‘Why?’
‘I don’t like questions.’
‘Do I have to get tough?’
‘It’d get you no place. Men don’t scare me. I’ve had men up to here.’
‘My father used to say, “Treat a lady like a whore, and a whore like a lady.” How do I treat you, Blanche?’
She raised her eyes and looked at me long and hard. ‘Like a lady,’ she answered. Her voice was very small.
‘All right. I need help.’
‘Why come to me?’
‘Because I think you know what happened last night.’
‘I know nothing.’
The counterman brought the coffee. ‘Anything else?’ he asked.
‘Nothing, thanks,’ I said. I bit into the hamburger. The counterman went back to his counter. Unconsciously, I whispered the next. ‘What happened, Blanche?’
Blanche answered my whisper with her own. ‘I don’t know.’
‘What were you doing at Barter’s place?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Do you work there?’
‘No.’
‘Do you?’
‘No.’
‘Then what were you doing there?’
‘I took a cabin.’
‘Alone?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘I was sleepy.’
‘Who was the man in the wolves’-heads shorts?’
Blanche looked up sharply. ‘How... how did you...?’
‘I met him.’ I bit off another chunk of beef. ‘Were you with him before you came to my cabin?’
Blanche nodded.
‘You were?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why’d you come to me?’
‘I... Mike asked me to.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘How did he ask you to?’
‘He just said... I should go to your cabin. He said I should...’ Blanche paused. ‘Listen, I can get in trouble. Listen, I can’t tell you any more.’
‘I thought men didn’t scare you.’
‘They don’t! I’m not afraid of Mike!’
‘Who then?’
‘I... I can’t tell you any more.’
‘Did he ask you to keep me in the cabin? To keep me busy?’
Blanche bit her lip. ‘Y... yes.’
‘For how long?’
‘Half-hour, an hour. I don’t remember.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘He must have given you a reason!’
‘He didn’t! I don’t ask questions. I just do what I’m told.’
‘Then you do work for him?’
Blanche paused. ‘All right. I work for him.’
‘The other girls?’
‘The ones scattered all over the motel. The ‘wives’ in the husband-and-wife teams I met.’
‘I don’t know who you met. I suppose so.’
‘Who’s Joe Carlisle?’
‘Who?’
‘Joe Carlisle. He’s from Davistown.’
‘Oh. He’s nothing.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He comes around now and then, does handy work for Mike. Mike pays him by... by... you know. Hez is the real handy man, though.’ She looked up into my face. ‘Hezekiah Hawkins. He lives near the motel, out at the Point. Got his own place on South Hunter Road.’
‘What about his wife?’
Fear darted momentarily into Blanche’s eyes. ‘Who... whose wife?’ she asked.
‘Carlisle’s.’
‘He’s not married.’
‘There was a blonde with him last night. In the cabin my girl originally had. Her name is Stephanie. Do you know her?’
‘No,’ Blanche said quickly.
‘Did you see anyone enter my girl’s cabin?’
‘What girl?’ Blanche said.
‘Listen...’
We stared at each other across the miles of tablecloth.
‘What made the blood in cabin eleven?’ I asked.
‘What blood? I didn’t see any blood.’
‘End of interview?’ I asked.
‘End of interview. I don’t want trouble. There was enough trouble last night. Enough to last me a lifetime.’
‘What kind of trouble?’
‘I don’t know. Screaming and yelling and cars. I don’t know.’
‘Screaming from where?’
‘Some place in the motel.’
‘Where in the motel?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Where, Blanche?’
‘Cabin... cabin number eleven.’
‘Who was in that cabin?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Think.’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You do, Blanche. It’s in your eyes. You do know.’
‘I can’t tell you any more.’ Her eyes were pleading with me now. The phone in the booth began ringing. I shoved back my chair. Blanche reached for my hand suddenly. I turned to her.
‘Your girl,’ she said. ‘She’s... she’s safe.’
‘What?’ The phone kept ringing. The counterman came from behind the counter and headed for it. Quickly, I moved into the booth and lifted the receiver.
‘Hello?’
‘Colby, this is Lieutenant DeMorra.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Any new developments?’
‘Just that I think Ann is safe, sir. I don’t know how long she will be, though.’
‘All right. I’m sending Tony.’
‘Mitchell?’
‘Yes. You know this is highly irregular, Colby, and you know it has to be unofficial. We don’t want out-of-state police coming down on our necks with protests. I’m giving Tony sick leave. He’s coming on his own. Where can he meet you?’
‘How about right here?’
‘What’s the name of the place?’
‘I don’t know. It’s the coffee pot right alongside the only bank in town.’
‘All right. He’s starting now. Give him three or four hours. Make it six sharp, all right?’
‘Fine.’ I paused. ‘Sir, my gun was taken from me.’
‘Tony’ll bring you one.’ DeMorra paused. ‘Why? Do you think you’ll need it?’
‘I might.’
‘All right. Good luck, Colby.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
I hung up.
When I walked out of the booth, Blanche was gone.
Chapter eleven
There was no sense in taking off after her. Even if I’d have found her, she’d done all the talking she was going to do. I sat down at the table and knocked off the remaining two hamburgers. When the counterman saw I’d finished the main course, he brought me my chocolate cream pie.
I was beginning to feel a little better. I’m the kind of fellow who likes to eat. You know, there are those who eat to live, and those who live to eat. I’m not exactly a live-to-eater, but I do like food. Also, when I’ve gone for any amount of time without stuffing something into my mouth. I get so I can’t even think too straight. I was beginning to think a little straighter. or at least as straight as I’d ever thought. And I had to admit that things looked a little better. Ann was safe. Or at any rate Blanche had said so. Mitchell was on his way, and there wasn’t a better cop in the 23rd. There were also a few other things I now knew which, while not entirely clearing up the picture, at least helped in that direction.
For one, there had been trouble in cabin 11 last night. Blanche had heard yelling and screaming and cars. Maybe the blood was a result of that trouble.
For another, I was fairly certain that no matter what else Mike Barter ran, he also ran a good-sized brothel.
That didn’t put me any closer to finding Ann.
I paid my check and then went out to the street. I figured I’d better head back to Barter’s motel if for no other reason than to pick up my bag and my car. I didn’t know what ideas Mitchell would have when he arrived, but I wanted to be ready for whatever he suggested. Even if he didn’t have an idea in his head, I felt a lot better just knowing he was on his way.
I caught a cab outside the bank and told the driver I wanted to go to Mike Barter’s motel.