Someone had obviously been searching the room for something pretty important, Adams thought, and the search had been as thorough as it had been destructive.

He walked over to the telephone, lifted the receiver and, when he heard Cutler's voice, he said, "I want you. Come up."

While he waited, he examined the room, but found nothing to interest him.

Cutler came in hurriedly. From the way he was breathing, Adams guessed he had run up the stairs.

When Cutler saw the disorder, he came to an abrupt standstill.

"For crying out loud!" he exclaimed.

"Why didn't you tell me Yarde was out?" Adams asked acidly.

"I didn't know he was," Cutler said. "What the h.e.l.l's been going on here?"

"How do I know? I found it like this. Have you another way out beside the main lobby?"

"Yeah. At the end of the pa.s.sage and down the fire escape."

"So whoever did this could have come up that way?"

"I guess so."

Adams grunted.

"There's a girl in the opposite room. She might have seen something. Bring her here."

Cutler hesitated, but the cold, hard light in Adams' eyes warned him this wasn't the time to be uncooperative.

He crossed the pa.s.sage, opened the opposite door.

"Hey, Milly, come here a moment."

The girl appeared, looked across the pa.s.sage at the disordered room and her eyes lit up.

"Gee I Did someone lose something?"

"Did Yarde go out by the escape last night?" Adams asked.

"Do I answer this copper's questions?" she asked Cutler.

He nodded.

"Okay, if you say so," she said, "but I thought this joint had protection."

"Did Yarde go out by the escape last night?" Adams snapped.

"Yes. Everyone uses the escape."

"This mess couldn't have been made without a lot of noise. Didn't you hear anything?"

"I had the radio on, but I did hear furniture being pushed around. I didn't think anything of it."

"What time last night?"

"About half-past ten."

"You didn't see any stranger in the pa.s.sage?"

"If I had I would have called Seth."

"You said just now that Yarde was out. Didn't you think it was odd to hear noises in his room after he had gone out?"

"How was I to know it was in his room? I just heard noises. Why should I care?"

"How do you know Yarde went out at eight last night? Did you see him?"

"Yes."

"Did he say where he was going?"

"He said he was going to raise some money."

"Did he tell you that?"

"Yes. He had borrowed ten bucks off me and I wanted it. He said he hadn't got it on him, but he would give it to me when he got back." She looked around the room. "Doesn't look as if he is coming back now, does it?"

"Did he say how he was going to raise the money?"

"I didn't ask him."

"Okay," Adams said, waving her to the door. "You can go."

"Thanks copper for nothing," she said, and flounced back to her room.

"Got any ideas about this?" Adams asked Cutler.

Cutler shook his head.

"If Yarde shows up tell him I want to talk to him. I want information. He isn't in trouble, but he will be if he doesn't get in touch with me."

"I'll tell him. Want to go out by the escape?"

"Anything's better than your elevator."

They walked along the pa.s.sage to a door at the far end. Cutler opened it and Adams stepped out on to an iron platform. From where he stood, he had a good view of the waterfront and the surrounding buildings. Immediately below him was a dark alley that ran by the side of the hotel and led out on to the waterfront.

"So long, Lieutenant," Cutler said.

Adams wasn't paying attention. He was watching two men standing in the shadows. Facing them was a cop. The taller of the two men suddenly stepped back.

There was something about the cop's cautious att.i.tude that held Adams' attention. He saw the taller one move slightly around to the back of the cop. He made a sudden movement and then the quiet night was shattered by the sound of gunfire.

The cop took a step forward and fell on his knees. The man who had fired grabbed his companion by the arm and dragged him down the alley immediately below where Adams was standing.

Adams' hand slid inside his coat and he jerked out his .38 police special. He took a snapshot at the taller of the two men and had the satisfaction of seeing him stagger. He raised the gun to fire again, but Cutler appeared to slip and cannoned into him, spoiling his aim.

The two men had now disappeared down the alley.

Shoving Cutler aside, Adams raced down the escape, three steps at a time.

chapter twelve.

I.

While Ken rowed across the dark, oily water of the estuary, he tried to think how he was going to get Johnny into Adams' hands without raising Johnny's suspicions, but the problem defeated him.

Johnny had a gun. He sat in the stern of the boat, watching the outline of the Willow Point as it slowly faded into the darkness, holding the gun in his hand.

"I should have killed that punk," he said suddenly. "He'll come after us. I was a mug not to settle him while I had the chance." He peered at Ken in the dim light of the moon. "Who the h.e.l.l are you? How did you appear exactly at the right time?"

"My name's Holland," Ken said. "I had been told Tux was a good man if you were in trouble. I wanted somewhere safe to hide. As I came alongside the cruiser I heard two men talking. They were arranging to murder you. I thought you might want help, so I horned in."

"Well, I'll be d.a.m.ned! You certainly turned up at the right time, but you don't know what you've let yourself in for. Tux won't forget you. I'm getting out of town. You'd better come with me."

"Where are you going?"

"I know a guy who'll lend me a car. We'll go to Los Angeles. I have friends there."

"I wouldn't get far," Ken said. "The police are looking for me."

"I'll get you out of town," Johnny said. "You leave it to me. You helped me; I'll help you. The cops in this town are a dumb lot." He shoved the gun in his hip pocket. "Here, move over. Let me handle one of the oars."

It took them twenty minutes to reach a lonely stretch of the sh.o.r.e. As Ken got stiffly out of the boat he heard the distant engine of a motorboat.

Johnny heard it too, and he looked across the dark street.

"That's Solly going back. We'll have to get under cover fast.

Those two guys will come after us, and they're a d.a.m.n sight more dangerous than the cops."

Leaving the boat, they walked quickly along the path that led towards the waterfront.

"If we run into a cop, let me handle him," Johnny said.

It took them ten minutes to reach the line of shops and cafes that had been Ken's starting point.

The waterfront appeared deserted. The amus.e.m.e.nt arcade was in darkness. The only light that showed was the electric sign that flashed on and off above the hotel, spelling out the word WASHINGTON.

Then suddenly a cop appeared out of the darkness.

Both Johnny and Ken stopped short.

"Hey you!" the cop said, pointing his night stick at Ken. "I want a word with you."

"What is it?" Ken said, his heart sinking.

Johnny stepped back.

"You answer to the description of Kenway Holland, wanted for questioning at headquarters. Are you Holland ?"

Ken saw Johnny move slightly behind the cop, his hand flash to his hip pocket.

"No!" Ken exclaimed. "Don't ... !"

The cop spun around, but he was too late.

The crash of gunfire shattered the silence. Horrified, Ken saw the cop drop to his knees and then roll over. He made to bend over him, but Johnny grabbed his arm and dragged him down a dark alley.

"Run!" Johnny said thickly. "Come on, you fool! They'll be after us!"

Immediately above them a gun barked. Ken heard the slug zip past his face and saw Johnny stagger.

"Run!" Johnny snarled, recovering his balance.

Panic-stricken, Ken bolted down the dark alley after Johnny as a police whistle shrilled in the darkness.

They hadn't run more than fifty yards when Johnny suddenly staggered, lost his balance and fell on hands and knees.

Ken pulled up and bent over him.

"Were you hit?" he panted.

"Got it in the arm," Johnny gasped. "I'm bleeding like h.e.l.l."

Ken looked frantically to right and left. He could hear someone running down an iron staircase not far off. He could hear distant shouts and more police whistles. He caught hold of Johnny and hauled him to his feet. Johnny leaned against him.