Read Online 1945 - Blonde's Requiem by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online

recognize it. No, you take it and get off. ”
    “ I don ’ t like leaving you . . . ” he began, but I wasn ’ t going to spend the rest of the night arguing with him.
    “ Be a good guy and beat it, ” I said, and leaving him by the car I walked off down the street. A hundred yards further on I came to an alley. As I peered into the darkness, wondering if it led to the back of the building, I heard his engine start up and then the Pontiac swept past at high speed. I watched the tail light disappear before I entered the alley.
    I was relieved to see him go. An amateur at this game could easily step out of turn, and I wasn ’ t looking for trouble. I liked to work alone. If anything went wrong I had only myself to blame.
    The alley was narrow and smelly. It brought me eventually to the back of the Street-Camera building. The place was in darkness. The back door didn ’ t seem particularly strong, so I put my shoulder against it and shoved. It creaked. I shoved again hard. There was a snapping sound and the door swung open. I stepped back and listened. The building and alley remained silent. Shielding my flashlight with my hand, I peered through the open doorway and then stepped into a narrow passage. Ahead of me was a door leading to the shop. Another door on my right was half-open.
    I went down the passage and opened the door leading to the shop. There was no blind to the window, but the moon gave enough light for me to see. I had a quick look around, saw nothing to excite me and stepped back into the passage again. I didn ’ t want any passing cop to spot me through the window.
    I retraced my steps and pushed open the other door. I entered a large room which obviously was used as a workshop. The floor was littered with strips of paper from trimmed photographs. Mounts and photographs were piled high on the two tables in the centre of the room. I let the beam of my flashlight crawl around the room and over the floor. I examined the fireplace, which was full of burnt paper, but I found nothing to connect the place with the missing girls.
    I pushed my hat to the back of my head and scowled out of the window. I had no idea what I was looking for, but I had hoped for something better than this.
    I went to the back door and glanced into the alley. It wouldn ’ t be possible to park a car out there. That puzzled me. I couldn ’ t make out how the girls were taken from the shop, if they had been kidnapped from this building.
    As I stood brooding about this I heard a car coming at high speed. A moment later there was a squeal of brakes as the car slid to a standstill. I stepped quickly into the passage and closed the door. Moving fast, I reached the door that led into the shop and opened it a few inches.
    I could see the street through the shop window. A big tourer stood outside the shop, and as I watched three men spilled from it. One stood by the car looking up and down the street. The other two crossed the sidewalk and one of them pushed a key into the shop door lock and snapped it back.
    It happened so quickly had no chance to duck back along the passage. I pulled the door to and waited, my hand on my gun.
    I heard the two men enter the shop.
    “ Snap into it, ” one of them said. “ The patrol ’ ll be around in five minutes. ”
    His voice was harsh and I could hear him breathing heavily.
    “ Okay, keep your shirt on, ” the other said hoarsely. “ Give me that picture over there. ”
    I heard something heavy drop on the floor and I opened the door a few inches, but I couldn ’ t see what was going on.
    “ I can ’ t reach the damn thing, ” the man with the hoarse voice said. “ Watch what you ’ re doing, you dope, ” the harsh-voiced man snarled. “ You ’ ll wreck the whole display. ”
    There were more mutterings and then the harsh-voiced man said: “ Okay. Let ’ s get outa here. ”
    I heard them cross the shop, open the door and lock it behind them. I peered cautiously into the shop. They were