that Front Street was only a few blocks away.
DeeDee didn?t say a word on the way to the Ponce. When we got there she turned to me, her face
tortured with anguish and anxiety.
“I know how to reach you,” I said. “I?ll call, even if I don?t hear anything definite.” I started to leave
the car.
“Jake?”
“Yeah?”
She sat for a minute longer, then shook her head. “I can?t do it,” she said. “I owe a lot to Charles
Seaborn, and somehow what you?re asking seems like an affront to him. When Tony got in all that
trouble, some of the directors at the bank wanted Mr. Seaborn to fire me. They felt it gave the bank a
lad image. He stuck by me through it all, never said a word or asked anything more of me than I
usually gave. I didn?t even know about it for months. Lark found out and told me. I?m sorry, but what
you?re asking d feel as if I?d done something to him personally.”
“My mistake,” I said. “I never should have asked.”
“I?m glad you did,” she said. “I?m glad you felt comfortable enough to ask me. I?m just sorry I feel
this way.”
“Loyalty?s a rare commodity, don?t apologize for it,” I said. “I?ll be talking to you.”
“Thanks again,” she mumbled as I got out of the car. I watched her drive away and went into the
hotel. The Stick was sitting in the lobby reading the morning paper.
“This is a terrible hour to be getting in,” he said drolly. “What?ll the neighbours think?”
“You know what you can do with the neighbours,” I snapped.
“Uh-oh. Get out on the wrong side of the bed?”
“I never got into bed.”
“Ah, that?s the problem.”
I glared at him and suggested breakfast in the room to save time. “I need a shower,” I growled.
We went to the room and I ordered food. I needed more than the toast and coffee DeeDee had
provided. Then I got Dutch on the phone and gave him a quick report on the night?s activities, not
wanting him to hear it from anybody else. In the excitement at the movie theatre I had forgotten to tell
him about my meeting with Harry Nesbitt. I started off with that, finishing with the shootout at
Casablanca.
The latter got him fuming.
“I?ll have Kite pick up that son of a bitch Nance now,” he growled.
“Won?t do any good. He?s probably got a dozen people who?ll swear he was six other places at the
