The Way You Die Tonight (27 page)

‘I don't know,' I said. ‘Maybe she didn't think anybody would look. And even if somebody did, it's sitting there among all those other keys.'

‘So what are you gonna do?'

We sat back at that moment and allowed Nell to put down our plates.

‘I've got to figure out a way,' I said, ‘to get her to move that key. Maybe even try to put it back in Helen's desk. Then if we catch her in the act, she'll have to explain. Maybe she'll break down and confess.'

‘You and her are friends, ain'tcha?'

‘We are,' I said, ‘but that doesn't mean I can let her get away with murder.'

‘I guess not.' He picked up a piece of bacon and popped it into his mouth. ‘How you gonna get her to do it?'

‘I don't know,' I said. ‘Let's eat and try to figure it out.'

M
arcy was at her desk when I entered the office. She was busy with something and didn't see me come in. I watched her for a few moments, wondering if I was doing the right thing. She must have finally sensed me there, for she looked up, saw me and smiled.

‘Good morning, Eddie.'

‘Morning, Marcy,' I said. ‘How are you doing?'

‘I'm fine, I guess,' she said. ‘It's still hard … I'm trying to forget, but every time I go into that ladies' room …'

‘I know,' I said. ‘I understand.'

‘Do you know … have the police finished with their investigation?'

‘They're almost convinced that she committed suicide.'

‘Almost?' she asked. ‘W-what do they need to make up their minds?'

‘Well, they're kind of hung up on her key.'

‘Her key?' I saw her hand go to her desk drawer, but she pulled it back quickly. ‘What key?'

‘The key to the ladies' room,' I said. ‘They're wondering how she got in there without her key.'

‘Well … maybe she unlocked it, and then put her key back in her desk.'

I rubbed my jaw and said, ‘That would work, but only if they managed to find it there. Yeah, I'm sure if they found her key in her desk, that might do it.'

‘Well,' she said, without looking directly at me, ‘maybe they should just try … looking again. Maybe it's tucked under something, or caught somewhere … I don't know?'

‘Yeah,' I said, ‘yeah, maybe it is. They should look again. Maybe I'll suggest it.'

I didn't leave right away. ‘Is there … was there something else?'

‘No,' I said, ‘I was just checking to see how you're doin'. I have to go and talk to Jack. I'll see you around, huh?'

‘Sure, Eddie,' she said. ‘See you around.'

I walked down the hall to Entratter's office, having planted the seed.

‘Did she bite?' Jerry asked.

He was waiting for me in Jack's outer office.

‘I hope so,' I said, ‘and then again, I hope not.'

‘What's goin' on out there?' Jack yelled from inside.

Jerry looked at me. He knew I was trying to keep my suspicion of Marcy just between him and me.

‘What are ya gonna tell 'im?'

‘I'll tell him what I did,' I said, ‘just not who I did it to.'

‘You don't think he'll figure it out?'

‘He might,' I said. ‘Let's see.'

We went into his office and, as usual, Jerry left the talking to me.

‘So you're expectin' this person to come to Helen's desk when they think nobody's lookin'?' he asked. ‘That's gotta be after hours.'

‘If they try it during the day,' I said, ‘they could run into you, or somebody from one of the other offices. So yes, I think it'll be after closing.'

‘How are you gonna catch 'em?'

‘Jerry'll be here when I'm not,' I said.

‘What else do you have to do?' Entratter asked.

‘I need to set up a game for Eddie Robinson to play in, and be there when he starts.'

‘You used Madge to coach him, didn't you?'

‘I did.'

‘How'd they get along.'

‘Great! They really clicked,'

‘Then use her again,' Jack suggested. ‘Get the game started and leave her there with him so you can get down here.'

‘Good idea.'

‘What will you do after you catch Marcy?' Jack asked. ‘What? Did you think I was stupid.'

‘No, Jack,' I said, sighing. ‘I just …'

‘I understand,' he said. ‘She's your friend. I'm disappointed, too. I was actually considering her as Helen's replacement.'

‘If she shows up,' I said, ‘I'll have to turn her over to the cops.'

‘Hargrove?'

I shook my head. ‘I'll call Martin.'

‘Hargrove won't like that,' Jack said.

‘Let him take it up with his partner.'

Jack sat back and shook his head.

‘Having Helen killed is bad enough, but if Marcy did it … what's happenin'?'

‘Let's hope we can find out soon.'

‘Yeah, OK,' Jack said. ‘Get it done, boys, get it done.'

‘Go home early, Jack,' I said.

‘Yeah,' he agreed. ‘Call me when it's over, no matter what time.'

‘Gotcha.'

I
was able to find five high-stakes gamblers who didn't mind playing poker with Edward G. Robinson.

‘But no backsies, right?' one of them asked.

I grinned and said, ‘No, definitely no backsies. If he loses his stake it's just part of his research.'

The five gamblers assembled in the private room at the Sands first, awaiting Robinson's arrival.

‘One other thing,' I said to them, ‘he's going to be playing as Lancey Howard. That's the character he's playing in the movie he's researching. Got it? Don't treat him like a movie star.'

‘But we can still take his money, right?'

‘Take it all, if you can,' I told them.

That made them happy. They thought ‘Lancey Howard' was going to be easy pickings.

I walked over to the bar, where the well vetted bartender was standing with Billy Pulaski. The Sands head of security hadn't been very helpful when it came to Helen's case, so he volunteered to help with security for the ‘Lancey Howard' game.

‘Billy,' I said. ‘I have to go, but I might be back.'

‘I'll be here the whole time, Eddie.'

‘Thanks.'

When Eddie Robinson arrived he was in full ‘Lancey' mode, complete with cigar. Madge was with him. She was not wearing her uniform, but she was also not dressed to the nines. The Lancey character was not a womanizer, so Madge was dressed in slacks and a jacket over a powder blue blouse. Not exactly dressed down, she looked good and I told her so.

‘Thank you, sir.'

I shook hands with ‘Lancey'.

‘Thank you for this, Eddie,' he said. ‘The experience will be invaluable to me.'

‘I hope you win.'

‘That's not the point,' he said, with that smile and twinkle, ‘but it would be nice. Will you be watching?'

‘I have to leave to take care of something,' I said, ‘but I may be back.' I slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Good luck.'

It was almost midnight when I got down to Jack's office. Jerry was there, waiting.

‘Nothin'?' I asked.

‘Not yet.'

‘OK,' I said, ‘you can go.'

‘I figured I'd stick around.'

‘Get some sleep, Jerry,' I said. ‘I'll call you if I need you.'

‘Mr G.—'

‘I think I can handle Marcy.'

He considered that, then said, ‘OK, I get it. She's your friend.'

‘Thanks.'

He started to leave, then turned and said, ‘I hope she don't turn up.'

He left.

‘So do I,' I said.

But I wouldn't get that lucky.

Marcy probably figured the later she showed up, the less chance she'd have of being caught. She'd attract no attention walking through the lobby to the elevators. Everybody knew she worked there.

I heard the elevator stop, and the door open. I stood off to the side, peering around the door frame. She must have crept down the hall slowly, just to be sure, but she finally appeared. She stepped into the room, dressed in a sweater, T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. When she got to Helen's desk she opened the top drawer, put her hand in her jeans pocket and came out with the key.

Helen's key.

As she opened the top drawer to put the key back I stepped out from hiding.

‘Oh, Marcy.'

She caught her breath and turned her head quickly.

‘Eddie!'

‘Put the key down.'

She still had it in her hand, so she dropped it on top of the desk, then turned to face me.

‘Y-you don't understand,' she said.

‘I guess not,' I said. ‘Why don't you tell me why you killed Helen?'

‘I-I didn't mean to,' she said, her eyes filling with tears. ‘She was just … such a bitch!'

‘You killed her because she was a bitch?'

‘N-no, not exactly,' Marcy said. ‘She, uh, caught me.'

‘Caught you doing what?'

She wet her lips, took off her glasses and wiped her eyes.

‘I … I took some money from petty cash.'

‘What?'

‘I needed some extra cash,' she said.

‘Why?'

‘It doesn't matter, Eddie,' she said. She put her glasses back on. ‘She saw me. We were in the ladies' room and she said she was going to tell Mr Entratter.'

‘You would have been fired.'

‘And arrested.'

‘Probably not,' I said. ‘Jack wouldn't have prosecuted you for petty cash, Marcy. In fact, he may not have fired you, if you had good reason to take it.'

‘I didn't think of that,' she said. ‘Helen's never liked me; we never liked each other. She laughed when she said she was going to tell Jack. She turned to leave the bathroom and I-I snapped.'

‘You took off your belt and strangled her with it.'

She frowned.

‘You knew that?'

‘The belt left a mark where you strangled her, and another mark where you strung her up,' I said. ‘The cops knew all along it wasn't a suicide. And I never believed it was.'

She laughed at herself and said, ‘I'm a fool. It was late – Helen and I stayed late often – and none of the office staff was around. I thought I had gotten so lucky.'

‘Marcy …'

‘Eddie,' she said, ‘you're not going to turn me in, are you?'

‘I am, Marcy.'

‘B-but … we're friends.'

‘I know,' I said. ‘That's why it hurts.'

Suddenly, she did something I never expected. She put her hand in her sweater pocket and took out a gun – a small one. I hadn't even noticed the weight of it in there.

‘Oh, Marcy,' I said, ‘don't be a bigger fool.'

‘I-I don't know what else to do.'

‘Why do you have a gun?'

‘I've been carrying it since … since I killed Helen.'

‘Where'd you get it?'

‘I've always had it at home,' she said. ‘A woman alone … you know.'

I didn't know. There was a lot I didn't know about Helen, and about Marcy. The other thing I didn't know was whether or not she'd really pull the trigger.

I got a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach.

‘Are you gonna shoot me, Marcy?'

‘Just let me go, Eddie,' she said. ‘You-you won't see me again.'

Why not? I thought. Let her go, and then call Detective Martin. Let him worry about finding her, catching her.

‘OK,' I said.

‘W-what?'

‘OK. Go.'

‘D-do you mean it.'

‘I do.'

‘Eddie … thank you.'

‘Just stop pointing the gun at me.'

She did, but only for a second. She aimed it, again.

‘Marcy—'

‘You're going to tell the cops,' she said. ‘You'll let me go, and then you'll call the detectives and tell them. I can't let you do that, Eddie. They'll-they'll catch me.'

‘Then turn yourself in,' I said. ‘It'll go better for you.'

‘I can't go to jail, Eddie!' she almost screamed. ‘I can't.'

‘Marcy, people know I'm here, waiting for you.'

‘Who? You told?'

‘Jack Entratter,' I said, ‘and Jerry … they know. Danny Bardini, too,' I lied, figuring the more, the merrier. ‘You can't kill all of them. If you kill me they'll know. The cops will find you, anyway.'

She frowned, trying to figure out her next move.

‘It's over, Marcy. Take a rest. Give me the gun.'

‘I-I didn't mean … I didn't mean it. Any of it.'

‘I know you didn't,' I said. ‘I know.'

She was just standing there, frozen, so I took a chance. I took a step, then another, and another. When I was close enough I took the gun from her hand, and then she collapsed into my arms.

My friend.

2007

I
turned off my VCR, took my glass into the kitchen and washed it out in the sink. Time for the old man to turn in.

While I got myself ready for bed I thought back some more …

Detective Martin came and took Marcy off my hands. He came without Hargrove.

‘Solving this myself, I can get rid of him as a partner,' he said. ‘Thanks, Eddie.'

‘Sure.'

Eddie Robinson lost a bundle playing poker, but as he said, the experience was invaluable. He gave a bravura performance in
The Cincinnati Kid
, which was a big hit.

Jerry stayed around a few more days, then went home.

‘Maybe I should just move here,' he said, at the airport.

‘Leave Brooklyn?'

‘You did.'

‘Give it some thought, Jerry.'

‘Sure, Mr G.'

Jack Entratter had to hire two new employees, one to replace Marcy, and the other to be his new girl. What was her name?