I’ve ever had a real grade-A murder before to deal with. Hardly know how to go about it. I don’t read detective magazines like Vinnie here. I prefer Dickens for my reading, always have. Bet I know Little Nell by heart almost. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
He stood up and tapped his peg-leg on the floor. “Don’t suppose you knew Mannie Martin either?”
Griselda hoped that none of them was looking at her. She hadn’t controlled herself when that name was spoken. And she was ice when Con answered, “Yes, I knew Mannie.”
“Figured you might,” Thusby said. “But you didn’t know Shelley Huffaker?”
Con said, “No. I haven’t seen Mannie.” But he’d given it away that he knew this Martin was missing; he’d used the past tense to speak of him. “I came to California on pleasure, not business. Haven’t gone near a studio.” He asked then, “What’s the girl got to do with Mannie?”
Thusby’s eyes half-mooned. “Don’t know that yet, Mr. Satterlee. But her getting killed and him missing–things like that don’t happen around here every day.”
His voice suddenly boomed out and Griselda started. Con put his hand on hers. “Fixing to stay here for your vacation, Mr. Satterlee?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “That’s a good idea. No prettier place on the southern coast than Long Beach.”
He wasn’t doubling for the Chamber of Commerce. It was warning not to leave. Her hand under Con’s was cold. She didn’t move when he went with the police to the door nor when he returned, opened the music cabinet, clattered forth a whisky bottle, poured himself a sturdy one. He finished it, looked across at her and stated, “Sometimes you don’t have a lick of sense.”
“Con–” She wanted to tell him he was in danger of arrest; he was innocent but he was involved. He knew it but she wanted to emphasize it, to make him be careful. She only said, “You shouldn’t mix gin and whisky so early in the morning.”
He didn’t pay any attention to her remark. He sat down beside her and eyed her coolly, steadily. “You’re young enough to stick to being seen and not heard.”
She shook her head, puzzled, trying not to be hurt that he was relegating her to being no more than a doll wife again, just as he had when they were married before. “What did I say wrong? What did I do?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you let me do the talking?” And then he stared at her as if something had just occurred to him. “My God, baby, you didn’t think I came to Long Beach for my health, did you?”
She didn’t answer right away. Then she said, “I thought we came for our honeymoon.”
He waved an abstracted hand. “We’ll take care of that later.”
She knew then, knew what she had been fighting to keep from knowing all through the sleepless hours of the early morning. Con was working with Barjon Garth. Con was getting into danger. Panic was in her voice. She couldn’t quell it. Nor could she keep from asking stupidly, “Con, you didn’t kill her?”
“Kill her?” He came out of his fog on that. “Kill Shelley Huffaker? God, no.” He put his arm around her. “Are you going nuts, baby?”
Her cheek touched his sleeve. “I knew you didn’t. But who did? Why was she killed?”
“I don’t know the answer to either of those. I’m going to find out.” He took his arm away, went over, and poured another. “Don’t tell me it’s too early,” he warned the look in her eyes. “I’m thirsty and nobody but a native son could stomach the fish juice that comes out of those taps.” He swallowed, said, “I’m going to find out. Who and why.”
It was necessary that she speak now. The man who had introduced himself to her last night could have killed Shelley Huffaker in cold blood, deliberately and with less emotional reaction than he would scratch a horse at the paddock. She asked, “Do you know anything about a Major Pembrooke?”
He turned on her quickly. “Who’s been talking to you about him?”
“I met him last night.”
He looked at her disbelieving, and then he repeated, “You met him last night? Where? How?”
“He was at the Bamboo Bar.”
He was wracking his brains, unsuccessfully.
She said, “The man with Kew at the far table.”
He was quick. “How did you know that was Pembrooke?”
“He stopped to talk to me. After Kew left.”
Con sat down then too quietly. He didn’t touch his glass. He said to himself with disappointment, almost anger, “I could have met him if I hadn’t been so damn curious about that blonde.” He doubled up his fist and thumped his forehead.
She spoke with hushed insistence. “You don’t want to meet him, Con. He’s–” She searched for a word. “He’s–ugly.”
Con looked at her under his scowl. “You think I’ve been inhabiting that bar to improve my mind? It’s Pembrooke’s favorite hangout.”
Difficult as it was, she kept her voice quiet, not frantic, “And who is Pembrooke?”
He didn’t answer. He was thumping again, muttering, “What a dope I was! Could have met him.”
She didn’t hide the franticness now. “Con, why do you want to meet him? What have you to do with him? Who is he?
He said, “Pembrooke is a British officer.” He hesitated, “I can’t tell you much, Griselda. It isn’t permitted. But I want to meet him.”
That made it definite; he was working for Garth. There was sickness inside of her. “Kew can introduce you.”
“I don’t want a planned meeting. It wouldn’t–look right. Last night would have been perfect if I hadn’t been playing the fool.” He seemed to see her now. “You mustn’t be involved in this. That’s one thing I won’t have.”
“Con.” She had to swallow to make her voice audible. “Con, Major Pembrooke was here last night.”
Con’s eyes were hard and bright. “What for?”
Her voice was weak, “Evidently he wants to meet you as badly as you want to meet him.”
“But he knew I wasn’t here. Kew’s back was to us. Pembrooke must have been facing the door. He’d have seen me leave with the blonde.”
She nodded, holding her hands tightly together. She didn’t ask how Pembrooke would know Con when they had never met. He had even known her.
“That wasn’t it. Why did he come? What did he want?”
She could hear the cold voice. She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe–” She thought hard. “He said you were in Long Beach to find Mannie Martin. He said you and Kew came for that. He wants Martin found. They were to be partners in some business. And his backers
