Read Online Heads You Lose by Brett Halliday - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Brett Halliday
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Axtell, and Dimoff.”
Markle’s eyes were fixed on Shayne’s face, cold and inscrutable, telling him nothing.
“Do you recall the case?” Shayne prompted.
“Maybe I do… maybe I don’t.”
“They grabbed a guilty plea and didn’t stand trial,” Shayne reminded him. “One of your stinking private deals with Osgood.”
The lawyer’s expression did not change. He puffed on a cigar and let half an inch of ashes drop on his coat.
“Who paid your fee on that case?” Shayne demanded.
Markle’s thick lips smiled coldly. “Is that the information you’re after?”
“That’s it.”
“You’re wasting your time, Shamus. How should I know? A year ago? I should remember so long.”
“It’ll be in your records.”
“I don’t keep records.”
Shayne said, “I’ve got to know who was backing those three punks. Someone who paid you money to fix up a deal and keep them out of court so they couldn’t testify.”
“Aren’t you building up a lot of hypothesis out of a little conjecture?”
“I don’t think so.”
Markle said again, “You’re wasting your time… and mine.” He picked up some typewritten sheets and started to look at them.
Shayne’s features tightened. He reached out a big hand and slapped the papers from the attorney’s hand. “I’m not kidding, Markle. I want that name.”
Manny’s eyes became venomous. “Don’t try to push me around, Shayne. I’m warning you. Don’t do it.” He spoke with passionate sincerity.
Shayne’s hand doubled into a fist on the desk. He growled, “I’ll push this down your throat if you don’t give… and fast.”
Markle leaned back in his chair. “You’re making a mistake,” he warned. “You’re just a punk and you don’t know it. You’ve been smart for a long time, Shayne. You’ve kept out of my way. That’s the only reason you’ve lasted this long.”
With one movement Shayne got up and kicked his chair from under him. He turned and deliberately pushed the iron bolt, locking the door on the inside. When he turned back, Markle was reaching for the telephone. Shayne warned flatly, “Don’t make that mistake. I’ll break every bone in your body before anybody can get in here to you.”
Manny’s breath wheezed in between his stained teeth. He sat with his arm outstretched for the telephone, studying Shayne’s set face intently. “Do you realize what you’re doing?”
Shayne advanced toward him slowly with flared nostrils and upper lip drawn back. “I got socked in the puss last night by a cop. And I dodged a rifle bullet this morning. I’m playing for keeps, Markle. You’re going to give me that name, so make it easy on yourself. Personally, I don’t care. I’d like to smash your damned face. I don’t like it.”
Markle’s face turned ashen. He pushed his chair back, holding up a long-fingered hand as though to fend off a blow, and ejaculated, “I believe you’re crazy, Shayne.”
Shayne laughed without moving his lips. He stopped beside the desk, towering over the attorney. “Who were you fronting for, Manny, when you represented Garson and Axtell and Dimoff?”
“That’s something I couldn’t tell you if I knew,” Markle panted. “Confidential between a client…”
Shayne slapped him. The force of his open palm slewed Markle sideways. He reached down with his left hand and gathered up a handful of the lawyer’s shirt-front, lifted him half out of his seat. He said, “This is going to cost you a whole mouthful of new teeth.”
Shayne let go and Markle slumped into his chair. His face was pasty and his eyes shifted away from Shayne’s gray and steady stare. “Think fast and give it to me straight,” Shayne warned implacably.
“I’ll have to know how you’re going to use it…”
“You don’t have to know anything except that you’re going to take one hell of a beating if you don’t come through.”
Markle’s thick lips moved and in a choked voice he said, “Kline… Dennis Kline
Markle’s eyes were fixed on Shayne’s face, cold and inscrutable, telling him nothing.
“Do you recall the case?” Shayne prompted.
“Maybe I do… maybe I don’t.”
“They grabbed a guilty plea and didn’t stand trial,” Shayne reminded him. “One of your stinking private deals with Osgood.”
The lawyer’s expression did not change. He puffed on a cigar and let half an inch of ashes drop on his coat.
“Who paid your fee on that case?” Shayne demanded.
Markle’s thick lips smiled coldly. “Is that the information you’re after?”
“That’s it.”
“You’re wasting your time, Shamus. How should I know? A year ago? I should remember so long.”
“It’ll be in your records.”
“I don’t keep records.”
Shayne said, “I’ve got to know who was backing those three punks. Someone who paid you money to fix up a deal and keep them out of court so they couldn’t testify.”
“Aren’t you building up a lot of hypothesis out of a little conjecture?”
“I don’t think so.”
Markle said again, “You’re wasting your time… and mine.” He picked up some typewritten sheets and started to look at them.
Shayne’s features tightened. He reached out a big hand and slapped the papers from the attorney’s hand. “I’m not kidding, Markle. I want that name.”
Manny’s eyes became venomous. “Don’t try to push me around, Shayne. I’m warning you. Don’t do it.” He spoke with passionate sincerity.
Shayne’s hand doubled into a fist on the desk. He growled, “I’ll push this down your throat if you don’t give… and fast.”
Markle leaned back in his chair. “You’re making a mistake,” he warned. “You’re just a punk and you don’t know it. You’ve been smart for a long time, Shayne. You’ve kept out of my way. That’s the only reason you’ve lasted this long.”
With one movement Shayne got up and kicked his chair from under him. He turned and deliberately pushed the iron bolt, locking the door on the inside. When he turned back, Markle was reaching for the telephone. Shayne warned flatly, “Don’t make that mistake. I’ll break every bone in your body before anybody can get in here to you.”
Manny’s breath wheezed in between his stained teeth. He sat with his arm outstretched for the telephone, studying Shayne’s set face intently. “Do you realize what you’re doing?”
Shayne advanced toward him slowly with flared nostrils and upper lip drawn back. “I got socked in the puss last night by a cop. And I dodged a rifle bullet this morning. I’m playing for keeps, Markle. You’re going to give me that name, so make it easy on yourself. Personally, I don’t care. I’d like to smash your damned face. I don’t like it.”
Markle’s face turned ashen. He pushed his chair back, holding up a long-fingered hand as though to fend off a blow, and ejaculated, “I believe you’re crazy, Shayne.”
Shayne laughed without moving his lips. He stopped beside the desk, towering over the attorney. “Who were you fronting for, Manny, when you represented Garson and Axtell and Dimoff?”
“That’s something I couldn’t tell you if I knew,” Markle panted. “Confidential between a client…”
Shayne slapped him. The force of his open palm slewed Markle sideways. He reached down with his left hand and gathered up a handful of the lawyer’s shirt-front, lifted him half out of his seat. He said, “This is going to cost you a whole mouthful of new teeth.”
Shayne let go and Markle slumped into his chair. His face was pasty and his eyes shifted away from Shayne’s gray and steady stare. “Think fast and give it to me straight,” Shayne warned implacably.
“I’ll have to know how you’re going to use it…”
“You don’t have to know anything except that you’re going to take one hell of a beating if you don’t come through.”
Markle’s thick lips moved and in a choked voice he said, “Kline… Dennis Kline
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