〃She holds the fort in this office and holds his hand out of office hours。 She's no office cutie； though。 She has brains and style。〃
〃This situation is going to use all she has；〃 Dógarmo said。 He drove down to Wilshire and we turned east again。
Twenty…five minutes brought us to the Bryson Tower； a white stucco palace with fretted lanterns in the forecourt and tall date palms。 The entrance was in an L； up marble steps； through a Moorish archway； and over a lobby that was too big and a carpet that was too blue。 Blue All Baba oil jars were dotted around； big enough to keep tigers in。 There was a desk and a night clerk with one of those mustaches that get stuck under your fingernail。
Degarmo lunged past the desk towards an open elevator beside which a tired old man sat on a stool waiting for a customer。 The clerk snapped at Degarmo's back like a terrier。
〃One moment； please。 Whom did you wish to see？〃 Degarmo spun on his heel and looked at me wonderingly。 〃Did he say 'whom'？〃
〃Yeah； but don't hit him；〃 I said。 〃There is such a word。〃 Degarmo licked his lips。 〃I knew there was；〃 he said。 〃I often wondered where they kept it。 Look； buddy；〃 he said to the clerk； 〃we want up to seven…sixteen。 Any objection？〃
〃Certainly I have；〃 the clerk said coldly。 〃We don't anflounce guests at〃 he lifted his arm and turned it neatly to look at the narrow oblong watch on the inside of his wrist〃at twenty…three minutes past four in the morning。〃
〃That's what I thought；〃 Degarmo said。 〃So I wasn't going to bother you。 You get the idea？〃 He took his shield out of his pocket and held it so that the light glinted on the gold and the blue enameL 〃I'm a police lieutenant。〃 The clerk shrugged。 〃Very well。 I hope there isn't going to be any trouble。 I'd better announce you then。 What names？〃
〃Lieutenant Degarmo and Mr。 Marlowe。〃
〃Apartment 716。 That will be Miss Fromsett。 One moment。〃 He went behind a glass screen and we heard him talking on the phone after a longish pause。 He came back and nodded。
〃Miss Fromsett is in。 She will receive you。〃
〃That's certainly a load off my mind；〃 Degarmo said。 〃And don't bother to call your house peeper and send him up to the scatter。 I'm allergic to house peepers。〃 The clerk gave a small cold smile and we got into the elevator。
The seventh floor was cool and quiet。 The corridor seemed a mile long。 We came at last to a door with 716 on it in gilt numbers in a circle of gilt leaves。 There was an ivory button beside the door。 Degarmo pushed it and chimes rang inside the door and it was opened。
Miss Fromsett wore a quilted blue robe over her pajamas。 On her feet were small tufted slippers with high heels。 Her dark hair was fluffed out engagingly and the cold cream had been wiped from her face and just enough makeup applied。
We went past her into a rather narrow room with several handsome oval mirrors and gray period furniture upholstered in blue damask。 It didn't look like apartment house furniture。 She sat down on a slender love seat and leaned back and waited calmly for somebody to say something。
I said： 〃This is Lieutenant Degarmo of the Bay City police。 We're looking for Kingsley。 He's not at his house。 We thought you might be able to give us an idea where to find him。〃 She spoke to me without looking at me。 〃Is it that urgent？〃
〃Yes。 Something has happened。〃
〃What has happened？〃 Degarmo said bluntly： 〃We just want to know where Kingsley is； sister。 We don't have time to build up a scene。〃 The girl looked at him with a plete absence of expression。 She looked back at me and said： 〃I think you had better tell me； Mr。 Marlowe。〃
〃I went down there with the money；〃 I said。 〃I met her as arranged。 I went to her apartment to talk to her。 While there I was slugged by a man who was hidden behind a curtain。 I didn't see the man。 When I came out of it she had been murdered。〃
〃Murdered？〃 I said： 〃Murdered。〃 She closed her fine eyes and the corners of her lovely mouth drew in。 Then she stood up with a quick shrug and went over to a small； marble…topped table with spindly legs。 She took a cigarette out of a small embossed silver box and lit it； staring emptily down at the table。 The match in her hand was waved more and more slowly until it stopped； still burning； and she dropped it into a tray。 She turned and put her back to the table。
〃I suppose I ought to scream or something；〃 she said。 〃I don't seem to have any feeling about it at all。〃 Degarmo said： 〃We don't feel so interested in your feelings right now。 What we want to know is where Kingsley is。 You can tell us or not tell us。 Either way you can skip the attitudes。 Just make your mind up。〃 She said to me quietly： 〃The lieutenant here is a Bay City officer？〃 I nodded。 She turned at him slowly； with a lovely contemptuous dignity。 〃In that case；〃 she said； 〃he has no more right in my apartment than any other loud…mouthed bum that might try to toss his weight around。〃 Degarmo looked at her bleakly。 He grinned and walked across the room and stretched his long legs from a deep downy chair。 He waved his hand at me。
〃Okay； you work on her。 I can get all the co…operation I need from the L。A。 boys； but by the time I had things explained to them； it would be a week from next Tuesday。〃 I said： 〃Miss Fromsett； if you know where he is； or where he started to go； please teli us。 You can understand that he has to be found。〃 She said calmly： 〃Why？〃 Degarmo put his head back and laughed。 〃This babe is good；〃 he said。 〃Maybe she thinks we should keep it a secret from him that his wife has been knocked off。〃
〃She's better than you think；〃 I told him。 His face sobered and he bit his thumb。 He looked her up and down insolently。
She said： 〃Is it just because he has to be told？〃 I took the yellow and green scarf out of my pocket and shook it out loose and held it in front of her。
〃This was found in the apartment where she was murdered。 I think you have seen it。〃 She looked at the scarf and she looked at me； and in neither of the glances was there any meaning。 She said： 〃You ask for a great deal of confidence； Mr。 Marlowe。 Considering that you haven't been such a very smart detective after all。〃
〃I ask for it；〃 I said； 〃and I expect to get it。 And how smart I've been is something you don't really know anything about。〃
〃This is cute；〃 Degarmo put in。 〃You two make a nice team。 All you need is acrobats to follow you。 But right now 〃 She cut through his voice as if he didn't exist。 〃How was she murdered？〃
〃She was strangled and stripped naked and scratched up。〃
〃Derry wouldn't have done anything like that；〃 she said quietly。
Degarmo made a noise with his lips。 〃Nobody ever knows what anybody else will do； sister。 A cop knows that much。〃 She still didn't look at him。 In the same level tone she asked： 〃Do you want to know where we went after we left your apartment and whether he brought me home…things like that？〃
〃Because if he did； he wouldn't have had time to go down to the beach and kill her？ Is that it？〃 I said； 〃That's a good part of it。〃
〃He didn't bring me home；〃 she said slowly。 〃I took a taxi on Hollywood Boulevard； not more than five minutes after we left your place。 I didn't see him again。 I supposed he went home。〃 Degarmo said： 〃Usually the bim tries to give her boy friend a bit more alibi than that。 But it takes all kinds； don't it？〃 Miss Fromsett said to me： 〃He wanted to bring me home； but it was a long way out of his way and we were both tired。 The reason I was telling you this is because I know it doesn't matter in the least。 If I thought it did； I wouldn't tell you。〃
〃So he did have time；〃 I said。
She shook her head。 〃I don't know。 I don't know how much time was needed。 I don't know how he could have known where to go。 Not from me； not from her through me。 She didn't tell me。〃 Her dark eyes were on mine； searching； probing。 〃Is this the kind of confidence you ask for？〃 I folded the scarf up and put it back in my pocket。 〃We want to know where he is now。〃
〃I can't tell you because I have no idea。〃 Her eyes had followed the scarf down to my pocket。 They stayed there。 〃You say you were slugged。 You mean knocked unconscious？〃
〃Yes。 By somebody who was hidden out behind a curtain。 We still fall for it。 She pulled a gun on me and I was busy trying to take it away from her。 There's no doubt she shot Lavery。〃 Degarmo stood up suddenly： 〃You're making yourself a nice smooth scene； fellow；〃 he growled。 〃But you're not getting anywhere。 Let's blow。〃 I said： 〃Wait a minute。 I'm not finished。 Suppose he had something on his mind； Miss Fromsett something that was eating pretty deep into him。 That was how he looked tonight。 Suppose he knew more about all this than we realized…or than I realized…and knew things were ing to a head。 He would want to go somewhere quietly and try to figure out what to do。 Don't you think he might？〃 I stopped and waited； looking sideways at Degarmo's impatience。 After a moment the girl said tonelessly： 〃He wouldn't run away or hide； because it wasn't anything he could run away or hide from。 But he might want a time to himself to think。〃
〃In a strange place； in a hotel；〃 I said； thinking of the story that had b