Johnson's yell for him to come back.
Benny walked down the street in a daze. He didn't know what to make of it. Surely Sadie wouldn't pull a stunt like this if it didn't mean anything? She had said that she was being taken down to the station house as a witness and would Benny come at once.
Jay overtook him at the comer. “Hey, Perminger,” he said, “what's all this about your wife?”
Benny blinked at him. “Where the hell did you spring from?” he said, shaking hands.
“Come over an' have a drink,” Jay said, taking him by his arm and steering him into a near−by bar. “I overheard what you were tellin' Johnson. What's happened to Mrs. P.?”
Seated at a small table away from the bar and assisted by a large iced beer, Benny unburdened. He told Jay how he had quarrelled with Sadie and how he'd left her during the night. “Well, I felt a bit of a heel this morning,” he went on, “so I thought I'd get back and make it up. When I got in I found all the lights burning and a note on my pillow saying she'd been taken down to headquarters as a witness and would I please come.”
He paused to pull at his beer.
Jay puzzled. On the face of it, he thought, Sadie might be just teaching this guy a lesson, but his instinct for news was not satisfied. Why should she use such an odd way of scaring him? Why a witness? A witness of what? No, it didn't quite add up.
“I thought the police were supposed to help you,” Benny grumbled. “The way that guy went on, you'd think I was crazy.”
“You don't have to worry about him. He's gettin' all kinds of stories and complaints every hour, and he just doesn't take any interest. Where are you livin' now?”
Benny told him.
Jay suddenly sat up. “Surely, that's where Tootsie Mendetta hangs out?” he said.
Benny nodded. “That's right,” he answered. “I've been wantin' an introduction to him for weeks. I want to sell him a flock of tracks. He lives just opposite my apartment, but I've never set eyes on him.”
Jay got to his feet. There might be something in this story after all. It was a long shot, but he wasn't going to let it grow cold. “We'll go back to your apartment and have a look round,” he said. “Come on, buddy, let's go.”
Benny went with him and they took a taxi to the block.
Inside his apartment Jay couldn't find anything that excited him. It was just an ordinary joint of a man with a nice income. He wandered around, his hands deep in his trouser pockets, brooding.
Benny sat on the arm of a chair and watched him.
“Did she take a suit−case or anythin'?” Jay asked suddenly.
Benny looked bewildered. “I don't know,” he said. “I hadn't thought of lookin'.”
“Check that up, will you, pal?”
Benny went into the bedroom and after a while he came out again. He looked more bewildered still. He shook his head helplessly. “No,” he said, “she hasn't taken anythin'. The only things that are missing are the clothes she wore yesterday and her handbag. Nothing else.”
Jay didn't like the sound of this. No woman would ran away from her husband without taking some of her belongings.
“Will you wait here?” he said. “I'll go across and hare a word with Mendetta. Maybe he heard somethin'.”
Benny suddenly went very pale. “You don't think anythin' bad's happened to her?” he asked.
Jay shook his head. “No,” he said, “I don't think so, but we'll clear this up or find out somethin', so we can get the cops interested. You sit down for a moment.”
He left the apartment and crossed the corridor. He rang Mendetta's bell. No one answered. He stood there waiting, and then he rang again. Still no one answered.
Benny came to his front door and stood watching him.
“No one seems at home,” he said.
Jay scratched his head. “Will you phone down to the porter and find out what time Mendetta went out?” he said.
While Benny was doing this Jay took a little instrument from his vest pocket and inserted it in the lock. He made
Benny walked down the street in a daze. He didn't know what to make of it. Surely Sadie wouldn't pull a stunt like this if it didn't mean anything? She had said that she was being taken down to the station house as a witness and would Benny come at once.
Jay overtook him at the comer. “Hey, Perminger,” he said, “what's all this about your wife?”
Benny blinked at him. “Where the hell did you spring from?” he said, shaking hands.
“Come over an' have a drink,” Jay said, taking him by his arm and steering him into a near−by bar. “I overheard what you were tellin' Johnson. What's happened to Mrs. P.?”
Seated at a small table away from the bar and assisted by a large iced beer, Benny unburdened. He told Jay how he had quarrelled with Sadie and how he'd left her during the night. “Well, I felt a bit of a heel this morning,” he went on, “so I thought I'd get back and make it up. When I got in I found all the lights burning and a note on my pillow saying she'd been taken down to headquarters as a witness and would I please come.”
He paused to pull at his beer.
Jay puzzled. On the face of it, he thought, Sadie might be just teaching this guy a lesson, but his instinct for news was not satisfied. Why should she use such an odd way of scaring him? Why a witness? A witness of what? No, it didn't quite add up.
“I thought the police were supposed to help you,” Benny grumbled. “The way that guy went on, you'd think I was crazy.”
“You don't have to worry about him. He's gettin' all kinds of stories and complaints every hour, and he just doesn't take any interest. Where are you livin' now?”
Benny told him.
Jay suddenly sat up. “Surely, that's where Tootsie Mendetta hangs out?” he said.
Benny nodded. “That's right,” he answered. “I've been wantin' an introduction to him for weeks. I want to sell him a flock of tracks. He lives just opposite my apartment, but I've never set eyes on him.”
Jay got to his feet. There might be something in this story after all. It was a long shot, but he wasn't going to let it grow cold. “We'll go back to your apartment and have a look round,” he said. “Come on, buddy, let's go.”
Benny went with him and they took a taxi to the block.
Inside his apartment Jay couldn't find anything that excited him. It was just an ordinary joint of a man with a nice income. He wandered around, his hands deep in his trouser pockets, brooding.
Benny sat on the arm of a chair and watched him.
“Did she take a suit−case or anythin'?” Jay asked suddenly.
Benny looked bewildered. “I don't know,” he said. “I hadn't thought of lookin'.”
“Check that up, will you, pal?”
Benny went into the bedroom and after a while he came out again. He looked more bewildered still. He shook his head helplessly. “No,” he said, “she hasn't taken anythin'. The only things that are missing are the clothes she wore yesterday and her handbag. Nothing else.”
Jay didn't like the sound of this. No woman would ran away from her husband without taking some of her belongings.
“Will you wait here?” he said. “I'll go across and hare a word with Mendetta. Maybe he heard somethin'.”
Benny suddenly went very pale. “You don't think anythin' bad's happened to her?” he asked.
Jay shook his head. “No,” he said, “I don't think so, but we'll clear this up or find out somethin', so we can get the cops interested. You sit down for a moment.”
He left the apartment and crossed the corridor. He rang Mendetta's bell. No one answered. He stood there waiting, and then he rang again. Still no one answered.
Benny came to his front door and stood watching him.
“No one seems at home,” he said.
Jay scratched his head. “Will you phone down to the porter and find out what time Mendetta went out?” he said.
While Benny was doing this Jay took a little instrument from his vest pocket and inserted it in the lock. He made
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