‘Come in. I was wondering when you were coming.’
I followed her into the lighted sitting-room. I was surprised to see her taste ran to frilly cushions, china masks and ornamental dolls.
She was wearing her windbreaker and slacks. Her eyes were heavy-looking and her face pallid. She didn’t look as if she had had much sleep since last I saw her. .
‘What’s cooking?’ she asked as she fetched out a bottle of Scotch, glasses and ice. I’ve been walking the floor since last night.’
Last night! It didn’t seem possible that so much had happened in twenty-four hours.
I dropped into an easy chair.
‘Plenty, but I’m not sure that it does us any good. I’ve a little job on you might like to help me with, but before I go into that, I’ll get you up to date on what’s happened so far.’
She stood before the empty fireplace, her hands in her trouser pockets, a cigarette between her lips, her face set and cold while talked.
I didn’t leave out any of the details, and the story took the best part of a half an hour.
‘I have a lot of facts,’ I concluded, ‘but no proof; and it’s proof We must have. I must build up a case that’ll stand up in court. What I’ve told you makes a good yarn, but Francon couldn’t use it as it stands. The next move is to get the proof, and the only way we can get it is to fight Barratt with his own wea-pons. The first and easiest move is to try to establish Nick’s alibi. He told Francon he was playing cards with Joe Betillo from eight-thirty to ten-thirty. Betillo said he left Delmonico’s at nine-thirty. Betillo is a notorious character in Coral Gables. He’d sell his own mother for a dollar. I’m going out there to-night and see if I can find anyone who saw Perelli leave. Maybe someone did, but is scared to get in bad with Betillo. If I can’t find anyone, then I’m going to get hold of Betillo, bring him here and persuade him to change his mind about the time Nick left. That all right with you?’