“Listen, Mister,” the woman said. “I’ve had a bellyful of you reporters in the last few weeks. I’ve got nothin’ more to tell you about that Blair girl than you’ve had in the papers already.”

“Still, if you don’t mind,” Lowry persisted ingratiatingly. “Just a few questions and could we see her apartment. It’s an assignment I must fill or the boss’ll fire me. He swore he would.”

The woman looked at Terry. “What’d you need her along for if you’re that busy,” she asked Lowry suspiciously.

“Couldn’t leave her alone. She’s afraid to be alone.”

“Oh, your wife, huh?”

“Yeah,” Lowry grinned. “My wife.”

“All right, what do you want to know?”

“The phone is in the hall here, I suppose.”

“That’s right.”

“Did you ever hear Doris Blair talk to a man on the phone whom she called Buzzy?”

“Once or twice but don’t get the idea I’ve got nothin’ to do but listen in on tenants’ conversations.”

“Of course not. He called her on those occasions, I imagine.”

“Sure, I called her to the phone myself. It didn’t happen more than two or three times.”

“What did he sound like?”

“Had kind of a smooth voice. The cops said that checked perfectly with this feller McKay they got.”

“Everything seems to have done that,” Lowry muttered. “You never saw him come here, did you?”

The woman drew herself up to her full height. “I should say not, mister. This is a respectable house. You don’t catch nothin’ like that goin’ on here.”

“I didn’t mean that, of course,” Lowry said quickly. “When was the last time he called?”

“Couple of weeks ago. She didn’t turn up for two days after that.”

Lowry’s ears perked up. “Do you remember what day it was?”

“Yes, it was a Friday. I’m pretty sure.”

“Good for you, my good woman, and thank you. Now could you let us have a look at the apartment she lived in?”

“It’s rented. The people have been in there a couple of days now. But it wouldn’t have made any difference. The cops took everything the girl had out of there.”

“I see. Well, thanks again.”

“Forget it. But don’t come bustin’ in at this hour again for news stories or I won’t care if they do fire you.”

When they were outside again, Terry said. “Well, what do we know now that we didn’t know before?”

“We know that Buzzy called her on a Friday for the last time.”

“Which means what?”

“I don’t know yet,” Lowry said slowly, “but it may be important later. I have an idea there’s something wrong with the way we’ve been going about this. I guess it’s lucky I have a job. I’d never make a detective.”

“What’s wrong?”