The Black Hearts Murder Read Online Free PDF Page B

counter, so McCall walked down the lobby and consulted the building directory between the elevators. He took one of the elevators to the fourth floor.
    The door to 401 was open, and McCall walked in. There was a long counter, and facing the counter there was a long bench, totally unoccupied. On the other side of the counter a door announced in the universal chipped gilt lettering: CHIEF OF POLICE .
    Behind the counter sat a desk, a typewriter on a stand, a number of filing cabinets, and a woman. The woman was wearing a blue police uniform; she was typing. At McCall’s entry she looked up, rose, and came over to the counter.
    His first thought was that Banbury’s bureaucrats had a remarkably discriminating taste in secretaries. His second was that her hair was the exact blonde shade of his mother’s (O Freud, O Adler!). But everything else about this one was different. Her eyes were a warm blue-violet (his mother’s had been a rather cold sea-water gray). Her build, what he could detect of it under the police uniform, was substantial, even generous, in all the prescribed places, and rugged-looking in a feminine way. An athletic chick, no doubt of it. Confirmed by the deep tan, which went so attractively with the very light hair. She probably swam like a dolphin, rode like a cowgirl, and went around the golf course in the low eighties.
    She was also, McCall noted with deep disappointment, untouchable, at least in his book, which dot-dot-dotted any pursuit of women attached to other men by legal ties. She was wearing both a diamond and a wedding ring. And she was returning his inspection with amusement.
    â€œAt first I thought you were a vacuum cleaner salesman,” the lady policeman said, “I mean from the way you were giving me the twice-over. But now I realize you’re strictly in the amateur class. Didn’t you notice that the rings are on my right hand, not the left?”
    â€œI beg your pardon,” McCall said. “I didn’t realize I was being so obvious about it. I’m not usually. As for the rings, I was just about arriving at the correct conclusion.” Which undoubtedly was that she was a widow, but he did not explicate. He was feeling too good about the whole thing.
    She colored; he had probably offended her. He rather liked that. “Yes, sir?” she said.
    He showed her his shield case. The blush enlarged and spread into territory he could not see. “Oh,” she said faintly. “I am sorry. I don’t know what you must …” She broke off and tossed her head. “I’m not sorry! I suppose I shouldn’t be so touchy, Mr. McCall, but there are certain looks men give me that send me absolutely up the wall!”
    â€œAnd very properly, too,” McCall said. “I apologize again. But it’s something of a shock to run into somebody like you in a police uniform. Let’s pretend it never happened, shall we?”
    â€œAll right,” she said. And she smiled, and he smiled back. “I suppose you want to see Chief Condon, Mr. McCall. He isn’t back from lunch yet. I expect him any minute, though, if you don’t mind waiting.”
    â€œI’ll wait,” McCall said. “Meanwhile, maybe you can tell me: has LeRoy Rawlings been picked up yet?”
    â€œA few minutes ago. The chief asked Communications to keep him posted, and they just phoned that a detective team radioed in that they’d made the collar.”
    â€œThen you don’t know if they’ve actually brought him in?”
    â€œI doubt if there’s been time.”
    â€œWhere will Rawlings be taken?”
    â€œDepends on whether they decide to book him first, or question him. Arrests are booked in central district, on the main floor. They’ll probably question him in the detective bureau. That’s on the second floor.”
    â€œThank you, Officer.” He shook his head. “I just can’t get used to calling such a