Lola’s eyes opened.
‘The guy who snatched Dedrick?’ she asked. ‘Gee! I’ve been reading about that business.’ She looked enviously at Myra. ‘Did your honey get away with five hundred grand?’
‘Wait a minute,’ I said hastily as Myra’s pale little face hardened. ‘You’re on the wrong number. Perelli didn’t pull the Dedrick snatch. He was framed for it. He was playing cards with Betillo at the time of the kidnapping, but Betillo has sold him to the cops. That’s why I want Betillo.’
‘That rat would sell his first-born to the cops,’ Lola said in disgust.
I had a sudden idea.
‘You didn’t see Perelli leave, did you?’
‘Leave where? What do you mean?’
‘He was playing cards with Betillo in Room 15. He said he left Betillo at ten-thirty. Betillo said it was nine-thirty. The kidnapping took place just before ten.’
Lola closed her eyes in the effort to think.
‘I don’t remember seeing him,’ she said at last. ‘But then I see so many men during the evening, honey,’