Paula gave him a mean look. “That old guy’s lost his daughter; doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“It means a pain in the neck to me, that’s all,” Fenner snapped. “Come on back to the office—we’ve got work to do.”
“There are times when I think you’re cute,” Paula said bitterly, moving towards the reception-hall. “But right now I’d swop you for a lead nickel and a bad smell.”
A tall young man uncurled himself from one of the big lounges and stepped up to Fenner. “I’m Grosset of the D.A.’s office. I want to talk to you.”
Fenner grunted. “I’m busy right now, pal,” he said. “Call round at my office tomorrow sometime, when I’m out.”
Grosset apologetically indicated two big cops in plain clothes who stood right in Fenner’s exit. “We can talk here, or at my office,” he said primly.
Fenner grinned. “A hold-up? Okay, let’s talk here, and quick.”
Paula said, “I’ve forgotten something. I’ll be right back.” She left them and went back into the cocktail lounge. Lindsay was still sitting there. She sat down beside him. “You mustn’t feel that Mr. Fenner means to be unkind,” she said softly. “He’s got a case that’s worrying him. He gets like that. He doesn’t mean anything.”
Lindsay raised his head and looked at her, “I guess I shouldn’t have asked him,” he said helplessly; “but my little girl means a lot to me.”
Paula opened her bag and took out a flat note-book. “Give me the facts,” she said. “I can’t promise anything, but I might be able to persuade him.”
The heavy eyes lit up a little hopefully. “I can do that,” he said huskily. “What facts do you want?”
In the lounge outside, Fenner followed Grosset to a quiet corner and sat down with him. He was very watchful and distrusting.
Grosset was smooth, just a shade too smooth. He flicked open a thin gold cigarette-case and offered it to Fenner. He then lit the two cigarettes with a gold lighter.
Fenner said dryly, “You guys live well.”
Grosset said, “I don’t think we’ve run into you before.” He crossed his legs, showing black-and-white check socks. “I’ve checked your license. You were the guy who made so much money out of the Blandish kidnapping case. That was when you were a down-at-heel investigator new on the job. You got a lucky break and you pulled out of Kansas and put up a plate here. That’s right, isn’t it?”
Fenner forced a long stream of smoke down his nostrils. “You’re tellin’ the story,” he said; “you’ve got it right up to now.”
Grosset looked wise. “You’ve been in New York six months. You don’t seem to have done much in that time.”
Fenner yawned. “I pick an’ choose,” he said indifferently.
“We got a pretty hot tip about you this morning.”
Fenner sneered pleasantly. “Yeah? So hot you sent some bulls out to haul me in and they went away with fleas in their ears.”
Grosset smiled. “Since then, we’ve looked over the block,” he said. “We’ve found a murdered Chinaman in an empty office near yours.”
Fenner raised his eyebrows. “What you squawking about? Want me to find who killed him for you?”
“The tip we got this morning was about a dead Chinaman who was to be found in your office.”
“Ain’t that sad? What happened? Did they plant him in the wrong room?”
Grosset dropped his cigarette butt into the ash-tray. “Listen, Fenner, you and I don’t have to fight. I’ll put my cards on the table. That Chink had been dead thirty-six hours. The tip was clumsy and we guessed it was a plant, but we had to look into it. Well, we’re interested in this Chinaman. We want to get a line on him. Suppose you give us your angle of this?”
Fenner scratched his nose. “Brother,” he said, “I feel like I want to beat a drum in the Salvation Army after that speech. If I knew a thing about it, I’d tell you. If that Chink meant anything to me I’d give it to you fast, but he doesn’t. I’ve never had a Chink in my office. I’ve never set eyes on your dead Chink, and I hope to God I never will.”
Grosset looked at him thoughtfully. “I’ve heard you were like that,” he said gloomily. “You like to run on your own and then turn the whole thing over to us after you’ve got it sewn up. All right, if that’s the way you want to play it, go ahead. If we can help you, we will, but if you get into trouble, we’ll crack down on you so hard you’ll think the Empire State building is on your neck.”
Fenner grinned and got to his feet. “All set?” he said. “If you’re through, I got some work to do.”
Grosset nodded. “Hang around, Fenner; I’ll be seeing you again before long.” He jerked his head at his two watchdogs, and the three of them walked out of the lobby.
Paula came out of the cocktail lounge and caught up with Fenner as he moved to the exit. He said, “Where have you been?”
“Listen, Dave,” she said, “I’ve been talking to Mr. Lindsay. I’ve got a record of what’s been happening to his daughter. Why don’t you have a look at it?”
Fenner regarded her with a cold eye.
Listen, not another word about Lindsay and his daughter. I ain’t interested, I’ve never been interested, and I never will be interested. I’ve got enough on my mind to last me a lifetime.”
“Considering the size of your mind, it doesn’t surprise me,” Paula said coldly, and followed him out into the street.
Back in the office, Fenner went straight to his desk and sat down. He lit a cigarette and shouted to Paula. “Come on in, Dizzy.”
Paula slid through the door and sat down at his elbow, her pencil poised over her note-book. Fenner shook his head. “I ain’t dictating,” he said. “I want you to keep me company.”
Paula folded her hands in her lap. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll be your stooge.”
Fenner brooded. “Maybe I could get an angle if I turned that money over to the cops to track up. I should be lettin’ ’em in if I did. Grosset is worried about the Chink. He’ll keep his eye on me. Anythin’ I do is goin’ to be shared with that bright boy.”
“Why not? He might find the girl for you if you let him have a chance.”
Fenner shook his head. “I’m still playin’ hunches,” he said. “Somethin’ tells me that the cops are best outta this.”
Paula glanced at the clock. It was getting on to five. “I’ve got some work to do,” she said. “You won’t get anywhere right now.”
Fenner said impatiently, “Stick around, stick around. Ain’t you on my payroll no more?”
Paula settled herself more comfortably. When he was like this she knew it was better to let him have his way.
“Unless this dame contacts me, the case will peter out. I’ve got no lead to go on. I don’t know who she is. She might come from anywhere. All I know is she’s got a sister who’s interested in twelve Chinamen. If the dead Chink was one of them, there are only eleven for her to be interested in now. Why did she give me all that dough, and then take it on the lam?”
“Suppose she saw someone she knew, got scared, and lost her head?” Paula put in softly.
Fenner thought this one over. “Did you see anyone who might have given her a scare?”
Paula shook her head. “You know what the Baltimore lobby’s like that time of day.”
“It’s an idea.” Fenner got up and began walking up and down the gaily patterned carpet. “If that’s how it went, then we’ve gotta stick around this telephone for her to ring back. Maybe she won’t ring, but if she does, I want to know about it quick.”
Paula groaned.
“Yeah, I guess you’d better run home, pack a bag an’ move in. You can sleep on the lounge.”
Paula got to her feet. “You go home and sleep in your nice warm bed, I take it?”