Love Me and Die Read Online Free PDF Page B

I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life!”
    The redhead and I had never been much for being tender with one another, but I couldn’t help giving her shoulder a pat. It was the kind of gesture that usually brought out all the crusty armor she hid herself under. But now she gave me a weak smile and burrowed her head into my shoulder.
    She said, “I thought it would be so damn simple. You would bring the camper and we’d find Art and hide him out in it.”
    I said, “What makes you so sure he needs hiding out? You don’t think he killed Turk and ran in panic?”
    “Art isn’t the kind to panic,” she said flatly. “But you know the cops. As soon as they spot this body, they’ll look for him. This is his room, and he was working for Jessup.”
    I said, “At least he’s under an assumed name. That helps.”
    She said, “And you had a fight with Thorne. If the police can’t find Art, they’ll dig around and learn that.”
    I gave her another pat and took her head off my shoulder. I got up. I said, “I’m going to park the camper. You write me a note as my boss so I can get the Mercedes across the border. And pack your bag. I’ll take it with me.”
    “It’s still in my car,” she said.
    I took Art’s bag and went outside. I ran the camper down to the honky-tonk district. I found the parking lot where I expected it to be. It was one of those where you feed a meter for as many hours up to twenty-four as you want. I bought the full treatment. I hid Art’s bag under the bunk.
    I hiked back to the motel. I moved slowly because of the heat. It was fully dark by the time I arrived. I rapped and the redhead let me in.
    She said worriedly, “That cleaning woman came again. She said she was going off duty and would I let her in. I gave her a dollar and told her the place was fine until tomorrow.”
    She paused to take a drink from the glass in her hand. “That wasn’t very smart, was it? Now she’s bound to remember me.”
    I said, “Forget it. At least she won’t find the body until tomorrow. That gives us a good twelve hours. Maybe a little more.”
    I did what I should have done before. I slid the body into the closet and shut the door. I carried the towel that had been over Turk’s face to the bath and tossed it into the shower. I brought out a hand towel and gave it to the redhead.
    I said, “Amuse yourself by wiping up prints—hit every place any of the three of us might have touched. Art’s and mine are on file in Phoenix, so it’s better to play this safe.”
    She held the towel and looked at me. “What does this Toby Jessup look like?” she asked suddenly.
    Her voice was a little thick. The rum was beginning to get to her.
    I said, “Short but very well distributed. Terrific legs. Silver-blonde hair with a pony tail.”
    “An office manager with a pony tail!” the redhead snarled. “Well, don’t just stand there. Go call her up. Go make passes at her while I sit with that—that thing in the closet.”
    I hid a grin. She was in no mood to be laughed at. I took the key out of the door and pocketed it. I said, “When you leave, punch the night latch so the door’ll be locked.”
    I picked up my suitcase and went out to her car. I stowed the suitcase alongside hers and warmed up the motor. I backed out of the stall and started driving.
    There’s no sensation on earth like that of handling a car with enough horses under the hood to give it a crusing speed of a hundred and forty. But with evening, the traffic between Lozano and Ramiera was thickening fast. I had six gears to play with and I only got out of second once.
    The border cost me fifteen minutes. I left U.S. Customs and Immigration and crawled up a hill into Ramiera’s plaza. I found the American style main street a few blocks to the east. The City Center Motel was located at the far end of the three block string of neon lights. It was the off-season and I had no trouble getting a room.
    I parked in