Gypsie-Ann let out a groan. “Can we ditch the Panama puns?”
The police captain grinned. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry — slipped out. Moving right along, we’ll get on it.”
“Thanks,” Jack said. “And one more thing — be careful. From what I’ve seen so far, he packs everything from explosives to a blackjack.”
Kahn chuckled softly. “Understood. If push comes to shove fireworks-wise, we’ll hand-pass him to you lot — once we succeed in tracking him down, I mean.”
“Fair enough. D’you have a phone I can use?”
“Corridor. Try not to break it.”
The Equalizer left them outside the Professor’s interrogation room and located an old, boxy Western Electric 234G 3-Slot payphone on one wall in the passage.
After pushing in a coin and dialling the operator, he was put through to Louise’s apartment address.
Jack had a half-baked idea about what to say, but the girl had left no delusions of patching up their short-term romance. He’d decided to play it business-like instead, warn her of possible danger, and offer to lend a hand.
Conflicting with this in his head was the revelation that, in all likelihood, Louise didn’t need his help — especially if she recovered her memories. He wasn’t sure the Vita-Rays had a permanent effect, and hadn’t thought to ask.
Once again, however, the Equalizer dithered while the phone continued to ring. Should he tell her everything? ‘Hi, just found out you were once a Cape yourself, even though you’re a Blando’? She’d hang up in his ear — hell, he would do the same if the tables were reversed. But the danger to the girl could be far more than merely possible. Whatever the telephone discussion, he needed to see her urgently.
After the twentieth ring, the operator squeezed back onto the line.
“I’d say the lady isn’t home, wouldn’t you?” she offered in a cheeky drawl, and then severed the connection. Jack placed the phone back on the hook, mulling as he retrieved his coin.
“So the Aerialist is still with us?”
Jack turned to find Gypsie-Ann leaning back against the beige plaster wall, legs crossed in a relaxed pose, but a dark look in her eyes.
“You heard?”
“Didn’t need to — an old talent, one I picked up once upon a time when I worked as a rehab officer at a school for disabled kids.”
“Lip-reading.”
“You’ll make reporter yet.”
“You told Kahn?”
“Surely you jest? I don’t want to kill the story before it has time to unfold. What is this woman to you, Jack?”
“It’s complicated. Can you drive us over to Hymie Heights?”
“Back there? I’m not overly fond of the place — in case it slipped your mind, that’s where Erskine shot me.”
“Are you in or out?”
“Sure I’m in. Nothing wrong with a whine every now and then. Besides, you’ll be able to bring me up to speed regarding everything on the way over. About time, too.”
#160
There was a large metal box under the glove compartment, pressed against Jack’s leg, and this suddenly started to ding-a-ling.
“Can you get it?” asked Gypsie-Ann, hands on the steering wheel, a stiff breeze ruffling her hair.
“Get what?”
“The annoying ringing thing next to your knee.”
When Jack bent over to peer closer at the box, he saw the words ‘Motorola Bell System Pulsar IMTS Mobile Car Telephone’ and discovered a chunky handset. Upon lifting this, the clamour and vibration ceased.
“Hello? …Hello?” emitted a tinny voice.
“You’re supposed to speak into it,” the woman beside him muttered, as she turned a corner close by Swanson’s Garage and Sam’s Market. “The wonders of modern science.”
Jack smiled at his own stupidity and stuck the handset against his ear. “Gypsie-Ann’s car speaking.”
“Kid?”
“Brick.”
“Did you nail ‘im?”
“False lead.”
“Rats! That’s crummy.” Jack heard some kind of crunching on the line. “Was a report on the radio,” the other Equalizer remarked, between what sounded like mouthfuls of food. “Mmm! Not bad. Anyhow, seems there’s a full-on riot happenin’ on Marty Goodman Drive, over near the harbour.”
“A riot?”
“That’s what I says. Capes — heroes fightin’ Rotters, and by all reports trashin’ the place.” Louder chewing ensued. “Prob’ly bad blood over the unsolved murderin’. We’re talkin’ massive casualties to Blandos in the surroundin’ area.”