The Dragon’s Teeth Read Online Free PDF Page B

bed—the sweet-smelling bed, Beau noted with an obscure satisfaction—and she was stowing black panties away in a bureau drawer.
    â€œIt’s in again,” said Violet Day, asprawl on the perfumed bed, her naked toes wiggling with ecstasy. “Kerrie, have you no shame? Giving away all your girlish secrets.”
    â€œHi,” said Beau, still grinning. He felt good, he didn’t know why. As if he had had five drinks.
    â€œGo away,” said the blonde. “This gal here was born with the soul of a Girl Scout, and I was placed on earth just to protect her from hungry-looking hombres who think they look like the Taylor man.”
    â€œVi, shut up,” said Kerrie. “Come in, Queen—we won’t bite you! Got any Scotch?”
    â€œNo, but I know where to find some,” said Beau.
    â€œMake mine apple. Say! I take it all back,” said Vi, sitting up in bed. “Where?”
    â€œI’m sort of new in Hollywood,” said Beau. “You know. Lonesome.”
    â€œIt’s lonesome!” giggled the blonde. “But it knows where the Scotch is. Kerrie, it does look like Taylor, you know that?”
    Beau ignored her. “Miss Land, how about joining me in a little supper with that Scotch?”
    Vi hugged her knees. “Lonesome—supper—Scotch! What is this, The Merry Widow? I bet he’ll have you feeling his muscle before the night’s over, Kerrie.”
    â€œWe’d love to,” said Kerrie, stressing the “we” the least bit. “I know just how you feel, Queen. It’s a date!—the three of us.”
    â€œThe three of us?” said “Mr. Queen” damply.
    â€œBut we pay our own way.”
    â€œUtsnay! What do you take me for?”
    â€œDutch, or you eat by yourself,” said Kerrie positively. “Your bankroll won’t last forever—Ellery, was it?—and we’ve just had two months of steady extra work being Hawaiians. Wasn’t it Hawaiians, Vi?”
    â€œI dunno,” said Vi.
    â€œSo give us a half-hour to shower and change,” said Kerrie, and as she said it a dimple appeared from nowhere and transfixed Mr. Rummell like an arrow, “and we’re your gals, Ellery.” And she came and stood close to him at the door, smiling.
    Something happened to him. As if he had a sudden heart-attack. What the hell? He found himself in the dark hall leaning against the wall.
    He stood there for several minutes, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Whew! Then he ran downstairs to the pay-telephone and sent the telegram to Mr. Queen which ended with EXCLAMATION POINT .
    THEY dined—at Mr. “Queen’s” expense—in the Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador.
    Beau took turns dancing with Kerrie and Vi. Vi just danced. Kerrie floated. She made herself part of him. He actually enjoyed dancing for the first time in his life.
    Suddenly Violet Day developed a headache and, over Kerrie’s protests, left them.
    Kerrie laughed. “You’re accepted, Mister. Did you know that?”
    â€œHow come?”
    â€œVi turns her headaches on and off like a faucet. Since she left me to your mercies, it’s because she thinks you’re a regular guy.”
    â€œHow about you?” Beau leaned forward hungrily.
    â€œI’m not so naive. You’re a nice-looking cover, but what’s in the book? I’ll know better when you take me home.”
    Beau looked disappointed. “Tell me about yourself.”
    â€œThere isn’t much to tell.”
    â€œHave you and Vi been friends long?”
    â€œI met her in Hollywood.”, Kerrie turned the glass of vermouth slowly in her long fingers. “Vi took me under her wing when my mother died last year. Just like a hen. And I guess I was a pretty hopeless sort of egg.”
    â€œSay, I’m sorry. Your mother, huh?”
    â€œShe died of pleurisy-pneumonia. No resistance. She burned herself out trying