The Wench Is Dead by Fredric Brown

Author:Fredric Brown
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

MY FIRST FEELING was one of relief. I guess even a real criminal, one who's guilty of something and in real danger, must feel a touch of it when the suspense is over and he doesn't have to worry about being caught any more because he is caught.

I said, “With you in a minute,” and dried my hands and forearms, rolled down my sleeves as I went over to him.

He jerked his head toward the alley entrance and headed that way. I followed him, wondering a little that he hadn't frisked me and that he let me walk behind him. Inefficient. Even if his partner was waiting out here, he was taking a chance.

But he didn't have any partner in the alley. Nor was there a squad car. Was he going to walk me to the station, alone?

A few paces from the door, he stopped and turned. Apparently he wasn't going to take me in at all; just wanted to talk to me here. And it was all he wanted.

“Perry,” he said, “do you know a man named Ike Batchelor who lives on Winston Street?”

“Yes.” What the hell, had something happened to Ike? Wasn't this about Mame after all?

“When did you see him last?”

I thought back. “Yesterday evening,” I said. “At Barney's, around half past nine. I left then. He was still there when I left.”

“And before that?”

“Yesterday morning, same place. I was on my way to work here. I start at eleven. Saw Ike in Barney's and went in, had one drink with him. Something happen to Ike? Is he all right?”

“He's all right. And before that, when did you last see him?”

I asked him to let me think a minute, and he did.

“Day before yesterday, Sunday. I was with him all Sunday evening, from about seven o'clock on. Till at least midnight, maybe later.”

“Where were you, and was anyone else with you?”

“Two other guys,” I said, answering the second half of Ms question first. “Sam Dobbs was one of them. The other one I know only by the name of Blackie. Don't even know if his last name's Black or if it's just a nickname. We were at Barney's a short while, started out there, then went up to Sam Dobbs' room.”

“Will you tell it from the beginning? From the time you first saw Batchelor?”

“I went into Barney's at seven and—”

“Wait a minute. How do you know it was seven? Can you be sure?”

I said, “If the clock in Barney's was right, I'm sure. I remember it was seven because I looked at the clock as I went hi, and I remember thinking that if it hadn't been Sunday I'd just be getting off work. Seven's my quitting time here.”

“And Sunday's your day off?”

“Everybody's day off, here. The restaurant's closed Sundays.”

“Were you sober then?”

“Yes,” I said. “I'd taken a nap in my room and had just waked up. So I hadn't been drinking.”

“All right, go on. You went in Barney's at seven.”

“Ike was there already. So were Sam and Blackie.

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