19
September 14th, 11.10 a.m.
HOGARTY SAID, “Think it’s Raven?”
Jay and he stared down at the battered Goshawk. Two cops who stood in the room watched them with bored eyes. They never had much use for Federal Agents.
Jay shrugged. “It might be.”
“Let’s go over the ground again,” Hogarty said, turning from the bed. “The girl downstairs says that the guy who had this room never went out. Goshawk always took up his meals. No one else in the hotel ever saw him. That points to Raven, don’t it?”
Again Jay shrugged. “Maybe,” he said.
“Then the girl over the way. How does she fit in?”
“Suppose we talk to the kid again?”
They went downstairs, where a round−eyed maid stood waiting. Hogarty jerked his head. “Come inside here, sister, an’ let’s go through with it again. Your name’s Alice Cohen, ain’t it?”
The girl nodded.
“Your boss sent you across to the apartment house opposite to ask after a certain Marie Leroyright?”
Again she nodded.
“Well, go on.”
“He wanted to find out who she was. The landlady told me. She was a dancer who wanted to go to Hollywood.”
“Why should this guy Goshawk want to know that?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t say.”
“You never saw the guy who had that room?”
“No, but Mr. Goshawk sent me out for some tinted spectacles and a bottle of hair bleach. He didn’t use them himself. I got to thinking they were for this fella who had the room.”
Hogarty and Jay exchanged glances.
“I see,” Hogarty said. “Anythin’ else.”
“I heard Mr. Goshawk arrange about buying a Chrysler car. I was surprised, because Mr. Goshawk was always tight with his dough. I thought he was steppin’ out a bit.”
“All right, baby, you’re doin’ fine.” Hogarty was excited. “I’ll talk to you again in a while. Just stick around.”
When she had gone he turned to Jay excitedly. “It looks like it. The troopers at the west barricade report that a blond guy with his wife passed through in a two−seater Chrysler.” He checked himself from a note−book. “They say the girl was wearing a red dress with pinhead white spots. Let’s go over an’ find out if that’s the dress this Leroy dame was wearing. If it is, we’ll get after them. They’re heading for Hollywood by the U.S. Highway 40.”
Jay followed him out of the hotel.