Scudder - Eight Million Ways To Die Part 13

SEVEN.

It was no big deal. I didn't even feel the drink at first, and then what I experienced was a vague headache and the suggestion of nausea.

Well, my system wasn't used to it. I'd been away from it for a week. When was the last time I'd gone a full week without a drink?

I couldn't remember. Maybe fifteen years, I thought. Maybe twenty, maybe more.

I stood there, a forearm on the bar, one foot on the bottom rung of the bar stool beside me, and I tried to determine just what it was that I felt. I decided that something didn't hurt quite so much as it had a few minutes ago. On the other hand, I felt a curious sense of loss. But of what?

'Another?'

I started to nod, then caught myself and shook my head. 'Not right now,' I said. 'You want to let me have some dimes? I have to make a couple of calls.'

He changed a dollar for me and pointed me toward the pay phone. I closed myself into the booth and took out my notebook and pen and started making calls. I spent a few dimes learning who was in charge of the Dakkinen case and a couple more reaching him, but finally I was plugged into the squad room at Midtown North. I asked to speak to Detective Durkin and a voice said, 'Just a minute,' and 'Joe? For you,' and after a pause another voice said, 'This is Joe Durkin.'

I said, 'Durkin, my name is Scudder. I'd like to know if you've made an arrest in the Dakkinen murder.'

'I didn't get that name,' he said.

'It's Matthew Scudder, and I'm not trying to get information out of you, I'm trying to give it. If you haven't arrested the pimp yet I may be able to give you a lead.'

After a pause he said, 'We haven't made any arrests.'

'She had a pimp.'

'We know that.'

'Do you have his name?'

'Look, Mr. Scudder - '

'Her pimp's name is Chance. That may be a first or last name or it may be an alias. There's no yellow sheet on him, not under that name.'

'How would you know about a yellow sheet?'

'I'm an ex-cop. Look, Durkin, I've got a lot of information and all I want to do is give it to you. Suppose I just talk for a few minutes and then you can ask anything you want.'

'All right.'

I told him what I knew about Chance. I gave him a full physical description, added a description of his car and supplied the license number. I said he had a minimum of four girls on his string and that one of them was a Ms. Sonya Hendryx, possibly known as Sunny, and I described her. 'Friday night he dropped Hendryx at 444 Central Park West. It's possible she lives there but more likely that she was going to attend a victory party for a prizefighter named Kid Bas...o...b.. Chance has some sort of interest in Bas...o...b..and it's probable that someone in that building was throwing a party for him.'

He started to interrupt but I kept going. I said, 'Friday night Chance learned that the Dakkinen girl wanted to end their relationship. Sat.u.r.day afternoon he visited her on East Thirty-eighth Street and told her he had no objection. He told her to vacate the apartment by the end of the month. It was his apartment, he rented it and installed her in it.'

'Just a minute,' Durkin said, and I heard papers rustle. 'The tenant of record is a Mr. David Goldman. That's also the name Dakkinen's phone's listed in.'

'Have you been able to trace David Goldman?'

'Not yet.'

'My guess is you won't, or else Goldman'll turn out to be a lawyer or accountant Chance uses to front for him. I'll tell you this much, Chance doesn't look like any David Goldman I ever met.'

'You said he was black.'

'That's right.'

'You met him.'

'That's right. Now he doesn't have a particular hangout, but there are several places he frequents.' I ran down the list. 'I wasn't able to learn where he lives. I gather he keeps that a secret.'

'No problem,' Durkin said. 'We'll use the reverse directory. You gave us his phone number, remember? We'll look it up and get the address that way.'

'I think the number's his answering service.'

'Well, they'll have a number for him.'

'Maybe.'

'You sound doubtful.'

'I think he likes to keep himself hard to find,' I said.

'How'd you happen to find him? What's your connection to all of this, Scudder?'

I felt like hanging up. I'd given them what I had and I didn't feel like answering questions. But I was a lot easier to find than Chance, and if I hung up on Durkin he could have me picked up in no time.

I said, 'I met him Friday night. Miss Dakkinen asked me to intercede for her.'

'Intercede how?'

'By telling him she wanted to get off the hook. She was scared to tell him herself.'

'So you told him for her.'

'That's right.'

'What, are you a pimp yourself, Scudder? She go from his stable to yours?'

My grip tightened on the receiver. I said, 'No, that's not my line, Durkin. Why? Is your mother looking for a new connection?'

'What in - '

'Just watch your f.u.c.king mouth, that's all. I'm handing you things on a plate and I never had to call you at all.'

He didn't say anything.

I said, 'Kim Dakkinen was a friend of a friend. If you want to know about me there used to be a cop named Guzik who knew me. Is he still at Midtown North?'

'You're a friend of Guzik's?'