It seemed to him he sat in the evil-smelling darkness for a long time. Somewhere in the passage he could hear the busy gnawing of rat’s teeth on wood, the occasional drip of water, and the persistent patter of the rain against the walls of the building. But he didn’t pay any at ention to these noises. His ears were straining for the sound of any activity in the vast room above him. At first he heard nothing, then he imagined he heard the sound of breathing until he realised it was the curious echo of the thumping of his own heart as he sat there, his blood hammering through his veins.
The minutes dragged by. What could Baird be doing? he wondered stupidly. Perhaps after all she was talking, telling Baird what he wanted to know, and it would mean…
A long, blood-chilling scream rang suddenly through the building. It came down to Rico like the rush of wind, past him, and on down the passage, making the rats scramble up the walls in a panic of agitation.
Rico put his hands over his ears as the scream was repeated, but he couldn’t block it out. It seemed to run round and round inside his head like the rats running up and down the walls.
The screaming went on for a long time.
‘Please don’t!’ he heard Zoe cry. ‘No… Oh, no! I don’t know anything…’
Then she went back to the high-pitched screams that tore Rico’s nerves to shreds, and final y the screaming gave way to a soft moaning that was as horrible to listen to as the screaming.
The moaning kept on, until Rico thought he’d go crazy. He tried to stand up, but his shaking legs wouldn’t support him. He sat there, his hands over his ears, his eyes shut and his heart pounding. He had sweated right through his clothes, and he felt exhausted, as if he had been running without rest for miles.
He became aware suddenly that the moaning had stopped. For some moments he only heard the rustling of rats and the sound of the rain against the walls. He sat in the darkness, not moving, his nerves screwed up to meet another outburst of screaming.
Then the choked bang of a gun shattered the silence. The violence of the sound threw Rico on his knees. The echo of the shot rolled through the empty building, sending the rats scurrying madly to their holes.
Rico remained on his knees, too sick to move or think. He was still there among the slime and muck on the floor when Baird came down the steps.
‘What the hel do you think you’re doing?’ Baird asked, and dragged Rico to his feet. ‘Lost the little guts you had?’
Rico made an effort to pull himself together.
‘She’s dead?’ he asked without hope.
‘What do you think?’ Baird said. ‘I dropped her into the river. With any luck they won’t find her for months. Come on, let’s get out of here.’ He shoved Rico along the passage, under the archway to where the car was waiting.
‘I’ve got some news for you,’ Baird said as he paused to light a cigaret e. ‘That fella Dallas works for the International Detective Agency. He’s been hired by the insurance companies, who’re trying to find the stuff Hater cached. Dallas is on to you and Kile and me. We’ve been watched day and night for weeks. And listen, the top man’s Gil is, the guy who comes into your club. That red-head you were so sure about has been reporting every move you’ve made.’
Rico stood staring stupidly at Baird. He scarcely heard. The sound of the shot was still ringing in his head.
‘Kile’s going to unload the stuff when he gets it on the Rajah himself, who’s planning to gyp the insurance companies. A sweet set-up, isn’t it?’ Baird went on.
Groaning, Rico turned away and suddenly vomited.
With a grunt of disgust Baird got into the car and started the engine.
‘Come on, let’s get out of here,’ he said.
IV
Dallas found MacAdam in a bar opposite the Frou-Frou Club, where he had a good view of the main entrance of the club.
MacAdam, a dark, beefy man, who looked too big for his clothes, was nursing a pint of beer, and staring through the window of the bar, a far-away expression in his eyes.
Dallas gave him a jab in the ribs that made him spill some of his beer. He turned wrathfully.
‘Oh, you,’ he said in disgust. ‘I might have known it. I saw Gil is go in about a quarter of an hour ago. I guessed you’d be around like bad news.’
‘Where’s Baird?’ Dal as demanded.
MacAdam eyed him sharply. He didn’t like the expression on Dal as’s face.
‘What’s cooking? You look like you swal owed a bee.’
‘You’l think you’ve swal owed a goddamn hornet in a moment,’ Dal as snarled. ‘Where’s Baird?’
‘In the club, of course. Why else do you think I’m here?’
‘He isn’t in the club. Don’t you know there’s a rear exit?’
MacAdam sighed.
‘So what am I supposed to do?’ he asked, waving his beer in Dal as’s face. ‘Cut myself in half? I can’t watch the rear exit as well as the front, can I?’
‘If you’d watched the club farther down the road,’ Dal as said angrily, ‘you could have seen him if he had come out either exits.’
‘Yeah, I guess that’s right,’ MacAdam said, his face fal ing. ‘I had a thirst on me like an oil fire. I just had to put it out.’
‘Wel , he’s gone, and it’s my bet your job’s gone, too. Rico isn’t in the club, and Zoe’s missing. If anything happens to her, you’re for the high jump. I’l damn wel see to that! Get out of here and watch for Gillis when he comes out. I’m turning him over to you while I look for Baird.’
MacAdam hurriedly emptied his glass.
‘What do you think’s happened to Zoe?’ he asked, looking worried.
‘Anything can have happened to her. Get going before Gillis slips through your fingers.’
They went out on to the street together.
‘If I don’t pick Baird up, you’d better quit,’ Dal as said. He was cold with fury. ‘We’re responsible for that girl. She was one of us.’
‘Yeah, yeah; take it easy,’ MacAdam said. ‘I slipped up, but how the hel was I to know? How do you hope to find Baird? He’s got a start on you, hasn’t he?’
‘Rico owns a Roadmaster Buick. It’s a showy job, and it isn’t in the parking lot. It’s my bet they’ve taken Zoe somewhere in it. I’m going to try and trace it.’
‘Rather you than me,’ MacAdam said. ‘Sounds like you’ve got plenty of exercise coming to you.’
‘Watch Gil is and save your sympathy,’ Dal as snapped, and walked off to where he had parked his car.
The parking attendant came over as Dallas turned on his headlights. Dallas gave him half a buck.
‘Mr Rico took his car out about twenty minutes ago. I’m trying to find him. Know which way he went?’
‘He turned left and headed towards his apartment,’ the at endant said. ‘I reckon he’s gone home, although he’s never been as early as this before.’
Dallas nodded. He thought that was unlikely.
‘Mr Baird was with him, wasn’t he?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Anyone else?’
The man shook his head.
‘Just the two of them. Mr Baird was driving.’
Dallas started his car.
‘I’ll try his apartment,’ he said, and drove out of the park. Swinging his car to the left, he drove as fast as the traffic would allow him to the intersection. Straight ahead would bring him to Rico’s apartment block, but he couldn’t imagine Rico would take Zoe there: he was too cautious for that.
Dallas swung the car to the kerb, a few yards from the traffic lights. He got out and went across to a man selling newspapers, hunching his shoulders against the drizzling ram.
‘Hey, Joe,’ he said. ‘Have you seen a big Buick with yellow fenders pass this way?’