stuck to the guy and stayed home taking care of her kid instead of hanging around bars and picking up guys like Stein. Then she wouldn’t be in the mess she’s in.”
I knocked him off his feet. “You son-of-a-bitch, stop stalling. What did you do with Tommy’s body? What did you do with Gordon?”
He shook his head while still on the floor. “Believe me, I don’t know what you’re talking about. So Mona went sour on your brother. Why take it out on me?”
I tried to kick him and Nagle stopped me. “Easy makes it, Sergeant,” he said.
Captain Corson was prowling the room, paying special attention to the floor. He asked, “What part of the room were you in when you shot Tommy Lewis?”
I pointed to the chair he had been sitting in. “Right there. I dropped him on that throw rug.”
Corson got to his knees and looked at the rug, then under it. “Not on this rug!”
I insisted, “But I did. Then I broke a whiskey bottle on Gordon’s head and ground the jagged butt into his face. He was screaming like mad when I left him.”
Corson ran the tips of his fingers across the parquet flooring. “It beats me,” he said finally. “You’re sure this is the apartment they brought you to?”
“I’m positive.”
Corson’s eyes were disappointed. Still squatting on his haunches, he looked at LaFanti. “You said before that you could prove you hadn’t left the apartment all afternoon. How?”
LaFanti smirked, “By two witnesses. One of them the elevator boy.”
Corson got to his feet and ordered Nagle to get the elevator boy. The kid was even younger than I had judged him to be and scared. When Captain Corson asked him his name he had to wet his lips with his tongue before he could answer.
“Manny,” he said finally. “Manny Kelly.”
“What time did you come on duty?”
“Noon.”
“And you’re still working?”
“This is my long day. Tomorrow I work a short one.”
“I see,” Captain Corson said. He showed the kid his buzzer. “Know what this is, Manny?”
The kid swallowed the lump in his throat. “Yes, sir. It’s a captain’s badge.”
Corson dropped it back in his pocket. “And I’m a captain, a captain of homicide. Keep that in mind.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How many times did Mr. LaFanti go out today?”
The elevator boy shook his head. “He didn’t go out at all. Anyway, I didn’t see him.”
“You’re positive of that?”
“I’m positive.”
“He stayed in his apartment all day?”
“Unless he went out before noon.” The kid gained a little more self-confidence. “All I know is what happened since I came on duty.”
Corson pointed at me. “How about this sergeant?”
“What about him?” the kid asked.
“You brought him up this evening, say between seven and seven-thirty?”
“No, sir,” the kid lied.
“But you have seen him before?”
Kelly shook his head. “No, sir. Not until all of you barged into the cage just now and he asked me if anyone had gone in or out since he’d left. I thought at the time it was funny.”
I looked at LaFanti. He looked back, amused. “The kid is lying,” I said. “LaFanti has paid him to lie.”
“How about that, son?” Olson asked.
Kelly raised one palm shoulder high. “So help me. I wouldn’t lie for no one.” He made it sound good. “Usually there are a lot of guys coming and going to this floor. But today since I came on duty at noon I had only one passenger for fourteen.”
“Who was he?” Olson asked.
Kelly grinned. “It wasn’t a him. It was a her.”
LaFanti’s smirk grew even wider. “I told you.”
With Corson at my heels I crossed the big living room to the hall and tried the knob of the door. I was sure it led to the room in which a girl had been crying. The door was unlocked and swung in.
The little blonde who had gotten out of the cab I’d taken down to Central Bureau was sitting on the bed. All she had on was lipstick and that was smeared, but not from crying.
She eeked and did a
I knocked him off his feet. “You son-of-a-bitch, stop stalling. What did you do with Tommy’s body? What did you do with Gordon?”
He shook his head while still on the floor. “Believe me, I don’t know what you’re talking about. So Mona went sour on your brother. Why take it out on me?”
I tried to kick him and Nagle stopped me. “Easy makes it, Sergeant,” he said.
Captain Corson was prowling the room, paying special attention to the floor. He asked, “What part of the room were you in when you shot Tommy Lewis?”
I pointed to the chair he had been sitting in. “Right there. I dropped him on that throw rug.”
Corson got to his knees and looked at the rug, then under it. “Not on this rug!”
I insisted, “But I did. Then I broke a whiskey bottle on Gordon’s head and ground the jagged butt into his face. He was screaming like mad when I left him.”
Corson ran the tips of his fingers across the parquet flooring. “It beats me,” he said finally. “You’re sure this is the apartment they brought you to?”
“I’m positive.”
Corson’s eyes were disappointed. Still squatting on his haunches, he looked at LaFanti. “You said before that you could prove you hadn’t left the apartment all afternoon. How?”
LaFanti smirked, “By two witnesses. One of them the elevator boy.”
Corson got to his feet and ordered Nagle to get the elevator boy. The kid was even younger than I had judged him to be and scared. When Captain Corson asked him his name he had to wet his lips with his tongue before he could answer.
“Manny,” he said finally. “Manny Kelly.”
“What time did you come on duty?”
“Noon.”
“And you’re still working?”
“This is my long day. Tomorrow I work a short one.”
“I see,” Captain Corson said. He showed the kid his buzzer. “Know what this is, Manny?”
The kid swallowed the lump in his throat. “Yes, sir. It’s a captain’s badge.”
Corson dropped it back in his pocket. “And I’m a captain, a captain of homicide. Keep that in mind.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How many times did Mr. LaFanti go out today?”
The elevator boy shook his head. “He didn’t go out at all. Anyway, I didn’t see him.”
“You’re positive of that?”
“I’m positive.”
“He stayed in his apartment all day?”
“Unless he went out before noon.” The kid gained a little more self-confidence. “All I know is what happened since I came on duty.”
Corson pointed at me. “How about this sergeant?”
“What about him?” the kid asked.
“You brought him up this evening, say between seven and seven-thirty?”
“No, sir,” the kid lied.
“But you have seen him before?”
Kelly shook his head. “No, sir. Not until all of you barged into the cage just now and he asked me if anyone had gone in or out since he’d left. I thought at the time it was funny.”
I looked at LaFanti. He looked back, amused. “The kid is lying,” I said. “LaFanti has paid him to lie.”
“How about that, son?” Olson asked.
Kelly raised one palm shoulder high. “So help me. I wouldn’t lie for no one.” He made it sound good. “Usually there are a lot of guys coming and going to this floor. But today since I came on duty at noon I had only one passenger for fourteen.”
“Who was he?” Olson asked.
Kelly grinned. “It wasn’t a him. It was a her.”
LaFanti’s smirk grew even wider. “I told you.”
With Corson at my heels I crossed the big living room to the hall and tried the knob of the door. I was sure it led to the room in which a girl had been crying. The door was unlocked and swung in.
The little blonde who had gotten out of the cab I’d taken down to Central Bureau was sitting on the bed. All she had on was lipstick and that was smeared, but not from crying.
She eeked and did a
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