Harris?”
“That’s what I hope you can tell me.” Shayne sat down and lit a cigarette. “I know you picked her up in the bar and she signed the chit for a couple of drinks, and you went out with her through the rear door to the hotel parking lot. You take it from there.”
Gene Blake seated himself and drew thoughtfully on his cigarette. “There was something funny about her. In the beginning, it looked like a real hot deal. She was damned attractive and all out to have a good time… with no reservations as far as I could see. We used her car, rented, I think, and I suggested dinner first, but she didn’t want food. Wanted to gamble. I remember particularly because I never did get dinner that night, and had a hell of a hangover the next day as a result.
“As I look back on it now, I got the impression she was sort of forcing herself. As though it was a completely new role for her. That she was trying to act wanton, maybe.”
“Did she suggest the Gray Gull, or did you?”
“Damned if I remember. Probably I did, though there are a couple other places I’d just as soon steer a woman into. She just bought fifty dollars worth of chips to start with, and she settled down at a roulette table to make small bets. They gave me five hundred to go on… I suppose you know that sort of deal?” He mashed out his cigarette and looked at Shayne inquiringly.
He nodded and said, “I talked to Willy this afternoon.”
“Yeh, well he’ll bear me out that she wasn’t much of a gambler. I stayed with roulette for awhile, and then began to get bored and drifted over to the crap table, but I kept going back to her… you know… and she stayed about even without doing any real betting at all. Then I saw her getting real friendly with another guy who’d sat down beside her, and I didn’t mind because about that time I started talking to Peggy at the crap table.” He paused and arched his eyebrows at the closed door. “She was alone and out for a good time and we started hitting it off, and I’d already decided there wasn’t too much percentage in Ellen, so I went back one last time and she practically cold-shouldered me… flirting with this other fellow.”
“Do you think she knew him, Blake? That maybe she had got you to take her there so she could meet him?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think anything like that at the time.” Blake looked honestly puzzled. “Why would she have bothered? She had her own car and could have gone there alone.”
Shayne said, “Maybe she didn’t know that,” recalling that Tiny had said she didn’t know whether she would be allowed at the bar unescorted. “Maybe she felt she needed an entree.”
“Maybe,” Blake conceded. “Could be, I guess. That would explain why she cooled off so fast after we got there. Anyhow, I just thought to hell with it and went back to Peggy. We played a little more and then hit three or four more spots… and ended up at my place in the morning.” He shrugged. “We moved in here the next afternoon, and it’s been a ball ever since.”
“Can you describe the man Ellen Harris was making up to?”
Blake narrowed his eyes and appeared to be thinking hard. “Sort of neutral, the way I remember him. Forty, maybe. Heavy-set, I think. One thing… I don’t think he’s a native. Not enough tan and he was wearing a dark suit.” He paused and got to his feet as the bedroom door opened and Peggy came into the room. She was short and a trifle on the dumpy side, and her hair was almost certainly dyed that shade of red. She was completely self-possessed, as she sauntered in from the bedroom, and she looked at Shayne curiously as he remained seated. “Who is this man, hon?”
“He’s a detective, sweet. Private,” Blake added hastily, “and not interested in our love-life. He’s trying to trace that dame I ditched for you at the Gray Gull last Monday night. Remember the one… ?”
“Hold it,” Shayne interposed. “I’d like to hear
“That’s what I hope you can tell me.” Shayne sat down and lit a cigarette. “I know you picked her up in the bar and she signed the chit for a couple of drinks, and you went out with her through the rear door to the hotel parking lot. You take it from there.”
Gene Blake seated himself and drew thoughtfully on his cigarette. “There was something funny about her. In the beginning, it looked like a real hot deal. She was damned attractive and all out to have a good time… with no reservations as far as I could see. We used her car, rented, I think, and I suggested dinner first, but she didn’t want food. Wanted to gamble. I remember particularly because I never did get dinner that night, and had a hell of a hangover the next day as a result.
“As I look back on it now, I got the impression she was sort of forcing herself. As though it was a completely new role for her. That she was trying to act wanton, maybe.”
“Did she suggest the Gray Gull, or did you?”
“Damned if I remember. Probably I did, though there are a couple other places I’d just as soon steer a woman into. She just bought fifty dollars worth of chips to start with, and she settled down at a roulette table to make small bets. They gave me five hundred to go on… I suppose you know that sort of deal?” He mashed out his cigarette and looked at Shayne inquiringly.
He nodded and said, “I talked to Willy this afternoon.”
“Yeh, well he’ll bear me out that she wasn’t much of a gambler. I stayed with roulette for awhile, and then began to get bored and drifted over to the crap table, but I kept going back to her… you know… and she stayed about even without doing any real betting at all. Then I saw her getting real friendly with another guy who’d sat down beside her, and I didn’t mind because about that time I started talking to Peggy at the crap table.” He paused and arched his eyebrows at the closed door. “She was alone and out for a good time and we started hitting it off, and I’d already decided there wasn’t too much percentage in Ellen, so I went back one last time and she practically cold-shouldered me… flirting with this other fellow.”
“Do you think she knew him, Blake? That maybe she had got you to take her there so she could meet him?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think anything like that at the time.” Blake looked honestly puzzled. “Why would she have bothered? She had her own car and could have gone there alone.”
Shayne said, “Maybe she didn’t know that,” recalling that Tiny had said she didn’t know whether she would be allowed at the bar unescorted. “Maybe she felt she needed an entree.”
“Maybe,” Blake conceded. “Could be, I guess. That would explain why she cooled off so fast after we got there. Anyhow, I just thought to hell with it and went back to Peggy. We played a little more and then hit three or four more spots… and ended up at my place in the morning.” He shrugged. “We moved in here the next afternoon, and it’s been a ball ever since.”
“Can you describe the man Ellen Harris was making up to?”
Blake narrowed his eyes and appeared to be thinking hard. “Sort of neutral, the way I remember him. Forty, maybe. Heavy-set, I think. One thing… I don’t think he’s a native. Not enough tan and he was wearing a dark suit.” He paused and got to his feet as the bedroom door opened and Peggy came into the room. She was short and a trifle on the dumpy side, and her hair was almost certainly dyed that shade of red. She was completely self-possessed, as she sauntered in from the bedroom, and she looked at Shayne curiously as he remained seated. “Who is this man, hon?”
“He’s a detective, sweet. Private,” Blake added hastily, “and not interested in our love-life. He’s trying to trace that dame I ditched for you at the Gray Gull last Monday night. Remember the one… ?”
“Hold it,” Shayne interposed. “I’d like to hear
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