The Ace of Spades - Dell Shannon Read Online Free Page B

on Monday— so seeing there wasn't much and it looked
as if he hadn't taken off voluntari1y— I mean, Skyros said probably
he wouldn't have had much else but what was there— we impounded it,
cleared out the room. Skyros says, and of course he's got something,
that a stranger here, he's apt to get in trouble easy— wander into
the wrong part of town, run into a mugger, something like that— "
    "Which happens to a lot of people who've lived
here all their lives," said Hackett ruefully.
    "And Skyros said too that he maybe felt a little
worried sooner than he would have about anyone else because the guy
wasn't the kind to take up with any cheap skirt all of a sudden, or
go off on a bender. Anyway, when Domokous didn't show up on
Wednesday, he comes m."
    "So we'd better have
Mr. Skyros take a look at the corpse," said Mendoza. "But
even if it is Domokous— very nice to know, but it doesn't explain
much besides. Where do we find Skyros?"
    * * *
    "Oh, this is very sad," said Mr. Andreas
Skyros. He sat down on the bench along the corridor and brought out a
handkerchief to polish his bald head and his glasses. "I don't
pretend, gentlemen, I had any great— you know?— emotion about the
young man, this way, that way— " he shrugged massively. "He
was such a one to feel sorry for, you know what I mean? But a very
good, honest, hard-working young man."
    As Carey had said, Mr. Skyros had a thick accent, but
he also had a good command of English; for the rest, he was large,
round, genial, and obviously prosperous. "Tell me, how does he
die?"
    "He had an overdose of heroin!," said
Mendoza. He stood in front of Skyros, hands in pockets, watching him.
    "Oh, God help us, so? I was sorry he has no
family here, but perhaps it is better, none to know this sad thing.
You know? I— Gentlemen, perhaps we go somewhere else to talk? I
don't like dead people all around."
    "Certainly," said Mendoza cheerfully, "we
can go back to my office, if you like."
    "I would be so pleased to buy you gentlemen a
drink," said Skyros wistfully.
    "Now, now, you mustn't corrupt our morals, Mr.
Skyros! Not at all necessary."
    "Oh, my, no, you mustn't think such a thing,"
protested Skyros. In Mendoza's office he polished his pink skull
again. "But such weather, a foretaste of hell, isn't it? I go
out in it as little as possible— my office nice and
air-conditioned, like this." He glanced around approvingly. "I
didn't know they're so kind to you policemen now. Since the new
building is up, isn't it, I suppose?"
    "That's right. The laborer worthy of his hire,
you know," said Mendoza, beaming at him. "So you do
positively identify the body as that of Stevan Domokous. We're very
glad to know who he is. Have you any more information about him we
ought to know?"
    "I am afraid I have, gentlemen. A terrible
thing. I know the law says those who take drugs, dope you say, are
guilty of offense too, but so many of them,"— he spread fat
hands— "only victims of those who sell! Domokous, as I have
said to Mr.— Lieutenant?— Carey, he's been in this country only
less than a year. I don't think any family back home, all dead in the
wars maybe, you know?— and he's lonely. Me, I know him only, let's
see, three months— it was the last June he comes to work for me.
He's been in New York, but somebody tells him— he says to me—
that California, it's like Greece a little, down south, the climate
you know, and vineyards— olive trees, isn't it? He thinks he likes
it better. But he's a very shy, what's a good word, diffident young
man— he doesn't make friends easy— and for the girls, oh, God
help us!— a pretty girl looks at him, he runs!" Skyros rumbled
a laugh.
    "You surprise me," said Mendoza. "A
handsome young fellow like that?"
    "Oh, well, people, queer. Another one without
his looks, the girls crazy for him because he's got the charm.
Domokous, maybe he never knew he was good-looking, isn't it, and it
don't mean so much without the, as we say,