Love Me and Die Read Online Free PDF Page A

took another look at the body. I got a towel from the bath to drape over the still face. I would feel better when I couldn’t see those eyes staring at nothing.
    I took a good look at him before I dropped the towel. Suddenly I didn’t think hiding him would make me feel better. I could see a bruise on the skin over his hard jaw. I lowered the towel and turned away.
    I said, “His name is Turk Thorne, right?”
    The redhead sat up straight. “How did you know that?”
    I told her how I knew. I gave her a blow by blow from the time Turk met me until I drank the rum and passed out.
    I said, “There’s a bruise on his jaw. I put it there. And Mrs. Gomez saw me dragging him down the hall.”
    The redhead said, “So what? You didn’t kill him, did you? You were in Tucson all night, weren’t you?”
    I felt cold air along my spine. I said, “As far as I know I was.”
    She said in a frantic voice, “Were you or weren’t you?”
    I said, “How would I know? I was out cold until ten this morning.”
    “What kind of an alibi is that, for God’s sake?” she demanded.
    I reached for her rum bottle. I said, “That’s a good question. The cops will certainly ask it.”
    I took a deep pull at the dark, powerful rum. It didn’t do a thing for me. I said, “It looks as if Art isn’t the only member of Ditmer and Coyle who’s going to be in trouble.”
    The redhead and I just looked at one another for a few minutes. I knew we were both thinking the same thing—somebody had slipped a frame around Art and another one around me.
    I said, “You’d better tell me the whole thing—when it started and how.”
    She said, “About six weeks ago, I heard a rumor ‘that Jessup Trucking might be selling out. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time. Then last week I got a phone call. It tied in with the rumor I’d picked up, so I sent Art down here to check out Jessup.”
    I said, “A phone call from whom?”
    “The usual anonymous voice strained through a handkerchief,” she said. “And it came from here, not from Ramiera. I think the speaker was male, but I can’t be sure. He didn’t talk very long. All he said was, “If Jessup keeps on having trouble and has to sell out cheap, you’ll still be stuck with a big insurance claim.”
    “A claim for what?” I said.
    “That’s what I asked,” she replied. “All I got for an answer was a dead line.”
    I said, “What kind of trouble is Jessup having?”
    “That’s what I sent Art down here to find out,” she said. “He didn’t get much chance to find out anything,” she added morosely.
    I said, “Why didn’t you ask this Bonita Jessup about the rumors?”
    “I wanted to be sure of my ground first,” the redhead explained.
    That seemed logical. I got up. I said, “It’s probably a good thing you didn’t.” I headed for the shower. “I’ll fill you in when I get washed up.”
    The redhead wasn’t the type to be coy. She followed me right into the bathroom. I stepped into the oversized Mexican shower and drew the curtains. I peeled my clothes off and tossed them over the curtain to the floor.
    I said, “Bring my suitcase in, will you?”
    A minute later I heard the suitcase thud on the floor. “Anything else, sahib?”
    I grinned and turned on the water. It sluiced over me like lukewarm soup. But it was wet and cleansing. The redhead shouted, “Who was in the office when I called, Jojo?”
    “Toby Jessup,” I shouted back. She didn’t say anything. I turned down the volume of water so I could talk above the noise. I filled her in on Toby Jessup.
    I turned off the water and reached for a towel. The redhead said, “It sounds as if she knew about Art’s plan to meet Bonita on Thursday. But she couldn’t have known Art was working undercover at Jessup or she wouldn’t have mistaken you for him.”
    I wrapped the towel around my waist and stepped out of the shower. I said, “Go pack up Art’s stuff.” I waved the redhead into the other