Read Online Marked for Murder by Brett Halliday - Free Book Online

the gurgling pipe from his mouth and spat in the direction of the spittoon.
    “Do you think he had any other reason for trying to muzzle Rourke?”
    Dolan looked up quickly, his faded eyes keen and speculative. “Your guess is as good as mine. One thing you can chew on.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Bronson lived on balance sheets and statements of profit and loss. He was imported from New York to build up circulation.”
    Shayne nodded. He started to get up, then settled back. “One thing more, Jimmy. What’s the inside dope on Tim’s love life?”
    Dolan chuckled knowingly. “Let’s see. You left about two years ago. That would be Jessie’s time. Remember Jessie Newton?”
    Shayne nodded.
    “That burned out two or three months after you left. Then there was a cute little redhead—about twenty and hot as a firecracker from the way she acted. They were pretty thick for a time and it’s my guess she burned him out. She disappeared and we began to see Tim around again. And she’s the last as far as I know. That’s been about a year ago. If he had anything on the string after the redhead, he was keeping it mighty quiet around the office.”
    Shayne said, “He never used to bother to keep it quiet.”
    “I know. Tim always paraded his dolls around the office. It doesn’t seem reasonable he’d be true to the redhead a year after they broke up, now does it?”
    “That’s not like Tim,” Shayne said casually, then asked, “How do you go about getting in touch with Brenner?”
    “Hake Brenner?” Dolan wrinkled his forehead. “I wouldn’t try to find out if I was you, Mike. If he finds out why you’re in Miami—”
    “I can’t get anywhere by walking around in circles,” Shayne remonstrated.
    “You’ll get farther than you will by riding around in a hearse.”
    “I still want to see Brenner.”
    “You might ask Laverty. I’ve heard he and Brenner used to be pals.”
    “Lucky Laverty?”
    “You’ll find him around.”
    “Is Minerva here?” Shayne asked.
    “Minerva’s always around, sour-pussed as ever.”
    Shayne got up and said, “Thanks, Dolan,” and went across to the managing editor’s private office. The door stood open and the light was on. Minerva’s cubbyhole opened off to one side. She was sitting erect at her desk typing, her sharp, plain features weary and her gray hair untidily piled in a bun at the back of her head. She wore a black skirt and a crisp white shirtwaist and low-heeled shoes.
    She looked up as Shayne came toward her and she stopped typing.
    Shayne grinned. He thought he saw a glint of tears in her eyes. Her tight, unrouged lips loosened and trembled undeniably. He said, “Minerva! As gorgeous as ever,” and was beside her chair.
    She blinked her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. He tipped her chin up and planted a hearty kiss on her unresponsive lips. “Don’t tell me you’re worried about Tim.”
    “That good-for-nothing,” she sniffed. “Why would I worry about him?”
    “Why, indeed,” said Shayne cheerfully. “You always said he’d come to no good end.” He sat down on one corner of her neat desk. “How do you like your new boss?”
    She said, “Did you come back to—to—?”
    “Why else? You can help me, Minerva.”
    “I’ll do what I can, Mr. Shayne. Tim was saying only yesterday you ought to be here to get after that mess on the Beach.” Her voice was prim again and she rearranged her features.
    “I’m wondering about any stuff that might have been in Tim’s desk. He claimed he had some affidavits, according to his story.”
    “I’m sorry. Mr. Bronson cleaned out his desk that evening.”
    “What did he do with the stuff?”
    “Put it in a big Manila envelope and took it away with him.” She looked down at the typewriter keys and continued, “He’d had me draw a check to Timothy that afternoon, and he took that with him too. I think he planned to see him. At least he had me look up his address in the