The Bamboo Blonde (23 page)

"I can't handle this alone."

Griselda suggested, "Kew is here."

"Good. Bring him along. But get over quickly." She rang off.

"What's that about?"

Griselda shrugged. "The queen commands, darling. Dare.”

"Why?"

"She says she needs help." She didn't believe it. "I'll dress."

Kew said, "I wouldn't take the time." He was serious. She looked questioningly at him but he added no more, stood there with worried scowl.

"I won't then. Let me take off this suit." She hurried; Dare might be in trouble.

Kew was waiting anxiously. They ran down the steps and into the car. She conjured Albert George and a full Oriental army standing guard but the apartment looked normal and Dare opened the door. She said, "She's been like that ever since the police came."

They saw Kathie then, weeping hysterically, her crumpled white rayon quivering face-down on the magenta couch.

Griselda was sharp. "The police?"

Kew had gone to the girl, knelt beside her, touching her hair and shoulder, speaking in undertone.

"Yes, the police." Dare sighed. She raised an eyebrow privately and sardonically. "He's good at that."

Griselda sank into a chair and Date perched across.

"I got myself into it. I'll admit that. I'd gone down to the hotel to see if Walker were coming in tonight by any chance. Captain Thusby was behind me at the desk and insisted I go up to Kathie's room with him."

"But what did he want with her?"

Dare answered quietly but distinctly, and Kew turned in amazement. "Walker Travis is missing."

Kathie was shrill. "He's dead! I know he's dead! He's been murdered!"

"She won't talk." Dare drawled.

Kew ordered, "Quiet, Dare!" He spoke to the girl as if she were a hurt child. "Kathie's going to tell me, aren't you, Kathie?"

Dare's lip curled like a scimitar. She told Griselda but she knew Kew was listening, "Captain Thusby asked her where her husband was and she went like that. He couldn't get anything out of her. I finally brought her here thinking she'd calm down but she's damnably persistent. That was at four o'clock and she's never stopped since."

"Why did you call me?"

"You saw Travis. I thought maybe he might have said something that would give a hint of his plans."

"He said he'd be in town today. That's all." The envelope for Con had something to do with it. Had Major Pembrooke done away with Walker Travis? But how could he? The lieutenant had been with Kathie last night. Pembrooke and the Admiral were together today.

She cried, "But of course. He's gone to San Diego with Admiral Swales."

Kathie turned off the sobs. Her tear-starred eyes were hopeful. "Are you sure?"

"Naturally, I'm not sure," she returned in irritation. "But it seems logical, doesn't it? He planned to stay in town; he isn't in town; obviously he isn't on the
Antarctica,
that would be checked first. Who but the admiral would change all his plans?"

Watching the reaction of Dare and Kew she wasn't so certain. Kathie believed it, was eager to believe it; the other two were pretending.

Kew said. "That's it, Kathie," and Dare went to the phone. "I don't know why that didn't occur to me. I'll call Cap'n Thusby and tell him."

Kathie smiled tremulously at Kew. "I must look a sight." She went into the bedroom.

Dare had finished the conversation. She spoke quietly. "He's coming up here. For God's sake, Kew, don't let her go screwball again."

"Me?"

She half-glared. "Yes, you. You can handle the little fiend. You have the right touch with bitches." They stared evenly at each other.

Griselda was certain. There was something between them, something secret, and it was a part of this business. She would go. Kathie was weak, could be handled, but they weren't going to handle her further. More important at the moment, she didn't want to answer Thusby's questions.

She said, hoping it sounded casual, "I forgot a call I put in. Hollywood business. I'll have to get back."

"You can switch it here," Kew suggested.

"It's private." She didn't apologize for bluntness.

Dare too was blunt. "You'd better stick around. Thusby wants to see you too." She softened it. "He said for us to stay together until he—that's probably he now." She answered the buzzer.

Kathie returned, her crumpled dress smoothed a little. "Is that the police?"

Kew took her to the couch beside him. "Don't be nervous about Thusby, Kathie. Griselda probably has the answer, but if Walker is missing, you can help out by giving full information."

She smiled at him. "I'll be good."

The captain eased down as if the low white-leather chair were a bear trap. "What's this important information you have, ma'am?"

Dare spoke. "Admiral Swales took Major Pembrooke to San Diego today. Mrs. Satterlee thought Walker Travis might be with them."

"What made you allow that, it you don't mind saying?"

Griselda explained her reasoning, realizing too well that she was wrong. All of them were telling her so, all but Kathie who didn't seem to care now that Kew was here.

Thusby nodded, raised his voice, "Mrs. Travis, your husband say anything about San Diego?"

"No, he didn't." She wasn't interested in this old man. "But he never tells me what he's doing."

"Mrs. Travis." He was determined to have her serious attention, although fearful of her turning on the hysteria again. He tried for a medium between cajoling and commanding. "Did he say anything at all about his plans for the day?"

Wide-eyed she said, "No, he never tells me."

He was helpless, shaking his white fuzz.

Kew took over. "Kathie, you were going to tell me all about it. From the time Walker surprised you yesterday. Why don't you? It might help Captain Thusby out." He nodded aside to the subsiding officer, urged, "Start in, Kathie."

She told it with that dreadful sweet naiveté that made Dare's nostrils quiver. "It was about dinnertime when he came. I didn't expect him but he said he had some business on shore. We had dinner in our room because he wanted to. That's when I called you that we wouldn't join you, Kew. He didn't want to go out. And then after dinner—we had such a nice dinner, everything he liked, steak and cabbage and chocolate ice cream—" She didn't even notice the resistant faces. "Then he wanted to run down to our house, see if everything was all right."

"Your house?" Thusby asked.

"Yes. We have a cottage at Huntington Beach. But I've had to stay on at the hotel because you said not to leave town—after Shelley's death, you know—"

It hadn't occurred to Griselda to be curious before about the lieutenant's wife living at a major hotel. She was certain, that Thusby's order, however, hadn't been a hardship on Kathie; she would have made another excuse to stay in town with Kew if this one had not arisen.

"We don't have a car but a friend of ours keeps his in a garage on Pine. He lets us use it. He's away with the fleet. I went for the car."

"You took it out?"

"Yes. Walker wanted to telephone. I don't know who. He stopped in the drugstore. I went for the car and I picked him up and we drove to Huntington Beach." She looked at Kew. "We stayed there all evening. It was such a beautiful night. We just did about everything the way we used to—" She swallowed hard.

"Used to before what?" Captain Thusby's eyes had leaped.

Kew took her hand. Her eyes were misty. "Before Mannie disappeared. It's changed Walker so dreadfully. We used to have fun but now—" Her voice quavered. "You don't think anything's happened to him, do you? He hasn't been himself at all lately." She pleaded for the right answer.

"Probably in San Diego," Thusby grunted without assurance, "You took the car back to the garage?"

"Yes. Walker still wanted to reach whoever it was. I let him off at a drugstore; it was just before midnight. I parked the car and walked back to the hotel."

"Alone?" Dare asked.

"I'm used to it." She was as sweet as Dare wasn't. "I knew he was anxious about something. I was in bed when he came in. He hadn't had any luck, he said. This morning he was gone when I woke. I thought he'd gone back to the ship just the way he always did. Then when he"—she just glanced at Thusby—"came this afternoon. I was frightened, Kew. I was afraid something awful had happened to Walker. So many dreadful things have happened lately."

Kew said, "You needn't worry. Nothing's happened."

"No, nothing's happened," Thusby agreed. "Nothing we know about. Maybe I've been worried for nothing. Like as not he'll turn up with the admiral tonight. It's like Mrs. Travis says, so many things happening, you get to seeing shadows." He took his cap, struggled up from the chair.

Griselda let out her breath and then she caught it tightly again. He hadn't forgotten her.

"Now, Mrs. Satterlee, what's this about Lieutenant Travis calling on you?"

"Not on me," she rejected. "He came to see Con. He'd had a message telling him, he said. But Con wasn't there."

"He leave any word with you?"

"Only that he'd be in town today if I could tell Con." She looked stonily at him. "But I don't know where Con is or how to reach him." Deliberated she asked Dare, "You haven't heard from him, have you?"

Dare lied flatly, "No."

Thusby grunted. "If you hear from either of them, call me." He stumped away.

Griselda didn't hate him any more, now that he didn't have Con locked up where he could railroad him for murder. She felt safe in fact only in his reassuring presence. He was the one person in the whole set that she could be certain represented just what he appeared to be, an old dog with no new tricks.

Dare said, "We'll have a drink all around before you go."

Kathie was doleful, her fingers itching at Kew's coat sleeve. "I just can't bear to be alone. I hate hotels; you're so alone in them. And now not knowing where Walker is. I'm so worried. I don't know what to do." She looked helplessly at Kew. "If Walker is missing, I haven't hardly any money. He never gives me any. He makes enough but he takes care of his mother and sister and all his relatives besides. I can't stay on at the hotel running up bills—"

Kew did not rise to the bait.

Kathie's eyes saw every luxury of Dare's apartment. "If there were only somewhere in Long Beach that I could stay."

It was an obvious bid and surprisingly Dare accepted it. "I have an extra room. You can stay here for a few days."

Kathie demurred; Kathie protested, but she would stay.

Kew said, "If it's settled, I'll run you down to the Hilton, Kathie, and we'll gather up your things. After that what about dinner for all of us?"

Kathie was delighted. "Let's dress up, go to the Sky Room."

"Forget our woes," Dare said in disgust.

Griselda refused. "I've that business call. I'd rather be home under the circumstances."

Kew told her, "I won't stay late. You won't be afraid until I get there?"

Kathie looked from him to Griselda. The icing was scraped away showing almost animal hate beneath.

Griselda said quickly, "You needn't come, Kew."

He told her definitely, "I'll be out."

She didn't look at Kathie again. She refused his offer for a lift, waited until they had left before calling a cab. She stated, "Three's proverbial."

Dare was watching from the front window. She turned. "I don't wonder you're dodging tonight. I would if I could. But we both can't desert Kew in his hour of need." To herself she added, "That woman is determined to have him."

Griselda agreed. "You might tip her off that I'm not a rival." She laughed. "I don't like the way she claws at me."

Dare was frowning. "You mean she thinks you want Kew?"

"Didn't you notice?"

"No." She held the frown. "Wouldn't you think Kew would explain to her?" The cab sounded below.

"I will tell her, Griselda. I don't want her thinking that. If you can stand it, join us later. Four is less a crowd."

Griselda shook her head. "Sorry. Doesn't interest me."

She went down, directed the driver. But she changed directions on the main street of Belmont, paid him off. She must have the papers, see what they were saying about Travis and Con. It was but a few blocks to the cottage and still twilight. The major wasn't in town. She crossed to a sandwich shop, and while she waited for the steaks to broil, sat on the twirling counter stool, watching the green and gold neon sign of the Bamboo Bar cater-corner across. It would be so nice if she could go over and pick up Con from his accustomed haunt inside.

Her newspapers under arm, the paper sack of sandwiches in hand, she walked on past the firehouse, crossed again to stroll along the bay front toward the cottage. She didn't want to get there. This early evening peace was better if only she had Con, and no one else, to share it. The yellow light coming slowly out of the sea might be truly a honey moon.

Imagination. Banal imagination. But it wasn't imagination, peering ahead, that her garage doors were open and the wrecky motor gone. Con had been here! She ran then, stumbling across the tracks by instinct, not looking for the trolley, stopped there in front of the empty garage.

There had been no need for haste; if the car was gone, so was he. And then she heard it, no other motor sounded that much like an amateur on the trap drums. She swirled, began waving high her arm, there on the curb. The wreck was scrambling slowly down the street as if it had been parked above waiting for her to appear.

"Con, Con—" She forgot his defections in her greed to see him. "Oh, Con—" But peering out as she peered in was no Con. Chang's face was ugly as well as blank and she drew up stiffly, clutching the news and the brown-paper sack.

He croaked, "Con sent me after, you, Mrs. Satterlee."

"Kind of him." He wouldn't come himself; he'd go to Dare's but he'd send his second-story man for her. She wondered if this were the truth as Chang's other incredible lies had been. She didn't want to disappear. She didn't want to fall into Albert George's hands. If she could only leave word for Kew, but the car was waiting impatiently, the engine coughing.

She stepped hack warily as Chang leaned across to fumble with the door. He stated, "Con don't have much time, Mrs. Satterlee. We'll have to hurry if you're going to see him."