“When did you see him last?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Three days before he was killed.”
“This you can prove?”
When she had her composure back, she said simply. “I should never have sent him flowers.”
“That wasn’t the bit, kid.”
“No? What was then?”
“You’re a big gal. A VP of a promising industry. You make fifteen hundred a week in your job and while the boss is away you’re head doll here. You have a penthouse on Madison Avenue and charge accounts in the best stores. So you like to gamble. You like to play cards. This wasn’t hard to find out at all.”
“I thought you hadn’t investigated me.”
“I didn’t. I picked it all up from one talkative building attendant.”
“Then why are you considering me suspect, Mr. Ryan?” the tears were there.
“You sent him a five-dollar bouquet, kid.”
And she didn’t hesitate this time, either. “He was a five-dollar card player, Mr. Ryan.”
“And you’re sentimental?”
“No, but it was a gesture to the cheap dead.”
“The gesture could be vindictive.”
“When you’re dead it doesn’t matter. It was a gesture. Now I’m sorry for it.”
“I don’t like it, baby,” I told her softly.
When she looked up, the VP was gone and I could have been looking at her across a table somewhere. She was all woman and coldly wild, with full-house eyes ready to sweat me out. It only lasted a second, but while it did I knew there was no bluff.
She said, “My father was well known at Monte Carlo. He was even better known at Vegas. His name wasn’t Smith. One day he was shot by a crazy little man who lost his own roll with his own marked cards.”
“What happened to the crazy little man?”
“The nine-year-old daughter of the dead man blew his head off with a shotgun from ten feet away.”
I said quietly, “You?”
“Me.”
“You sent him a five dollar bouquet too?”
“No.” Her smile was clean and straight across. “The girl daddy was living with did, though.”
“I like the gesture,” I said coldly.
“I think it was fitting.” Her tone matched mine.
“Now?”
“Something has come up as regards Mr. Billings. He was killed and now you’re here. Not the police. Just you. Why?”
I said, “Billings left me to the dogs for ten grand one time. I think he did it again. I’m a little anxious to find out who’s involved in this play.”
“You think I might be one?”
“I don’t know, but baby... I’m going to find out real soon.”
“I’m not sorry he’s dead,” she said. “To me it doesn’t matter one way or another. In a way, perhaps, I’m glad, nevertheless, I don’t care. How you fit into this is no concern of mine. Is there anything else?”
I grinned and stood up and leaned over her desk. I said, “Yeah, kid, one thing more. Like you’ve been told a million times, you’re an interesting wench. I wish you weren’t out of it. From now on it’s all going to be real dull.”
Until now she hadn’t smiled. When she did it was with a wet mouth and white teeth that made something happen no matter how early it was. She was hazel eyes, and suddenly chestnut hair, then even more quickly something slippery your hands should try to hold but couldn’t.
She was big. Not as big as me, but big. When she uncurled and faced me she said, “No... I’ll have to change it for you. Nobody ever called me that before.”
“What before?”
“Merely interesting.”
“My apologies.”
“Not accepted here, Mr. Ryan.” She looked at her watch, then smiled across at me. “It’s almost noon. I’ll let you apologize at lunch.”
“It’s getting cute again, kid.”
Her smile had a question in it, then she understood what I meant. She laughed outright this time. “Let me put it this way, Mr. Ryan... there is a reason I want to be with you a little longer. You see, I’ve known many men... but I never had lunch with a real hood before. Shall we go?”
I took her to Pat Shane’s for lunch. We ate on the dark side, in a back booth away from big ears and cigar smoke. By the time the steaks were gone, there was little I didn’t know about Carmen Smith.
She reached across the table and laid her hand on top of mine. “Ryan... do you think you’ll ever find out who killed Billings?”
I turned my hand over and held hers. “I’ll find them.”
“Is it... dangerous?”
That got a short laugh from me. “It’s not exactly a soft touch. A couple of guys already died.”
“A couple?”
“Just a detail. A little guy named Juan Gonzales. Ever hear of him?”
“No... it isn’t familiar.”
A second thought occurred to me. “Look, Carmen... When Billings was around you... was he ever scared?”
“The last time he was... well, nervous. He played pretty badly.”
“Were the stakes big?”
“Very petty that time. We all kidded him about it. He didn’t say anything.”
“Tell me... did he ever mention the name Lodo to you at all?”
“Lodo?” She paused, then shook her head. “No, not Billings. But I’ve heard it somewhere. Who is he?”
“I don’t know... yet. I’ll find out, though.”
This time she took my hand in both of hers. “Please be careful, Ryan.”
“Sure, but why, kitten?”
“I might want to have lunch with a big hood again.” She took her hand away with a smile, looked at her watch and reached for her pocketbook. “Time to leave. I’ll make a quick visit first.”
“Go ahead. I’ll meet you up front.”
Eddie Mack and Fats Sebull, a pair of guys I know, were talking to Pat and saw me coming. Fats said, “Pretty company you got.”
“Great. She okay, Fats?”
“We had her checked. She’s okay. One hell of a card player, though.”
“That’s what I hear.”
Eddie Mack asked me, “How’d you meet her?”
“Checking on Billings.”
He snorted. “Him. He won’t be missed.” He stopped, looked at me with a frown. “You knew him?”
“I wanted to kill him, buddy. I got beat out.”
He glanced around him nervously and licked his lips. “Say, Ryan... you got any idea who tapped him?”
“An idea. A guy named Lodo. You ever hear of him?”
It was Pat’s face that rang the bell. His eyes had a funny look and something had happened to the set of his mouth.
I said, “Pat?”
He motioned with his hand to keep it quiet. “Man, that’s a trouble name.”
“You know him?”
“I don’t want to, kid, but a couple days ago two scared union representatives were in here and one made a phone call from the booths in back when I was in the office. He didn’t know I was there, but I could hear him. When I bothered to listen, he was saying that there were some marked boys around and that Lodo had showed up. Apparently he had picked it up accidentally and he told the other guy he was clearing out.”
“That was all?”
“Enough for me, friend. Any bumping I don’t want done on the premises. I don’t even want people around who know about them things. I’ve had all that crap I want.”
“Don’t get so shook, Patsy boy.”
“Look, Ryan, if you’re in this, then keep it someplace else.”
I grinned and nodded.
Behind them Carmen was walking toward me and everybody in the place was watching her. She said, “Hello, Fats... Eddie. You know Ryan?”
Fats said, “We’ve met.”
I nodded to them and walked out with her. We got into a cab.
“Taking me to be verified by Fats and Eddie was smart. Are you satisfied?”