Read Online Copp In The Dark, A Joe Copp Thriller (Joe Copp Private Eye Series) by Don Pendleton - Free Book Online
Authors: Don Pendleton
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scrap of it anywhere."
"You go get screwed, guy," I told him. "And do it in your own jurisdiction."
Lahey sighed, got to his feet and went to the door, turned back to say, "It's a viable theory. Enough that I think you shouldn't be playing games with us. If you know more than you've said, now's the time to bring it forward."
I knew that.
Yeah, I knew that.
But at the moment I had not a damned thing to bring forward into the light.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was getting onto four a.m . when Lahey left my place. I tried to get in a quick nap but it was a fitful one and did nothing at all for my state Of mind, was up at six for a shower and shave, a quick breakfast and an early start. I wanted to get to Judith White before the sheriffs could, hoping for any edge I could find. It was a Friday morning and traffic was light, not a lot of people stirring at that hour.
I had figured to break into the theater and find Judith's home address, but that wasn't necessary. The stage entrance was open and the lady was in her office amid stacks of resumes and photographs, hard at work at seven
a.m.
I stepped quietly inside and watched her for a moment before making my presence known. The old adage about beauty and brains had no meaning here. Obviously this woman possessed both, honey-blonde hair clipped pertly close in soft curls to follow the contours of a perfectly shaped head, a generous mouth with soft lips and pearly teeth, eyes sparkling over some great inner adventure—but they sizzled when she looked up and saw me standing there.
I grinned soberly from the doorway and said, "Knock knock ."
"Not again," she said despairingly.
I went on in and sat on the edge of a chair with my hands clasped on my knees, sort of like body language to let her know I didn't plan on getting too comfortable. "Sorry to bother you," I said solemnly.
She tossed her head and glanced meaningfully at the stacks of resumes cluttering her desk. "Why do people always say they're sorry but do it anyway? You were in here the other day, too, weren't you, posing as an equity inspector."
I said, "Uh huh," and produced my ID, handed it to her. "Look at it carefully," I suggested, "so you don't get the wrong idea about this visit. I'm private, not public. I'm in a hell of a mess and I need your help. Will you help me?"
She gave me a cool appraisal as she handed the ID back, seemed to be thinking about it, finally told me as she relaxed into her chair with a sigh: "Why not? I've got three whole days to cast this next show. How much of my time do you need, Mr. Copp ?"
"Call me Joe," I requested, and relaxed a bit myself. "First I'm afraid I have some shocking news for you. Craig Maan was killed last night."
If there was a visible reaction there, I couldn't detect it in the first uptake. "How was he killed?"
"His throat was slashed."
The eyes moved a bit on that one. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm entirely serious. Someone in your cast hired me several days ago to keep Craig alive. I didn't take it all that serious at the moment, and in fact last night I came in here to return the retainer."
"Why did you bring it to me?"
"Seemed as good a guess as any. I didn't know who to give it to because I didn't know who'd given it to me. I left here last night with Elaine Suzanne after she brought the thousand bucks back to me and asked me to stay on the case. We went looking for Craig, found him in an apartment up near Rancho Cucamonga. Elaine told me it was her apartment but it's not in her name. Craig had been dead for at least two hours. He was naked, tied hand and foot, throat cut from ear to ear. He—"
She surged to her feet and moved quickly to the door, paused there to look back and say, "Excuse me a second," and went on out.
I lit a cigarette and smoked it half way before she returned. I'm cutting down but it's hard to quit entirely, especially in stressful times. I was feeling
"You go get screwed, guy," I told him. "And do it in your own jurisdiction."
Lahey sighed, got to his feet and went to the door, turned back to say, "It's a viable theory. Enough that I think you shouldn't be playing games with us. If you know more than you've said, now's the time to bring it forward."
I knew that.
Yeah, I knew that.
But at the moment I had not a damned thing to bring forward into the light.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was getting onto four a.m . when Lahey left my place. I tried to get in a quick nap but it was a fitful one and did nothing at all for my state Of mind, was up at six for a shower and shave, a quick breakfast and an early start. I wanted to get to Judith White before the sheriffs could, hoping for any edge I could find. It was a Friday morning and traffic was light, not a lot of people stirring at that hour.
I had figured to break into the theater and find Judith's home address, but that wasn't necessary. The stage entrance was open and the lady was in her office amid stacks of resumes and photographs, hard at work at seven
a.m.
I stepped quietly inside and watched her for a moment before making my presence known. The old adage about beauty and brains had no meaning here. Obviously this woman possessed both, honey-blonde hair clipped pertly close in soft curls to follow the contours of a perfectly shaped head, a generous mouth with soft lips and pearly teeth, eyes sparkling over some great inner adventure—but they sizzled when she looked up and saw me standing there.
I grinned soberly from the doorway and said, "Knock knock ."
"Not again," she said despairingly.
I went on in and sat on the edge of a chair with my hands clasped on my knees, sort of like body language to let her know I didn't plan on getting too comfortable. "Sorry to bother you," I said solemnly.
She tossed her head and glanced meaningfully at the stacks of resumes cluttering her desk. "Why do people always say they're sorry but do it anyway? You were in here the other day, too, weren't you, posing as an equity inspector."
I said, "Uh huh," and produced my ID, handed it to her. "Look at it carefully," I suggested, "so you don't get the wrong idea about this visit. I'm private, not public. I'm in a hell of a mess and I need your help. Will you help me?"
She gave me a cool appraisal as she handed the ID back, seemed to be thinking about it, finally told me as she relaxed into her chair with a sigh: "Why not? I've got three whole days to cast this next show. How much of my time do you need, Mr. Copp ?"
"Call me Joe," I requested, and relaxed a bit myself. "First I'm afraid I have some shocking news for you. Craig Maan was killed last night."
If there was a visible reaction there, I couldn't detect it in the first uptake. "How was he killed?"
"His throat was slashed."
The eyes moved a bit on that one. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm entirely serious. Someone in your cast hired me several days ago to keep Craig alive. I didn't take it all that serious at the moment, and in fact last night I came in here to return the retainer."
"Why did you bring it to me?"
"Seemed as good a guess as any. I didn't know who to give it to because I didn't know who'd given it to me. I left here last night with Elaine Suzanne after she brought the thousand bucks back to me and asked me to stay on the case. We went looking for Craig, found him in an apartment up near Rancho Cucamonga. Elaine told me it was her apartment but it's not in her name. Craig had been dead for at least two hours. He was naked, tied hand and foot, throat cut from ear to ear. He—"
She surged to her feet and moved quickly to the door, paused there to look back and say, "Excuse me a second," and went on out.
I lit a cigarette and smoked it half way before she returned. I'm cutting down but it's hard to quit entirely, especially in stressful times. I was feeling
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