No Business of Mine

“I killed him,” she said quietly. The whisky had pulled her together as I meant it to do. “I heard a sound, crept in there. It was dark. I saw something move and hit out.” She shuddered, hid her face. “Then I put on the light. I... I thought it was Peter French.”

I was listening, sitting forward, cigarette between my lips, listening with both ears.

“It won’t do, Netta,” I said, putting my hand on her knee.

“We’ll start from the beginning. Never mind about the little guy. Forget him for the moment. Start right from the beginning.”

She clenched her fists, not looking up.

“I can’t go through all that. I can’t.”

“You’ve got to. Come on, Netta. If I’m to help you, I must know how bad it is. Right from the beginning.”

“No!” She sprang to her feet, upsetting the glass she had balanced on the divan. “Let me go! I can’t stay here with him in there. You’ve got to get me away.”

I grabbed her wrists, shook her, dragged her down beside me on the bed.

“Shut up!” I said fiercely. “You’re not moving out of here until you’ve talked. Do you know what you’re asking me to do? You’re asking me to stick my neck in a noose.”

She gasped, tried to break away, but I held her close.

“I won’t do that for anyone, Netta. Not unless I’m sure whoever it is is worth it and deserves it. That goes for you, so if you want my help, sit still and talk, and talk fast.”

She went limp against me, her breath coming in shuddering gasps.

“Listen, Netta,” I went on, “that little guy was working for me. Maybe you didn’t mean to kill him, but you killed him just the same, and nothing either of us can do can bring him back to life again. I liked him, and I feel bad about it. He had a lot of guts. If it’d been anyone else but you I’d be calling the police right now. But I haven’t forgotten what you did for me in the past. I owe you plenty, but I’m not helping you until you talk. Now relax and tell me. Tell me everything from the beginning.”

She beat her hands together. “But what do you want to know?” she gasped. “Can’t you see, Steve, the longer we stay here the worse it’ll be? They’ll find us... find me.”

“Who was the girl in your flat... the one who died?” I asked, deciding questions were more direct, would get me quicker results.

She shuddered. “Anne... my sister.”

“Who was the guy with her?”

She looked up. “How did you know...?”

I took hold of her chin between finger and thumb, looked into her eves. She didn’t flinch.

“Quit stalling,” I said. “Answer my questions. Who was the guy with her.”

“Peter French.”

“What was he to her?”

“Her lover.”

“And to you?”

“Nothing.”

“Sure?”

“Yes.”

“He killed her, didn’t he?”

Her face went paler, her teeth chewed her lower lip, but she said it, “Yes.”

I drew back, wiped my face with the back of my hand.

“Why?”

“She found out he killed George Jacobi.”

“How?”

She shook her head. “She never had the chance to tell me.”

“French and you were seen around together. How did that come about?”

“He was trying to find Anne. He thought if he kept near me I’d lead him to her.”

“Where was she?”

“Hiding. She found out he and Jacobi were behind the Allenby robbery, and then later that French had killed Jacobi. She was scared, so she hid.”

“And French found her?”

She nodded. “He found her in a night club. She was drunk. Anne was always getting drunk. French knew that, and he was afraid she’d talk. He brought her to me.”

“Why?”

She twisted her hands in her lap. “He wanted to talk to her, to find out how much she knew. The night club was close and there wasn’t much time.”

“When did they arrive?”

“About one. I was asleep. I let them in. I could see Anne was terrified, although she was very drunk. She managed to whisper to me that French was going to kill her, and I wasn’t to let her out of my sight.” Netta hid her face. “I can hear her voice now.”

I poured out another shot of whisky, fed it down her throat.

“Keep going,” I said. “Then what happened?”

“I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to get dressed, but Anne wouldn’t let me leave her alone with French, and he wouldn’t let her go into my room. I stalled for time, and brought out drinks. He spiked our drinks. I went out like a light. I hadn’t a chance to warn Anne. It worked so quickly. I heard Anne scream, and then I knew nothing more.”

“Then he murdered her?” I asked quietly.

She nodded dully, struggled with her tears. “I’m so frightened. He’ll do the same to me!”

“Take it easy. What happened then? Come on, Netta, I want the whole story. What happened then?”