12 Chinks and A Woman

     He said with exasperation, “Nuts!” and went out of the cabin. As he stepped on the jetty he noticed a big sedan drawn up without lights on the other side of the waterfront. He gave it a quick look, and then dropped flat. A choked roar came from the car as he did so and he knew someone had let off a shotgun in his direction. He pulled his gun and lay flat. He heard the car start and the swish of tires on the sandy road. Then the car swept out of sight round the sandy corner.

     Fenner got up and dusted himself. Things were getting complicated. He walked back to the Haworth, keeping in the shadows and using the back streets only.

     Glorie lay just where he had left her. Her face was a little pinched and the smile she gave him was only a twist of the mouth.

     He pulled up the chair again and sat down. “Was he in the main cabin when you saw him?” he said abruptly.

     She said, “Yes.”

     Fenner nodded, as if he expected that. “They've taken him away now,” he said. “I don't know why they did that, because if they wanted a fall-guy you'd've been it. Either you killed him and tossed him overboard, or you didn't and the killer came back for some reason or other and took him away. Maybe you tossed him overboard.”

     Glorie showed her long arms. “Do you think I could do it? He was big.”

     Fenner thought of the almost perpendicular stairs leading into the cabin, and shook his head. “No,” he said. “I guess that's right.”

     The color came back to her face and she didn't look so drawn. She said, “If they hid him away, no one will know he's dead, will they?”

     Fenner yawned. “That's right,” he said.

     She curled down in the bed, pulling the pillow off the bolster. “Don't you think I look snug?” she said, her eyes getting flirtatious again.

     “Those comic things I found in Thayler's cabin. Did he use them on you?” Fenner said gently.

     “I don't know. I didn't know him very well.” She had hitched up the sheet so that he couldn't see her face.

     Fenner said, “Where's your sister, Marian?”

     She didn't jump more than an inch, but it looked like a couple of yards. Fenner leaned over her and pulled her round. Her eyes were startled. “Where's your sister?” he repeated.

     She said, “What do you know about her? How do you know about her?”

     Fenner sat down close to her. “You're as like as two peas,” he said. “I've never seen anything quite like it.” He put his hand inside his pocket and took out the letter he had found in Marian's bag. “Look at that,” he said.

     She read it through blankly and then shook her head. “I don't know,” she said. “Who's Pio? Who's Noolen?”

     Fenner went over to the table, picked up a pad of notepaper and a pencil and came back to the bed. “Write that letter out for me,” he said.

     As she struggled up, he said hastily, “Wait.” He went to the cupboard and got his pajama jacket and threw it over to her. Then he went into the bathroom and waited a few seconds. When he came out she had put the coat on and was rolling back the long sleeves.

     She said, “Why do you want me to do this?”

     “Do it.” He spoke very curtly.

     She scribbled on the pad and then gave it to him. He compared the two handwritings. There was nothing similar about them. He tossed the pad on the table again, and began to walk up and down the room slowly. She watched him nervously.

     “You've got a sister, haven't you?” he said at last.

     She hesitated, then she said, “Yes; but we haven't seen each other for a very long time.”

     “How long? Why haven't you?”

     “Four or five years, I forget exactly. Marian and I didn't get on so well. She'd got ideas about how I should live. We didn't quarrel, but she kept having ideas. So we split when Father died.”

     Fenner said gently, “You're lying. If you hadn't seen each other for that length of time, why did she come to me all fussed because you were missing?

     Two little patches of red burnt in Glorie's cheeks. “I didn't know she came to you. Who are you, anyway?”

     “Never mind who I am. When did you last see Marian?”

     Glorie looked sulky. “I was in New York with Harry. We ran into each other. It was about a couple of weeks ago. I was up there on a trip. Marian wanted me to come to her hotel. I said I would, because she was so insistent. I had Harry with me. It was awkward. Marian wouldn't stand for Harry, so I gave her the slip and came back to Florida.”

     Fenner came over and sat on the bed. “Either you're telling a lot of lies, or else there's somethin' I've missed in all this,” he said.

     Glorie shook her head from side to side. “I'm not lying,” she said. “Why should I?”

     “Listen, did you say anything to your sister about twelve Chinamen?”

     “Twelve Chinamen? Why should I?”

     “Don't keep sayin' 'Why should I?'“ Fenner said savagely. “It confuses me.”

     As far as he could see he was no further now he'd met this girl, than he was before. He thought, and then said, “Why Leadler? Why not Daley?” “Leadler's my married name,” Glorie said. “I was divorced a year ago.”

     Fenner grunted. “Where's your husband?”

     She shook her head. “I don't know,” she said. “Why?”