The Naked Face Read Online Free PDF

Judd.
    On the windy, deserted street in front of Judd's office building, McGreavy told Angeli to drive Judd home. Tve got an errand to do,' McGreavy said. He turned to Judd. 'Goodnight, Doctor' Judd watched the huge, lumbering figure move down the street. 'Let's go,' Angeli said. 'I'm freezing.' Judd slid into the front seat beside Angeli, and the car pulled away from the kerb. 'I've got to go tell Carol's family,' Judd said. 'We've already been over there.' Judd nodded wearily. He still wanted to see them himself, but it could wait. There was a silence. Judd wondered what errand Lieutenant McGreavy could have at this hour of the morning. As though reading his thoughts, Angeli said, 'McGreavy's a good cop. He thought Ziffren should have got the electric chair for killing his partner,' 'Ziffren was insane.' Angeli shrugged. 'I'll take your word for it, Doctor.' But McGreavy hadn't, Judd thought He turned his mind to Carol and remembered her brightness and her affection and her deep pride in what she was doing, and Angeli was speaking to him and he saw that they had arrived at his apartment building. Five minutes later Judd was in his apartment. There was no question of sleep. He fixed himself a brandy and carried it into the den. He remembered the night Carol had strolled in here, naked and beautiful, rubbing her warm, lithe body against his. He had acted cool and aloof because he had known that that was the only chance he had of helping her. But she had never known what willpower it had taken for him to keep from making love to her. Or had she? He raised his brandy glass and drained it.
    The city morgue looked tike all city morgues at three o'clock in the morning, except that someone had placed a wreath of mistletoe over the door. Someone, thought McGreavy, who had either an overabundance of holiday spirit or a macabre sense o� humour. McGreavy had waited impatiently in the corridor until the autopsy was completed. When the coroner waved to him, he walked into the sickly-white autopsy room. The coroner was scrubbing his hands at the large white sink. He was a small, birdlike man with a high, chirping voice and quick, nervous movements. He answered all of McGreavy's questions in a rapid, staccato manner, then fled. McGreavy remained there a few minutes, absorbed in what he had just learned. Then he walked out into the freezing night air to find a taxi. There was no sign of one. The sons of bitches were all vacationing in Bermuda. He could stand out here until his ass froze off. He spotted a police cruiser, flagged it down, showed his identification to the young rookie behind the wheel, and ordered him to drive him to the Nineteenth Precinct. It was against regulations, but what the hell. It was going to be a long night.
    When McGreavy walked into the precinct, Angeli was waiting for him. “They just finished the autopsy on Carol Roberts,' McGreavy said. 'And?' 'She was pregnant,' Angeli looked at him in surprise. 'She was three months gone. A little late to have a safe abortion, and a little early to show.' 'Do you think that had anything to do with her murder?' That's a good question,' McGreavy said 'If Carol's boyfriend knocked her up and they were going to get married anyway - what's the big deal? So they get married and have the kid a few months later. It happens every day of the week. On the other hand, if he knocked her up and he didn't want to marry her - that's no big deal, either. So she has the baby and no husband. That happens twice every day of the week.' 'We talked to Chick. He wanted to marry her.' 'I know,' replied McGreavy. 'So we have to ask ourselves where that leaves us. It leaves us with a coloured girl who's pregnant. She goes to the father and tells him about it, and he murders her.' 'He'd have to be insane.' 'Or very foxy. I vote for foxy. Look at it this way: supposing Carol went to the father and broke the bad news and told him she wasn't going to have an abortion; she was going to have his baby.