It wasn’t until the afternoon of the following day that Seigel thought of Janey Conrad.
He had feverishly organized a search for Frances when he had realized Maurer would show him no mercy if he failed to locate her. He had sent out every available man to tap the underworld for news of her, but so far he had drawn a blank.
He was getting desperate when he remembered Janey Conrad. Immediately he cursed himself for being such a fool as not to have thought of her before.
He hadn’t seen Janey now for two weeks. He had found her charms a little disappointing. She hadn’t lived up to her promising looks. Seigel had a high standard, and besides, there were any amount of pretty girls who were more than willing to accommodate him. He could afford to be choosy, and when he found that Janey wouldn’t tolerate some of his finer points of technique, he came to the conclusion that she wasn’t worth his time or his money.
It was possible, he now reasoned, that Conrad had told her where Frances was, or at least let her know where she could get into touch with him, and he regretted having dropped her so quickly.
He decided it wouldn’t be safe to call on her until it was dark, and he hoped she would be in. He had an idea that if he telephoned her he would get a rebuff, and he preferred not to warn her he intended to see her that night.
To make certain he didn’t lose touch with her, he detailed one of his men to watch the house, and when darkness came, he was relieved to learn she was at home.
He left his car at the end of the street and walked down to the house. It was a dark night, with a hint of rain in the air, and he passed no one on the way.
There was a light on in one of the upstairs rooms, but the rest of the house was in darkness.
His man had reported that the coloured maid had left about half an hour ago, and Seigel was satisfied that Janey was in the house alone.
He dug his thumb into the bell-push and waited.
After a delay, he heard her running down the stairs, then the front door opened and she was staring up at him.
She was wearing a yellow silk wrap, and her hair was loose around her shoulders. She looked pretty and desirable, but she raised no desire in Seigel.
“Hello, baby,” he said, and stepped forward, riding her back into the hall, closing the front door with his foot.
Janey’s eyes flashed angrily as she recognized him.
“You can’t come in here! Have you gone crazy?”
“Why not? you’re alone, aren’t you? I’ve been lonely for you, baby.”
“You must go at once!”
“That’s a nice way to talk to me,” he said, smiling at her, turning on a charm that had never failed him as yet. “Don’t be that way. It’s all right. No one saw me come in.”
“It isn’t all right.”
He side-stepped her and walked into the sitting-room, switching on the lights.
“Gee! This is nice. How do you like being left all alone? Weren’t you lonesome for me?”
Janey followed him in. She was flustered and angry.
“If Paul came back…”
“Why should he?” Seigel dropped into an armchair and smiled up at her. “Relax. He’s gone away, hasn’t he?”
“Yes, but he might come back. You can’t stay here, Louis.”
He reached up and caught her hand.
“Where is he then?” he asked, pulling her towards him. She struggled for a moment, then reluctantly let him draw her down on to his knees. “That’s better,” he went on. “Gee! I’ve missed you. Haven’t you missed me?”
“Well, I have. You might have… Why haven’t I seen you before this?” Janey asked angrily.
Seigel laughed.
“I bet you thought I’d thrown you over. You did, didn’t you?”
“What if I did?” Janey snapped, sitting bolt upright on his knees. “Do you think I care? There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”
“That’s right, so there are.” He ran his finger down her spine, and grinned as she shivered in ecstasy, pulling away from him.
“Don’t do that!”
“I’ll do something more than that in a moment.”
“You won’t!” She got off his lap. “You must go.”
“Okay, but you’re coming with me. I have my car at the end of the street. We’ll go to Hank’s Bar and have a sea-food dinner and champagne.”
“No.”
But there was no conviction in her voice.
“Go and put on your prettiest dress. I’ll wait here.”
“I don’t think I should.”
He got up.
“Do you want me to carry you upstairs?”
“You’ll do nothing of the kind!”
“That’s fighting talk, baby.”
He swept her off her feet, holding her against him as she struggled and kicked.
“Let me down this minute!”
“We’re going upstairs.”
He carried her into the hall and started up the stairs.
“Louis! You’re not to! I’ll get angry. You must put me down!”
“All in good time.”
He reached the head of the stairs, spotted a light coming under a door, pushed the door open with his foot and walked into a big, airy bedroom with twin beds, one of which was cluttered up with dresses, coats and underwear.
He set her down, his arm still around her, holding her against him.
“You get out of here!” Janey said angrily. “I’m not standing any more of this nonsense!”
Seigel had trouble in keeping his temper. He never allowed his women to talk to him like this, but he decided it was too soon to get tough with her.
“I must always keep you angry, baby,” he said softly. “You look even prettier when your eyes flash like that.”
Janey softened a little. She never could resist a compliment.
“Now, please, Louis, go downstairs. If Paul comes back…”
Seigel sat on the bed.
“Where is he?”
“That’s none of your business. Now run along and wait for me downstairs.”
“Don’t you know, then?”
“Of course I know, but it’s none of your business.”
Seigel grinned.
“Seriously, is he likely to come back tonight?”
“I don’t suppose he is, but I’m not taking any chances. Now please go downstairs.”
He got up and went over to her, putting his arms round her.
“Kiss me, Janey.”
She hesitated, then lifted her face to his. He crushed his mouth down on hers, and for a long moment he held her like that, his body hard against hers, his arms tight in the small of her back.
She tried to resist him, but he held her easily, and slowly he felt the resistance go out of her.
“Oh, Louis…” she sighed, leaning against him.
He manoeuvred her over to the bed, and she shook her head, but the resistance had gone completely out of her. She lay flat on her back, looking up at him, her eyes cloudy, her face flushed. “We shouldn’t…”
“Where is he, Janey?” he asked, bending over her.
“Where is who?” she asked, frowning.
“Your husband. Where is he?”
The cloudy look went out of her eyes.
“Why are you so interested?” Then she sat up abruptly, pushing him away. “Of course! What a fool I am! Of course!”
He eyed her warily.
“Of course — what?”
“So that’s why you’re suddenly interested in me again,” she said, her eyes furious. “You want to know where that Coleman woman is, don’t you? Of course! Paul said you were one of Maurer’s thugs. What a stupid fool I’ve been!” She jumped to her feet. “Get out! Get out before I call the police!”
Seigel grinned at her. His smooth charm had gone, and the cold, ferocious expression in his eyes frightened her.
“Take it easy, baby,” he said softly. “Don’t start anything you can’t finish. You know where he is, and you’re going to tell me, or I’ll damn well beat it out of you! Where is he?”
Janey backed away, quaking.
“I don’t know. Get out!”
Seigel stood up.
As Janey opened her mouth to scream he crossed over to her with two quick strides and hit her across her face with his open hand so heavily that she went down on hands and knees, momentarily stunned.
He bent over her, dragged her upright and holding her by her elbows he shook her, rocketing her head backwards and forwards. Then he gave her a violent shove that sent her reeling across the room to fall flat on the bed. She lay gasping, feeling as if she had been caught by the blast of a bomb.
He went over to her, knelt on the bed, caught her wrist and turned her over on her face. He twisted her arm, driving it up and screwing her wrist as he did so.
She screamed frantically, but his left hand pushed her face into the bedclothes, drowning her scream.
“Where is he?”
Janey wasn’t cut out for a heroine. The pain in her arm made her feel faint. She began to cry.
He wrenched her arm back again.
“No! Don’t! I’ll tell you!” Janey screamed.
“Well, come on, damn you! Where is he?”
“I don’t know where he is, but I’ve got his telephone number,” Janey sobbed.
He turned her and stared down at her white stricken face.
“What is it?”
“Barwood 99780.”
“If you’re lying it’ll be the last lie you tell, baby!”
“Leave me alone,” she sobbed. “Oh, you’ve hurt me, you beast!”
“We’ll go downstairs and you’ll call that number. You’ll talk to him. Tell him you’re lonely: tell him anything so long as I know for sure he’s there.”
“I’ll do it,” Janey gasped, so eagerly Seigel knew at once she had been telling the truth.
“Come on,” he snarled, jerking her to her feet.
She staggered across the room to the door, holding her aching arm. He followed her along the short passage to the head of the long flight of stairs. He was just behind her as she put her hand on the banister rail, and he braced himself as she groped for the first stair. Then he lifted his foot, aiming at the small of her back, and drove his leg forward with all his strength.
The flat of his foot hit her like a battering-ram, projecting her violently into space. Her wild, terrified scream as she hurtled down the stairs, set his nerves on edge.
Her body twisted around as she fell, and he caught a glimpse of her terrified eyes and wide open mouth before she crashed to the floor below, landing on the back of her head with a thud that shook the house.