The Deadly Sex by Jack Webb

Author:Jack Webb [Webb, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4405-4148-3
Publisher: Prologue Books
Published: 1959-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

“The big boy’s still in jail. Willie’s in the hospital with a broken jaw. You could say I’m looking for a job.” He crossed the room to the big chair Epstein had perched upon. Sammy filled it, his elbows on the arms.

She stood over him looking down. “You could use a drink,” she decided.

“I could at that.”

She turned away and went in the direction of the kitchen. Her large, firm hips moved provocatively under the too-tight wine-colored housecoat. Sammy watched with a touch of disgust. Sex had died last night and been buried in ashes. Barbara Wells had done that. Or rather Dan Adams had when he had taken Laura away. For good and forever. You had to grow up some time, even if you were running headlong past forty.

Rita returned with a bottle and two glasses. No water, no ice, no frills at all. She poured them each two inches. “Here’s to success,” she said.

“Success,” Sammy repeated.

She sat on the sofa across from him and behind the cocktail table. She put the bottle on the table. “Help yourself,” she said. “At home I’m a hell of a hostess.”

Sammy raised his glass. “This is what I needed. Looking at you is no pain. You going to put me to work?”

Rita smiled. “We may get along. You’re direct. Tell me about the Dutchman.”

“After I finished phoning you I stopped by the apartment to look in on the girl, Laura. The Dutchman had put her up in an apartment on Sunset. Kessener had told me to when I left him. She was there, all right. So was Kessener. Dead on the floor. She had a gun in her hand and was standing in a dream.”

Rita Campbell said quickly, “Right after you left the Dutchman, you said you phoned me. If he was going to see the girl, why did he tell you to look in on her?”

“Sorry,” Sammy said. “That’s not straight, is it? After I phoned you, I had some thinking to do. When you gave me the second come-on. You know how damned nice you were on the phone, following that note you passed me. So I had to make up my mind. You or Kessener. You’re real flattering, Rita. But I’ve been around long enough to know I’m no catch. I had to try to figure the angles. I drove for a while, clear down to the beach. On my way back, I decided to look in on Laura. That’s when I ran into the business.”

“And then?”

“I got the hell out in a hurry.”

“Laura?”

“She was out on her feet. I don’t even think she knew I was there.”

“Who is she?”

“Laura. A girl I met in your bar. A girl I could have gone for. She took me to Kessener. A big mistake.” Some of the bitter truth crept into his voice.

Rita heard it there, believed him. “But you left her—”

“I left a hell of a lot more than a girl. I left trouble. The kind of trouble that belonged to somebody else.

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