1954 - Safer Dead Read online

  A big, fat, solid looking man was fussing over a row of sweet peas a professional would have been proud to have grown in the garden of No. 24. I guessed he must be Bradley. He glanced up as I swung the Buick to the kerb.

  He looked every inch a cop; but not a bad cop. His fat weather-beaten face had a half humorous expression that went well with a pair of alert blue eyes. A straggling moustache, a sunburned, balding head and an aggressive chin gave him character plus toughness instead of just plain toughness. I got out of the car and he wandered down the garden path to meet me.

  ‘Captain Bradley?’ I asked, resting my hands on the gate.

  ‘Sure, come in,’ he said.

  ‘Will the car be all right? I’ve already been pinched for parking out of line.’

  He laughed.

  ‘The car’s fine. They don’t make pinches outside my house. Come on in.’

  I followed him up the path.

  ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen sweet peas like those before,’ I said, not to butter the old boy, but because I meant it.

  ‘They’re pretty good. You a gardener?’

  ‘Not yet.’

  ‘Yeah.’ He nodded. ‘Gardening’s for the middle-aged and the old. I’d be lost without a garden now.’

  He led me into a neat, comfortably furnished sitting room with casement windows opening out on to the lawn.

  ‘I didn’t get your name.’

  ‘Chet Sladen.’

  He lifted a bushy eyebrow.

  ‘You the fella who writes in Crime Facts?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  He beamed.

  ‘I’m glad to know you. I read all your stuff. Sit down. How about a drink?’

  ‘Thanks.’

  While he was making drinks he said, ‘This is your first visit to Tampa City?’

  ‘Yes; pretty nice looking town. Looks as if it’s loaded with dough.’

  ‘It is. Some say there’s more loose money here than in Hollywood. We have thirteen millionaires living here right at this minute. Anyone with less than a five figure income is trash in Tampa City.’ He came over with the drinks and lowered his bulk into an armchair. ‘Well, here’s to you.’

  We drank, then I handed him Greed’s letter.

  ‘This is an introduction, Captain,’ I said. ‘From Captain Creed.’

  Bradley’s face lit up.

  ‘Well, well, I haven’t heard from Tom for years. How is he?’

  ‘He’s fine. He and I have been working on a case. A lead has turned up here. He thought it might be an idea if I investigated it.’

  Bradley looked sharply at me, opened the letter, read it, then returned it to the envelope before saying, ‘Hmm, so you’re thinking of investigating a lead here, are you?’

  ‘That’s the idea. I understand Doonan doesn’t encourage that kind of thing.’

  ‘That’s an understatement. If you’ll take the advice of an old man, Mr. Sladen, you’ll get in your car and go back to Welden. The atmosphere in Welden, as far as I remember is a lot healthier than here.’

  ‘I know, but I have a job to do. I was hoping for a little help from you.’

  ‘I’m out of the running now. I haven’t been inside headquarters for over a year. There’s not much I can do. Care to tell me what it’s all about?’

  I made myself comfortable and took him through the whole story.

  He sat still, his eyes half closed, listening intently. I had an idea by the time I had finished, he hadn’t missed a word.

  ‘That’s an interesting case,’ he said. ‘I think you’re on to something coming here. It may be a coincidence, but you might be interested to know there’s a smart nightclub in Tampa City that’s called the Golden Apple.’

  I sat up.

  ‘Golden Apple? Well, what do you know? What sort of club is it?’

  ‘A very exclusive one, Mr. Sladen. It’s run by Hamilton Royce, who is a very smart operator indeed. When I was in the saddle I made it my business to check on him. He started life as a card sharper, working the Atlantic liners. From sharping he graduated to share pushing, and he only skipped out of Miami one jump ahead of the law. He got his money out and he settled here. The Golden Apple has two big gambling rooms, and I know for a fact at least two of the roulette wheels are crooked. No one can get near the place without a membership card. Commissioner Doonan, by the way, was one of the first life members, and I hear his entrance and subscription fees were on the house. The club has five hundred members and they come straight out of the Blue Book. None of them has less than a six figure income. It’s quite a place.’

  ‘It must be. You don’t think I could get myself made a member?’

  Bradley laughed.

  ‘It would be easier to get yourself made the President, Mr. Sladen: a lot easier.’

  ‘Well, then I guess I’ll have to grin and bear it. Do you know Lennox Hartley? Does the name mean anything to you?’

  ‘Can’t say it does,’ Bradley said. ‘He’s the fella who claims to recognize the Benson girl?’

  ‘That’s right. He’s my first port of call.’

  ‘Take my advice and go slow,’ Bradley said seriously. ‘You don’t have to worry much about the cops in this town; not the boys who are pounding the beat. Of course they are on the lookout for an easy buck. They get a cut on all fines made on the spot, and they’re keen. Pay up, don’t talk back and you’ll be okay, but take care you don’t run up against the plainclothes boys. They’re tough, and believe me, when I say tough, I mean tough. Police Captain Mathis was my lieutenant when I was in charge. I had trouble with him when I was in office, and I wish now I had got rid of him. He’s not only a bad policeman, but he’s a brutal one. His lieutenant’s name is Joe Carson. He’s bad too, but the worst of the three is Sergeant Carl Lassiter. Run up against him and your best bet is to get out of town fast. I’m not fooling, Mr. Sladen. There was a private eye from Welden.’

  ‘I heard about him from Creed.’

  ‘It was Lassiter who fixed him. So watch out.’

  I was beginning to feel apprehensive, and I wished I had Bernie with me. He would have been so scared to hear all this, in comparison, I should have felt brave.

  ‘I’ll take it easy,’ I said. ‘Thanks for the tip. I’m looking for a convenient, but not too expensive hotel. Can you put me on to one?’

  ‘Try the Beach Hotel on Palm Avenue. They’ll look after you and they won’t rob you. And take my tip, don’t tell anyone you’ve been to see me. I’m not popular in this town. Strangers calling on me aren’t popular either.’

  I got up.

  ‘Thanks. If I need advice, can I come and see you?’

  ‘Sure, but call me first. It would be better if you didn’t leave your car outside, and safer if you came here when it was dark.’

  I stared at him.

  ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘Yes, I’m serious all right.’

  ‘You mean they really don’t like you having visitors?’

  ‘That’s the idea. Since I retired about a year ago, I don’t reckon I’ve had a visitor until now. People are a little shy about calling on a cop who had to retire. But don’t think I mind. I don’t. I’ve a fine wife and a garden, and that’s all a man of my age needs.’

  ‘You had to retire?’ I said. ‘Why, I thought . . .’

  ‘I was kicked out. Maybe one of these days when we’ve both got more time, I’ll tell you about it, I’ve got a lot of work to do and I guess you have too.’

  ‘Yeah.’ I was startled. ‘Okay. Thanks for seeing me, Captain. So long for now.’

  I left him and walked down the path to my car.

  A beefy, red-faced patrolman was wandering along on the opposite side of the road. He paused when he saw me and gaped. I ignored him, although my heart skipped a beat. I got in the car and drove away.

  The last view I had of the cop in my rear mirror, didn’t ease my fluster. He had his notebook out. It wasn’t hard to guess he was writing down my number.

&n
bsp; II

  I got fixed up at the Beach Hotel which turned out to be what Bradley had said it would be: comfortable and not over expensive, and the management seemed pleased to see me.

  My room on the third floor faced the beach and ocean and had a private bath. The bellhop who carried up my bag asked me if I wanted a bottle of Scotch sent up and when I said it was an idea, he brought it himself without the usual irritating wait.

  ‘Anything else, mister?’ he asked. ‘Any little thing?’

  ‘Tell me where Cannon Avenue is,’ I said.

  ‘That’s easy. Turn left when you leave the hotel, drive to the main street, first intersection right, continue up to the fourth set of traffic lights, turn left and that’ll bring you to the foothill road. Cannon Avenue is the fourth on the left. It’ll take you fifteen minutes by car.’

  I gave him a buck and my blessing, and when he had gone, I stripped off my clothes and had a shower. Then I took another drink, put on my best summer weight suit and a gaudy tie, checked myself in the full length mirror to make sure I wouldn’t disgrace Tampa City when I showed myself on the streets, and then satisfied, I went down to the car.

  It took me fourteen minutes by the dashboard clock to reach Cannon Avenue. It was one of those smart Californian residential streets that will give anyone except a five figure income man an inferior complex.

  Small luxury houses, set in perfectly groomed gardens, stood in isolated tree surrounded plots and sneered at one another. Every house was different. You could see that each successive architect had tried to wipe the eye of his rival by putting up a better, more modern, more gadget equipped building than the one next door.

  Number 246 was at the far end of the avenue, and was probably the last of them to be built. It was a two-storey Swiss chalet type of house with an overhang roof. A flight of wooden steps with a carved handrail led up to the front door which was of dark oak with a bear’s head in wood for a knocker. Overhead hung a tricky wrought iron lantern that could have been fifteenth century Florentine but was probably something run up by the local blacksmith in an artistic moment.

  The garden was too tidy for comfort. If I owned a garden like this one I would be afraid to walk in it.

  I left the Buick, pushed open the gate and walked up the path, flanked on either side by standard rose trees. I climbed the steps to the front door, lifted the bear’s head and knocked.

  There was a pause while I leaned against the carved rail, feeling the sun hot on my back. As I was about to knock again, I heard footsteps and the front door opened.

  A tall, lean man stood in the doorway; a muscular, hairy hand resting against the doorpost. He looked as if he had just stepped from the glossy pages of a movie magazine. His long suntanned face was handsome if you like the actor type of face which I don’t. His dark hair, thinning at the forehead, was slicked back and shone like patent leather in the sunlight. He had on a dark blue shirt, open at the throat, a pair of white slacks and his feet were in doeskin white shoes. He was a sight to make any bobbysoxer’s heart flutter, but he didn’t do anything to mine.

  ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘What do you want?’

  A blast of whisky laden breath nearly took the skin off my face. He hadn’t been drinking whisky; he had been bathing in it.

  ‘Mr. Harley?’

  ‘Yes.’ He leaned a little more heavily against the doorpost. I saw then he was drunk.

  ‘I’m Chet Sladen. I write for Crime Facts. I wanted to talk to you.’

  He frowned and half closed his eyes.

  ‘Crime Facts? You mean the magazine?’

  ‘That’s right. Can you spare me a moment?’

  ‘My dear fella, of course. Come in and have a drink.’ He stood aside. ‘I’m glad to see you. As a matter of fact I was getting as bored as a louse. Do you ever get bored?’

  I moved into a hall full of fancy carvings, ski-sticks, a Swiss grandfather clock and ornate rugs.

  I said I couldn’t remember ever being bored.

  ‘Lucky guy.’ He sounded as if he meant it. ‘Come on in.’ He crossed the hall, went down three steps into a large lounge. He only just made the steps. If he hadn’t clutched on to the back of a chair as he arrived he would probably have sat on the floor. The lounge was comfortable but ornate. The architect had got the Swiss motive firmly in mind when he had set about this room.

  With snow heaped against the windows and the sound of an avalanche breaking loose somewhere it might have got by, but in a hot, sunny Californian town it was just crazy.

  I had only time to take the room in with one quick glance before I became aware of a girl sitting on a divan looking at me as if I were some unpleasant casualty in a car smash. She was tall and willowy; dark, haughty and very, very lovely. She had on a green sunsuit that failed to disguise her good points, and her long bare shapely legs were the nicest I had seen so far in Tampa City.

  She got slowly to her feet. Her lips were parted in a cold, half smile, but her eyes glittered with well controlled rage.

  ‘But Hart dear,’ she said, ‘we were talking.’

  ‘This is Mr. - what did you say your name was?’ Lennox Hartley asked, screwing up his eyes and peering at me.

  ‘Sladen,’ I said, ‘but if I’m in the way . . .’

  ‘Of course you’re not.’ He put a hot, heavy hand on my shoulder. ‘Suzy dear, this is Mr. Sladen. He has important business to discuss with me. Shall we meet tomorrow? Suppose I pick you up?’

  The girl stared at him, then walked past him, up the steps and into the hall.

  Hartley turned slowly to watch her. She went to the front door, opened it, passed on to the stoop, then slammed the door so violently one of the skiing sticks on the wall in the hall fell down.

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t . . .’ I began.

  Hartley laughed.

  ‘Forget it. You don’t know how glad I am you turned up. That girl drives me nuts.’ He went over to a cocktail cabinet loaded with bottles, and poured two enormous whiskies. He added ice and steered himself back with some difficulty to where I was standing, handing me one of the glasses, then he dropped languidly into an armchair and waved his glass at me.

  ‘Skoal!’ he said and drank deeply. He set down the glass, sighed and waved me to a chair. ‘Sit down, Mr. Sladen. Relax. Do you like women?’

  ‘I take them or leave them,’ I said, sitting down.

  ‘I wish I could,’ he said gloomily. ‘If I take them, they get in my hair. If I leave them, I’m lonely. It’s a hell of a life, isn’t it?’

  I said it might be worse.

  ‘I guess so.’ He saw I was taking another look at the room and said hurriedly, as if he were anxious I shouldn’t think he was responsible for the decor, ‘The owner must be nuts. Don’t think I did this. I only rent the dump. One of these days I plan to go to Switzerland and put up a Californian sun bungalow. That’ll shake them as much as this dump shakes me.’ He ran fingers across his forehead, frowned, then went on, ‘What did you want, old fella?’

  ‘I understand you wrote to the Welden police about the photograph of Fay Benson that appeared in the press.’

  He stared at me, blinked, then nodded.

  ‘That’s right. How did you know?’

  ‘I’m working with the police. We want to find out something about this girl’s background.’

  ‘Why have the police sent you for heaven’s sake? Why didn’t they come themselves?’

  ‘Tampa City is out of their jurisdiction. I said I would see you to avoid complications.’ I took Fay Benson’s photograph from my wallet and offered it to him. ‘That’s the girl. Do you still recognize her?’

  He took the photograph, screwed up his eyes and peered at it. Then he reached out, turned on the table lamp to see it better.

  ‘That’s the girl,’ he said, ‘I’d know her anywhere. Mind you, when I knew her she was dark; but it’s the same face. I’m an expert on women’s faces: I have to be. I’m a magazine cover designer.’ He waved the photograph at me. ‘Th
is girl modeled for me. That haughty piece who went out just now also models for me. You’ve no idea what I have to put up with with these girls.’ He waved the photograph again. ‘This one cost me time and money. You wouldn’t believe it to look at her, would you? I thought when I met her she would be easy to handle, but no, she turned out just like the rest of them.’

  ‘Was her name Fay Benson?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘No. Her name was Frances Bennett. She was one of the showgirls at the Golden Apple. That’s the plush nightery on Roosevelt Boulevard in case you don’t know.’

  ‘You say she modelled for you?’

  ‘That was the idea. She did quite a lot of work for me. I spotted her at the club way back in June of last year. She seemed to me to have just the right face and figure for a good cover design. I fixed for her to come out here and pose. She used to come regularly. Then suddenly, she was fixed to come one day and didn’t show up. I haven’t seen her since.’

  ‘When was this?’

  ‘Sometime in August last year.’

  ‘Could you give me the exact date? It’s important.’

  ‘I guess so.’ He groaned as he hoisted himself out of the chair and went unsteadily across the room to a big cupboard. He took from it a cardboard folder and returned to his chair. ‘I’ve the last drawing I did of her somewhere here. It’s not finished, but I’ve got the date on the back.’ He thumbed through a pile of half-finished sketches, pulled out one and handed it to me.

  ‘That’s it. The date’s on the back.’

  I looked at the sketch. He certainly could draw. Although the drawing was only half finished I recognized the girl. There was no doubt she was Fay Benson. I looked at the back of the sketch. The date was August 2nd. Fifteen days after she had posed in this room, she had disappeared from Welden. She had arrived in Welden on August 9th. What had she been doing between August 2nd and the 9th? I wondered.

  ‘Yes, that’s her all right,’ I said, handing back the sketch. ‘Can you remember if she gave you any hint that she might not turn up to finish her modelling?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘No, it was a complete let down. She was pleased with the sketch as she should have been. She said she was looking forward to seeing it finished. I told her I’d only be one more day on it, and it was she who suggested she came the next day. She fixed the time too. Then she never turned up.’