Theyd know you wouldnt wear it otherwise. Who knew about its value?
She thought. It was nice to watch her thinking. She still had her legs crossed, and still carelessly.
All sorts of people, I suppose.
But they didnt know you would be wearing it that night? Who knew that?
She shrugged her pale blue shoulders. I tried to keep my eyes where they belonged.
My maid. But shes had a hundred chances. And I trust her
Why?
I dont know. I just trust some people. I trust you.
Did you trust Marriott?
Her face got a little hard. Her eyes a little watchful. Not in some things. In others, yes. There are degrees. She had a nice way of talking, cool, half-cynical, and yet not hardboiled. She rounded her words well.
All right besides the maid. The chauffeur?
She shook her head, no. Lin drove me that night, in his own car. I dont think George was around at all. Wasnt it Thursday?
I wasnt there. Marriott said four or five days before in telling me about it. Thursday would have been an even week from last night.
Well, it was Thursday. She reached for my glass and her fingers touched mine a little, and were soft to the touch. George gets Thursday evening off. Thats the usual day, you know. She poured a fat slug of mellow-looking Scotch into my glass and squirted in some fizz-water. It was the kind of liquor you think you can drink forever, and all you do is get reckless. She gave herself the same treatment.
Lin told you my name? she asked softly, the eyes still watchful.
He was careful not to.
Then he probably misled you a little about the time. Lets see what we have. Maid and chauffeur out. Out of consideration as accomplices, I mean.
Theyre not out by me.
Well, at least Im trying, she laughed. Then theres Newton, the butler. He might have seen it on my neck that night. But it hangs down rather low and I was wearing a white fox evening wrap; no, I dont think he could have seen it.
I bet you looked like a dream, I said.
Youre not getting a little tight, are you?
Ive been known to be soberer.
She put her head back and went off into a peal of laughter. I have only known four women in my life who could do that and still look beautiful. She was one of them.
Newton is okey, I said. His type dont run with hoodlums. Thats just guessing, though. How about the footman?
She thought and remembered, then shook her head. He didnt see me.
Anybody ask you to wear the jade?
Her eyes instantly got more guarded. Youre not fooling me a damn bit, she said.
She reached for my glass to refill it. I let her have it, even though it still had an inch to go. I studied the lovely lines of her neck.
When she had filled the glasses and we were playing with them again I said, Lets get the record straight and then Ill tell you something. Describe the evening.
She looked at her wrist watch, drawing a full length sleeve back to do it. I ought to be
Let him wait.
Her eyes flashed at that. I liked them that way. Theres such a thing as being just a little too frank, she said.
Not in my business. Describe the evening. Or have me thrown out on my ear. One or the other. Make your lovely mind up.
Youd better sit over here beside me.
Ive been thinking that a long time, I said. Ever since you crossed your legs, to be exact.
She pulled her dress down. These damn things are always up around your neck.
I sat beside her on the yellow leather chesterfield. Arent you a pretty fast worker? she asked quietly.
I didnt answer her.
Do you do much of this sort of thing? she asked with a sidelong look.
Practically none. Im a Tibetan monk, in my spare time.
Only you dont have any spare time.
Lets focus, I said. Lets get whats left of our minds or mine on the problem. How much are you going to pay me?
Oh, thats the problem. I thought you were going to get my necklace back. Or try to.
I have to work in my own way. This way. I took a long drink and it nearly stood me on my head. I swallowed a little air.
And investigate a murder, I said.
That has nothing to do with it. I mean thats a police affair, isnt it?
Yeah only the poor guy paid me a hundred bucks to take care of him and I didnt. Makes me feel guilty. Makes we want to cry. Shall I cry?
Have a drink. She poured us some more Scotch. It didnt seem to affect her any more than water affects Boulder Dam.
Well, where have we got to? I said, trying to hold my glass so that the whiskey would stay inside it. No maid, no chauffeur, no butler, no footman. Well be doing our own laundry next. How did the holdup happen? Your version might have a few details Marriott didnt give me.
She leaned forward and cupped her chin in her hand. She looked serious without looking silly-serious.
We went to a party in Brentwood Heights. Then Lin suggested we run over to the Troc for a few drinks and a few dances. So we did. They were doing some work on Sunset and it was very dusty. So coming back Lin dropped down to Santa Monica. That took us past a shabby looking hotel called the Hotel Indio, which I happened to notice for some silly meaningless reason. Across the street from it was a beer joint and a car was parked in front of that.
Only one car in front of a beer joint?
Yes. Only one. It was a very dingy place. Well, this car started up and followed us and of course I thought nothing of that either. There was no reason to. Then before we got to where Santa Monica turns into Arguello Boulevard, Lin said, Lets go over the other road and turned up some curving residential street. Then all of a sudden a car rushed by us and grazed the fender and then pulled over to stop. A man in an overcoat and scarf and hat low on his face came back to apologize. It was a white scarf bunched out and it drew my eyes. It was about all I really saw of him except that he was tall and thin. As soon as he got close and I remembered afterwards that he didnt walk in our headlights at all
Thats natural. Nobody likes to look into headlights. Have a drink. My treat this time.
She was leaning forward, her fine eyebrows not daubs of paint drawn together in a frown of thought. I made two drinks. She went on:
As soon as he got close to the side where Lin was sitting he jerked the scarf up over his nose and a gun was shining at us. Stick-up, he said. Be very quiet and everything will be jake. Then another man came over on the other side.
In Beverly Hills, I said, the best policed four square miles in California.
She shrugged. It happened just the same. They asked for my jewelry and bag. The man with the scarf did. The one on my side never spoke at all. I passed the things across Lin and the man gave me back my bag and one ring. He said to hold off calling the police and insurance people for a while. They would make us a nice smooth easy deal. He said they found it easier to work on a straight percentage. He seemed to have all the time in the world. He said they could work through the insurance people, if they had to, but that meant cutting in a shyster, and they preferred not to. He sounded like a man with some education.
It might have been Dressed-Up Eddie, I said. Only he got bumped off in Chicago.
She shrugged. We had a drink. She went on.
Then they left and we went home and I told Lin to keep quiet about it. The next day I got a call. We have two phones, one with extensions and one in my bedroom with no extensions. The call was on this. Its not listed, of course.
I nodded. They can buy the number for a few dollars. Its done all the time. Some movie people have to change their numbers every month.
We had a drink.
I told the man calling to take it up with Lin and he would represent me and if they were not too unreasonable, we might deal. He said okey, and from then on I guess they just stalled long enough to watch us a little. Finally, as you know, we agreed on eight thousand dollars and so forth.