Part 7 (2/2)
Brody called in the harness cops
”Hold him,” he ordered
”I want to call my lawyer,” chink demanded
”Let him call his lawyer,” Brody said Then he asked if they'd picked up Doll Baby Grieves
”Long tio,” one replied
”Send her in”
Doll Baby had changed into a day dress that still looked like a nightgown in disguise She sat on the stool in the circle of light and crossed her legs as though she liked being spotlighted in the sah they were cops
She confirone out for sandwiches instead of h to eat at the wake?” Brody asked
”Well, ere just talking and that always ry,” she said
Brody asked about her relationshi+p with Val, and she said they were engaged
”And you were entertaining another ?”
”Well, after all, I had waited for Val 'til four o'clock, and I just figured he was out chasing” She giggled ”And what's good for the goose is good for the gander”
”He's dead now, or did you forget?” Brody reminded her
She sobered suddenly and looked appropriately sad
Brody asked her if she'd seen anyone when she left the wake She said she'd seen a colored cop with the A&P store er because she shopped in the store, and she knew the cop personally Both had greeted her
”When did you last see Val?” Brody asked
”He came to see me at about ten-thirty”
”Had he been to the wake?”
”No, he said he'd just coht off to attend Big Joe's wake--I generally work fro until one-thirty”
”Are you certain about the time?”
”Yeah, he looked at his watch and said it was one-thirty, and he'd have to leave in a hour because he wanted to stop by Johnny's club before he went to the wake, and I said I wanted some fried chicken”
”You don't like Maested
”Oh, sure, I like it fine, but I was hungry”
”You're a hungry girl”
She giggled ”Talking always o for your fried chicken?”
”We got a taxi and went over to the College Inn at 151st Street and Broadway We just stayed there for an hour, and then he looked at his watch and said it o-thirty and he was going by Johnny's and would ot a taxi and he dropped me off at Mamie's and kept on don to Johnny's”
”What was his racket?” Brody shot at her
”Racket? He didn't have any He was a gentleman”
”Who were his enemies?”
”He didn't have any, unless it was Johnny”
”Why Johnny?”
”Johnnyhim around all the time Johnny's funny and awfully hot-headed”
”How about chink? Didn't Va! resent chink's familiarity with his fiancee?”
”He didn't know about it”
Brody showed her the knife She denied ever having seen it at any tiht in next She was accompanied by Johnny's attorney, Ben Williahtly on the fat side, with neatly barbered hair, and a heavy ray flannel suit, horn-rimmed spectacles and conservative black shoes of the Harlem professional man
Brody skipped the routine questions and asked Dulcy, ”Were you the first one to discover the body?”
”You don't have to answer that,” the attorney said quickly
”Why the hell doesn't she?” Brody flared
”The Fifth Amendment,” the attorney stated
”This isn't any Coustedly ”I can hold her as a material witness and let her talk to the Grand Jury, if that's what you want”
The attorney appeared to meditate ”Okay, you can answer,” he said to Dulcy After that he kept quiet; he had earned hisbeside the bread basket when she came out of the door
”Are you certain of that?” Brody asked
”I ain't blind,” she retorted ”That's whatat, and then I saw Val”