سوزی

Chapter six

Suzy

Suzy put on her coat and we left the office together. We found a little cafe, just opposite the Title-Insurance Building.

In the cafe, I told Suzy why I was asking questions about Elaine Garfield.

‘Elaine’s twin sister, Helen, thinks that Elaine has disappeared, and she has asked me to find Elaine,’ I said. ‘Helen told me that she came to Myer and Myer last Tuesday. She was told that Elaine had left work suddenly, last Monday afternoon. Is that right?’

Suzy nodded.

‘At least, part of it’s right,’ she said. ‘Elaine was at work last Monday, and she hurried off in the middle of the afternoon.’

Suzy stopped for a minute, and then she continued.

‘But I don’t remember seeing Elaine’s sister, Helen, on Tuesday. In fact, I didn’t even know that Elaine had a sister.’

‘Elaine’s sister lives in New York,’ I explained. ‘Now, can you remember last Monday afternoon? Did Elaine give any reason for leaving suddenly?’

‘Oh, yes,’ Suzy said, ‘Elaine said that she wasn’t feeling well and was going to lie down.’

‘Did Elaine receive any visitors or phone calls last Monday afternoon’ I asked.

‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Suzy. ‘No wait a minute, I think . yes, Elaine did receive a phone call, just before she left.’

I smiled.

‘I don’t suppose that, by chance, you might have heard any of the telephone conversation?’

‘Certainly not,’ Suzy replied, ‘I don’t listen to other people’s phone calls.’

‘Can you think of any reason why Elaine disappeared’ I asked.

‘No,’ Suzy replied, ‘Elaine was always very friendly with everyone and she didn’t seem to have any troubles.’

‘Did Elaine have any special friends, any men or women she talked about a lot’ I asked.

‘No, not really,’ Suzy replied. ‘Elaine and I used to be quite friendly and we went out dancing together a lot. But recently we haven’t been out together at all’

‘I understand,’ I said, though I really didn’t understand anything at all. ‘Can you remember the last time you went out together? Can you remember the place you went to?’

‘Oh, that’s easy,’ Suzy said quickly, ‘we went to the Las Cabanas Club. We always went there. It was about a month ago. We had an argument there and we haven’t gone out together since.’

‘What was the argument about’ I asked.

‘It was after midnight,’ Suzy explained, ‘and I wanted to go home. But Elaine said she wanted to stay a bit longer. She said that she had met a wonderful man and didn’t want to leave. I said I was going home and I left Elaine in the club. After that evening, one thing led to another.’

‘What do you mean,’ I asked, “.one thing led to another”?’

Suzy smiled.

‘I often spoke to Elaine about the man she had met. Elaine thought he was wonderful. I told her that he was no good at all.’

‘What did Elaine say when you told her that’ I asked, with interest.

‘She became very angry,’ replied Suzy. ‘We haven’t been out dancing together since then.’

I paid for the coffee.

‘You’ve been very helpful, Suzy,’ I said, ‘and I’ve only got one more question. Can you remember the name of the man Elaine Garfield met at Las Cabanas?’

‘Benny Greep,’ Suzy said, ‘that’s his name. Benny Greep.’

‘Thank you very much indeed, Suzy,’ I said, with a smile. ‘You’ve been a great help.’

‘Not at all,’ Suzy said and looked at me with her beautiful, big, brown eyes. ‘If there’s anything else I can do for you, just ask.’

I looked straight into her eyes.

‘What are you doing tonight’ I asked.

‘I’ll be at home watching television,’ Suzy replied. ‘My boyfriend’s a boxer and he’s fighting in a match on television tonight.’

‘Goodbye, Suzy,’ I said and watched her as she walked back across the street to the Tide-Insurance Building. Her boyfriend was a boxer; That was just my luck.