I went through the story again, covering everything that had happened to date. It took some time. Then Brandon tried to shake me, tried to shale Mary Jerome, and even Paula. He got nowhere.
‘There’s not a scrap of evidence in any of this,’ he said at last. ‘Bring that yarn into court and see what the D.A. does to it.’ He turned to Francon. ‘So far as I’m concerned, Perelli Snatched Dedrick. Nothing this parlour detective has found out makes any difference to me. Any witness he claims to have is either dead or unreliable. If you think Perelli’s alibi with this Lola woman will stand up in court, you’re crazy. Now, get out, the lot of you! You’ve wasted enough of my time already. Bring Dedrick here, and I might believe you, and that’s my final word!’
Outside in the passage the four of us looked at each other.
‘That’s the way it is,’ Francon said. ‘He’s right, Vic. It makes a nice story, but it gets us exactly nowhere in court. We’ve got to find Dedrick.’
Muffin joined us at the end of the passage.
‘Well, come on,’ he growled. ‘Haven’t you people got any beds?’
‘Are you looking for Dedrick?’ I asked.
‘We’re looking for this guy in the fawn suit,’ Muffin carefully. We’ve been looking for him since Lehmann’s killing. You don’t have to pay any attention to Brandon. He knows Grace Lehmann was murdered. He was just sounding off.’
‘If you’re looking for him, why haven’t you found him?’
Muffin’s red face turned purple.