Shayne spent a long time over lunch and a few drinks, mulling over the forces he had set in motion and wondering whether they would grind out an answer. Timothy Rourke was still unconscious, his life hanging by a thread. His eyes were bleak and his mouth set in grim lines when he finished his third double brandy, paid his check, and went out.
It was three o’clock when he bought a copy of the Courier outside the tavern. He drove to police headquarters where he found Sergeant Jorgensen with Chief Gentry in his office.
“We were just wondering where we could get in touch with you,” Gentry growled. “You didn’t tell me where you’re stopping.”
“I’m not,” Shayne told him. “I holed up at the Front Hotel for a few hours last night. Haven’t had time to look for anything else. Have you got something for me?”
“More or less. Jorg has spent a lot of time not getting very far on Dillingham Smith. But your hunch on his girl friend’s prints was right. They checked with a pair in Rourke’s apartment.”
Shayne’s bleak eyes grew very bright. “Now we’re beginning to get somewhere.” He laid the folded newspaper down and lowered his rangy body into a chair. “She must be the one who visited him in the afternoon.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Gentry objected. “Her prints prove she’s the one who searched the apartment. They don’t match the ones on the dishes and liquor glass.”
“The hell you say!” Shayne’s ragged red brows came down and the trenches in his cheeks deepened. “The way we figured it, the apartment was searched after he was shot.”
“That’s the way it looked,” Gentry admitted.
“And we figured the girl who visited him that afternoon left the other set.”
“So Mrs. Smith isn’t the one who visited him that afternoon,” Gentry said in a troubled voice.
“But damn it-how could she catch the five-o’clock train and still have been around to search his apartment that night?”
“That’s what I’ve been wondering,” Gentry rumbled. “Maybe we’ll know more about it when we get an answer on my wire to Denver.”
Shayne tugged angrily at his left ear lobe. “Could Painter have made a mistake in those two sets of prints?”
“I got my dope direct from Captain Roderick, head of the Beach Identification Bureau,” Gentry told him placidly. “Roderick doesn’t make mistakes. He covered the apartment himself.”
Shayne shrugged and muttered, “One more piece that doesn’t fit.” He sat for a moment glaring into space, then picked up the copy of the Courier and turned to the Personal column. He found the advertisement near the top of the column. Two words. Yes. Colt. He refolded the paper and asked Jorgensen morosely, “What did you dig up on Smith?”
“Damned little, Mike. He’s thirty-two, a bachelor, and has lived here five years without getting in any trouble. I shot his prints to Washington just in case. He’s worked at two or three jobs. Grocery clerk and on the pari-mutuels at Hialeah Park a couple of seasons.” He glanced at his notebook and continued, “Has a clean record on all his jobs. Seems to be quite a lady’s man. For a few months past he’s been strutting a blonde from the Beach. The Rankin dame who got herself bumped last Tuesday night, if we can believe a couple of identifications from the picture of her in this morning’s paper.”
Shayne listened intently. When Jorgensen stopped talking he looked up in surprise, asked, “Is that all?”
“No. The last eight months he’s been working at Robertson’s Sporting-Goods Store. Up until two weeks ago. He had a cheap room at the Front Hotel. Two weeks ago he quit his job suddenly and moved from the Front to the LaCrosse into an apartment that set him back ninety a week-with a very flossy blonde whom he registered as Mrs. Smith. None of his former friends saw him during those two weeks, and I haven’t been able to get a line on him. Chief Gentry says you’ve already checked on his wife leaving town Tuesday afternoon, and him staying on at the LaCrosse until this morning. He moved back to the Front today.” Sergeant Jorgensen closed his notebook and shrugged. “Not much in any of that.”
“Was he actually married?”
“There’s no record of it locally.”
“How about his job at the store? Anything on his quitting it suddenly?”
Jorgensen grinned cheerfully. “You’re thinking about all those different thirty-twos that’ve figured in the killings recently. Five, I make it, counting the slug Rourke took and the one they dug out of Mrs. Rankin. No soap there. I checked with Robertson carefully. They used to carry a big stock of guns and had a big repair business, but he swears there hasn’t been a thirty-two automatic in his place for more than a year. He checked his records all the way back to the date Smith started to work there.”
Shayne said, “Yeh. I’ve wondered where all those thirty-twos came from. And that reminds me-here’s a serial number.” He repeated from memory. “Four-two-one-eight-nine-three. It fits a thirty-two Colt automatic. Any chance of checking ownership?”
Jorgensen asked him to repeat the number, writing it down as Shayne did so. “If it was bought in Miami or a permit has been issued on it. I’ll check.” He got up and hurried out.
There was silence in the office for a time. Will Gentry chewed on his cigar and waited for Shayne to say something. Shayne was slumped in the chair, his head resting on the back, his eyes watching puffs of smoke from his cigarette float toward the ceiling.
“Are you getting anywhere at all, Mike?” Gentry asked finally.
Shayne frowned and sat up straighter, crossing one long leg over the other. “I’m getting a lot of ideas, but I can’t prove anything yet.” He rubbed his jaw and blew out another cloud of smoke. “Things are shaping up,” he went on cautiously. “I’ve got a couple of fuses burning.” He changed the subject abruptly. “Have you got a man tailing Smith now?”
Gentry nodded. “Ever since you asked me this morning.” He glanced at the clock on the wall and added, “He should have a relief and be reporting in right now. Where does Smith fit in the picture?”
“There had to be at least two of them on those gambling-house murders,” Shayne explained. “If the blonde did the actual shooting she had to have someone follow along in another car to pick her up and make a quick getaway. If you noticed, the three deserted cars were found in widely separated spots on the Beach. That means she didn’t bother to lure her victims to a hideout, so she had to have an accomplice trailing the play. We know Smith owns a car, and we know he lived high with a fancy blonde while the three murders were being committed.”
“Then you think he and the blonde were it?”
“It adds up,” Shayne agreed. “There’s also his former friendship with Madge Rankin whom he dropped suddenly. And her letter to Rourke just before she was killed offering to sell him some information. But there are a couple of other angles-” He broke off suddenly as Jorgensen re-entered the room.
“That automatic,” said the sergeant dramatically, “belongs to Walter Bronson. He brought it here from New York and applied for a permit. We don’t have any Sullivan Law here, but he evidently didn’t know that.”
“Bronson?” Gentry exclaimed incredulously. “What, about that gun, Mike? Where did you pick up the serial number?”
“By tampering with the U. S. mail,” Shayne told him with a wide grin. “If I tell you any more about it you’ll be an accessory after the fact. I’m pretty sure a ballistic test will prove it was used in one of the killings.”
“Bronson’s gun? Good God, Mike-are you positive?”
“I’m not positive of anything,” Shayne said angrily. “I will tell you this much. Mrs. Walter Bronson is said to be a plenty smoochy blonde and I’ve heard it rumored she couldn’t keep her eyes off Tim Rourke. Add to that the fact that she’s been confined to her room since Wednesday morning with what her husband claims is nervous prostration-that he locks her door when he leaves in the morning and hasn’t allowed the servants a glimpse of her. Yet he hasn’t called a doctor-that he left his office at nine-thirty Tuesday night with some of Rourke’s things and the intention of stopping by Tim’s apartment. Add all those up and you’ve got my headache.” Shayne took a final drag on his cigarette and flung it toward Gentry’s spittoon.
Chief Gentry was staring at Shayne in blank amazement and chewing steadily on his cigar. There was heavy silence between them for a while. Gentry broke it by asking, “Had you ever thought that Mrs. Rankin might be the blond accomplice of Smith? Isn’t it reasonable to suppose she might have got mad at Smith and threatened to squeal on him?”
“And squeal on herself at the same time?” Shayne asked.
“Look at it this way-she could have planned to sell her information and get the money without Rourke finding out who she was-to get even with Smith-and then take a run-out powder. Things like that have been accomplished very neatly. I’d choose her instead of Bronson’s wife.”
Shayne considered for a moment and shook his red head slowly. “Too damned many blondes mixed up in this thing,” he muttered.
Gentry chuckled and said, “Blondes were always Tim’s weakness,” and added seriously, “If Tim could only snap out of it long enough to give us a lead.”
“Yeh,” said Shayne absently.
A young plain-clothes man appeared in the doorway and saluted. “I was to report to you, Chief.”
“Come on in, Delch,” said Gentry. “This is Mike Shayne who is interested in Smith.”
The young detective looked at Shayne with bright interest and nodded. “Yes, sir. There isn’t much. Smith had just moved back to his room at the Front Hotel when I picked him up. He stayed in his room until one o’clock without making any calls. I made a deal with the girl at the switchboard.”
Delch moved over near the desk, sat down, and continued, “He came down at one o’clock and went to the Blue Crane on Miami Avenue. He had two drinks and kidded with the waitress but talked to no one else, then took a long time eating lunch and drinking three beers. He was still on his last beer when a boy came in with copies of the Courier’s Blue Flash. He called the boy back and bought one. He turned directly to the classified and studied it, finished his beer, and went to the phone booth and made a call. I couldn’t get the number. The time was exactly-” Delch paused to take out a notebook and consult it-“two-forty-six. He left the Blue Crane and went straight back to his hotel room. Raymond relieved me fifteen minutes ago and I came right in.”
Gentry glanced at Shayne with raised brows when the young detective finished his report.
“No further phone calls?” Shayne asked.
“No, sir. Only that one at two-forty-six.”
Shayne said, “Thanks, Delch. That’s just what I wanted.” Turning to Gentry he said, “Keep your man on him, Will. I may have something more for you after five o’clock.”
“What happens at five o’clock?”
“I’ve got a date.”
“With a blonde?” Gentry asked with a chuckle.
Shayne said, “Damn blondes,” explosively, and went out.
The time was four o’clock. Shayne killed some of it by trying to find a bar stocked with decent brandy. He drank his way through half a dozen places without much success, then drove to the Courier building and parked.
Employees of the paper began coming out a few minutes after five, and among them he saw Minerva’s funny little hat askew her gray knot of hair. She saw him, compressed her lips, looked cautiously around before approaching his car.
Shayne opened the door for her. “I’m surprised at you, Minerva,” he teased. “I didn’t suppose you’d be such an easy pickup.”
She got in hurriedly and sat primly erect beside him. She flashed her pale eyes at him and said, “I’ve a long hatpin if you try to get fresh with me, Mike Shayne.”
Shayne laughed and pulled out into traffic and drove swiftly to Minerva’s apartment. It was one of the older two-story houses in the city, remodeled into apartments. Minerva’s was on the second floor. Shayne went with her and she unlocked the door on a plainly furnished living-room and said, “You can come in and sit while I change to go out to dinner.” She turned away, pulling a long steel pin from her hat.
“Wait a minute,” Shayne said, “let’s have a look at your shorthand book before you get dressed. That’ll save time if I have any arrangements to make.”
She turned toward him, her face grave, and said in a troubled voice, “I don’t like spying on Mr. Bronson. If it wasn’t that he called that man, I don’t think I’d do it even for you-and Tim.”
“Brenner?” Shayne asked quietly.
“How’d you know?”
“At eleven-three this morning.”
She stared at him for a moment, then said, “I guess you are a detective.” She sat down and opened her notebook.
“Anything interesting previous to that call?”
Minerva pursed her unrouged lips and said, “No. Nothing that wasn’t strictly business. He didn’t ask me to get the number. I noticed that because he generally does, particularly if it’s to the Beach. The man on the other end of the line said, ‘Brenner.’ I knew that was the gambler Mr. Rourke had exposed.”
Shayne made himself comfortable on the couch and said, “Shoot.”
“Mr. Bronson said, ‘I’m in a tight place and I need your help. A private detective named Shayne is threatening to blackmail me over a certain matter and he wants twenty-five thousand. Can you let me have it?’
“Mr. Brenner said, ‘I see. Maybe I can take care of it for you a lot easier than that.’
“Mr. Bronson said, ‘I have to give him an answer at one o’clock. I’ll depend on you.’
“Mr. Brenner said, ‘Call me later,’ and hung up.”
“Did Bronson call him later?” Shayne asked.
“No. But he left the office about three o’clock and was gone over an hour.” Minerva hesitated, looking up from her notes and studying Shayne with shrewd and alert eyes. “If you’re using Mr. Rourke’s trouble to blackmail Mr. Bronson I shall report you to the police.”
Shayne grinned. “You know me better than that, Minerva.”
With her eyes intently studying him she said, “I know Mr. Rourke trusted you,” acidly. “If you’re not worthy of that trust I shan’t hesitate to see you arrested.”
“There should be a later call that proves I’m not the blackmailer. At two-forty-six.”
“You seem to know a great deal about these calls,” she said with suspicion.
“I’m a detective-remember?” Shayne chuckled.
“I don’t think it was your voice,” she admitted. “I don’t think you could make your voice drawl like that. He asked for Mr. Bronson and said, ‘This is Colt talking. I just saw your ad.’
“He waited a moment and Mr. Bronson said, ‘Yes?’
“And he said, ‘Listen close because I’m only going to say this once. Leave your house at exactly nine tonight with the stuff. Alone in your car. Drive north on Ocean Boulevard about twenty miles an hour. Keep driving north until I pull up alongside your car. You’ll be watched every minute from the time you leave home, so don’t try to pull anything.’ And he hung up before Mr. Bronson could say another word.”
Shayne asked, “And Bronson left the office shortly afterward?”
“That’s right.” She nodded her head vigorously, “What does it mean, Mr. Shayne? What connection is there between Mr. Bronson and that Brenner man?”
“Bronson was doing his best to keep Rourke’s expose of the gambling out of the paper,” Shayne told her. “This dope of yours is just what I needed, Minerva. We’re going to wind up this case tonight.”
“Well-I’m glad if I’ve helped,” she said, but there was still uncertainty in her tone. She got up and went into the bedroom.
Shayne went to the telephone and called Chief Gentry’s office. When the chief answered, Shayne said, “I’m getting ready to wrap things up tonight. All I need is a little help.”
“Okay, Mike.”
“Keep your man on Smith, and you’d better put another one on him too. He’ll drive over to the Beach sometime before nine o’clock. Let him get across the Causeway and then pull in on him. Warn your men he’ll have a thirty-two on him. It’s important. Have them deliver Smith straight to Painter and suggest he run a test on the gun.”
“I’m listening,” said Gentry dryly.
“That’s all. Painter can hold him on a concealed weapon charge until he checks the gun. That ought to give him a better charge.”
“Got it, Mike. Now, here’s something for you. I have a wire from Denver, Colorado.”
“Good.”
“It’s not so good,” Gentry warned him soberly. “They picked up Miss Betty Green all right, but she’s not a blonde. And she claims she hasn’t been in Miami for two years and can prove it. She never heard of Dillingham Smith, never lived at the LaCrosse, and doesn’t know anything about anything.”
“How does she explain the trunk? And have they got it?”
“She claims she never had a trunk in Miami and never lived at the address it was sent to, and can prove it.”
“Nuts,” said Shayne. “That sounds like a stall. Have them hold her while they check her story.”
“And get this, Mike. Miss Betty Green is a brunette. You claim there’s nothing but blondes in this case.” Gentry sent a chuckle over the wire.
Shayne sent back a chuckle that was heavy with sarcasm. “She wouldn’t be the first dame to dye her hair when she got tired of being a blonde-or when she was hiding out from the law. Have Denver see about her coming back to Florida as a witness.”
“Okay-if you say so, Mike. It sounds screwy to me.”
“It is,” Shayne agreed. “Screwy as hell, Will. Don’t let your men lose Smith.” He hung up and turned to see Minerva coming in the room dressed in a gaily flowered dress, minus her glasses, and her cheeks and lips delicately rouged.
Shayne looked her over with twinkling eyes. “Why, Minerva! Come on-let’s get going somewhere where I can show you off.”
“Let’s get going and get something to eat,” she answered primly.