“Ann, listen to me. Look at me. Why do you think that policeman is out there?”
Ann shook her head. “No,” she muttered. “They are planning to kill me, aren’t they?”
Shayne tried to soothe her with gentle words and assurances of safety. “You’ll be protected even after you leave the hospital. Ann, please listen — if we don’t put these men away where they can’t harm you, you’ll always live with fear, no matter where you are or where you go.”
“But if I send word to Mr. Colletti that I won’t ever say anything, then maybe they won’t bother me.”
“You said it, Ann — maybe. That’s not how these hoods think or operate. As long as you’re alive, you represent a threat to their safety.”
“I don’t believe it. I talked with Mr. Colletti. He’s a very nice man, a gentleman.”
Shayne was quick to pursue the opening she gave him. “Ann, this very nice man — this gentleman — is responsible, directly or indirectly, for the murder of twenty-two men all over the country in the last year alone.
“We believe he was behind the murder of Johnny Roselli here in Miami. You must have read of it or heard it on the TV news shows. All those men were killed because Colletti felt they might talk to grand juries about mob activities. You” — he took a shot in the dark — “know something involving Colletti directly. You can put him in prison for life.
“Do you think he’d take that kind of chance with you? He’ll have you killed and bury your body a hundred miles out in the Atlantic, or in some lonely grave where no one will ever find you. Now, be smart — level with me and I promise you we’ll see to it that you are covered every minute of the day and night.”
“What do you want to know?” she asked Shayne and gripped his hand. “God, help me! Am I doing the right thing, Mr. Shayne?”
Shayne touched her face gently. “Yes, you are doing the right thing. Did Allegretti ever tell you anything that might be used against Colletti?”
Her answer gave him a jolt
Ann said, “Peter gave me packets of diamonds to deliver to Mr. Colletti.”
Shayne leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath. He wanted to be very careful not to upset her willingness to continue.
“That’s one thing,” Shayne said. “How many times did you take these packets of diamonds to Mr. Colletti?”
“I think about six times.”
“How many packets on each occasion?”
“Five or six.”
“Did you ever get a look at what was inside the packets?”
“Oh, yes. Peter gave me a few. I have them in my bag.”
Shayne wanted to whoop. He reached over on the table behind him and handed Ann her bag. She dug around in the bag while Shayne sat there burning with impatience. She finally brought up two tissue-paper packets. Shayne unfolded the packets carefully. In each were three glittering stones, perfectly cut, blue-white, without visible flaw. Each of them, was in the half-to-full carat weight.
Shayne said, “Ann, these stones were taken in a robbery from a salesman in the Americana Hotel. The salesman was pistol-whipped and died. You mustn’t keep these. Their possession makes you an accessory to murder.”
She let out a heavy sigh. “They are so beautiful...”
“These stones could be the springboard that will put Colletti in prison.” He didn’t want to tell her that she would have to testify. Not now.
He added, “Did you happen to see where these came from? I mean where Allegretti had them stashed?”
“He took them out from under the dashboard of his car. He just reached under and took out some of the packets.”
Shayne cursed himself for his stupidity. They had searched the yacht when their more obvious target would have been Allegretti’s car. He said, “You rest, and don’t worry about a thing. When the doctor says you’re okay, well take you home.”
“Thank you for everything. Are you coming back today?” Ann sounded wistful. “It gets lonely here, just lying in bed. I wish I had a Martini.”
Shayne grinned. “I’ll bring some back. The doctor may skin me alive, but I think you’ve earned it.”
“Thank you. You’re very nice.”
Shayne kissed her cheek, lightly. “So are you, Ann — very nice.”
“That was an awfully brotherly kiss, Mike.”
“I’ll do better the next time,” he promised.
“I’ll be here... waiting.”
Shayne gave her a big smile and went out. To the cop on duty in the corridor, he said, “Mister, that’s a very important gal in there, a witness. I merely want to repeat what you must have already been told. No one, and I mean no one, other than the doctors assigned and the nurses, are to be allowed in there, and you check them out first, closely — damn closely. Understand?”
“Sure. I was told that much by Lieutenant Elfmont.”
“Good!”
VII
Shayne found a phone booth in the hall and called Tom Elfmont. “Tommy, we’ve been dopes. We forgot to search Allegretti’s car. According to Miss Waterman, that’s where he kept the diamonds.”
“Diamonds?” Elfmont said, a note of surprise in his voice.
“Yes. Here’s a hot one for you. Allegretti gave Ann Waterman two packets of diamonds, three stones in each packet. I’ve got ’em. Can you figure a smart guy like Allegretti giving hot diamonds to a dame?”
“Well, obviously, Ann Waterman is no ordinary dame. When it comes to women, the smartest ones are often the biggest fools.”
“I won’t argue the point. She gave or delivered about thirty-five packets of diamonds to Colletti. He was fencing them. No wonder Allegretti could throw around hundred-dollar bills.” A pause, then, “Can you get me a search warrant on Colletti’s home?”
“I can, but we’re going to have to tangle with those county creeps. We’re pretty damned sure they’re on the take, so they’ll give Colletti every protection.”
“I understand that, Tommy. Get a federal search warrant along with the local one.”
“On what grounds?”
“Interstate transportation of stolen goods,” Shayne said.
“No federal judge will buy that without sufficient proof.”
“Tommy, Allegretti was dumb enough to give Ann Waterman those stones, which I now have. But Colletti is too smart to try to fence them locally, so sure as hell they were mailed out or sent by messenger to another state, possibly to Chicago. While I think of it, get a record of his out-of-town phone calls.”
“Shayne,” Elfmont said, “my concern was to get Becky back safely. The diamond deal is your baby. You’re going to collect a cool hundred grand.”
“Tommy an innocent man was murdered in that robbery, and that’s homicide. Right up your alley and your problem.”
Shayne heard Elfmont chuckle. “So, why not talk of the homicide instead of the diamonds?”
“You’re nit-picking, Tommy. One goes with the other. Don’t play games with me. We’ve got to move fast.”
“Okay, Shayne. What else?”
“I think we should have Patterson and Wilson along.”
“I agree. They’re on the team. I’ll get in touch with them. Where do we meet?”
“In your office, tomorrow morning at eight? Okay?”
“That’s fine.”
Both men hung up.
The next morning Shayne met with Elfmont, Patterson, Wilson and a fourth man, a federal Marshal, who was introduced as George Walsh. He was tall and heavy-set with coarse features, small, close-set eyes and puffy cheeks. He extended a ham-like hand to Shayne.
“I know about you, Shayne,” Walsh said. “What’s your role in this caper?”