‘Why are you telling me all this, Sandra?’ I asked. ‘I understood you worked for J.W., and he seems to think a lot of you.’
Her smile was evil and bitter.
‘I’ll come to that. The only reason J.W. wanted to see you was to con you into believing how sorry he was about the acid job. You accepted his story that Minsky was dead and buried. J.W. is a most convincing liar. Minsky is his right hand. It is Minsky, with his team of ferrets, who dig up the dirt for blackmail. Without Minsky, J.W. would be lost. He would no more think of getting rid of Minsky than you would cutting off one of your arms. Minsky is alive and working. Smedley is a birdbrain and useless to the organisation. When he arrives in Miami, he will disappear. Minsky is an expert at making unwanted people disappear.’
I leaned forward.
‘Are you telling me this sonofabitch who sprayed acid in my girl’s face is alive?’
She nodded.
‘That’s what I am telling you.’
I drew in a deep breath, feeling cold rage run through me.
‘Where do I find him?’
‘You won’t. You don’t even know what he looks like.’
‘He’s short, broad-shouldered, wears a white coat and a broad-brimmed hat.’
‘So what?’ Her expression was cynical. ‘He takes off his hat and white coat, puts on a grey coat and doesn’t wear a hat. How many hundreds of short, broad-shouldered men walk about this city? You won’t ever find him unless I help you.’
I stared at her.
‘Why should you help me?’
Her face turned to stone and her green eyes narrowed.
‘Because he murdered my father.’ The words came in a hissing whisper.
‘Why?’
‘So J.W. could replace him. My father ran the Florida racket brilliantly. I was his secretary. We were very close.’ She leaned back and motioned to me to give her another cigarette.
‘You are a mafioso?’
‘Of course, but, now, I am also a worm in the apple. When my father died, I swore over his dead body to revenge him, and that’s why I need a man of guts.’ She leaned forward so I could light her cigarette. ‘Two worms are better than one, Dirk.’
I was absorbing all this.
‘You became J.W.’s secretary?’
‘Yes. He had no idea that I knew he had ordered my father’s murder. The killing was cleverly arranged: a hit-and-run driver in Miami. My father left me a letter. He knew J.W. was after his job, and he knew Minsky would kill him. I had been my father’s secretary for more than three years, and I knew far more about the racket than J.W. did. He was only too happy when I offered to work for him.’
‘Why did you do that? I would have thought you would have hated the sight of him.’
‘The worm in his polished apple.’ Sandra said with her evil smile. ‘For more than a year, I have waited my chance. I knew I couldn’t bring J.W. and Minsky down without help.’ She stared fixedly at me. ‘Now I have found a man of guts. With your know-how, I can revenge my father and you your girl. We have a common cause.’
‘So what you are saying is that if Minsky is put out of action, J.W. will fall off his tightrope?’
‘Yes. Of course, the racket won’t stop. J.W. will be replaced. Someone like Minsky will continue to dig up dirt. No one can stop the organisation, but we two could stop J.W. and Minsky. That would satisfy me.’
I thought about this. I didn’t like the idea of working with a mafioso, but if it meant I could get at Minsky, I wasn’t going to be fussy.
‘Right,’ I said. ‘You can rely on me. What’s the first move?’
She studied me with her hard, green eyes.
‘You mean this, Dirk?’
‘You can rely on me.’
She nodded.
‘The first thing is to find Minsky. He reports to J.W. on the phone. He’s elusive. By now he’ll have heard from Smedley, and he will know that Smedley has talked. But he won’t know that you know he is alive. He could become careless. He won’t return to his rented apartment. He rented it week by week. It was just a roof while he was in the city. The reason why Smedley lived there was a front. Someone had to pay the rent and live there. Minsky will have no trouble finding another roof. We’ll have trouble finding him.’
‘Do you think he could be holed up on the yacht Hermes?’
She stiffened.
‘Who told you about the Hermes?’
‘I’ve been asking around, Sandra. Never mind who told me.’
‘He won’t be there. The yacht is only used as the payoff station. J.W. only goes there on the first of the month. He collects the money, then sails for Miami. Yachts aren’t Minsky’s scene. He likes plenty of space.’
‘How do you know?’
‘My father told me. At one time Minsky worked for him.’
‘You can give me a description of him, can’t you?’
She shook her head.
‘I’ve never seen him. I’ve only heard him on the telephone. He has a strong Italian accent.’
‘He must have a girlfriend.’
She thought.
‘Yes. Once when J.W. was talking to him on the phone, he asked how Dolly was. She could be Minsky’s girlfriend.’
My mind switched to Dolly Gilbert, the whore, who lived at the Breakers condo. If she was Minsky’s girlfriend, no wonder she was so frightened when I had mentioned Hank Smedley. Possibly, Smedley was cheating on Minsky and screwing Dolly. This was worth a long, careful look.
‘Do you know where the new drop is going to be?’ I asked, keeping my face deadpan. ‘Now the Black Cassette no longer exists, the blackmail victims will have to be told where to deliver their pay-offs.’
‘I don’t know, but I will find out.’
‘Minsky is certain to show up on the first of the month to collect the blackmail money. We have eight days. Find out where the new drop is to be. I’ll stake it out if I haven’t found him first.’
‘Yes.’ She nodded. ‘Leave that to me. I’ll telephone you. Give me your number.’
‘It’s in the book. One more thing, Sandra, do you know why Angela Thorsen is being blackmailed?’
‘No, I don’t. Minsky keeps the records. All J.W. is interested in is getting the money.’
‘You mean to tell me that J.W. has no idea of the names and the sins of the people from whom he gets a million and half each month?’
‘Why should he? He relies entirely on Minsky. He doesn’t want to bother with details. He’s running a big drug ring, and that keeps him busy. He leaves the blackmail racket to Minsky.’ She looked at her watch. ‘I must go. J.W. will be back soon.’ She regarded me. ‘I can rely on you, Dirk?’
‘You can.’
‘I have a charge account here. Give me five minutes,’ and she started to move to the door, then paused. ‘When you have found Minsky, don’t kill him.’ Her green eyes flashed, and again her face became as if carved out of stone. ‘That is going to be my pleasure,’ and with a wave of her hand, she left me.
When I left the Three Crab the time was pushing 01.00. There was nothing I could do until tomorrow morning. I drove home. Bill had already gone to bed, so I went to bed myself. I dozed fitfully, my mind busy with the facts Sandra had given me, but finally I slept.
Over a 10.00 brunch, I told Bill what I had learned.
Stirring his coffee, he looked questioningly at me.
‘So what now?’ he asked.
‘I am going to fix Minsky,’ I said. ‘Then I’m going to fix Angie. I want you to keep with Angie. I want to find out a lot more about her than I know now. Stick with her, Bill. Find out what she does. Where she goes. She just can’t stay in the little cottage. I want to know who she meets, who she contacts. OK?’