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Authors: Louis Trimble
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“She wanted to know where you’d got yourself to. I told her I wanted to know the same thing.” She waggled a finger at me. “Your ideas are too big for one man, buster. You can’t date two women at the same hour.”
I said, “Let’s cut the horseplay. What did Irma say?”
“You mean, what did she say besides what she called you?”
I said, “Yes, besides that.”
“She said ‘good-bye,’ “ Bonnie announced.
I said, “Look, when those goons left here Vann said they had to hurry up and take care of ‘that dizzy dame.’ Irma’s secretary told me she’d gone to have lunch with Jaspar Clift. He says she did no such thing. He hasn’t seen her.”
Bonnie murmured dreamily, “Busy boys, aren’t they. This morning it was me they wanted. Now it’s another woman.” She frowned. “They’re fickle.”
I said, “Why did they want you in the first place?”
“I didn’t ask them.”
I said, “Does Aggie really think you’ve been horsing around with me or with Clift? Did he put them on you to scare you?”
She stared in amazement. “Don’t talk through the side of your head, Zane. Aggie knows how I feel about him. He trusts me.”
I said, “I could tell him a few items that might change his trust.”
She got up. “Go ahead and try. I squared him away after you left this morning. Anything you say won’t even get a listen.”
She had all her bets coppered. She had an explanation—or a dodge—for everything. I retired from the field—on my shield. I said, “How about giving me a lift down to the
Temoc?
Vann swiped my car.”
“Do you think Jaspar is holding the fair Irma for ransom?” She smiled sweetly at me, closed one eye, opened it, closed the other, and hiccupped. She said, “Keys in my bag. Help yourself.”
She put her head against the back of the chair and went to sleep.
CHAPTER XII
A WOMAN like Bonnie Minos wasn’t the type to get gowed up on three bottles of lightweight beer. I had the idea that she wanted me to think she was drunk so that I’d leave her alone on my boat. It wasn’t an idea I liked.
I got behind her and lifted her out of the chair. She was limp but not limp enough. I got her to her feet and started to take the support of my hands away. She straightened up fast.
“Whatsamatter?”
I said, “Let’s take a cold shower.”
She said, “You’re a louse, Zane.” She picked her bag off the floor, glared at me, and started out. I moved along behind. We reached her car. She worked herself into the passenger seat.
“Honest, Zane, I don’t think I can make it.” She hiccupped again to show me what she meant.
I slid behind the wheel. She put the key in the ignition, showed me the starter, and gave me a short lecture on the gear shift pattern. I backed the Ferrari around and eased onto Harbor Way. I started up the hill to The Point.
I whipped up into the driveway and braked to a stop in the garage. Aggie’s Cadillac wasn’t there.
Bonnie said, “I still don’t like you when you scowl, Zane.”
I said, “Look, I appreciate your cutting me loose. I don’t appreciate your making a sucker out of me. This is a great game to you. It’s my living and maybe my life to me.”
I left her in the car and headed on foot down the driveway.
She didn’t say a word. I half expected her to chase me in the Ferrari. But I walked the three blocks to The Point shopping center and there was no sign of her. I grabbed a cab and told the driver to run me to Pier 7. No one tagged me.
The loading of the
Temoc
was about wound up. Only a small pile of crates sat on the dock, and the loading boom was swinging out to grab them. I spotted Clift on the bridge.
I didn’t wait for an invitation. I went aboard and climbed up to him. The motor running the boom was making a lot of racket. I yelled, “I’m still looking for Irma Wilson.”
“I haven’t seen her,” he yelled back.
“A couple of hoods tried to grab her this morning,” I shouted.
He looked puzzled. He
I said, “Let’s cut the horseplay. What did Irma say?”
“You mean, what did she say besides what she called you?”
I said, “Yes, besides that.”
“She said ‘good-bye,’ “ Bonnie announced.
I said, “Look, when those goons left here Vann said they had to hurry up and take care of ‘that dizzy dame.’ Irma’s secretary told me she’d gone to have lunch with Jaspar Clift. He says she did no such thing. He hasn’t seen her.”
Bonnie murmured dreamily, “Busy boys, aren’t they. This morning it was me they wanted. Now it’s another woman.” She frowned. “They’re fickle.”
I said, “Why did they want you in the first place?”
“I didn’t ask them.”
I said, “Does Aggie really think you’ve been horsing around with me or with Clift? Did he put them on you to scare you?”
She stared in amazement. “Don’t talk through the side of your head, Zane. Aggie knows how I feel about him. He trusts me.”
I said, “I could tell him a few items that might change his trust.”
She got up. “Go ahead and try. I squared him away after you left this morning. Anything you say won’t even get a listen.”
She had all her bets coppered. She had an explanation—or a dodge—for everything. I retired from the field—on my shield. I said, “How about giving me a lift down to the
Temoc?
Vann swiped my car.”
“Do you think Jaspar is holding the fair Irma for ransom?” She smiled sweetly at me, closed one eye, opened it, closed the other, and hiccupped. She said, “Keys in my bag. Help yourself.”
She put her head against the back of the chair and went to sleep.
CHAPTER XII
A WOMAN like Bonnie Minos wasn’t the type to get gowed up on three bottles of lightweight beer. I had the idea that she wanted me to think she was drunk so that I’d leave her alone on my boat. It wasn’t an idea I liked.
I got behind her and lifted her out of the chair. She was limp but not limp enough. I got her to her feet and started to take the support of my hands away. She straightened up fast.
“Whatsamatter?”
I said, “Let’s take a cold shower.”
She said, “You’re a louse, Zane.” She picked her bag off the floor, glared at me, and started out. I moved along behind. We reached her car. She worked herself into the passenger seat.
“Honest, Zane, I don’t think I can make it.” She hiccupped again to show me what she meant.
I slid behind the wheel. She put the key in the ignition, showed me the starter, and gave me a short lecture on the gear shift pattern. I backed the Ferrari around and eased onto Harbor Way. I started up the hill to The Point.
I whipped up into the driveway and braked to a stop in the garage. Aggie’s Cadillac wasn’t there.
Bonnie said, “I still don’t like you when you scowl, Zane.”
I said, “Look, I appreciate your cutting me loose. I don’t appreciate your making a sucker out of me. This is a great game to you. It’s my living and maybe my life to me.”
I left her in the car and headed on foot down the driveway.
She didn’t say a word. I half expected her to chase me in the Ferrari. But I walked the three blocks to The Point shopping center and there was no sign of her. I grabbed a cab and told the driver to run me to Pier 7. No one tagged me.
The loading of the
Temoc
was about wound up. Only a small pile of crates sat on the dock, and the loading boom was swinging out to grab them. I spotted Clift on the bridge.
I didn’t wait for an invitation. I went aboard and climbed up to him. The motor running the boom was making a lot of racket. I yelled, “I’m still looking for Irma Wilson.”
“I haven’t seen her,” he yelled back.
“A couple of hoods tried to grab her this morning,” I shouted.
He looked puzzled. He
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