The Crime Coast by Elizabeth Gill

Author:Elizabeth Gill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dean Street Press
Published: 2017-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIV

ROUGH-HOUSE

THE Slosher had turned round, and was looking at them with the air of a paralyzed pig. The jewel merchant clasped his fat hands in front of him and smiled in a noncommittal sort of way, as if to say, “This is no affair of mine.”

Benvenuto advanced further into the room.

“It’s all right, Mr. Dawkins, I’m not going to shoot you if you keep quite still,” he said, taking a chair, while Paul stationed himself behind him.

“Now listen to me,” he went on. “We want some information from you and you don’t leave here until we’ve got it. We have no connection with the police”—here the Slosher took on an easier attitude and gingerly turned his chair towards them—“but on the other hand I can, if I choose, put them on your tracks in ten minutes. Meanwhile I have three of the toughest thugs in Marseille downstairs in the bar, and unless you tell me what I want to know you will never leave this place alive. D’you understand? Your fat body will be rotting down a drain this evening instead of drinking champagne on the proceeds of the Trelorne jewels. Oh, yes—I know what I’m talking about.”

The Slosher blinked.

“You fair took me by surprise, as the saying goes. Oo are yer, anyway?”

“Never mind about that. The point is I’ve got you by the short hairs, and unless—”

“Anything I can do to oblige,” the Slosher cut in hastily.

“You will tell me exactly why you went to the rooms of the Signora da Costa in Bishop’s Hotel last Tuesday evening about six o’clock.”

The Slosher gave a spasmodic jump.

“I never done it—wajjer mean? I wasn’t never in ’er bloody rooms, s’welp me Gawd I wasn’t.”

“I am not asking you whether you smothered the lady,” said Benvenuto soothingly. “We will not touch on such a delicate matter, and even if you did I couldn’t expect you to admit it. No. But you were there, and now’s your chance to explain why. Quick, Mr. Dawkins.”

“I take me bleedin’ oath I never went near.”

Benvenuto smiled.

“Does Loty’s bath powder mean anything to you? Or this?” With a stride he had reached the table, and from the tangle of pearls and bracelets he picked up a small diamond brooch and held it in front of the Slosher, who quailed.

“You seem to know a ’ell of a lot. I’ll come across; that’s ter say, you get me out of this ’ome of rest and I’ll come across.”

Benvenuto thrust his revolver nearer. “You’ll tell me now or you’re a dead man,” he said threateningly.

“Orl right, orl right, don’t be so ’asty. Yer see, it was like this ’ere. The lidy you mention ’ad come over from Paris with a packet of snow—that’s ter say, cocaine. A big packet it was, and a friend of mine ’oo’d ’ad a row wiv ’er—”

“Yes, yes—her brother.”

“Well, it was ’er bruvver, now you mention it. ’E’d ’ad a row wiv ’is sister and wanted to get one back on ’er, like. Likewise

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