Read Online In a Deadly Vein by Brett Halliday - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brett Halliday
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guardian.”
Shayne said, “But I am. Start spilling what you know.”
“You can’t do this to me,” Meade complained. “There must be some law around here.”
Shayne laughed shortly. “I’m beginning to get the western viewpoint. I might do all right out here after I get the hang of things. I heard you tell Miss Forbes that you were responsible for Nora Carson’s absence from the theater tonight. I don’t give a damn about that angle, but I want to know where she is.”
“I didn’t say anything like that. I just said—”
“I heard every word of it. You said that Miss Forbes needn’t worry about Nora coming back. That she was in for good. That you’d fixed it that way.”
“I didn’t,” Meade repeated sullenly. “I didn’t say that.”
“You’ve got a bad memory.” Shayne scowled and doubled his right fist. “Maybe I can repair it for you.”
Christine flung a protective arm around Joe’s neck. She flared, “You can’t hit a man when he’s down.”
Shayne’s upper lip came back from his teeth. “I can kick his face to a pulp if he doesn’t start talking.”
“Don’t you dare, you big bully,” the girl screamed. She laid her cheek against Joe’s and begged, “Tell him, Joe. It doesn’t matter. Tell him where Nora is.”
Meade averted his face and muttered, “Can’t you get it, Christine? I don’t know anything about Nora. I was just—well, I just wanted you to think I’d fixed it to put you over. I was crazy for fear you’d forget me after you became successful. I’m nuts about you, honey. I couldn’t stand that. I thought if I could make you believe I’d arranged for Nora to miss her cue you’d be grateful to me and—oh, hell, I was just putting up a front. See?”
She sobbed, “Oh, Joe. I’m so glad.” Her arms tightened around his neck. “I’d have hated you forever if you’d done a thing like that.”
“You would?” He sounded incredulous. “I’m damned if I don’t believe you mean it.” He turned his head and kissed her.
“That’s a pretty fair sneak-out,” Shayne observed sourly. “But it doesn’t prove a thing to me. You’ll get something else on the kisser if you don’t come across with the truth. You sounded mighty sure that Nora Carson wouldn’t be back to take the role away from your girl. How could you know that if you don’t know what became of her?”
“You misconstrued what you overheard,” Meade declared. “I meant that Christine didn’t have to worry about Nora any more. If you saw her tonight you’d know what I meant. She was so damned good she put Nora in the shade.”
Shayne didn’t say anything. The hell of it was, Joe Meade sounded convincing. He might be telling the truth—and he might not. Shayne snorted and turned away, stalking ahead of Casey around the end of the wall.
Phyllis was waiting at the table, and when he flung himself into his chair she asked acidly, “What were you two bullies doing behind the wall with that nice young couple? It sounded like a riot from here.”
Casey said, “Mike was promoting a little game of post office, but the other guy got the wink.”
“Do you have to brawl, Michael—and on our vacation?” Phyllis wailed. “Couldn’t you ever, just once, solve a case with your brains instead of your fists?”
Shayne regarded her intently, then said in a sour tone, “I’ll always wonder whether that guy would have come clean if I had kicked him in the face. That’s your doing, Phyl. Marriage has softened me. Next thing I know, I’ll be starting, by God, to raise a fund for indigent murderers.”
Casey nodded happily. “’Tis a regular cream-puff you’ve turned into, Mike. I’ve seen the day when you’d have strung that bucko up by the thumbs and put lighted matches between his toes.”
“Michael! Did you ever do that!” Phyllis cried, horrified.
Shayne shrugged and moodily ordered another drink. While he waited for the drink, he repeated the conversation he had
Shayne said, “But I am. Start spilling what you know.”
“You can’t do this to me,” Meade complained. “There must be some law around here.”
Shayne laughed shortly. “I’m beginning to get the western viewpoint. I might do all right out here after I get the hang of things. I heard you tell Miss Forbes that you were responsible for Nora Carson’s absence from the theater tonight. I don’t give a damn about that angle, but I want to know where she is.”
“I didn’t say anything like that. I just said—”
“I heard every word of it. You said that Miss Forbes needn’t worry about Nora coming back. That she was in for good. That you’d fixed it that way.”
“I didn’t,” Meade repeated sullenly. “I didn’t say that.”
“You’ve got a bad memory.” Shayne scowled and doubled his right fist. “Maybe I can repair it for you.”
Christine flung a protective arm around Joe’s neck. She flared, “You can’t hit a man when he’s down.”
Shayne’s upper lip came back from his teeth. “I can kick his face to a pulp if he doesn’t start talking.”
“Don’t you dare, you big bully,” the girl screamed. She laid her cheek against Joe’s and begged, “Tell him, Joe. It doesn’t matter. Tell him where Nora is.”
Meade averted his face and muttered, “Can’t you get it, Christine? I don’t know anything about Nora. I was just—well, I just wanted you to think I’d fixed it to put you over. I was crazy for fear you’d forget me after you became successful. I’m nuts about you, honey. I couldn’t stand that. I thought if I could make you believe I’d arranged for Nora to miss her cue you’d be grateful to me and—oh, hell, I was just putting up a front. See?”
She sobbed, “Oh, Joe. I’m so glad.” Her arms tightened around his neck. “I’d have hated you forever if you’d done a thing like that.”
“You would?” He sounded incredulous. “I’m damned if I don’t believe you mean it.” He turned his head and kissed her.
“That’s a pretty fair sneak-out,” Shayne observed sourly. “But it doesn’t prove a thing to me. You’ll get something else on the kisser if you don’t come across with the truth. You sounded mighty sure that Nora Carson wouldn’t be back to take the role away from your girl. How could you know that if you don’t know what became of her?”
“You misconstrued what you overheard,” Meade declared. “I meant that Christine didn’t have to worry about Nora any more. If you saw her tonight you’d know what I meant. She was so damned good she put Nora in the shade.”
Shayne didn’t say anything. The hell of it was, Joe Meade sounded convincing. He might be telling the truth—and he might not. Shayne snorted and turned away, stalking ahead of Casey around the end of the wall.
Phyllis was waiting at the table, and when he flung himself into his chair she asked acidly, “What were you two bullies doing behind the wall with that nice young couple? It sounded like a riot from here.”
Casey said, “Mike was promoting a little game of post office, but the other guy got the wink.”
“Do you have to brawl, Michael—and on our vacation?” Phyllis wailed. “Couldn’t you ever, just once, solve a case with your brains instead of your fists?”
Shayne regarded her intently, then said in a sour tone, “I’ll always wonder whether that guy would have come clean if I had kicked him in the face. That’s your doing, Phyl. Marriage has softened me. Next thing I know, I’ll be starting, by God, to raise a fund for indigent murderers.”
Casey nodded happily. “’Tis a regular cream-puff you’ve turned into, Mike. I’ve seen the day when you’d have strung that bucko up by the thumbs and put lighted matches between his toes.”
“Michael! Did you ever do that!” Phyllis cried, horrified.
Shayne shrugged and moodily ordered another drink. While he waited for the drink, he repeated the conversation he had
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