I had some difficulty understanding his conversation at first. He talked like a man with a clothespin clamped over his nose. ‘No,’ I said, ‘I’m with a bureau of investigation.’
‘How well do you know Sandra?’ There was suspicion in his eyes, a suspicion which, for the moment, I couldn’t understand.
‘I met her for the first time about five minutes ago.’
‘What do you know about her?’
‘Nothing except what Miss Hunter told me.’
‘What did she tell you?’
‘Nothing.’
‘She’s my sister,’ Bleatie said, ‘and I should stick up for her, but God knows she has her faults, and they’re a pretty important element in this whole mess. If you ask me, she’s given her husband a hell of a raw deal. She can’t be trusted around a man. She’s never happy unless she has half a dozen men on the string, playing one of them against the other. She’s married, but marriage doesn’t stop her a damn bit. She goes her own way, and does pretty much as she pleases.’
‘They all do these days,’ I said easily.
‘You seem to be rushing to her defense a little too eagerly ― considering that you’ve only known her a few minutes,’ he said.
I kept quiet.
‘You’re sure you’re not lying to me?’
‘I’m not accustomed to lie to anyone,’ I said, ‘and I don’t like to have people with broken noses accuse me of being a liar.’
He grinned then. I could see the cheek muscles twist and the eyes narrow. ‘Sort of taking an unfair advantage, is it?’ he asked.
‘Yes. You can’t hit a man with a busted nose.’
‘I don’t know why not,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t hesitate.’
I looked into the cat-green eyes and said thoughtfully, ‘No, I don’t suppose you would.’
‘If a man’s nose is broken, that makes him all the more vulnerable. When I fight, I don’t spar for points. I fight to smash the other man, and the harder I can smash him, the better I like it. And you’re a little shrimp to have such a gamecock disposition.’
He’d have liked me to make some comment then. I didn’t make any.
‘So Sandra wants a divorce, does she?’ he said after a moment.
‘So I understand.’
‘Well, there’s a hell of a lot to be said on Morgan’s side of this thing. Has that ever occurred to you?’
‘I’m serving the papers,’ I said. ‘He’ll have a chance to tell his side of it in court.’
‘The hell he will!’ Bleatie said impatiently. ‘How the devil could he come into court? He’s a fugitive from justice. Hell, they’d rip him wide open. What’s all the big rush about? Why doesn’t Sandra serve him by publication?’
‘It would take too long,’ I said, ‘and you can’t collect alimony on a service by publication.’
‘She wants alimony?’ he asked, then added quickly, ‘Thought you said you weren’t a lawyer.’
‘I think you’ll have to ask her or her lawyer about the alimony,’ I said. ‘After all, I’m only hired to serve the papers.’
‘You have the papers there?’
‘Yes.’
‘Let’s see ‘em.’
I passed the papers over. He hunched around on the bed, said, ‘Put your hand behind my shoulders and give me a boost — there, that’s better — now get that pillow down — you probably think I’m a hell of a brother, but we’re not a particularly conventional family — and when you come right down to it, I don’t give a damn what you think.’
‘I’m not paid to think,’ I said. ‘I’m paid to serve papers. And if you want to be personal, I don’t give a damn what you think.’
‘That’s good. I like your spunk. Sit down there and don’t interrupt me for a minute.’
He took the papers, glanced through the summons, and read through the divorce complaint with the laborious thoroughness of a layman who isn’t familiar with legal papers and has to puzzle through all the whereases, whyfores, and aforesaids. When he had finished, he folded the papers and handed them back to me. His eyes were narrowed thoughtfully. ‘So she wants a court order giving her the custody of the contents of all of the safety deposit boxes, does she?’
‘All I know is what’s in the papers,’ I said. ‘You’ve read those now. You know as much as I do.’
‘Pretty cagey, aren’t you?’ he asked.
‘I’m paid to serve papers,’ I said. ‘Why don’t you talk with your sister if you want to find out just what she has in mind?’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said grimly, ‘I’m going to.’
‘Do you,’ I asked, ‘know where her husband is?’
‘I know Morgan’s mistress,’ he said simply, ‘and she’s a damn nice girl.’
‘Mrs. Birks could have dragged her into the case,’ I pointed out. ‘She didn’t.’
He laughed, and his laugh wasn’t pleasant. ‘A fat chance she’d have, dragging anyone into the case,’ he said. ‘My God, you don’t know women very well, if you can’t size Sandra up just by looking at her.’
He was talking about his sister. I kept quiet.
‘If you’re ever left alone in the room with her for ten minutes, she’ll make a pass at you ― oh, don’t look so shocked about it.’
‘I’m not shocked.’
‘Well, I’m warning you. We’re an unconventional family. Hell, I don’t hold it against her. She lives her life. I live mine. But she’s a shrewd, selfish, scheming vixen. She has the morals of a cat. She’s attractive as hell. She has a quick mind — and she uses it most of the time to get something she wants— Hell, I should talk things over with you. Tell her to come in here.’
I stepped to the door and said, ‘Mrs. Birks, your brother wants to talk with you.’
‘You want me to clear out?’ I asked.
‘Hell, no. I want you in here.’
I moved over to the side of the bed. Sandra Birks came in, and said, anxiously, ‘What is it, Bleatie? Are you feeling all right now? The doctor left this sedative to give you if you get nervous and—’
‘Nix on that God damn cooing,’ Bleatie said. ‘You always did put on that solicitous air when you wanted something. Christ Almighty, I’m your brother. I know you like a book. I know what you want. You want to get the name of Morgan’s girl out of me. You want to serve papers on Morgan. You want to get a divorce. You want to be free to marry your latest sweetie. Who is he? That young squirt of a doctor? I’ve got my suspicions about him.’
‘Bleatie!’ she said. ‘Don’t!’ and glanced apprehensively at me. ‘You mustn’t talk that way. You’ve been through a nervous shock, and you’re upset and—’
‘Upset, hell!’ he interrupted. ‘Any time a man can’t be twisted around your fingers, it’s because he’s upset and isn’t himself — well, I don’t blame you. Now look here, Sandra. You and I are going to have a showdown. You’re my sister. I suppose I should be loyal to you. It also happens that I’m a friend of Morgan Birks’. Just because he’s down at the moment, is no sign you’re going to jump on him with both feet.’
‘Who wants to jump on him with both feet?’ she countered, her eyes beginning to glint. ‘I’ve given him all of the breaks in that divorce complaint. My God, the things I could have said about him would—’
‘Wouldn’t have done you a damn bit of good,’ Bleatie said. ‘Think of the things Morgan could say about you. Look at you! You never can forget your sex. I get my nose busted and damned if you don’t have to drag in your current boy friend or one of your current boy friends — to practice on me. That young squirt ain’t dry behind the ears yet, and you drag him in—’
‘Bleatie! You stop,’ she said. ‘Archie Holoman is a fine young man. Morgan knows him. He’s a friend of the family. There’s absolutely nothing between us.’