‘Forget it, honey, I was only kidding. It’s not often I get a good-looking man in here who doesn’t start climbing up the wall immediately the door shuts. It’s a novelty, and I like it. What do you want to know?’
I made a third drink.
‘The subject of the inquiry is Gracie Lehmann. Do you know her?’
Miss Dreadon’s face hardened.
‘For crying out loud! You’re not wasting good money to find out about her, ar e you?’
The Scotch had set me up. In fact it was so good it nearly, set me up on my ear.
‘I’m working for a client who’s in trouble with the police. Gracie could have cleared him. No other reason.’
‘Well, go and ask her. Why come to me?’
‘I doubt if she’s going to be much help now. She’s dead.’
She started and spilt some coffee on her bare knee, she swore softly under her breath, put down the coffee cup and wiped her knee with her handkerchief.