<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThree Guesses by David Goodis<\/h3>\n It was one of those white stone places up in the east seventies. Plenty of class, Frey thought as he walked up the steps. He turned and looked at the guy waiting in the car. He shrugged, and the guy shrugged back.<\/p>\n
Frey was in his early thirties. He was five eight and he weighed 170 and it was packed in like steel. He was a private dick and he was reckless. It showed in his grey eyes and the glint in his carelessly combed light brown hair and the set of his jawline. It showed in the thin grin of his lips.<\/p>\n
His lips grinned like that as the door opened. A servant, a Jap.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, please?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to see Miss Rillette.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe busy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot too busy to see me,\u201d Frey said. \u201cI\u2019m coming in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Japs are either very tough or they are very timid, and the servant was of the latter stamp. He stepped aside and Frey walked through a pale orange room, then through a burnt orange room and then into another pale orange room.<\/p>\n
\u201cNice place you\u2019ve got here, Miss Rillette,\u201d Frey said.<\/p>\n
She was small and slim and even in the frock of a sculptress she looked delicate and graceful. In one hand she held a chisel. In the other she held a mallet. She was working on a chunk of marble and she had the forehead and general scalp contours almost completed.<\/p>\n
When she turned around she showed a good looking set of features. She had dark brown hair coming in bangs to the eyebrows, and her eyes were gold-hazel. Her mouth was a little too wide, but still she was a good looking girl. She was in her late twenties.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust who are you and what is the meaning of this?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Frey, and I\u2019m a friend of Harry Duggin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that so?\u201d she said. \u201cHow is Harry?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
She blinked a few times and then she said, \u201cWhat happened\u2014and when?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey said, \u201cHe was murdered\u2014this morning. Knifed.\u201d<\/p>\n
She blinked a few more times and then she looked at the floor for a few seconds. Frey was watching her and then he was glancing sideways to a little jade box that held cigarettes. He took one up, eased a stray safety match from his vest pocket, flicked it with his fingernail, and lit up.<\/p>\n
He took a few deep drags and said, \u201cI got an idea that you know something, Miss Rillette.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face showed no emotion as she said, \u201cI thought you said you were a friend of Harry\u2019s. You sound more like a detective.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right. Harry was a good friend of mine. We went to law school together. He became a successful corporation lawyer and I starved for a while and then I became a private detective. I lost touch with Harry for a year or so and then last week he called me up and asked me to do a favor for him. He asked me to follow you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said, \u201cIndeed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right. He must have been looking around for a private dick and then he found out that I was in business and he asked me to follow you. He said that in return for the favor he would give me one hundred and fifty bucks. So you see, Miss Rillette, I have nothing against you personally. I just have to make a living, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did he want you to follow me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to ask me that, Miss Rillette. You know the answer. In fact, you know all the answers. I found that out through seven days of following you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She blinked some more and then she reached out to the little jade box and took a cigarette. Frey flicked one of his safety matches with his fingernail and gave her a light.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat am I supposed to say?\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n
He knew he was going to have trouble with this girl.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to say anything. I\u2019ll write out a confession outline and you sign it. If you want to, you can fill all the gaps. But what I want most is a signed confession\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you say you were?\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n
\u201cA private detective.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBeginner, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
That made him sort of sore. But he swallowed it and said, \u201cMaybe, but I\u2019m not an amateur. I make a living out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
She blinked and dragged half-heartedly at the cigarette and then she turned and looked at the marble she was doing. She looked back at Frey and her eyes were tired as she said, \u201cHow close did you follow me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHere\u2019s what you did,\u201d Frey said. \u201cOn Sunday you attended an exhibition at the Wheye Galleries, up on 57th Street. From there you went to Larry\u2019s, in the Village, where you had a dinner engagement with a man named Lasseroe. From there this guy took you to a party at the Vanderbilt. He went home alone. You stayed at the Vanderbilt. You stayed there for five days, with your very good friend, Daisy Hennifer, the jewelry designer. You had a few luncheon and dinner engagements with Lasseroe. You went to a few shops with Daisy. Then early last night you left the Vanderbilt and I lost you in Fifth Avenue traffic. I went back to tell Harry about it and to get your home address, because in all the days I\u2019d been following you\u2014well, you didn\u2019t once touch home. When I got to Harry\u2019s apartment, his valet informed me that Harry was out for the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s as far as you got?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHardly. I went to Harry\u2019s apartment again this morning. The valet came to the door and told me that Mr. Duggin was sleeping. I explained that it was certainly most important and I went in. But I couldn\u2019t wake Harry up, because he was dead. I don\u2019t know why I\u2019m telling you all this. You know it already.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you get my home address?\u201d She was still blinking a lot, but she wasn\u2019t excited.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe valet gave it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told him\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t tell him anything. I came out of the bedroom and told him that Mr. Duggin was still sleeping. Then I asked him for your address. Maybe he still thinks that Harry is asleep. Or maybe he\u2019s found out already and the police are in on the case.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at the ceiling and then she looked at the floor and then she looked at Frey and said, \u201cNow let me understand this. You say that I murdered Harry. You want me to sign a confession.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s all there is to it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to place yourself in a lot of difficulty, Mr. Frey,\u201d she murmured. \u201cI advise that you give this matter a little more thought before you accuse anyone else\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not accusing anyone else,\u201d Frey said. \u201cWhat are you going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
She blinked and then she looked at her wrist watch and then she looked at the marble. \u201cI have a lot of work to finish before three thirty this afternoon,\u201d she said. \u201cPlease go now.\u201d<\/p>\n
She turned, took up her mallet and chisel, and started to work on the marble. She acted as if Frey had already walked out of the pale orange room.<\/p>\n
He shrugged and walked out.<\/p>\n
The Jap servant followed him to the door. He said to the Jap, \u201cTell Miss Rillette that I\u2019ll be back\u2014after three thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n
He walked down the steps and stepped into the parked coupe.<\/p>\n
He turned the key in the ignition lock and said, \u201cNo go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d this other guy said. This other guy was Mogin. He was about as tall as Frey and he weighed a little over 200 pounds. He had close-cropped blond hair and pretty blue eyes and he was a very tough boy.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe don\u2019t know from nothing,\u201d Frey said. He took the car around the corner and stepped on the gas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do we do now?\u201d Mogin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, we could go to a double feature and kill the afternoon that way. Or we could go up and visit this Lasseroe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mogin shrugged.<\/p>\n
It was a new apartment house near Morningside Heights. It was elegant and smooth and important.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I wait?\u201d Mogin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe you better come in with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
They went in and rang Lasseroe\u2019s number and he must have been expecting somebody because he buzzed an answer right away and the door opened. When Frey and Mogin stepped out of the elevator, Lasseroe was standing at the door of his apartment and when he saw them he expected them to walk right by. But they came up to him.<\/p>\n
He was a man of medium height and he had a good build for a man of forty-five. He had a square, rigid-boned face, and deep-set dark grey eyes, and a good head of black hair threaded with silver. He was wearing a long collared silk shirt and an expensive cravat and an expensive silk lounging robe.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Lasseroe,\u201d Frey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI beg your pardon\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to beg anybody\u2019s pardon,\u201d Frey said. \u201cAll you have to do is answer a few questions. If you don\u2019t mind we won\u2019t waste time out here in the hall. We\u2019ll go into your room and talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI presume you are thieves?\u201d Lasseroe said. He wasn\u2019t excited.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, we ain\u2019t thieves and we don\u2019t like funny boys,\u201d Mogin said.<\/p>\n
Lasseroe walked into the apartment and Frey and Mogin followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, gentlemen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Frey. This is my assistant, Mr. Mogin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lasseroe ignored Mogin. He said, \u201cWhat do you want with me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey began to talk. He didn\u2019t look at Lasseroe. He looked out the window and talked slowly, taking his time. He said, \u201cYou got a nice business, Mr. Lasseroe. You are an expert appraiser of art, and you take good fees from various dealers. Sometimes you hit healthy money. You check up on a Rembrandt and you give your okay to a buyer and the dealer gives you a sweet kick-back. It is all very legitimate and lucrative\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you, a census taker?\u201d Lasseroe said.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuiet,\u201d Mogin toned.<\/p>\n
\u201cA short time ago you figured out a few new angles,\u201d Frey said. \u201cYou weren\u2019t doing so good on the old stuff and you reasoned that you might be able to make up for the deficiency by a few transactions with the modern boys and girls.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust what do you mean by\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQuiet,\u201d Mogin toned.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo here\u2019s what you did,\u201d Frey said. \u201cYou rounded up several of the more snooty painters and sculptors\u2014the artistic boys and girls who have a lot of dough because their parents or some uncle or somebody had a lot of dough. You told the suckers that you\u2019d boost their work in return for tribute. Then you went to the dealers and told them that you had several sensational new artists whose work would bring high prices. You\u2019d give that work a big build-up in return for the kick-backs. It worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow just a moment\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQuiet,\u201d Mogin toned.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody was happy,\u201d Frey said, \u201cbecause nobody really lost out. The artists made dough and the dealers made dough and the customers thought they were getting high class stuff. One of these customers was Harry Duggin, the successful corporation lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lasseroe opened his mouth to say something. Then he closed it and looked at Frey and looked at Mogin and looked at Frey again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sold Duggin a few pieces of sculpture done by a girl named Tess Rillette,\u201d Frey said. \u201cDuggin liked the sculpture and he wanted to meet the girl. You introduced him to Tess and he went crazy. He worshipped her. He asked her to marry him. She thought it was funny and she told you about it. You didn\u2019t think it was funny. You saw a new dodge\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow damn you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQuiet,\u201d Mogin toned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuggin was out of his head because of Tess Rillette. And of course he bought up every piece of sculpture that Tess turned out. This sort of thing went on for more than a year, and Harry didn\u2019t know that sculpture takes a long time and a high-class artist can turn out so many pieces and no more in a certain period. In other words, Harry didn\u2019t stop to figure that you were selling him stuff that Tess Rillette had nothing to do with. That is\u2014he didn\u2019t stop to figure about it until he found out that Tess had fallen for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow you look here\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQuiet,\u201d Mogin toned.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarry could be clever when he wanted to be, and he was always clever when he was good and burned up. He checked up on that stuff you sold him, found out that it was phoney. He got in touch with you, told you that you were slated for jail\u2014but that you could snake your way out of it\u2014by giving up those happy little plans for yourself and Tess Rillette. By that time, you were serious about Tess and you wouldn\u2019t give her up for anything. So you went and murdered Harry Duggin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said\u2014you murdered Harry Duggin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lasseroe stared at the lavender rug. He raised his eyes and said, \u201cIs Harry\u2014dead?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey reached in his pocket and pulled out a safety match and flicked it with his fingernail. Then he remembered he had no cigarette in his mouth and he reached out and Mogin took out a pack and gave him one. He lit the cigarette and he said, \u201cI\u2019m a detective, Lasseroe. I\u2019d like you to tell me how you did it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo?\u201d Frey looked at Mogin. Mogin shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t do it,\u201d Lasseroe said. \u201cLet me see your badge.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have a badge. I\u2019m a private detective.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lasseroe said, \u201cI\u2019ve a good mind to call the police.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to call them,\u201d Fry said. \u201cThey\u2019ll be here soon anyway.\u201d He walked to the door. Mogin followed.<\/p>\n
Lasseroe stood there in the center of the lavender rug. He said, \u201cYou gentlemen have wasted your time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cQuiet,\u201d Mogin toned.<\/p>\n
In the elevator Frey said, \u201cMaybe we can still make that double feature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m getting hungry,\u201d Mogin said. \u201cHow about some lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey parted his lips and the cigarette fell from his mouth. He stepped on the stub and said, \u201cWe\u2019ll have lunch and then we\u2019ll visit another party.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo double feature?\u201d Mogin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo double feature. We\u2019ll visit this third party and if we strike out we\u2019d better leave town for a few days to avoid a lot of aggravation. See what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI see what you mean,\u201d Mogin said. \u201cWho do we see now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see Daisy Hennifer, the jewelry designer,\u201d Frey said. \u201cWe go to the Vanderbilt Hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
They faked a story that they were representatives of a big Manhattan lapidary. That got them up to Daisy Hennifer\u2019s suite. It was topaz yellow, ceiling, walls, rugs and furniture\u2014all topaz yellow. Daisy had on a topaz yellow gown and she had topaz yellow hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t be able to stay long, gentlemen,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve a cocktail engagement at hof post threh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that again?\u201d Mogin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSkip it,\u201d Frey said.<\/p>\n
Daisy was frowning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do last night, Miss Hennifer?\u201d Frey said.<\/p>\n
Her topaz eyes started to glow and she said, \u201cJust what do you mean by coming up here and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t get excited, Miss Hennifer. We\u2019re just doing our job, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you said you were\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, we don\u2019t represent a lapidary. We\u2019re just up here to ask you a few questions, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not police\u2014\u201d She was wearing four rings and she was twisting them about her fingers. They were all big yellow topaz stones.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot exactly\u2014\u201d Frey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell then\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know Harry Duggin?\u201d Frey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy\u2014yes. In fact, I was to see him this afternoon\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t see him, Miss Hennifer,\u201d Frey said. \u201cHe was murdered this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a fine sort, Miss Hennifer. You shouldn\u2019t have done it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDone what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKilled him.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was twisting the topaz rings. They circled fast about her long fingers, the nails of which held topaz yellow polish.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been friends with Harry for a long time, Miss Hennifer,\u201d Frey said. \u201cAs far as you were concerned, it was more than friendship. You went for Harry. But he wasn\u2019t serious. And he finally gave you up altogether because he was getting big ideas concerning Tess Rillette. You hated Tess. You had known her for some time and you had paid no particular attention to her, except to laugh behind her back. You looked upon her as a girl with a lot of money and no brains and no real ability as a sculptress. When you saw her at teas and parties you just saw her, that was all. But when Harry fell for her, you had to pay attention, and you hated her. You\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know this? Who are you? What\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease be quiet and listen,\u201d Mogin droned.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was sort of natural that you should begin to cultivate this Tess Rillette\u2019s friendship. You wanted to talk to her about Harry. You wanted to find out just how much she cared for the guy. And then you found out that she didn\u2019t go for him at all. She adored another man. That made you hate Harry. But at the same time you still weren\u2019t giving up hope. You went to Harry, told him that Tess Rillette was after another man. You begged him to marry you. But instead of helping the situation, your visit made things worse. Harry began to look into the matter. He found out about Tess and this man Lasseroe. He wanted to make doubly sure. He was worried about a lot of things. He had a private investigator follow Tess around during this past week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mogin threw a cigarette. Frey caught it and flicked a safety match with his fingernail.<\/p>\n
Daisy Hennifer was saying, \u201cAll this\u2014it\u2019s\u2014I don\u2019t know what to think. I don\u2019t know what to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to say anything,\u201d Frey said. \u201cJust write me a confession note, that\u2019s all. Just write out the confession and sign it and you won\u2019t have to say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut\u2014but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was convenient for you, Miss Hennifer. Lasseroe had a good motive for killing Duggin. So did Tess Rillette. At first she was indifferent to Harry. And after he threatened to have Lasseroe jailed, she hated him. But your feelings were even stronger. It was your kind of hate that turned to murder.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re wrong,\u201d she said. She was excited. \u201cI didn\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA confession will get you off easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not signing any confession,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t do it. I had nothing to do with it. I adored Harry. I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll save yourself a lot of misery\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
She started to sob. \u201cI didn\u2019t do it. I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey looked at Mogin. The short, heavy guy shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that all, Miss Hennifer?\u201d Frey asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s all I\u2019ve got to say.\u201d She stopped sobbing. Her topaz eyes were dull now. \u201cAre you going to take me away?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey shook his head. \u201cWe can\u2019t take you away. We\u2019re not cops.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared. \u201cThen\u2014what are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey shrugged. \u201cMaybe we\u2019re just a couple of damn fools.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded to Mogin. They went out of Daisy Hennifer\u2019s suite.<\/p>\n
They were walking toward the coupe. Mogin was saying, \u201cIt\u2019s almost three.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have something to eat and we\u2019ll go back and sit in the coupe and wait a while,\u201d Frey said. He put his hand in his change pocket and took out two half dollars, three quarters, six dimes, four nickels. \u201cWe\u2019ll eat a classy lunch on this,\u201d he said. \u201cThen we\u2019ll wait around for a little while and we\u2019ll see where Daisy Hennifer goes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all right with me,\u201d Mogin said: \u201cAnything\u2019s all right with me\u2014as long as we eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
They lunched at the hotel and then they walked out to the lobby and sat down and smoked. At twenty past three, Daisy Hennifer walked through the lobby and Frey and Mogin took their time and followed her.<\/p>\n
A cab was waiting at the curb and Daisy got in.<\/p>\n
The coupe followed.<\/p>\n
Up Fourth avenue and two turns to blade through heavy uptown traffic and then down the street where Tess Rillette lived. The cab stopped outside the white stone house and Daisy got out.<\/p>\n
The coupe went once around the block and then Frey parked it at the corner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis looks good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mogin nodded.<\/p>\n
Frey said, \u201cMaybe you better wait here. If I\u2019m not out in thirty minutes maybe you better come in and see what\u2019s happened to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mogin said, \u201cMaybe you better take this.\u201d He reached in his coat pocket and pulled out a little pistol. Frey looked at it and made a face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate to use those things.\u201d<\/p>\n
He took the pistol and put it in his pocket and walked up the white stone steps. The Jap came to the door and Frey said, \u201cWell\u2014it\u2019s past three thirty. Miss Rillette is expecting me, isn\u2019t she\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jap shook his head. \u201cMiss Rillette is busy. You must call later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell Miss Rillette that I\u2014\u201d He braked his tongue and said, \u201cNo\u2014don\u2019t tell Miss Rillette anything. In fact\u2014maybe you better take a walk around the block.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jap started to get excited. He said, \u201cYou were not among those invited\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTake a walk around the block,\u201d Frey said. \u201cLook, I\u2019ll help you down the steps\u2014\u201d He grabbed hold of the Jap and hustled him down the steps. Mogin saw the deal and opened the door of the coupe. Frey pushed the Jap inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d Mogin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA glimpse of the Far East,\u201d Frey murmured. \u201cTake him to a show. Take him to a dance. I don\u2019t care what you do with him, only keep him away from the house for a while. He\u2019ll get in my way otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jap started to yell.<\/p>\n
\u201cTag him,\u201d Frey said. He looked up and down the street and he saw that it was all right. Then he heard a click and he saw Mogin\u2019s fist bouncing away from the Jap\u2019s chin. The Jap went to sleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll drive around the block a few times,\u201d Mogin said.<\/p>\n
Frey went up the steps again and took his time going through the pale orange room, the burnt orange room. Then he was moving slowly and very quietly as he heard voices coming from the other pale orange room. The orange door was closed but Frey managed to get in a look through the side windows of the studio. The windows were slits of glass running from the floor to the ceiling, and through them Frey saw Tess Rillette and Lasseroe and Daisy Hennifer.<\/p>\n
They were all talking at once and at first their voices were low but then they started to argue and Frey got in on it.<\/p>\n
\u201cClever, weren\u2019t you, Daisy?\u201d Tess Rillette was saying. \u201cYou asked me to be your guest at the hotel, and I thought it was hospitality. But what you really wanted was to keep me away from here. You didn\u2019t want Harry to get in touch with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a lie,\u201d Daisy said. \u201cI asked you to stay at the hotel purely for business reasons. I wanted you to work on those inlaid ivories\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I thought\u2014at first,\u201d Tess Rillette said. \u201cBut I know the truth now. You wanted to keep me away from Harry. You thought maybe you had one last chance of winning him back. And when you found out it was futile\u2014you killed him!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s right, Daisy,\u201d Lasseroe said. \u201cYou killed Harry Duggin. You worshipped him\u2014and hated him!\u201d<\/p>\n
He got out of the chair and pointed at her, and a few glasses on a cocktail tray tipped over.<\/p>\n
Daisy was shouting, \u201cYou\u2019re both lying! You\u2019re trying to place the blame on me and switch things around so that I\u2019ll be put out of the way. You\u2019re trying to commit\u2014double murder!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust what do you mean by that?\u201d Lasseroe said.<\/p>\n
Daisy\u2019s voice was lowered as she stared at the art appraiser and said, \u201cYou killed him. You had every reason to kill him, and you did it. And now you\u2019re trying to get me out of the way. I know the truth about you, Lasseroe. I know how you\u2019ve been swindling art patrons, charging them exorbitant prices for cheap junk such as Tess puts out\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Tess Rillette wasn\u2019t taking this sitting down. She started to call Daisy a lot of nasty names. It was all very unpleasant.<\/p>\n
And then Lasseroe said, \u201cYou\u2019ve got a lot of influence around this town, haven\u2019t you, Daisy?\u201d<\/p>\n
She liked that. She nodded. And there was a mean smile on her lips. Lasseroe was moving slowly toward her, and his face was pale. There was a light in the man\u2019s eyes that told Frey a lot of things. Frey reached into his coat pocket and touched the revolver to make sure that it was still there.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got a lot of mouth, too,\u201d Lasseroe was saying.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust what do you mean by that?\u201d Daisy looked at him straight.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may turn out to be quite an annoyance,\u201d Lasseroe said. He kept moving toward her.<\/p>\n
Tess Rillette was grabbing Lasseroe\u2019s arm, saying, \u201cPlease\u2014enough has already happened\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
But Lasseroe was excited and he was pushing Tess Rillette away and then he was making a grab for Daisy. She fell backward and he went over with her and he got his fingers around her throat. She managed to scream once and then she started to gurgle. Frey opened the door and took out his revolver and pointed it at Lasseroe\u2019s spine.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right,\u201d he said, \u201cLet\u2019s stop playing.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Lasseroe was out of control now and he was choking the life out of Daisy Hennifer. He didn\u2019t seem to hear Frey, and he increased the pressure of his fingers around Daisy\u2019s windpipe. Tess Rillette was screaming and putting herself between Frey and Lasseroe, in an ungraceful try at the old martyr act.<\/p>\n
Frey knew that he couldn\u2019t stand on ceremony. He had to break it up and break it up fast. He pushed Tess Rillette and she didn\u2019t like being pushed. She was screaming now, and she threw fingernails at his face. He let her have a slow right to the jaw and it sent her across the room, spinning.<\/p>\n
Then he had a try at Lasseroe.<\/p>\n
He tried to pull Lasseroe away from Daisy Hennifer, who by now was in a very bad way. But Lasseroe was a maniac now and he wanted to take the life away from the jewelry designer. Frey knew that he would have to use the revolver. He lifted it and then allowed the butt to come down and make contact with Lasseroe\u2019s skull.<\/p>\n
Lasseroe went to sleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll take them all down to Harry\u2019s apartment,\u201d Frey said. \u201cIf the cops aren\u2019t there already, it\u2019ll be a good idea to finish the case right on the spot where it started.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a very good idea,\u201d Mogin said. \u201cI have a hunch that this will put us on the map.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey nodded. He prodded Lasseroe with the revolver and said, \u201cYou and Miss Rillette will sit in the opera seats with me. Miss Hennifer will ride in front.\u201d He touched the shivering Jap on the elbow and said, \u201cThe studio is in quite a bad state. Better go in there and rearrange things. If you have any questions to ask Miss Rillette, maybe you better call the police station. That\u2019ll be her temporary address before she goes away on a long trip.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stepped into the coupe and closed the door. Lasseroe was manacled to him and Miss Rillette was manacled to Lasseroe. Daisy was still groaning as Mogin put the car in first and sent it whizzing down the street.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re making a big mistake,\u201d Lasseroe said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t talk about making mistakes if I were you,\u201d Frey said lightly. He felt very good. All a private investigator needed was one good break like this, and he was made. The cases would come in thick and fast, and so would the dough. Frey smiled.<\/p>\n
Tess Rillette was saying, \u201cI told you, Mr. Frey\u2014you were letting yourself in for a lot of difficulty, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I turn here?\u201d Mogin was saying.<\/p>\n
There were a few police cars in front of the high-class apartment where Harry Duggin had lived, and where he had died. The coupe parked across the street and Frey saw the crowd and the reporters. He said, \u201cAll right\u2014here we go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone was looking and murmuring as the five of them went into the apartment house. A cop walked over and said, \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the Harry Duggin case,\u201d Frey said.<\/p>\n
They stepped into the elevator and went up seven floors to the apartment. There were a lot of cops up there, a lot of plain clothes men and lads from the homicide bureau. Reporters and photographers and a doctor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d a plain clothes man said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the Harry Duggin case,\u201d Frey said.<\/p>\n
The mob crowded around. This little deal was taking place in the living room of the apartment. The dick was saying, \u201cCarven is in the bedroom. He\u2019s talking to Duggin\u2019s valet.\u201d He frowned at Frey and said, \u201cWhat have you got?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough,\u201d Frey said. He pointed to Lasseroe. \u201cHere\u2019s your baby. I\u2019m going in and talk to Carven.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he started for the bedroom door he heard Lasseroe saying, \u201cYou\u2019re making a big mistake\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey smiled.<\/p>\n
He went into the bedroom and he saw Carven, the big shot detective. He saw the two cops in there and he saw the valet, and then the corpse of Harry Duggin. Carven had the valet by the back of the neck. Carven was a big man and he was forcing the valet to look down at Harry Duggin\u2019s dead face.<\/p>\n
Carven was saying, \u201cLook at him. He\u2019s dead. Do you get that? He\u2019s dead. You called us in here and you figured that would automatically put you out of the picture. And you told us that a guy by the name of Frey came in here this morning and killed him. But Frey\u2019s an old pal of mine. Frey\u2019s a private dick\u2014a lousy one, reckless and careless, but still he\u2019s a dick and your story didn\u2019t go. You killed Duggin\u2014why\u2014why\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n
Not only was Carven big, he was plenty tough. He gave the valet a short left and a mean right to the ribs. The valet broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2014I killed him,\u201d he said, and it turned into a sob. \u201cI\u2014I wanted something that he owned\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was it?\u201d Carven said. He raised his head, clipped to one of the cops, \u201cTake this down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The valet was sobbing, saying, \u201cHe had a fortune in little marble statues. He was always talking about those marble statues, telling me how priceless they were. He\u2014kept talking about those statues all the time, telling me that the greatest sculptress in the world made them\u2014and that money couldn\u2019t buy them. That\u2019s all he talked about\u2014the statues made by Tess Rillette. He\u2014drove it into me\u2014made me crazy with the desire to own them. I\u2014I\u2014put a knife into him\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Carven grinned. He looked at the cops and said, \u201cPretty fast, wasn\u2019t it? We came in on this case exactly two and a half hours ago. I can well imagine what happened to that wise guy Frey. He came in here this morning and he saw Duggin lying dead in bed and he figured he\u2019d go out with his stooge Mogin and do big things. I\u2019d like to see his face when he finds out\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he turned and saw Frey\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
Mogin was talking loud and fast. He was saying, \u201cWhat\u2019re you crying the blues about? It was just a bad break, that\u2019s all. And at least we pinned something on somebody. We got that smart bird Lasseroe locked up for fake art manipulations, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
They were walking toward the coupe. Frey was shaking his head and his head was hanging low. He said, \u201cCan we make a late double feature?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure,\u201d Mogin said. He put his heavy hand on Frey\u2019s shoulder and said, \u201cIt\u2019s a good idea. We\u2019ll go to the movies and get it off our minds. Don\u2019t worry, pal. Better days are coming. Hey\u2014where you goin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n
Frey was walking away from the coupe, toward a corner drug store. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back,\u201d he said. \u201cI just want to go in here and take an aspirin. It\u2019ll help me wait for the better days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Best David Goodis Books to Read<\/h2>\n <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>if you enjoyed Three Guesses by David Goodis, check out The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Arthur Conan Doyle<\/a><\/p>\nNarrated by Chris Pyle, courtesy of Librivox. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three Guesses by David Goodis was published in the magazine Hooded Detective in 1942. It tells the story about a Private Investigator fishing for clues to the murder of a lawyer. This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Three Guesses by David Goodis Three Guesses […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}