Tension Page #5

- Goodbye now.

- When are you gonna haul in the dame?

- What dame, Artie? What dame?

The dame what plugged Deager,

that dame.

I'll do it first thing in the morning.

Nice to have seen you, Artie.

Yeah.

A guy was killed. So he's looking

for a drunk that the guy socked.

This drunk was supposed to have

threatened the guy. Then killed him.

Now I ask you, cousin.

Does that make sense?

A barroom brawl, yeah.

There could be a little brawl

right here in a minute, Artie.

But then a murder?

Uh-uh.

When a guy like Deager gets knocked off,

look for a dame.

Ah, as simple as that, huh?

Tell me, Artie, what did she do it with?

Oh, her nail file.

- You haven't even found the gun yet.

- "You haven't even found the gun yet. "

- You explain it to him, cousin.

- Ha-ha, go back to the society page.

- I'm sorry.

- Sorry for what?

- The gentleman of the press.

- You called him over.

- I just waved hello to him.

- Oh, look, lieutenant, I'm a big girl.

- About the dame...

- Yeah?

Me, maybe?

- Oh, now, listen...

No, you listen to me.

Why did you bring me here?

Hey, now, wait a minute...

- I'll tell you why.

You bring me here,

buy me a couple of drinks, think I'll talk.

That's the way it's usually done.

What do you wanna know, lieutenant?

Nothing.

- Nothing?

- Uh-huh, nothing.

Look, we've checked you.

You're story's straight. You're in the clear.

We've checked all the leads.

Everybody's in the clear.

The Deager case

is right back where it started:

no place. Hey, Agnes.

Gotcha.

They want me to go back

over the same ground.

You know, double check.

I'm double-checking you.

That's why we're here.

But like I said, your story checks.

You're in the clear.

Look, if you remember, when we

came in here, I ordered ginger ale for you...

...not liquor.

You did.

According to the rules, our meeting

in a place like this is highly irregular.

But I couldn't drag you down

to police headquarters. Not you.

What for?

A routine double-check?

What's wrong with this?

What's wrong combining

a little business with a little...

Pleasure?

Yeah.

Hey, um, Agnes.

Gotcha.

Oh, excuse me.

Can you tell me where

Missing Persons is?

- Right behind you, lady.

- Thank you.

Is there anything you think

you'd like to add to these particulars?

Something that might help us

in locating him?

No.

I... I feel funny coming here like this.

- But I can't help worrying.

You did the right thing.

- You see...

Well, that's what we're here for.

Do you have a picture of him?

A photograph from Mr. Sothern?

Well, that's fine, Miss Chanler.

We'll send it to the lab and have it

processed and give it wide circulation.

- Thank you.

You'll hear from us.

Hello, is Collie there?

Collie?

Schiavone.

Somebody's looking for Paul Sothern.

Brought his picture.

What? Wait a minute.

Okay, teacher, shoot.

Mary Chanler. Uh-huh.

10355 South Kirk.

Yeah, I got it. Go ahead.

Only saw him weekends, out on the road.

Yeah. Yes, I'll let you know.

Oh, Schiavone. Get me some

blow-ups of that photograph, will you?

Yeah, thanks.

Where are you going?

- Just got back from Robbery Detail.

Good for you.

The lab says that the bullet filings...

...belonged to serial number C55661.

What's that gotta do

with Robbery Detail?

Robbery reports the serial number

C55661 was a. 38 Smith and Wesson...

...registered three years ago

to the Golden Rule Loan Company.

- A pawnbroker outfit.

- So?

Fourteen months ago,

they sold the gun to Barney Deager.

Big shot with the Southwestern Liquor

Syndicate, 8714 South Spring Street, City.

- Oh, Blackie. Blackie, that's great.

- Ha-ha, thanks, boss.

Hey, where are you going?

- Huh? Oh, uh...

- Missing Persons just called.

- What?

Paul Sothern had a dame.

Yo-ho!

Did he ever write you from out of town?

- No.

Did you ever meet any friends?

I don't know.

I don't know what to say anymore.

All right.

- What kind of a car?

- I don't know.

Well, was he from this city?

Look... Look, I don't understand this.

What's wrong?

Nothing's wrong, Miss Chanler.

We're from Missing Persons.

You came to us for help

and we're trying to help you.

We can't get very far

with the information you've given us.

All we know is what he looks like

and you saw him only on weekends.

Yes.

Now, he told you

that he was a salesman on the road...

...for La Femme Beauty

Preparation Corporation.

He was.

That's a lie, Miss Chanler.

- What?

- I'm sorry.

La Femme Beauty Preparations Corporation

has no local office. No salesmen.

But... That's not possible. Look.

He gave me all of this.

This you could get almost any place.

Any place cosmetics are sold.

Look, we're trying to help you.

We'd like to find him,

but you've got to help us.

Can you tell us anything about him?

Anything? What was he like?

Well, he was...

He was very sweet and... I can't.

Yeah.

All right, Miss Chanler,

we'll do our best to find him for you.

Hey.

Yeah?

Paul Sothern.

Yeah.

He's Warren Quimby.

What?

Yeah.

You need to rest.

Wanna bet?

Not with you, I don't.

Get me Campus and Country

in Westwood.

Blackie, your beautiful Latin soul wouldn't

revolt at the thought of a slight frame?

As long as it's not on me, amigo.

- Call Traffic.

- Yeah.

Tell him we wanna borrow

the personal effects of a dead driver.

Campus and Country?

I wanna speak to a Miss Mary Chandler.

- Lieutenant, Miss Chanler's out here.

- Okay, send her right in.

- How's it look?

- Professional.

When they kick you out of Homicide,

get a job in Missing Persons.

Don't worry.

Miss Chanler, sorry to have

brought you all the way down here.

- That's all right.

- In a case like this...

...we can't afford to

pass up any chances.

There's been an accident,

an automobile wreck.

Of course we can't be sure, but...

Whenever you feel ready, Miss Chanler.

This stuff checks

with Paul Sothern's height and weight.

Of course we haven't got

any positive identification on him yet.

Do you, uh, recognize anything,

Miss Chanler?

Hey, look. This has "AER" on it.

That couldn't be Paul's.

We ought to check these things

more carefully.

- Yeah, I'm sorry.

- If we'd noticed this...

...we wouldn't have put you to all this.

- We certainly wouldn't.

- We're sorry.

- It's all right.

Thanks for coming down anyway.

Oh, Miss Chanler...

- Uh, did you drive down?

- Yes, I did.

Could you drop me

at St. Anne's and 13th?

My car's getting a valve grind,

and won't be ready.

- Surely, I'll be glad to.

- Thanks.

- I appreciate the lift.

- Oh, that's all right.

Bet you're pretty tired out after all this.

A little.

Could I buy you

the best cup of coffee in town?

I could stand some.

- Hi, lieutenant. What'll you have?

- Hi, Freddie. Two cups of coffee.

- A piece of pie or something?

- No, thanks. Just coffee.

- Apple pie.

- Yeah.

Good evening, doc.

Hello, lieutenant.

Say, doc. Come on over.

Join us in a cup of coffee.

Sit down, doc.

Mr. Quimby, Miss Chanler.

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