“Not exactly a friend, but a friend of a friend of mine.”
“And how about Eudora Drew?”
Mrs. Salzer shrugged her shoulders.
“That was unfortunate. She wanted money. I sent Benny to reason with her. He got too rough.”
I scratched my jaw with my thumb-nail and stared at her. I sensed more than believed she was telling the truth.
“Where’s Nurse Gurney?” I asked.
“Oh, she met with an accident,” Mrs. Salzer said, and peered into the sack again. She brought out a plum, offered it to me. “Will you have one? They are good for you when you are in bed.”
“No. Never mind the plums. What happened to her?”
The face went vague again.
“Oh, she was going down the fire-escape when she slipped. I put her in the car, but I think she must have broken her neck. I don’t know why, but she seemed very frightened of me.”