ساختمان مانسون

Chapter three

The Manson Building

After the blonde girl had left my office, I looked at the two addresses which she had written on the piece of paper. The first was: Elaine Garfield,

Apartment 716,

Manson Building,

Sunset Place.

The second address was:

Myer and Myer,

Attorneys,

Title-Insurance Building

Putting the paper in my pocket, I got up and walked towards the door. Then I stopped and went back to my desk. I opened the top left-hand drawer and took out my gun, a 38 Smith and Wesson.

Then I put the gun back in the drawer. I decided that it was safer to leave it behind. It’s easy to get shot, if you’re carrying a gun.

I ran down the stairs, all four floors, and out into the street. My old grey Chrysler was outside, so I jumped in and drove off fast, towards Sunset Place.

The Manson Building was a tall, ugly block of apartments. I parked the Chrysler outside and walked towards the big glass front doors.

‘Hey, mister’ a voice said.

I continued walking.

‘Hey, mister’ said the voice again. ‘You can’t leave your car there.’

I stopped and turned around. A man in a grey uniform was standing by the Chrysler.

‘Hey, mister’ the man repeated, ‘you can’t park your car here.’

‘Why not?’ I asked.

‘Because only people who live in the Manson Building can park here,’ he replied.

‘So,’ I said, ‘How do you know that I don’t live in the Manson Building?’

‘Because I’m the porter,’ the man replied. ‘I work in the entrance of the building and let people in and out of the door. I know everybody here.’

‘Right,’ I said, ‘then please let me in.’

The porter and I walked up to the big glass front doors and he let me in.

‘Who do you want to see’ the porter asked.

‘Miss Elaine Garfield,’ I said. ‘She lives in Apartment 716.’

‘I’m sorry,’ the porter replied, ‘Miss Garfield is out.’

‘When did she go out’ I asked, trying not to look interested.

‘Mind your own business,’ said the porter. ‘I’m not going to tell you. And I’m not going to let you go up to Miss Garfield’s apartment, when she’s not there.’

‘Why don’t you go for a walk?’ I said to the porter and put five dollars in his hand. I gave the porter the money to make him go away.

The porter shook his head.

‘No,’ he said.

I gave the porter five dollars more.

‘Now go for a long walk,’ I said.

The porter went out into the street and I went up to Apartment 716, Miss Elaine Garfield’s apartment.