Nightmare in Pink: A Travis McGee Novel by John D. MacDonald

Author:John D. MacDonald [MacDonald, John D.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery & Detective, Crime, Hard-Boiled, General, Suspense, Thrillers, Fiction
ISBN: 9780812983951
Google: bcup70w4uKoC
Amazon: 1491512253
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 1964-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Eight

THAT MONDAY morning, after I had freshened up at my hotel I retrieved Howie's money, took a thousand dollars out of the envelope, taped it up again and had it put back in safekeeping.

Though I felt slightly helpless at penetrating the Currency Curtain the big rich erect around themselves-perhaps to guard them from such as me-I was considerably more confident of my ability to find my way around within the upper level call-girl circuits. Perhaps, though I have never sought such services, this confidence is a clue to the social status of McGee. Once upon a time I had to unravel a situation in Chicago, and I guessed that it could not be too different in New York.

I could assume there would not be too many very fancy and expensive setups. I was not too much concerned about the private entrepreneurs -those little setups where two or three girls are close friends and have enough of the right kind of visiting-fireman contacts to establish themselves on a semi-pro basis. There would be hundreds of those in the city, and they would be too risky for Baynard Mulligan to approve of them. Those girls, not subjected to any outside control, can prove to be neurotic, alcoholic, thieving or diseased. This would have to be a businesslike operation-discreet, reliable, trustworthy, thoroughly screened and paying adequately for all necessary protection. I could not imagine there would be more than three truly expensive circuits in the city.

I hit it on the first try. I tried the Convention Manager of the hotel where I used to stay, before I became so well-known there that I lost some essential freedom of movement. An assistant manager I knew introduced me to the Convention Manager. Even with an introduction he was very edgy and cautious. I told him I had three Venezuelan friends coming to town, and I wanted to line up three very superior girls-superior, entertaining, fashionable and cooperative-price no object. He hedged and dithered and pretended helplessness, and finally told me I might try Arts and Talents Associates on West 38th Street, and ask for Mrs. Smith, but I was on my own and I could not use his name.

I phoned the place and asked for Mrs. Smith. She had a dull, tired, doughy voice. "Model service, Mrs. Smith speaking."

I said I wanted to employ a model and she asked me if I had an account with them. I said I didn't, but that I wished to open an account. slae suggested I stop by and talk with her ahout it, and if I would be along soon, not to bother stopping at reception but come right to her office, Number 1113.

It was a big drab ugly rabbit-warren of an office building, with noisy elevators, narrow littered corridors. I saw enough of Arts and Talents to see that it was large and busy and very probably entirely legitimate. Kids who looked like theater bums were in groups outside the main entrance to the eleventh-floor offices, drinking Coke and jabbering.

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