‘Myra Toresca. Nick’s girl.’
‘All right. Now let’s take a look at it. Give me the details, but make it fast’
‘I arrived with them,’ she said, and went on practically in one breath: ‘Nick and I were going to the movies. He was late. I ‘phoned and he said to come over while he changed. I went over. I rode up in the elevator with the three of them. I knew they were cops. We got off at the fourth floor, and I let them go ahead. When they turned the corner, I went after them. They were standing outside Nick’s door. Two of them had guns in their hands. I watched. They didn’t notice me. The fat one rapped on the door. I guess Nick thought it was me. They jumped him, and had the cuffs on before he knew what had hit him. Then they started to ransack the place. The front door was pushed to, but not closed. I looked in. Nick was standing by the wall watching them take the place to pieces. He looked my way and made motions for me to keep out of the way. I stuck around, watching. Then they found the gun down the side of the settee. Brandon got awfully excited. He said it was the gun that had killed Dedrick’s chauffeur. Nick got rattled then. He and I play cards for a living. We can lip-read. It helps when the cards don’t fall right He told me to come to you. I left them shouting at him.’
‘How did Brandon know the gun killed Dedrick’s chauffeur?’ I asked.
She shook her head.
‘I don’t know.’
‘What happened then?’
I waited across the other side of the street. After about half an hour, they brought him out. He could scarcely walk, and there was blood on his face and his clothes.’ She got up to grind the cigarette out in the ash tray. ‘They took him away in a police car. Then I came on here.’
I sat staring at her for a second or so.
‘Do you know anything about the kidnapping?’