Bina shuddered as the bedroom door slammed behind her. She hadn’t meant to say that either. They’d think she was in a frightful mood. She must be in a frightful mood. She stood in the middle of the floor, arms crossed and pressed tight against her body to control her trembling. And then Jerry came in behind her.
“Well—” he said disapprovingly.
“...that was quite an exhibition,” she finished for him through chattering teeth.
“Marge was just—”
“...trying to be kind. I know. I know. And I’m glad she got the police away, because I have to — we have to—”
Jerry’s arms closed around her, “We have to go on back to the party,” he said gently, “and explain.”
She turned to fling her arms around his neck and cool her hot face against the smooth weave of his suit. Everything was all right now. She struggled hard against the quick relief of tears, until finally she could talk.
“You see, Lefty did turn in the jade,” she cried, “so I had to see the Moresbys, and they told me about the boat. And I found out why Lorraine lied about going to her sister’s to recover from an attack of the flu. And now, before the Chief picks me up—”
She was standing alone now. Jerry had withdrawn his arms and stepped back. He was frowning at her. “So you’ve been playing cops and robbers — with my friends,” he said quietly.
The numbness was back again. She stood helplessly, watching his tight face until anger released her. “It looked as if your friends had framed us for murder!”
“No one has framed us except your father,” Jerry said. “That scare headline in the paper Marge showed me tonight was just another step in his plan of forcing you to give him some names, so he can really work up a case.”
“That’s not true!” She was screaming and couldn’t stop. “Lefty’s no monster! Do you think he’d drag me through a murder trial just to get my marriage annulled?”
“Yes. And I think he’d enjoy sending me up on circumstantial evidence!” Jerry seemed suddenly to realize that his shouting could easily be heard in the next room. He lowered his voice, but did not moderate his anger. “It makes no sense — trying to pin something on Lorraine! You and Lefty are not dragging her into this mess!”
Bina moaned miserably. “Just what do you want to do?”
“Sit tight. Call Lefty’s bluff. Let the thing blow over. You look as if you’d been run down by a truck, Powder your nose while I go out and make our apologies.” He gave her a hard imitation of a smile, dropped a cold kiss on her forehead, and was gone, closing the door with determined quietness.
Bina swayed. She sank down on the edge of the bed, her thoughts in a turmoil. She was having those queer shocks of vertigo she had felt a couple of times on an unfamiliar street when a glimpse of a familiar skyline had convinced her her sense of direction had betrayed her.
She’d been running so hard, so fast... Was it in the wrong direction?
Marge opened the door far enough to poke a man’s hat through the aperture, and toss it in.
Bina laughed weakly. “Come in and beat me some more, Marge. I deserve it.”
“How groveling can you get?” Marge shut the door behind her and breezed in. “I’m just lucky you aren’t the shooting kind. Darling, I do know what a hideous thing it was, dragging in the crowd on you — of all nights.”
“I’m tired, Marge — confused.”
“It’s so important for you to get off on the right foot with them. I thought if they were in here helping you, instead of somewhere else listening to these stupid rumors...” She was rummaging for powder and a comb, bringing them over to Bina.
“Thanks, Marge. I do look like a wreck.”
“You’ve been busy. Did you get the dope on the lady?”
“Yes. I found out she’d lied about being at her sister’s in Alhambra the week of Clarissa’s death. I also found out where she actually was at the time. It had nothing to do with Clarissa.”
“Are you sure? If she had her eye on Jerry, as Clarissa thought, she must have realized she’d never get him and a fortune with Clarissa alive.”
“No... no, Marge. She wasn’t after Jerry! She’s married!”
“Well, what difference does that make?” Marge asked.
For a stunned moment, Bina stared at the air in front of her. Then she spun around to the mirror and began a fast repair job on her face. Her vertigo was gone. A surge of furious energy possessed her. “Marge, I’ve got to see Lorraine before the police pick me up. I know it’s all right. But I have to talk to her. Please help me slip out.”
“Well — I think it’s a foolish thing to do and — okay, okay.” She abruptly acknowledged defeat. “I’ll have Toto back out your car.”
On her way to the door, Marge paused. “I have a: better idea. Listen—”
She went out quickly, leaving the door ajar so Bina could hear her good-natured shout to the crowd.
“The party moves on!” she informed them in a barker’s loud tones. “There’ll be a special supper served in the dining room of the Beverly Hills Hotel in one-half hour! There’ll be dancing, there’ll be drinking, there’ll be gaaaaaaaity! Don’t rush, folks! Step right up for your hats and coats!”
During the general hubbub of departure, Jerry came up behind Bina. “Ready, sweet?”
Marge had followed him in. “Bina and I are coming along after we’ve done the phoning for the reservations,” she said. “They can be preparing for the gang while you’re on the way down.”
“I’ll stay and drive you.”
“You will not!” Marge snapped. “You’re the host, and you’ll get them herded to the tables, Buster, or half of them will end up at the Beverly Wilshire.”
She urged, pushed, wheedled, and eventually, Bina heard her triumphant yell as she shut the door on the last of the gang.
Marge met her at the door with a cocktail. “Drink this. Pull yourself together,” she said. “It will take them a few minutes to sort themselves into their buggies. While they’re jostling and crowding they won’t see you making off.”
Bina gulped the martini, realizing that if it would stop her nervous shudders, she’d get a lot further with Lorraine Canby. Gratefully, she felt the release of raw nerves as the strong liquor warmed her.
“I’ll do the phoning,” Marge said. “You make your call fast, and I’ll wait for you in front of the hotel, so we can go in together. No one will ever know you left the party. Now what’s the ghastly hotel number?” She was dialing as Bina went out through the kitchen and down the back stairs.
IX
Twilight had changed now to thick darkness, and Bina felt her way carefully down the unfamiliar stairs. Halfway across the parking space, she ran into the fender of her own car. Marge had remembered every detail, as usual, in her elaborate planning. Toto had backed her car out and swung it partially toward the drive.
She reached into the dashboard and turned on the headlights. They flashed across the flimsy barricade into the yawning excavation, making it seem almost in front of her. Nervously, Bina opened the car door and tested the emergency brake before she climbed in. Everything frightened her suddenly. If she could just get through tonight.
She had one foot raised to enter the car when a man’s hand closed on her arm, jerking her back. Another hand slid over her mouth, smothering her cry.
She struggled violently, feeling the uselessness of the exertion. The man pulling her back was iron-muscled, relentless. She heard his sharply barked order, “Okay! Hurry it up now!” more as a rumble against her than a voice.