“I wouldn’t say this to anyone, Lieutenant, but since you’ve asked me, I have an idea,” he said slowly. “It could be a wrong one.”
“Never mind how wrong it is,” Adams said. “What is it?”
“About a year ago, Fay and Johnny Dorman were always around together. He found out she was on the racket, and he beat her up. I caught him at it and stopped him. He might have killed her if I hadn’t come along. He was in a pretty bad state. I had all I could do to handle him. I got his sister to come over. Fay was badly damaged. He had beaten her with a poker.
Johnny’s sister got him into a home. He was there for about a year. He came out yesterday, cured. A guy I know saw him at the Paradise Club last night. He overheard Johnny asking Louie where he could find Fay. I thought maybe he was going to start trouble. I called her apartment, but couldn’t get an answer.” He looked hard at Adams. “It’s my bet Johnny found her.”
Adams sat motionless, staring down at his hands.
Johnny Dorman! He remembered him well: a fair, slim, good-looking boy who used to haunt the pool rooms on 66m Street.
“Did you tell Donovan this?”
Darcy shook his head.
“He didn’t ask me for ideas.”
Adams rubbed his jaw.