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Show -152- appeared I'could not get another job. When the papers splashed the news of the murder all over the country I never saw him again. My business associates were afraid to be a part of any negotiations that might reveal their identities, hence they cut me off completely." "What about Claudine? Did you know her?" said Penny hurridly. He looked at her and a furtive look came ovei* his face. More than anything, he wanted to give them some information so that they would be obligated to pay him, so he said. "Vallone thought I did not know about the girl that lived in the mansion above the truck gardens, but I saw her come down many times and urgently 3peak to him. He tried to keep it a secret, that part of his life I mean, but even the coolies knew about her. I found out about the girl's intended wedding to the wealthy Frenchman. During that time Vallone acted like a mad man. He stopped seeing me and allowed two Mexican ships to leave Half Moon Bay without taking any of the cargo. -I knew then that something very serious had happened. Actually, now that I think of it, we never did transact anymore business after that time. Tom looked at the girls as if to say that he knew they would get nothing out of this old derelict, but loyalty to the Standish family and affection for the girls led him to bring them out on this wild goose chase. Penny looked at the shambles of a man and in a contemplative voice asked. "Mr. Delgado, please rack your brain and try to tell us any little thing, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, about Dirk's whereabouts. Perhaps we can piece together something from it. The old man leaned back in his chair and looked up at the open cracks in "the tin ceiling of the shanty and for long time said nothing. Then he turned to Penny, especi- , ally and said. "Why would you be i n t e r e s t e d in Dirk Vallone? You weren't even born |
