There was a quiet pause. Dr. Lagardie's voice was now almost unctuousl I hung up and fed myself a slug of Old Forester to brace my nerves for "So he starts to play," I went on, "and he doesn't know how to play. T "That's no way to talk to people over the telephone," she said sharply
"You'd get a receipt. Who told you I was a gum-shoe?" She picked a cigarette out of a box, tossed it in the air, caught it b Then I went towards the man on the bed. He had not moved during all th I got my wallet out and handed him one of my business cards. He read i "Five bucks," I said. "I've got the address already. And don't haggle. Room 332 was at the back of the building near the door to the fire esc "And now I suppose you'll call the p-police," she said with a catch in He reached for it and crammed it back in his wallet. "What something e I lifted Dr. Hambleton's hat off the desk and examined the sweatband a He was stripping the dead man's pockets and laying what had been in th I rolled a cigarette around on my fingers, put a match to it and blew "I'll leave your gun in the mailbox," I said. "Next time ask to see th "Not unless you're unusually fond of ice picks," I said, and left him. Down the hall the radio still blared through the transom and the exagg "Oh, they couldn't scare Orrin, Mr. Marlowe," she said decisively. "He She set her mouth stubbornly. "No, Mr. Marlowe. They couldn't scare Or "Scotch? Or would you prefer a mixed drink? I mix a perfectly loathsom "Probably," I said. "But it would take more than twenty bucks to have A car drove away from in front of the house. Somewhere a door closed. "That's right," I said. "But the man who made the picture told me wher She clasped her hands on the edge of the desk and squeezed them togeth French cut him short with a gesture. "I know every hotel in the metrop "Yes. I can imagine. Out. I don't know you. I don't want to know you. He tilted his chair forward again and went on doing whatever it was he "Don't waste it on him," Beifus told French. "Save it for when you tal The Gonzales gave her a quick darting glance, closed my wallet and tos "You said he wasn't in," Flack said irritably. "So what? He wasn't in. I went over and lifted the blotter and smoothed out the crumpled curre She giggled and drew a line along the desk with her fingertip, looking "Hold it," he said wearily, and went to get his little red book. A lef "I moved from 215 across the hail. This here is a better room. That's "You'd want me to do that, wouldn't you," she said, smiling patiently. "You have a date? Is she beautiful? More beautiful than I am?" "Don't tell me," she interrupted sharply and turned with a glass in he "Who's the house peeper here now?" I asked her, without taking up the "You're not bad," I said. "You're still breathing." The big man looked as near worried as he would ever look. "I'm sorry y
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