‘Dana Lewis was shot because you employed her to watch your wife,’ I broke in curtly. ‘And you know it! If it wasn’t for your wife, the girl would be alive now. It’s your responsibility as much as mine.’
He glared at me, muttering something under his breath, and drummed on the arm of his chair with angry fingers.
‘I don’t intend to accept the responsibility,’ he said.
‘If I decide to tell the police all I know, you’ll have to accept it.’
He touched his lips with the tip of his tongue, scowled down at his immaculate shoes and said in a more subdued voice, ‘Now look, Malloy, you’ve got to keep me out of this. I have my daughter to think of.’
‘Let’s think of Mrs. Cerf. Where is she?’
‘You said just now you have talked to her,’ Cerf said, looking up sharply. ‘Why ask me?’
‘Our talk was interrupted. I traced her to L’Etoile night club. She was hiding there. Has she come here?’
He shook his head.
‘Have you heard from her?’
‘No.’
‘Have you any idea where she could have gone?’
‘No.’
He was beginning to calm down now and the worried expression had come back.
He said, ‘She was at this night club all last night?’
‘Yes. Her story to Bannister — he owns the place — was that some man was pestering her and she wanted to keep out of his way. She offered her necklace to Bannister in return for protection, but Bannister didn’t get the necklace so he threw her out.’
‘This is fantastic,’ he muttered, getting to his feet. ‘Who’s the man who is pestering her?’
‘That’s something I have to find out. Maybe the guy who’s blackmailing her.’
He began to pace up and down, paused suddenly and looked at me.
‘You don’t think she shot this girl?’
I gave him a sour smile.
‘I don’t. Both Dana and Leadbetter were shot with a .45. Leadbetter was shot at about twenty yards range. I doubt whether any woman could hit a haystack at that range with a .45, let alone a target as small as a man’s head. But I’m not saying the police wouldn’t try to make a case against her. The way she’s behaving makes her suspect number one.’
‘I was a fool to have married her,’ he said, grinding his clenched fist into his palm. He went on, ‘Keep me out of this, Malloy. I’ve got to think of my daughter. I know I’ve been unreasonable, but surely you can understand my position? If I can do anything to help I’ll do it. But keep this away from the police and the newspapers.’
‘I’ll do what I can,’ I said. ‘But I must find Mrs. Cerf. Is there any way of stopping her money? If you can cut off her money so she’ll come to you...’
‘I can do that, and I will,’ he said. ‘I’ll see the bank tomorrow.’
I got to my feet.
‘It’s getting late. I won’t keep you any longer, Mr. Cerf. One more thing. I’d like my cheque.’
He hesitated, then went over to his desk, sat down and wrote out a cheque.
‘Here,’ he said, handing it to me. ‘Get me out of this mess, Malloy, and I’ll pay again.’
I slid the cheque into my pocket.
‘If I can’t get you out of it I’ll return the money,’ I said, and made for the door, pausing to ask, ‘How long have you had Mills in your employment?’
He looked startled.
‘Mills? Why? Has he anything to do with this business?’
‘I don’t know. I hear he lives in a very fancy style. I’m wondering if he is the fella who’s blackmailing Mrs. Cerf.’
‘Mills?’ He rubbed his fleshy chin, staring at me. ‘I don’t know anything about him. He’s been with me about a month or so. Franklin, my butler, engages the staff. Do you want me to talk to him?’
‘Not yet. I’ll dig up some more dirt on Mills first. Leave him to me. And if you hear anything of Mrs. Cerf will you get in touch with my office?’
He said he would, and as I moved to the door, he went on, ‘I’m sorry for the way I have acted, Malloy, and I appreciate all you’ve done up to now to keep me clear of this business.’
I said I’d keep on with the job, and for him not to worry. This new attitude of his made a nice change from being bawled out, but I knew he was piping down because he had to and not because he wanted to. I left him standing with his back to the fireplace, his dead cigar clenched tightly between finger and thumb and a sick look on his solid well-fed face.
The butler, Franklin, was hovering at the far end of the corridor. As soon as he saw me come out of the room he came silently towards me.
‘Miss Natalie is asking for you, sir,’ he said, disapproving as a bishop at a bubble dance. ‘If you will come this way.’
That was something I hadn’t expected, but I followed his ramrod back down the corridor to a door opposite the elevator. He tapped on the door, opened it and said, ‘Mr. Malloy, madam,’ in a voice covered with frost and stood aside as I walked into a big, high-ceilinged room, lit by a bedside lamp that threw a soft light on the divan bed and wrapped the rest of the room in shadows.
Natalie Cerf lay in the bed. She had on black pyjamas, and her hands lay folded on the lilac-coloured sheet. Her dark, glossy hair was arranged on the lilac pillow to frame her thin, pinched face. Her dark eyes looked at me with the same searching scrutiny as when we had first met, giving me the same feeling that she could read the letters in my wallet and count the small change in my pockets.
I moved to the foot of the bed and waited. She remained motionless, staring at me until the bedroom door closed softly, and tire faint sound of Franklin’s footsteps faded away down the corridor. Then she said in her hard, tight little voice, ‘Have you found her?’
I shook my head.
‘Not yet.’
‘Have you tried L’Etoile night club?’
‘Do you think she’s there?’
She gave a quick nod of her head.
‘Either there or with George Barclay. There’s, nowhere else for her to go.’
‘What makes you so sure?’
A little sneer lifted the corners of her drooping lips.
‘I know her. She’s in trouble, isn’t she?’ Satisfaction gleamed in the dark eyes. ‘She has no one to go to except Barclay or that man at L’Etoile.’
‘What makes you think she’s in trouble, Miss Cerf?’
‘She murdered that woman operator of yours. Perhaps you don’t call that trouble?’
‘We don’t know she did. Do you?’
‘She’s been practising with a gun.’
‘What kind of a gun?’
She made an irritable little shrug.
‘A revolver. What does it matter? For the past week she’s been shooting at a target out at East Beach.’
‘How do you know that?’
The dark eyes shifted away from my face.
‘I’ve had her watched — ever since she came here.’
I wondered if Mills had done the watching.
I said, ‘Because a woman shoots at a target it doesn’t follow she’s a murderess.’
‘Then why is she hiding? Why doesn’t she come back here? It would take a lot to keep her away from all the things Father has given her, and that’s what she is doing.’
‘There may be another reason. What do you know about Barclay?’
Again the little sneer came to her mouth.
‘He’s her lover. She was always going to his place.’
‘She was being blackmailed; did you know?’
‘I don’t believe it.’
‘Your father thinks so.’
‘He’s trying to find an excuse for her. She’s been giving her money to her lovers.’
‘All right. I’ll have another talk to Barclay.’
‘You’ve seen him?’ Her eyebrows came down in a sharp frown.