Zimm said, hoarsely, “He’s got the girl.”
“The hell... I don’t believe it.”
“It’s the truth,” Zimm insisted. “I sent a man over to your place. Harry was taped up. She’s talked.”
“Yeah, talked.” Switzer had been grabbing the guns from Houser. He turned, handed one to Varco, and another to Zimm. He faced Payman now. “It’s your fault. You could control her, keep her from talking. You fell for her and wouldn’t let me rub her out...”
“Shut up.” Payman’s voice was icy.
Switzer sneered. “I won’t. You don’t have to take the rap. It’s me, me and Zimm. If the Feds get me I’ll spill...” He never finished. The gun in Payman’s hand flashed up and down. A red spot appeared on Switzer’s forehead. The bodyguard swayed for an instant and went over on to his face.
Payman swung to face Zimm. “What about it, Phil?”
The night-club man said, hurriedly: “I’m with you, Mike, all the way, but if that girl talks...”
“Lennox is lying,” Payman said. “I know her. She won’t talk. She doesn’t dare. Have you ever known me to be wrong, Phil? That girl hasn’t talked. I heard what Lennox said as I came down. Do you think that if she had, he would let you leave? He’s trying to bluff, trying to get you away for some reason.” His eyes switched to Bill, whom Varco was covering. “Where is she, Lennox?”
Bill said, “Find her.” He was cursing the luck, cursing the chances which had brought Payman. If that girl arrived now...
The reporter said: “I understand you’re a tough guy. Well, I like making tough guys talk.” His eyes were glistening as if the thought of the torture gave him immense pleasure. Lennox knew suddenly that he was seeing the real Payman for the first time. He decided to play for time.
He said: “If I tell you where Maria is, do Houser and I go free?”
“Sure.” Payman said it too quickly. Lennox knew he was lying, that he dared not free them. Payman was grinning. “So the great Lennox can’t take it? He’s yellow. I always thought so, but I never had a chance to find out.”
Houser had started forward, said through clenched teeth: “You yellow—” and Zimm hit him, knocking the radio man to the floor.
Payman paid no attention. His eyes were burning on Lennox’ face. “Where is she?”
“Back in Miss Hobbs’ cabin at Topanga.”
The reporter said to Varco: “Get a couple of men and get out there fast. You know where it is. You were there this morning.”
The man nodded, went to the elevator, pressed a button in the wall, and the car moved upwards until its base formed a section of the ceiling.
There were two buttons in the wall. Lennox said: “Mind if I look?” He crossed without permission. Varco had pressed the right one to make the car rise. Bill judged that the left one brought it down. He said: “It’s cracked the wall, here by the floor.” Bill spoke as if quite at his ease, as if he expected they would free him shortly and was now merely curious over a clever device.
Payman came towards him. “Where?”
Lennox pushed the left button as he bent down. “No, I guess I’m wrong.” He straightened, noted that Payman now stood beneath the descending car. He swung about slowly, moving just out from under the car. He saw Houser climbing slowly to his feet, said sharply, “Don’t try anything, Ben.”
Both Zimm and Payman looked towards the radio man, who was on his hands and knees, glaring at them. He had seen what Bill had done, had caught the cue and now began to talk volubly, desperately, doing nothing to invite another attack but straining to hold their attention.
The car was coming down slowly, too slowly. If Payman would not move, would not notice...
Lennox almost held his breath. Then the bottom of the car touched Payman’s head. The reporter ducked, jumped sidewise with an oath. Lennox caught him as he jumped, with his left hand wrenched at the man’s gun while he drove his right against the reporter’s jaw.
Payman swayed, grabbed Lennox, and carried him to the floor. They rolled over, fighting for the gun. Pay-man’s strength was surprising. His slender arms were like bands of iron. One hand came up, the fingers outspread, searching for Lennox’ eyes. Bill ducked under and drove his fist against the man’s mouth.
The reporter’s lips were bruised, bloody, but he still fought on. He tried to lock his legs around Bill’s body. Lennox broke the grip, rolled free, saw Zimm kick Houser in the side, saw the radio man writhing on the floor. The night-club man swung about. He had a gun, reversed. He circled Payman and Lennox as they closed again, trying for a chance to strike. He struck once. Bill saw the gun coming, got his head out of the way, and the butt crashed down on Payman’s shoulder.
His grip relaxed, and Lennox rolled over, grabbed Zimm’s legs, and dragged the night-club man down. He got his fingers into Zimm’s throat, clung. He saw Payman on his knees, one arm useless, the other reaching for a gun. Lennox let go his grip, struggled upward, swung a haymaker from the floor which crashed against the side of Pay-man’s head.
The reporter went down and Bill dived forward, scooped up the gun and came to his knees, Both Payman and Zimm were trying to rise. He rasped, “Stay down, or get it.” They stared at him, their eyes bloodshot, their breath coming in gasps, as he struggled to his feet.
“Hurt, Ben?” He dared not look towards Houser.
The radio man moaned. “Never mind me. Save yourself. Get to Maria.”
Lennox laughed as the phone rang. “She’s all right. She isn’t in the mountains.” He picked up the receiver, tried to make his voice sound like Zimm’s. “Yeah?”
Lennox grinned suddenly. “Send them down...
“You heard me.” He hung up, stood waiting, steadying himself against the desk.
Payman was glaring at Lennox, Houser’s breathing was labored, and Bill guessed that he was hurt badly. He wished the men would hurry. Then there was noise from the tunnel and Harker swung the door open, his gun raking the room. “Lennox!”
Nancy Hobbs pushed past him. “Bill! Bill! Are you all right?” She was at his side, steadying him. Maria rushed in, knelt at Houser’s side, and cradled his head in her arms.
Lennox said: “I’m swell. How’d all this happen?”
Nancy said: “I came over here, right after I called. I knew you’d come, but a fool cabman stopped me at the door, wouldn’t let me in. Then Maria came with these men. They arrested the taxi-man. He must be crazy.”
Lennox laughed. “He was earning ten bucks. How’d Maria get with the Feds?”
“She brought us,” Harker explained, coming over. “She came rushing into the office like a crazy woman; said she knew who killed Dan Lawton. Lawton was that man of mine who got killed, checking on Zimm. She saw him killed in the basement of her father’s restaurant. Payman knew that she saw the killing, but he was in love with her. He arranged for her to win the radio contest so he could get her to Zimm’s place and she could be watched.
“He wasn’t afraid that she’d talk, because her parents are in this country illegally. They were here before the war. Maria was born here. Then they went back to Italy and returned without a quota number. Payman was in the gang in San Diego that helped them enter. He’s blackmailed them ever since. She kept quiet until she learned that Zimm had Houser. Then nothing else mattered. She was afraid of the police. She knew that Lawton had been a Fed, so she came to me.”
He crossed to where his men were examining Houser and asked, “How is he?”
One of the men straightened. “He might have a smashed rib. Nothing more, I guess.”