Read 1945 - Blonde's Requiem for Free Online Page B

shadows.
    Ted opened the door and slid under the steering wheel.
    I glanced back over my shoulder at the hotel. The blinds of all the windows were drawn, except one on the third floor. I could see the outline of a man standing looking down into the street. He was framed in the window, and as I looked up at him he jerked back out of sight. I noticed three things. He was looking from a window that was next to mine. He wore a slouch hat and he had very wide shoulders.
    I climbed into the Pontiac and slammed the door.
    As we drove away from the hotel I felt suddenly spooked. But I kept it to myself.
    Outside the city ’ s limits Ted Esslinger slowed down and pulled over to the shoulder of the road. He parked tinder trees and, relaxing down in his seat, said: “ We ’ re all right here. ”
    None of us had spoken during the drive out of town.
    MacArthur, sitting in the rear seat, leaned forward and began to breathe heavily down the back of my neck. I could tell by his restless movements that he was worried and jumpy.
    I lit a cigarette, flipped the match out of the open window and waited. There was a long pause and I shot a side-look at Esslinger. He was staring into the darkness of the trees. In the moonlight he looked young. He couldn ’ t have been more than twenty-three, and I could see he was also a little jumpy.
    “ You ’ re our only hope, ” he said suddenly in a low voice. “ That ’ s why we ’ ve come to you. ”
    I didn ’ t say anything.
    He looked back over his shoulder at McArthur. “ You ’ re not to tell anyone about this, Mac, ” he went on. “ Father would be furious if he knew that I… ”
    McArthur wheezed excitedly. “ You go ahead, ” he broke in. “ I ’ m not saying anything. ”
    I let them frighten each other. I wasn ’ t going to make it easy for them. They had come to me and it was up to them to put their cards on the table.
    Ted Esslinger turned his head so he could look at me. “ I want you to know I ’ m not taking sides in this business, ” he said, his hands fiddling with the steering wheel. “ You may be working for Wolf against my father, but I can ’ t help that. I ’ m sure if anyone can find these girls you can, and that ’ s all I ’ m interested in. ”
    “ What makes it so important to you? ” I asked, looking at him inquiringly.
    “ Luce was a pal of mine. I went to school with Vera. Joy and I kept a regular date each week. I knew them well and I liked them. They were good kids. ” He drew a deep breath, then blurted out: “ At the rate we ’ re going now, they never will be found. ”
    I grunted. “ So they were your pals? ” I said, underlying ‘ pals ’ .
    His face tightened. “ I know what you ’ re thinking, ” he said, half in anger, “ but there was nothing like that. They were decent girls. Just ordinary kids who liked a good time. I and the rest of the-boys in Cranville kicked around with them, but nothing else. ”
    I looked back at McArthur. His skinny, yellow face showed his misery. “ He ’ s right, mister, ” he said. “ There was nothing wrong with the girls. ”
    “ Okay, okay, ” I said, shrugging. “ What makes you think they ’ ll never be found? ”
    Esslinger ’ s knuckles showed white as his grip tightened on the steering wheel. “ It ’ s a political set-up. ” There was bitterness in his voice. “ No one cares a damn what ’ s happened to them. The police aren ’ t doing anything. As long as no one finds these kids, Macey ’ s sitting pretty. The election is in the bag, anyway. Starkey ’ s planning to strong-arm the voters. His gang will control the polls. It ’ s easy enough. All they have to do—— ”
    “ I know, ” I broke in; “ don ’ t let ’ s waste time. I ’ m tired. What do you want me to do? ”
    “ But I want you to understand the set-up, ” he protested. “ You see, if these girls aren ’ t found, it won ’ t make any difference to Starkey, but it will to Wolf and my father.