‘If I’d known you were going to be so damned interfering, I wouldn’t have called you in the first place,’ he went on. ‘I thought it was smart at the time. I acted that little scene well on the phone, didn’t I? And the untouched whisky, and the burning cigarette were nice touches, too.’
‘Yeah, very pretty,’ I said. ‘But did you have to shoot Souki?’
‘Oh, yes.’ He frowned, as if he didn’t like being reminded of Souki. ‘He asked for trouble, and he got it’
‘And was it you who framed Perelli?’ I asked.
‘That was Barrett’s effort. It has a way of settling debts. Perelli had it coming to him, anyway. It was a bright idea. At one time the heat was getting top fierce, but now they have Perelli in a cell, everything is fine and dandy.’
‘Don’t be too sure. The police are looking for you for the Gracie Lehmann killing.’
‘You don’t have to worry about me,’ he said lightly. ‘You worry about yourself.’
The door into the apartment opened and Barratt came in. For a second or so he stood rooted, staring at me, then he moved into the room, closing the door, his thin, handsome face lighting up.
‘How did he get in here?’ he asked.
‘He had a key,’ the man in the fawn suit said, and got to his feet. ‘Better check to see if he’s wearing a rod.’