Read Online Lay Her Among The Lilies by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online

affairs. Maybe we can find that out from Crosby's will. I want to have a look at Janet's will, too. I want to find out if she left Eudora any money. If she didn't, where was Eudora's money coming from? I'm not saying we're not going on with this; I'm not saying we are. We'll get a few more facts, and then decide. We'll have to be very careful how we step. Brandon could make things difficult."

    "If we return the money the case should be closed," Paula said. "There's no point in working for nothing."

    "I know," I said. "All the same this set-up interests me. And, besides, I don't like taking orders from Brandon.'' I finished my drink and pushed back my chair. "Well, I guess we'd better break this up. I could do with some sleep."

    Kerman stretched, yawned and stood up.

    "I've just remembered I have to take the Hofflin kids to Hollywood to-morrow morning," he said, grimacing. "A personally-conducted tour of Paramount Studios. If it wasn't for the chance of seeing Dot Lamour I'd be fit to climb a tree. Those three brats terrify me."

    "Okay," he said. "You'll be back the day after tomorrow?"

    "Yeah. If I'm still in one piece."

    "I'll have made up my mind by then what we're going to do. If we do go ahead, we'll have to put in some fast, smooth work. Hang on a moment. I want a word with Mike."

    I went over to the bar where Finnegan was lazily polishing glasses. An old roué and his blonde were just leaving. The blonde looked at me from under spiked eyelashes and winked. I winked back.

    When they were out of ear-shot, I said, "There's a guy who's been tailing me, Mike. Big, built like a boxer; squashed ear and nose, wears a fawn-coloured hat with a cord around it. Smokes a cheroot and looks tough enough to eat rusty nails. Ever seen him?"

    Mike rubbed the tumbler he was holding, raised it to the light and squinted at it. Then he placed it carefully on the shelf.

    "Sounds like Benny Dwan. It's a cinch it's Benny if his breath smells of garlic."

    "I never got that close. Who's Benny Dwan?"

    Mike picked up another glass, rinsed it under the tap and began to polish it. He could be annoyingly deliberate when answering questions. He didn't mean anything by it; it was just his way.

    "He's a tough torpedo," he said, squinted at the glass and polished some more. "Got a job up at Salzer's sanatorium. He was a small-time gambler before he joined up with Salzer. Served a five-year stretch for robbery with violence back in 1938. He's supposed to have settled down now, but I doubt that."

    "What's he doing at Salzer's sanatorium?" Mike shrugged.

    "Odd jobs: cleans cars, does a bit of gardening, stuff like that."

    "This is important, Mike. If it is Dwan, he's up against a murder rap."

    Mike pursed his thick lips in a soundless whistle.

    "Well, it sounds like him. I've seen him in that hat."

    I went over the description again, in detail and carefully.

    "Yeah," Mike said. "That sounds like him all right. He's never without a cheroot and his nose and right ear are flattened. Must be the guy."

    I felt vaguely excited.

    "Well, thanks, Mike."

    I went back to the other two who had been watching me from across the room.

    "Mike's identified Big Boy," I told them. "He's a guy named Benny Dwan, and guess what: he works for Salzer."

    "Isn't it marvellous how you find things out?" Kerman said, grinning. "So what are you going to do?"

    "Tip Mifflin," I said. "Wait a second, will you? I'll call him now."

    They told me at Police Headquarters that Mifflin had gone home. I turned up his home telephone number in the book and put the call through. After a delay, Mifflin's voice came over the line. He sounded sleepy and exasperated.

    "This is Malloy," I told him. "Sorry to wake you up, Tim, but I'm pretty sure I can identify the guy who rubbed out Eudora Drew."

    "You can?" Mifflin's voice brightened. "Say, that's fine. Who is he?"

    "Benny Dwan. And get this, Tim. He works for Salzer. If you go out to the sanatorium right now you might lay