“Like a cat,” said Ellery. “There’s the Cat.”
“She’s out of her mind,” whispered Jimmy.
“She’s out of her mind!” Inspector Queen was close to tears. “We set him up — we set him up all this time. His tongue is hanging out. He’d have tried it in this bad light sure. And she...”
The girls turned into Third Avenue and entered a stationery store. The man in the store began wrapping reams of paper, other articles.
It was growing quite dark.
Cazalis was beyond caution. He stood eagerly in the rain on one of the corners of Third Avenue and 29th Street before a drugstore window. The lights came on as he stood there, but he did not move.
The head was still thrust forward.
Ellery had to hang on to Jimmy’s arm.
“He won’t try anything while Celeste is with her. Too many people on the streets, Jimmy. Too much traffic. Take it easy.”
The girls came out of the store. Marilyn carried a large package.
She was smiling.
They walked back the way they had come.
For a moment, fifty feet from the tenement, it looked as if Cazalis were going to take the plunge. The drizzle had thickened and the girls were running for the vestibule, laughing. Cazalis gathered himself, actually jumped into the gutter.
But a car drove up to the curb before 490 and three men got out. They stood on the opposite pavement, shouting to one another in the rain, arguing hotly about something.
Cazalis stepped back. The girls disappeared into 486. He walked heavily down the street, stepped into a hallway opposite the Soames building.
Goldberg and Young arrived to take over from MacGayn and Hagstrom.
They worked in close, for the fog had descended.
Cazalis lingered all evening, not moving except to change hallways when someone headed for the one he occupied.
Once he chose Young’s, and the detective was within fifteen feet of him for over a half hour.
A few minutes after 11 o’clock he gave up. His bulky figure plunged along in the fog, chin on his breast. They saw him pass from their own observation post near Second Avenue and, a few seconds later, Goldberg and Young.
The three vanished going west.
With some grimness, Inspector Queen insisted on flashing the all-clear signal to Celeste himself.
The meeting place for the night was a dim-walled bar-and-grill on First Avenue between 30th and 31st Streets. They had used it once before; it was crowded, smoky, and mindful of the rights of man.
Celeste came in and sat down without waiting for anything she said, “I couldn’t help it. When she ran out of onionskin second sheets and said she was walking over to Third Avenue for some, I almost died. I knew he wouldn’t dare try anything if somebody was with her. Now give me ten demerits.”
Jimmy glared. “Are you out of your everloving mind?”
“Did he follow us?” She was bloodless tonight, very nervous. Ellery idly noticed her hands. They were cracked and red; her nails were chewed-looking. There was something else about her, too, but it insisted on being elusive.
What was it?
“He followed you,” said the Inspector. Then he said, “Miss Phillips, nothing would have happened to her.” He said, “Miss Phillips, this case has cost the City of New York I don’t know how many tens of thousands of dollars and months of work. Today by acting like an irresponsible moron you undid every last bit of it. We may never get as good a chance again. It could mean not getting him at all. Today he was desperate. If she’d been alone, he’d have jumped. I can’t tell you how put out I am with you. In fact, Miss Phillips, I’m not irreverent when I say I wish to God Almighty I’d never seen or heard of you.”
Jimmy started to get up.
Celeste pulled him down, rested her cheeks on his shoulder. “Inspector, I just couldn’t find the strength to let her walk out into that street alone. What do I do now?”
The old man raised his glass of beer with shaking hands and drained it.
“Celeste.” What was it?
“Yes, Mr. Queen.” Jimmy’s clutch tightened and she smiled up at him.
“You’re not to do that again.”
“I can’t promise that, Mr. Queen.”
“You did promise it.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“We can’t pull you out now. We can’t disturb the status quo. He may try another trick tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t leave. I couldn’t.”
“Won’t you promise not to interfere?”
Jimmy touched her face.
“This may all be over by tomorrow night. He hasn’t the remotest chance of hurting her. She’s covered, so is he. Let him get that cord out, make one move toward her, and he’ll be jumped by four armed men.
Did Marilyn finish the play she’s typing?”
“No, she was too exhausted tonight. She has a few more hours’ work on it tomorrow. She says she’s going to sleep late, so that means she won’t have it done till late afternoon.”
“She’s to deliver it immediately?”
“The writer is waiting for it. It’s overdue now.”
“Where does he live?”
“The Village.”
“Weather forecast for tomorrow is more rain. It will be dark or almost dark when she leaves the house. He’ll make his pitch either on East 29th Street or in the Village. One day more, Celeste, and we can bury this with the rest of our bad dreams. Won’t you let her go alone?”
“I’ll try.”
What was it?
Inspector Queen snarled, “Another beer!”
“You’re making this awfully tough, Celeste. Did you leave Marilyn all right?”
“She’s gone to bed. They all have. Mr. and Mrs. Soames and Billie and Eleanor are going to church early tomorrow.”
“Good night.” Ellery’s chin angular. “I’d hate to think you let us down.”
Jimmy said, “Cheese it. The aborigine.”
The waiter slapped a beer down before the Inspector. He lisped, “What’s for the lady?”
“Nothing,” said Jimmy. “Remove yourself.”
“Listen, pally, this is a going concern. She drinks, or you do your smooching someplace else.”
Jimmy slowly uncoiled. “Listen yourself, no-brow—”
The Inspector barked, “On your way.”
The waiter looked surprised and backed off.
“Go on back, baby,” crooned Jimmy. “I would have a word or two with our associates here.”
“Jimmy, kiss me?”
“Here?”
“I don’t care.”
He kissed her. The waiter glowered rom afar.
Celeste ran.
The fog swallowed her.
Jimmy got up to lean over the Queens with a bitter expression. He opened his mouth.
But Ellery said, “Isn’t that Young?” He was squinting through the murk.
They jerked about like rabbits.
The detective was in the open doorway. His glance darted along the bar, from booth to booth. There were deep yellowish lines around his mouth.
Ellery laid a bill on their table.
They got up.
Young spotted them. He was breathing through his mouth.
“Now listen, Inspector, listen.” There was sweat on his upper lip. “It’s this goddam fog, you can’t see your hand in front of your face in this goddam fog. Goldberg and I were right on his tail when all of a sudden he doubled back on us. Back east. Back here. Like he got the urge again and decided to make a night of it. He looked crazy-mad. I don’t know if he saw us or not. I don’t think so.” Young inhaled. “We lost him in the fog. Goldie’s out there roaming around, looking for him. I’ve been looking for you.”
“He headed back here and you lost him.”