Chapter 16
Waves of shock rolled over me, and I gaped at Jason with my mouth slack. My stomach turned over, and I gulped in air until the sick feeling went away. "She-she jumped?" I asked hoarsely. Jason nodded. "Couldn't take the bad news, I guess," he said calmly "The police will be up here any minute now," he added briskly. "I suggest you come out to the living room with me. Phil, and take off your coat and wait for them. I want you to tell them that you were here with me when it happened. We'll say we broke the bad news to Iris together, and when she found she wasn't going to be in the play she went out of her head and rushed into the bedroom and began ripping off her clothes. Well say we tried to stop her, not knowing what she had in mind, and then, before either one of us could do anything about it, she jumped." He paused and looked at me. "I'd say that was a logical story, wouldn't you, Phil?"
I stared at him unbelievingly.
"Come now, Phil," he said, and the thin smile appeared for an instant on his lips, "you won't object to doing me this favor, will you?" He hesitated. "Maybe I spoke a little harshly before-I mean about getting Carla to commit herself today to star in the play. You can take your time about that if you want to. Handle Carla in your own way. I won't interfere. And you can have your contract now, too." He took a step toward me. "I was so wrapped up in thinking how to turn this-" He motioned to the window. "This tragedy into something more than bad publicity, that I guess I forgot myself and snapped at you."
I continued to stare at him, unable to speak.
He took another step toward me and said, "You know, Phil, a man in my position has to think of a lot of things. He can't always think of himself or allow emotion to take hold of him. He has to be cold and hard and ruthless at times. Many people work for me. A lot of people depend upon me for their livelihood. I have to make sure that nothing happens to me or to my business interests that will deprive all these people of their jobs. You understand, don't you, Phil?"
He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder.
That snapped me out of it. I jerked back from him, glanced once at the window, then turned and walked quickly out of the bedroom, through the living room, and right out of the apartment.
I didn't bother waiting for the elevator. I took the stairs and ran down all nine flights coming out at the rear of the lobby The lobby was full of police and curious tenants, and nobody paid much attention to me. I walked through the lobby and out the front door.
I started down the street, walking fast, not seeing where I was going, bumping into people, not paying any attention when they cursed me. Finally, blocks away from Jason's building, I stopped and looked about me. The blinking neon sign of a bar two doors away beckoned to me.
I walked rapidly to the bar.