The Figure in the Dusk by John Creasey

sav—”
    Roger looked into the pretty, startled face, as she broke off.
    â€œSo it was your money.”
    â€œWell—”
    â€œDid you lend it to Meg?”
    â€œI—it—no! Oh, forget it!”
    â€œDon’t be silly,” said Roger.
    â€œI’m a complete fool,” declared Georgina Sharp, forlornly. “I ought to have kept my silly mouth shut. Meg always said I talk too much. It was our money, really; we have a joint account.”
    â€œAnd Meg forgot to tell you how much she was drawing out, and when you discovered it, told you the truth,” said Roger. “What time were you expecting Mr. Latimer last night?”
    â€œSeven o’clock.”
    â€œHow long did you wait for him?”
    â€œAll the evening.”
    â€œAnd he didn’t show up at all?”
    â€œI don’t think for one moment he intended to,” said the girl. “I don’t think I ever did, but Meg was sure he would. In spite of everything, she still thinks he’s wonderful—but weak. She—is—quite—impossible. Sometimes I wonder how we ever came to be sisters. But you don’t want to be worried by my troubles or Meg’s. I wonder if you could—er—just suggest to the brute that if he doesn’t repay the money, there will be trouble.”
    â€œI’ll think about it,” said Roger. “Do you know any of his other friends?”
    â€œA few,” she said carelessly. “He gathers women to him as moths to an electric light. You see how modern I am!” She was being facetious to cover up her nervousness. “He’s quite an Adonis, if you like them dark and languorous.”
    â€œ I’m not dark,” Peel said.
    â€œI just saw a man hiding—anyhow, your arms hid your head,” she said defensively.
    â€œI’m not languorous, either.”
    She laughed. “He’s not always. When I first met him I thought he was quite something. I couldn’t believe that Meg was on to a good thing at last—and wasn’t I right!”
    She glanced round and saw the man’s photograph, next to Mrs. Arlen’s.
    â€œIs that him?” asked Roger.
    â€œYes. Look here, why were you here?”
    â€œWaiting for him.”
    â€œHow did you get in?”
    â€œWe had authority. I shouldn’t worry about that. Will you do something for us, Miss Sharp?”
    Her eyes were round and guileless.
    â€œWill it get Ralph in trouble?”
    â€œIt might.”
    â€œHe may be a heel, but I don’t have to be,” she said.
    â€œYou’d never know, and all you’ll do is to save us a little time,” said Roger. “Go home, and write down the names of his friends—with their addresses, if you know them, and the places he usually goes to. Where he takes your sister out to dinner, for instance.”
    â€œShe takes him out,” sniffed Georgina. “Yes, I’ll do that; I can’t see that it will do any harm, but—I won’t tell Meg. I don’t want to upset her, and she’s upset enough as it is. Do you have to come and collect the list?”
    â€œBring it to me, at Scotland Yard.”
    â€œLove us,” said Georgina, “me at Scotland Yard! Oh, well, you’ve been pretty nice about it all. I’ll see what I can do. Of course, Meg knows more about his friends than I do, but I can probably squeeze some tit-bits out of her. May I go now?”
    â€œYes.”
    She stood up, and turned to Peel.
    â€œI am really sorry about that nose,” she said, “I couldn’t see you properly, it’s dark in that corner, and I thought you—he—was hiding from me, and I just—”
    â€œThink no more of it,” said Peel, handsomely.
    â€œThanks. Fancy policemen being human beings,” said Georgina.
    She shook hands gravely with each of them, turned and went out, without looking round. They let her open the front door