here, I carry the gun because I also carry a lot of money.”
He stood still. “Is that so?”
“I’m willing to pay you for information, Jerry.”
He looked down at his feet, which bulged like potatoes in his slit shoes. “I got this fifteen-dollar bill I owe Dr. Broch for my feet. I never get far enough ahead to pay it.”
“I’ll pay your doctor bill.”
“That’s real nice of you, son,” he said sentimentally. “Let’s see the color of your money.”
“After I hear the color of your information. You know I have the money. Where did she go, Jerry?”
“From something she said when I was putting the luggage in the car, I
think
she was going to the Hacienda Inn. Anyway, she asked the guy if the Hacienda was a nice place. He said it was a big jump up from here, and that’s no lie. It’s a kind of a ritzy resort place out of town.”
“She went there with a man?”
“I wasn’t planning to tell you that. Shut my big mouth, eh?”
“Describe him.”
“I didn’t get a good look at him, either time I saw him. In the car, he kept his face turned away. He didn’t want me to see him, me or anybody. Before that, when he went up to her room, he didn’t take the elevator. He came in the side door and went up the back stairs. He didn’t look like one of the guests, so I followed along behind to see what he was up to. He knocked on her door and she let him in and I heard him sing out her name. So I figured it was all right. Matter of fact, I thought
he
was her husband.”
“Did you hear anything to that effect?”
“Just what I said. He called her Catherine when he went into her room—he sounded real glad to see her. Then they closed the door and that was all I heard. About twenty minutes later, she checked out and he was out front in the car waiting.”
“What kind of a car?”
“I think it was a new Chewie.”
“Did she go with him willingly?”
“Sure. Matter of fact, it was about the first time I ever seen her reasonably happy. Most of the time she dragged herself around here like she was expecting to hear the last trump any minute. I never seen a lady so blue in my life.”
“How long was she here?”
“Two weeks and a little over. I thought it was sort of funny her checking in here in the first place. It’s a decent enough place but not the kind of a place a lady would choose for herself. And she had good clothes, good luggage. You know that.”
“What do you think she was doing here?”
“Hiding out from you, maybe,” he said with a grizzled smirk. “No offense intended.”
“None taken. Getting back to the man in the car, you should be able to give me a general description.”
“Yeah. He was a fairly big man, not as big as you but a lotbigger’n me. He had on good clothes, dark coat and hat. He kept his hat turned down and his head turned away, like I said, and I never did get a good look at his face.”
“Did he look anything like this?” I described Homer Wycherly.
“It could be him. I couldn’t say for sure.”
“How old a man was he?”
“Getting on, I’d say. Older’n you. But not as old as the old guy that came to see her last week. I can give you a good description of
him.”
“Thin old man with a white moustache?”
“Yeah. I guess you know him. I took him up to her room but she wouldn’t let him in. She wouldn’t even open the door. He was mad as blazes. He tipped me good, though,” Jerry added reminiscently. “Speaking of tips, you promised me fifteen smackers.”
“In a minute. Did Mrs. Wycherly have any other visitors?”
“Yeah, but listen, mister, I can’t stand here jawing all night. I got to put in an appearance down in the lobby. That Mrs. Silvado on the desk, she watches me like a hawk watches chickens.”
“Who were the other visitors?”
“There was just the one that I remember. I’ll tell you about him, only right now I got to go down, let Mrs. Silvado see that I’m on the job. I’ll come right back up soon as I can.
He stood still. “Is that so?”
“I’m willing to pay you for information, Jerry.”
He looked down at his feet, which bulged like potatoes in his slit shoes. “I got this fifteen-dollar bill I owe Dr. Broch for my feet. I never get far enough ahead to pay it.”
“I’ll pay your doctor bill.”
“That’s real nice of you, son,” he said sentimentally. “Let’s see the color of your money.”
“After I hear the color of your information. You know I have the money. Where did she go, Jerry?”
“From something she said when I was putting the luggage in the car, I
think
she was going to the Hacienda Inn. Anyway, she asked the guy if the Hacienda was a nice place. He said it was a big jump up from here, and that’s no lie. It’s a kind of a ritzy resort place out of town.”
“She went there with a man?”
“I wasn’t planning to tell you that. Shut my big mouth, eh?”
“Describe him.”
“I didn’t get a good look at him, either time I saw him. In the car, he kept his face turned away. He didn’t want me to see him, me or anybody. Before that, when he went up to her room, he didn’t take the elevator. He came in the side door and went up the back stairs. He didn’t look like one of the guests, so I followed along behind to see what he was up to. He knocked on her door and she let him in and I heard him sing out her name. So I figured it was all right. Matter of fact, I thought
he
was her husband.”
“Did you hear anything to that effect?”
“Just what I said. He called her Catherine when he went into her room—he sounded real glad to see her. Then they closed the door and that was all I heard. About twenty minutes later, she checked out and he was out front in the car waiting.”
“What kind of a car?”
“I think it was a new Chewie.”
“Did she go with him willingly?”
“Sure. Matter of fact, it was about the first time I ever seen her reasonably happy. Most of the time she dragged herself around here like she was expecting to hear the last trump any minute. I never seen a lady so blue in my life.”
“How long was she here?”
“Two weeks and a little over. I thought it was sort of funny her checking in here in the first place. It’s a decent enough place but not the kind of a place a lady would choose for herself. And she had good clothes, good luggage. You know that.”
“What do you think she was doing here?”
“Hiding out from you, maybe,” he said with a grizzled smirk. “No offense intended.”
“None taken. Getting back to the man in the car, you should be able to give me a general description.”
“Yeah. He was a fairly big man, not as big as you but a lotbigger’n me. He had on good clothes, dark coat and hat. He kept his hat turned down and his head turned away, like I said, and I never did get a good look at his face.”
“Did he look anything like this?” I described Homer Wycherly.
“It could be him. I couldn’t say for sure.”
“How old a man was he?”
“Getting on, I’d say. Older’n you. But not as old as the old guy that came to see her last week. I can give you a good description of
him.”
“Thin old man with a white moustache?”
“Yeah. I guess you know him. I took him up to her room but she wouldn’t let him in. She wouldn’t even open the door. He was mad as blazes. He tipped me good, though,” Jerry added reminiscently. “Speaking of tips, you promised me fifteen smackers.”
“In a minute. Did Mrs. Wycherly have any other visitors?”
“Yeah, but listen, mister, I can’t stand here jawing all night. I got to put in an appearance down in the lobby. That Mrs. Silvado on the desk, she watches me like a hawk watches chickens.”
“Who were the other visitors?”
“There was just the one that I remember. I’ll tell you about him, only right now I got to go down, let Mrs. Silvado see that I’m on the job. I’ll come right back up soon as I can.
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