Death of a Doxy (Crime Line)

"Don't rush me. I told him nothing doing unless I had the whole picture. It took a while and a lot of questions, but I had to know if Isabel Kerr was something hot, like the runaway daughter of an ambassador. No. She had formerly been a showgirl, but three years ago had been rescued and installed in the nest she was still occupying. The toughest detail to get was the name of the rescuer. Orrie claimed he didn't know, but of course he did, and I insisted. His name is Avery Ballou, president of the Federal Holding Corporation. Apparently Isabel had some quality that he enjoyed, for he was still paying the rent and the grocery bill and was paying her visits two or three times a week, evenings. But she knew that kind of setup never lasts forever, and anyway she wanted Orrie. They had met somewhere, that's irrelevant and immaterial, about a year ago, and she had been – well, feeding him some of Avery Ballou's groceries, and she had decided she had to have him for keeps. I accepted that. Women don't fall for Orrie quite as fast and furious as he thinks they do, but he is no baboon, and female eyes do sometimes fasten on him."

"So you went."

"Yes. I am not dodging, but I mention that it seemed advisable. While he is no Saul Panzer, for years he has come in very handy for you – okay, for us. He has done a lot of pretty good chores and has never skunked as far as we know. So I went, yesterday afternoon, with gloves and an assortment of keys, arriving at exactly four-fifteen. There was no answer to my ring, and I went in and up. It's one of those remodeled four-story houses, self-service elevator, no doorman or hallman, and I wasn't seen. Since you have read the piece in the Times, you know what I found. I didn't stay to use the gloves or keys; I don't think Orrie rated that. Anyway, even if I found some objects, granting they were there, it was a cinch they would find his prints, since he had been there for hours only three days ago. So I left."

"Seen?"

"No. I phoned you not to expect me for dinner, and -"

"That was at five o'clock."