Bring Back Her Body (3 page)

She looked away from him and spoke loudly, addressing Toby Patton. “What’s the occasion for this brawl anyway?”

Cain saw a smile flicker across Toby Patton’s lips and he thought, “The guy’s been waiting for this.”

Toby got up and looked down at Honor’s cap of blond curls, then across to Cain’s dark visage. There was no longer emptiness in his pale eyes. What there was Cain could not quite define. Toby said, “Tonight we are here for a serious purpose. That purpose is to get sufficiently oiled to perform an unpleasant but necessary duty.”

There was sudden silence around the table. His voice carried no levity, and even Curtin set down his glass and tried to focus his eyes on his host.

“And that duty is to have a treasure hunt on my farm.”

“Oh, God!” Lisa Simms whispered.

Toby’s voice dropped to a carrying whisper. “We are going to hunt for the body of Paula Ryerson.”

IT
all happened very fast. Cain saw Honor stand up and push at her chair. She made a whimpering sound like a puppy and then slumped into a faint. He turned and caught her, struggling to rise at the same time. Lisa stepped beside him and took Honor’s weight from his hands.

“You sonofabitch,” she said in her throaty drawl to Toby. “You did that on purpose.”

Toby was smiling lightly, his eyes flicking from her to Cain. His hands empty now, Cain stepped around Honor and Lisa Simms. He caught Toby by one thick shoulder and turned him. When he was in just the right position, Cain swung a hard fist that caught Toby behind the ear and sent him sprawling sideways across the table.

Toby slid neatly through the glasses into Curtin’s lap. Cain dove after him head first and Toby went over with Curtin beneath him and Cain on top. Cain’s fist was cocked when the goon squad appeared. He found himself neatly wrestled to his feet, and propelled outside. The door slammed behind him.

Cain turned and pushed open the door and looked into the broad, pallid face of Anse. “You again,” Cain said.

“Go away.”

“My hat,” Cain said

“Go away.”

Cain stepped forward and slammed his fist into Anse’s belly. It was like swinging on corrugated iron. The fist bounced. Anse put a hand over Cain’s face and pushed. Cain went backward until the fender of a parked car caught him in the kidneys and straightened him up. He waited for his breath to come back and then walked slowly forward. Anse still stood in the doorway. Behind him stood Lisa Simms with Honor holding on to her arm.

Cain put his head down and rushed, stopping just short of Anse’s reach. He ducked under an outstretched arm and took a swipe at the dead-white face. Something chopped down on the back of his neck and he went to his knees. He saw the foot coming and rolled, taking a heavy heel on his shoulder. He caught an ankle and jerked and Anse had to twist around to free himself.

Cain, his head pounding, watched as Lisa stepped away from Honor. He saw her lift her white evening skirt, and drive a sharp-pointed and good-sized shoe into Anse’s groin.

He made a high-pitched squawl and bent over. Cain got to his feet and hit Anse in the rump with his shoulder Anse went forward on his face. Lisa stepped aside and Honor jumped into the fight coming down on Anse’s neck with her spike heels. She teetered, bounced off, and then seemed to be trying to kick his eyes from his head. He put his arms over his face and howled.

Cain took his hatcheck from his pocket and gave it to the girl behind the counter. “The lady’s wrap. My hat.”

A voice from a side door said, “What is the trouble?”

Cain turned. A slender man stood there with both hands in his coat pockets. He had a thin face, a thin mustache over his slice of a mouth. He stared from Anse to Cain. Honor stopped kicking and stood panting. Lisa held her handbag much as if she thought of making a club out of it.

Cain recognized the man. It was Pepe and he and Cain had been together the night Munger’s load of liquor and dope had gone into the Pacific Ocean. Cain wished now he had messed things up a little more. Every time he saw the man he liked him less.

“I want our wraps. Your friend Anse wouldn’t let me have them. That’s all, Pepe.”

“Ah, it’s Cain.” The man turned to the bored-looking girl. “Give Cain the wraps, Milly.”

She did so. Cain bent and pulled some change from Anse’s pocket. He dropped the money into the tip bowl and held out his arms, one to Honor and the other to Lisa.

“Don’t come back,” Pepe said. “We won’t forget any of you. Just don’t come back.”

“I’m scared as hell,” Cain said. “Tell Munger that.”

He walked out, Honor’s weight noticeable on his arm. When they reached her car, she seemed glad of his suggestion that she lie down on the rear seat. Lisa slid in front with Cain.

“You sure learned a lot,” Honor said.

“He was lying,” Lisa told her. “The damned sadist just said that to hurt you.”

“I suppose so,” Honor said. “But why?”

“Who knows why Toby Patton does things?”

“I should have stayed,” Cain admitted. He started the car and worked back to Broadway. “But I’ll do it the hard way before I take that kind of thing from Toby.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Lisa glance at him. “I doubt if it’s a secret that I’m looking for Paula Ryerson.”

“I didn’t think you joined Toby’s gang for fun.” Lisa felt in Cain’s pockets and brought out his cigarettes. She lit three. “Paula will show up when she’s ready.”

“It can’t wait.”

“The old man’s business again?” Lisa passed one of the cigarettes to Honor and another to Cain. “As far as I know, none of the crew has seen her since the last party.”

There was a silence and then Honor said, “I’m sorry I fainted but I love my sister.”

“Of course you do,” Lisa said. She made it sound as if she were someone’s maiden aunt. Cain estimated her age to be on the thin side of thirty. “Don’t believe anything that bastard says, Honor.”

“I love her,” Honor repeated. “Even if she is a — a stinker. I still do. Damn it!” She sounded very fierce, very young.

There was silence again. Cain drove slowly along Broadway. “Mind if I leave you when I get to my place? I still have work to do.”

Lisa said in her throaty voice. “You can get us a cup of coffee first. Payment for kicking Anse.”

Cain laughed. He liked this woman if only for her contrast to the others that hung around Toby Patton. He liked her frankness and he liked her for something else he could not quite put into words. “I’ll even make the coffee,” he said.

Lisa helped even though there was barely room for them both in his kitchenette. Honor had stretched out on the couch and closed her eyes.

“I didn’t mean to butt into your fight with Anse, Cain,” Lisa said.

“I needed the help,” he admitted. “That boy always has been too big for me.”

She got cups and saucers from his cupboard, cream from the refrigerator. “He’s not very bright. He can be fooled.”

“I’ve always been in too big a hurry to think of a way,” Cain said. “Someday I’ll try a leisurely brawl with him.” He poured the coffee.

Lisa glanced toward Honor. “The poor kid took a beating emotionally from that louse. She’s bushed.”

“I’ll get her home,” Cain said in a low voice. “She’s not in any shape to take more right now.”

Lisa paused as she started for Honor with a cup in her hand. “Do you intend to go after Toby again tonight?”

“I’ve got to find out just how much of what he said was true.”

“That suits me,” she said cryptically. She took the coffee to Honor, set the cup on the coffee table. When she returned to the kitchenette, she said, “And don’t tell me not to be noble. I can steer you around Toby’s place — unless you’ve been on his parties and know about it.”

“Christ!”

“You’ll see something,” Lisa told him. “I know. I furnished the costumes. I always do, of course.”

“I’ve heard. William Tell. Knights in armor. Horse costumes.”

“Those are just the simple ones,” she said.

Cain sipped his coffee. “Do you enjoy hanging around a crowd like that?”

“Not when I’m sober. I’m careful to stay away from them as much as I can.”

“Then why do it at all?”

“My business.” She was brusque. Taking her cup, she went to a chair.

Honor opened her eyes and sat up, smiling. “Sorry again.” “You just aren’t used to it yet,” Cain said dryly. “And drink your coffee. I’m running you home, child. This is one night you can forget about the stars and get some sleep.”

“Yes, sir,” she said with suspicious docility. She tasted the coffee and then drank it at a gulp. “Cain, do you think …”

He looked at her closely. Not even her make-up could hide the fact that she was very young and very frightened. “No, I don’t. And I’m going to try to prove it, if you’ll give me room to move in.”

“I’ll be good, Cain.”

He didn’t care for the way she said it, but she looked so tired, so completely done in that he suspected she would fall asleep whether she wanted to or not.

Honor rubbed her eyes and yawned. “But just the same, Cain, you need my help. You’ll see.”

“Have you got something else to tell me?”

She yawned again. “You’ll see.” Her eyelids drooped and her head went down.

“Damn it, Honor, if you have something to tell me, now is the time to …” He stopped. Honor lay back and went to sleep.

“Damn!” Lisa said. “I slipped a mickey into her coffee. I didn’t know she’d pull this.”

Cain shrugged and prepared to leave. “She resents being left out,” he said. But he wasn’t so sure. That wouldn’t be Honor’s way. He had an idea that she knew something she had not yet told him and had been holding it back to use on him later. He picked Honor up and carried her outside to her car. Lisa followed.

He drove the Buick and Lisa Simms tagged behind in his coupe. Thomas looked surprised when Cain rang the Ryerson’s bell. It was not yet midnight.

“So early, sir?”

“Someone gave her a sleeping tablet,” Cain said. “Miss Simms can put her to bed.”

“Mrs. Simms,” Lisa corrected. She lifted Honor and carried her as easily as Cain had. When she returned and they were on the porch, Cain glanced questioningly at her.

“Where is this party?”

“At Toby’s farm on Kitsap. He has a little point of land on this end. We can beat them there maybe. He always takes the ferry or drives all the way to Tacoma and up.”

“We can beat them with a boat,” Cain agreed. He led Lisa to the boathouse and got out Honor’s runabout. It was her favorite boat and she had honored him by declaring he could use it whenever he wished.

Lisa was about to step aboard when she stopped and looked down at her white evening gown and satin slippers. “Hold it a minute, Cain.” He throttled down and she kicked off her shoes and stepped into the cruiser. She rooted in the locker and came up with a pair of greasy overalls, a mechanic’s cap, and a pair of sneakers. She glanced at Cain, saw that he was looking the other way, and changed her clothes.

She limped back to the runabout. The shoes were far too small and so were the coveralls. The bottoms of the legs were halfway up her calves and the sleeves barely passed her elbows. She sat down by Cain and hauled at the crotch of the coveralls.

“Must be Honor’s,” she said. “I thought she was bigger.”

“We can go to my place for something,” he suggested.

“This will do. I don’t want to take the time.” She tucked her dark hair beneath the cap until only a few wisps showed. Then she rummaged around the runabout until she located a two-cell flashlight and a package of cigarettes. She lit cigarettes for herself and Cain and then removed her shoes, sighing.

“I seem to have big feet,” she said.

“You should,” he said. “You’re a tall woman.”

“How delicate, Cain. I’m a horse. You look more like a stork. But then a man can get away with it.” She leaned back comfortably, smoking.

She took their mission as casually, Cain thought, as if they were on a pleasure jaunt. Yet he was sure that her actions tonight would change her relationship with Toby Patton. He suggested as much to her.

Lisa was silent for a moment, staring over the water. Outside of a brightly lighted ferry off to the south there was nothing but darkness about. Cain had the powerful searchlight of the little runabout aimed along the bow and now and then he switched it on.

When Lisa got around to answering his question, she said, “I’m what you might call the King’s Costumer. My shop is in the same building as Toby’s so-called Art Gallery. I always furnish the costumes for his parties.”

“What’s it to be tonight,” Cain asked, “nymphs and satyrs?”

“He’s done that one to death,” she said. “Tonight it’s chain mail and helmets.”

Cain turned his deep-set eyes on her. “Chain mail?”

“For the ladies, yes. It isn’t real, of course. Just a kind of fiber stuff. I think the idea is they’re supposed to make it tougher for the men to get at the women — if they catch them. I imagine it’s going to be one of Toby’s ‘chase’ parties. And the helmets supposedly keep the women from being identified.”

“Childish,” Cain said.

“Not the way Toby does it,” she told him. “Vicious is a better word.”

“Is that why you go to his parties, because he’s a customer?”

“Sure. I want to keep an eye on my costumes.”

Cain tried a different tack. “My error back there. I didn’t realize you were married.”

“Let’s forget Mr. Simms. I have.”

There was another silence. Then Lisa said, “I’m not doing this for you or Honor or Paula, Cain. I’m doing it because I hate Toby Patton.” Her face lost its beauty for the moment. “And if you think he needs killing, tell me. I’ll be glad to help you.”

• • •

They ran inshore without lights, Lisa lying in the bow and steering Cain to the dock by her voice. When they were tied up, she put on her shoes again. Cain said, “Now what?”

“The best bet is to go up the beach and cut inland,” she said. “There are two or three clearings in the forest and Toby usually has his ‘prize’ in one of them. That way, if they’re ahead of us, we can meet them coming in this direction.”

Cain got out his pencil flashlight. “Besides annoying Toby, what do you get out of this?”

Lisa tugged down the crotch of her overalls. “If he has anything to do with Paula’s disappearance, I’d like to know it so I could help mess up his plans. I meant what I said back there.”

Cain didn’t doubt her. “Why should Toby want Paula to disappear?”

“Why does Toby do any of the things he does? Who knows?”

It wasn’t an answer to satisfy Cain. He said, “I’ve heard that Toby is Munger’s man. Maybe he’s doing something on Munger’s orders.”

She was abrupt. “Could be.” She started off down the beach.

Cain caught up with her and tried again. “What does Toby do besides shill for Munger?”

“He runs an art gallery of sorts. It’s really a place to display his and his friends’ work — such as it is — and to sell pornography under the guise of art.”

Cain remembered something. He said, “Paula dabbles in sculpture.”

“That’s how they met,” Lisa said. “They both model in clay and wax a good deal. She’s much better than he.”