what?”
“Then I asked for my I.O.U.’s back. Vann said he’d give them to me as soon as he collected from Jaspar. But instead of giving them back, he asked me to do more work for him.”
I said, “After you were tranferred down here?”
“Yes, just recently, when Jaspar came down. Vann told me to play up to him and see that he didn’t get any ideas of not co-operating.”
“I should think Jaspar would be sore as hell at you.”
“He never did realize my part in it,” she said. “Oh, Martin, I feel so terrible. Without me, it never would have happened.”
I said, “They’d have got another dame.”
“No,” she said. “Vann told me I was the only one who could do the job. He made a point of that.”
I said, “All right, he hooked you. You claim you refused to help against me. But what are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?”
She said, “I tried to follow Mrs. Minos. I got up to her house just as a sedan drove away. She came right after it. I followed her. Only she dodged me. The next thing I knew, she’d come up from behind me. She had a gun. She asked me what I was doing following her. I told her I’d heard you were killed and I wanted to warn her husband. Then she told me you were alive. We got to talking and decided how I could help. She told me where you were and I came here.”
Great little helper, Bonnie Minos. I said, “And on your way, you stopped and called Vann?”
“Believe that if you want,” Irma said wearily. “I can’t change your mind.”
I said, “Keep trying. What plan did you and Bonnie cook up?”
“I was to drive you in this thing to the
Temoc
.”
“While Bonnie does what?”
“She’s looking for her husband.”
I said, “Very neat. And after you deliver me, then what?”
“Then I bring the—this thing back here and wait for her.”
I said, “Let’s get started.”
She sat up straight. “You do believe me then, Martin!”
I said, “I wish I knew whether I did or not. I’ll find out in a few minutes, though.”
She didn’t say anything. She gave me the
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