by the Jury I
“I can’t say. If there’s anything, it’s a mistake. I didn’t know Jack long. Hal knew him. He met him through Miss Manning. If you can figure out a tie-up in there I’ll be glad to tell you what I know. Do you think I want to get knocked off?”
That was an angle I had forgotten about. Hal Kines was still sitting in the armchair beside the mantlepiece dragging heavily on a cigarette. For an athlete he wasn’t holding to training rules at all. I still couldn’t get the picture of Hal out of my mind. The one taken eight years ago. He was only a young punk, but that shot made him look like an old man. I don’t know. Maybe it was an abandoned store that had the picture in it for years.
“Okay, Hal, let’s hear what you know.” The kid turned his head toward me, giving me an excellent view of his Greek-god profile.
“George mentioned everything.”
“How do you know Miss Manning?” I asked him. “When did you meet her? After all, a babe like that plays ball in a bigger league than you can pay admission to see.”
“Oh, she came to school last year and gave a lecture on practical psychology. That’s what I’m majoring in. She had several students visit her clinic in New York to see her methods. I was one of them. She became interested in me and assisted me no end. That’s all.”
It wasn’t hard to see why she’d become interested in him. It made me mad to think of it, but he could have been right. Maybe it was purely professional interest. After all, a woman like that could have just about any male she wanted, including me.
I went on. “And what about Jack? When did you meet him?”
“Shortly afterwards. Miss Manning took me to his apartment for supper with him and Myrna. I got involved in a drunken brawl right after a football game. It was the last one of the season and all training rules were off. I guess we all went a bit too far, but we wrecked a joint. Jack knew the proprietor and instead of turning us in, made us pay for the place. The following week I was studying the case history of a homicidal maniac in the city wards when I met him again. He was glad to see me and we had dinner together. We became rather good friends in a short time. I was glad to know him, because he helped me immensely. The type of work I was doing involved visits to places where I ordinarily would not have access to, but with his help I managed to get to them all.”
For the life of me I couldn’t make anything out of it. Jack never spoke too much about anyone. Our association had started by having an interest in police work and our friendship had developed over firing ranges, ballistics tables and fingerprint indexes. Even in the army we had thought about it. Life on the side was only incidental. He had mentioned his friends. That’s about all. Myrna I knew very well. Kalecki from his underworld contacts. The Bellemy twins from the newspapers mostly, and the short time I had seen them before.
There was nothing more to be gained by hanging around here. I slapped my hat back on and walked toward the door. Neither of them thought to say so long, so I stepped out and slammed the door as hard as I could. Outside I wondered when George had gotten hold of the .45. Pat had said none of those at the party had ever owned a gun. Yet George had one and a permit to carry it. Or at least he said so. Well, if anything cropped up where a .45 was involved, I’d know where to look first.
The Bellemy twins lived on the fifth floor. Their apartment was in the same position as Kalecki’s. The only difference was that they answered the bell. The door had a chain lock on the inside and a plain, but vaguely pretty face was meeting mine through the six-inch opening.
“Yes?”
I couldn’t tell which of the twins I was speaking to, so I said, “Miss Bellemy?” She nodded. “I’m Mr. Hammer, private investigator. I’m working on the Williams case. Could you...”
“Why, of course.” The door closed and the chain removed from the lock. When the door opened again, I was facing a woman that had athlete written all over her. Her skin was brown from the sun except for the wrinkle spots beside her eyes, and her arms and shoulders were as smooth-muscled as a statue’s. This one certainly didn’t have justice done her by her photos. For a moment it struck me why they were having any trouble finding husbands. As far as I could see, there wasn’t anything wrong with this particular twin that the money she had couldn’t cover. Plenty of guys would take her without any cash settlement at all.
“Won’t you come in?”
“Thank you.” I stepped inside and surveyed the place. Not much different from Kalecki’s, but it had a light perfume smell instead of a cigar odor. She led me to a pair of divans separated by a coffee table and waved toward one. I sat down and she took the other.
“Now what is it you wish to see me about?”
“Perhaps you’d better tell me which Miss Bellemy I’m speaking to so I won’t get my twins crossed.”
“Oh, I’m Mary,” she laughed. “Esther has gone shopping, which means she’s gone for the day.”
“Well, I guess you can tell me all I need to know. Has Mr. Chambers been to see you yet?”
“Yes. And he told me to expect you, too.”
“I won’t have much to ask. You knew Jack before the war, didn’t you?” She acknowledged with a nod. “Did you notice anything particular the night of the party?” I continued.
“No, nothing. Light drinking and a little dancing. I saw Jack talking rather earnestly to Myrna a few times, and once he and Mr. Kines went out in the kitchen for about fifteen minutes, but they came back laughing as though they had been telling jokes.”
“Did any of the others team up at all?”
“Umm, no, not to speak of. Myrna and Charlotte had a conference for a while, but the boys broke it up when the dancing started. I think they were talking about Myrna’s wedding plans.”
“What about afterwards?”
“We had a bite to eat, then came home. Both of us had forgotten our keys as usual and had to wake the super up to let us in. Both of us went right to bed. I knew nothing about the murder until a reporter awakened us with a phone call to get a statement. We expected a visit from the police at once and stayed at home to receive them, but no one came until today.”
She stopped short and cocked her head a little. “Oh,” she said, “you must excuse me. I left the water running in the tub.” She ran to the narrow hallway and disappeared into the bathroom. Maybe I was getting old. I didn’t hear any water running.
A couple of magazines were lying in a rack beside the divan. I picked one up and thumbed through it, but it was one of those pattern and fashion jobs without any pictures and I dropped it. Two new copies of Confessions were on the bottom of the pile. These were better than the rest, but still the same old story. One was a humdinger about a gal that meets a detective in a big city. He does her dirt and she tries to throw herself in front of a subway train. Some nice young jerk grabs her in time and makes a respectable woman of her.
I had just gotten to where he was leading her to the justice of the peace when Mary Bellemy came back. Only this time she made my head swim. Instead of the grey suit she had on before, she wore a sheer pink negligee that was designed with simplicity as the motif. Her hair was down out of the roll and her face looked clean and strong.
Whether or not she planned it I don’t know, but she passed momentarily in front of the light streaming in from the window and I could see through everything she had on. And it wasn’t much. Just the negligee. She smiled and sat down beside me. I moved over to make some room.
“I’m sorry I had to leave you, but the water wouldn’t stay hot very long.”
“That’s all right, most women take all day at that.”
She laughed again. “Not me. I was too anxious to hear more about this case you’re working on.” She crossed her legs and leaned forward to pick a cigarette from the box on the table. I had to turn my head. At this stage of the game I couldn’t afford to get wrapped up with a love life. Besides, I wanted to see Charlotte later.
“Smoke?” she offered.
“No thanks.” She leaned back against the divan and b
lew a ring at the ceiling.
“What else can I tell you? I can speak both for my sister and myself since we were together until the next evening.” The sight of her in that carelessly draped sheer fabric kept my mind from what she was saying. “Of course, you can check with my sister later,” she added, “exactly as Mr. Chambers did.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. Those details are minor. What I’m after now are the seemingly unimportant ones. Personality conflicts. Things you might have noticed about Jack the past few days. Any remark that might have been passed or something you overheard.”
“I’m afraid I can’t help you there. I’m not very good at eavesdropping and I don’t collect gossip. My sister and I have remained fairly isolated in our home, that is, until we came to town. Our circle of friendship reaches out to our neighbors who like isolation as much as we do. Rarely do we entertain guests from the city.”
Mary drew her legs up under her on the divan and turned on her side to face me. During the process the negligee fell open, but she took her time to draw it shut. Deliberately, she let my eyes feast on her lovely bosom. What I could see of her stomach was smooth parallel rows of light muscles, almost like a man’s. I licked my lips and said, “How long do you expect to remain in town?”
She smiled. “Just long enough so Esther can get her shopping spree over with. Her main joy in living is wearing pretty clothes, regardless of whether or not she’s seen in them.”
“And yours?”
“My main joy in living is living.” Two weeks ago I couldn’t picture her saying that, but I could now. Here was a woman to whom time and place didn’t mean a damn thing.
“Tell me,” I started, “how can you tell the difference between you and your sister?”
“One of us has a small strawberry birthmark on the right hip.”
“Which one?”
“Why don’t you find out?” Brother, this girl was asking for trouble.
“Not today. I have work to do.” I stood up and stretched.
“Don’t be a sissy,” she said.
Her eyes were blazing into mine. They were violet eyes, a wild blazing violet. Her mouth looked soft and wet, and provocative. She was making no attempt to keep the negligee on. One shoulder had slipped down and her brown skin formed an interesting contrast with the pink. I wondered how she got her tan. There were no strap marks anywhere. She uncrossed her legs deliberately and squirmed like an overgrown cat, letting the light play with the ripply muscles in her naked thighs.
I was only human. I bent over her, taking her mouth on mine. She was straining in the divan to reach me, her arms tight around my neck. Her body was a hot flame; the tip of her tongue searched for mine. She quivered under my hands wherever I touched her. Now I knew why she hadn’t married. One man could never satisfy her. My hand fastened on the hem of the negligee and with one motion flipped it open, leaving her body lean and bare. She let my eyes search every inch of her brown figure.
I grabbed my hat and jammed it on my head. “It must be your sister who has the birthmark,” I told her as I rose. “See you later.”
I half expected to hear a barrage of nasty words when I went through the door and was disappointed. Instead, I heard a faint, faraway chuckle. I would love to have known how Pat reacted to that act. It had dawned on me all of a sudden that she was left in my path as a sort of booby trap while Pat went on his own way. Huh, I’d wrap that guy up for this little trick. There was a neat tomato down on Third Avenue who loved to play tricks herself, especially against the police. Later, perhaps....
CHAPTER SIX
Velda was still at the office when I got there. When I saw the light on I stopped in front of a mirrored door and gave myself a thorough inspection for lipstick marks. I managed to wipe my mouth clean, but getting it off my white collar was something else again. I could never figure out why the stuff came off women so easy and off the men so hard. Before I fooled around Mary Bellemy again I’d be sure she used Kleenex first.
I went in whistling. Velda took one look at me and her mouth tightened up. “Now what’s the matter?” I could see something was wrong.
“You didn’t get it off your ear,” she said.
Uh-oh. This gal could be murder when she wanted to. I didn’t bother to say anything more, but walked into my office. Velda had laid out a clean shirt for me, and an unwrinkled tie. Sometimes I thought she was a mind reader. I kept a few things handy for emergencies, and she generally knew when that would be.
At a washbowl in the comer I cleaned up a bit, then got into my shirt. Ties always were a problem. Usually Velda was on hand to help me out, but when I heard the door slam I knew I’d have to go it alone.
Downstairs I stopped in at the bar and had a few quick ones. The clock on the wall said it was early, so I picked out an empty booth and parked to spend a few hours. The waiter came over and I told him to bring me a rye and soda every fifteen minutes. This was an old custom and the waiter was used to it.
I dragged a list from my pocket and jotted down a few notes concerning Mary Bellemy. So far, the list was mainly character studies, but things like that can give a good insight into a crime. Actually, I hadn’t accomplished much. I had made the rounds of the immediate suspects and had given them a good reason to sweat.
The police were doing things in their own methodical way, no doubt. They certainly weren’t the saps a lot of newshawks try to make them. A solution to murder takes time. But this murder meant a race. Pat wasn’t going to get the jump on me if I could help it. He’d been to the same places I had, but I bet he didn’t know any more.
What we were both searching for was motive. There had to be one—and a good one. Murder doesn’t just happen. Murder is planned. Sometimes in haste, but planned nevertheless.
As for the time element, George Kalecki had time to kill Jack. So did Hal Kines. I hated to think of it, but Charlotte Manning did too. Then there was Myrna. She too could have circled back to do it, leaving time to get home unnoticed. That left the Bellemy twins. Perhaps it was accidental, but they established their arrival time by letting the super open the door for them. Nice thinking if it was deliberate. I didn’t bother to ask whether they left again or not. I knew the answer would be negative. Twins were peculiar; they were supposed to be uncannily inseparable. I’ve noticed it before in other sets, so these two wouldn’t be any different. If it came to it they would lie, cheat or steal for each other.
I couldn’t quite picture Mary Bellemy as being a nymphomaniac though. From all I’ve read of the two, they were sweet and demure, not young, not old. They kept strictly to themselves, or at least that’s what the papers said. What a woman will do when she’s alone with a man in her room is another thing. I was looking forward to seeing Esther Bellemy. That strawberry birthmark ought to prove sort of interesting.
Then there was the potshot at Kalecki. That stumped me. The best thing to do was to take a run up town and check up on his contacts. I signaled the waiter over and asked for a check. The guy frowned at me. I guess he wasn’t used to me leaving after so few.
I got in my car and drove to the Hi-Ho Club. It used to be a bootleg spot during prohibition, but changed into a dingy joint over the years. It was a very unhealthy spot for strangers after dark, but I knew the Negro that ran the joint. Four years ago he had backed me up in a little gunplay with a drunken hood and I paid him back a month later by knocking off a punk that tried to set him for a rub-out when he refused to pay off for protection. My name goes pretty strong up that way and since then they let him strictly alone to run his business anyway he pleased. In this racket it’s nice to have connections in places like that.
Big Sam was behind the bar. He saw me come in and waved to me with a wet rag over a toothy grin. I shook hands with the guy and ordered a brew. The high yellow and the tall coal black next to me were giving me nasty looks until they heard Big Sam say “Howday, Mistah Hammah. Glad to see yuh. Long time since yuh done been in dis part of town.”
When they hear
d my name mentioned they both moved their drinks six feet down the bar. Sam knew I was here for more than a beer. He moved to the end of the bar and I followed him.
“What’s up, Mistah Hammah? Somethin’ I can do fuh yuh?”
“Yeah. You got the numbers running in here?”
Sam gave a quick look around before he answered. “Yeah. De Boys take ’em down same’s they do the othah places. Why?”
“Is George Kalecki still the big boy?”
He licked his thick lips. Sam was nervous. He didn’t want to be a squealer, yet he wanted to help me. “It’s murder, Sam,” I told him. “It’s better you tell me than have the bulls drag you to the station. You know how they are.”
I could see he was giving it thought. The black skin of his forehead furrowed up. “Okay, Mistah Hammah. Guess it’s all right. Kalecki is still head man, but he don’t come around hisself. De runners do all the work.”
“Is Bobo Hopper doing the running yet? He was with Kalecki some time. Hangs out here all the time, doesn’t he?”
“Yassuh. He’s head now, but he don’ do no mo’ running. He done had a good job the last few months. Keeps bees, too.”
This was new. Bobo Hopper was only half human, an example of what environment can do to a man. His mental age was about twelve, with a build that went with it. Underfed all his life, he developed into a skinny caricature of a person. I knew him well. A nice Joe that had a heart of gold. No matter how badly you treated him, you were still his friend. Everything was his friend. Birds, animals, insects. Why, once I saw him cry because some kids had stepped on an anthill and crushed a dozen of its occupants. Now he had a “good” job and was keeping bees.
“Where is he, Sam? Back room?”
“Yassuh. You know where. Last I seed him he was looking at a pitcher book of bees.”
I polished the beer off in one swallow, hoping the guys that had used it before me didn’t have anything contagious. When I passed the high yellow and his friend, I saw their eyes follow me right through the doors of the back room.