I made the return run pretty fast but it was practically pitch dark under a thin sickle moon when I hit the road to the north end of Crystal Lake and my bungalow.
And the real trouble...
It began when my headlights outlined the girl in the road ahead. She appeared to have been hiding in the roadside bushes but when I got close enough she stood up and waved frantically. I stopped and she ran to the car.
“Larry! You’ve got to turn around and go back!”
“Connie! What’s wrong? What’s happened? Why are you down here?”
She’d come in high heels and the skirt of her fluffy green dress had been torn by brambles. “The police, Larry. They’re waiting for you. I had a feeling you might be fool enough to come just because we had a date.”
“Look — angel — I don’t get it. I’m out on a writ. If they’ve been told to pick me up, that’s it. Hiding won’t help.”
“You mean you don’t know what’s happened? Where have you been all day?”
“Up at Lake Clara. I took the afternoon off.”
Her laugh seemed on the edge of hysteria. “Well first let’s get out of sight. A prowl car may come down this road any minute and I can’t let you give yourself up until you know what they’re after you for.”
We didn’t say anything more until I’d turned around and gone back a few hundred yards where a narrow overgrown road just let the little car in with branches brushing our heads. I snapped off the motor and turned out the lights.
“Okay, what’s it all about?”
Connie hesitated for a few moments. Then she said, “Larry, there’s something I’ve got to ask you first and I Want you to tell me the truth. And please remember whatever you say won’t make any difference but I’ve got to know.”
“Know what, angel?”
“Were you living with that girl? I mean, was she living with you in your bungalow?”
“What girl?”
“Larry — please—!”
I reached out and took both her hands in mine. “Darling, simmer down. I don’t know what you’re talking about but I’ll answer your question. There’s been no girl living with me up here or any place else. You’re the only girl who’s been in my bungalow even for a quick drink. But you don’t have to ask. You know that.”
“I knew it but I had to hear it from you.”
“Well, you’ve heard it. Now tell me why you had to ask.”
She was tiny and warm and trembling there beside me as she spoke into the darkness. “I got to the bungalow early, before sundown and took a sun bath in the back yard. Then I went in and saw the purse and gloves on the table. I thought they were mine at first and then I knew they weren’t. So... so I had to keep on looking and... well, I found the rest of the things. The robe — the nightgown — the dresses and the other things in the bedroom.”
“Connie — you out of your mind?”
“The things are there, Larry. I saw them.”
“Then someone put them there between the time I left this morning and when you found them.”
“I thought it was something like that — because I wanted to, I guess. Then I turned on the radio and I was sure.”
“What did the radio have to do with it?”
“The whole story was on the newscast — so I began to gather up everything I could find. I was going to hide all the clothes and things, but then the police came and I dropped them in the middle of the living room and ran.”
“What story, Connie? Tell me!”
She was fumbling for the knobs and a moment later the radio lit up. The voice came through a second later, beautifully timed:
“...New evidence has been uncovered by the police linking Lawrence Bowman, Central City coin machine operator, to Gloria Dane, beautiful blonde secretary of August Largo, prominent local businessman also interested in coin machine activities.
“Miss Dane’s mysterious disappearance was reported early this afternoon by Mr. Largo when he was unable to locate her at her apartment. Late last night, Miss Dane had reported her car as having been stolen and the first sinister note was added when the car was found in the possession of Mr. Bowman near a Danvers restaurant this morning.
“At the time, however, Miss Dane had not been reported missing and the police had no reason to be suspicious of Mr. Bowman for other than car theft and he was released on bail.
“But later a close check of the car revealed blood stains and a woman’s shoe in the trunk. Fast-breaking developments followed when Gertrude Armitage, a resident on Route 18 into Danvers reported that she saw a man she identified from a picture as Bowman riding into Danvers with blonde and beautiful Miss Dane yesterday morning.
“Thus, Bowman was definitely linked with the vanished girl and further evidence of what was possibly a clandestine romance came to light only a couple of hours ago when the police searched Bowman’s bungalow on Crystal Lake and found clothing identified as belonging to Miss Dane.
“Police, somewhat embarrassed at having released Bowman, have thrown out a dragnet and promise his apprehension soon. Also, they’ve begun searching the surrounding lake country for signs of foul play relative to Miss Dane’s disappearance.
“Interesting sidelights of the case involve Largo’s scheduled appearance before the Senate Rackets Committee in Washington, and rumors that Miss Dane, also scheduled to testify, would be a damaging witness for Largo.
“However, Mr. Largo denies this emphatically and claims he has nothing whatever to hide from the committee.
“Mr. Largo appears to be cleared of any suspicion by the fact that Bowman was his business rival, Bowman resisting Largo’s efforts to organize local coin machine operators.
“The two cases of polio, reported at—”
Connie lunged forward and snapped off the radio and as she drew back I realized she’d been crying during the whole newscast. I said, “Take it easy, hon. I—”
She was tight in my arms, her wet face against mine. “Oh, Larry — I love you so much it’s a great big ache! We’ve gone along from day to day and I’ve tried to hide it but when something like this happens—”
I held her tight and let her cry thinking how it’s that way sometimes — the casual day to day business, and seeing only a cute little character always ready to be attractive or understanding or sophisticated or whatever you happen to need at the moment until you look at her more as a convenience than a girl trying to be whatever you want her to be.
And not realizing you’ve been in love with her all the time.
“Baby — take it easy. Everything will turn out all right.”
She stopped crying, the effort taking a few moments before she said, “Darling. Who did this to you? Largo?”
Of course it had been Largo but there was no point in mulling that over now. I had to sit back and think. It was a little like getting suddenly smashed in the face with a blunt instrument. After you’re down you sit there for a minute trying to rattle some sense back into your head.
“It looks like Largo’s work, but the main thing is to figure out just what’s happened and what I’ve got to do.”
“You can’t give yourself up, darling. That would be fatal. Do you think Gloria Dane has been killed?”
“Who knows? Look, angel — I want you out of this.”
“But I don’t want to be out of it. I want to stay with you. I can help.”
“You can help me the most by letting me take you home. I don’t know what I’m going to do or where I’m going to do it but I’ll feel better knowing you’re safe.”