Card Sharks

Doc turned to me. 'I'm sorry for the inconvenience, young man. Now, don't worry. I'll give your friend something to make her drowsy and everything will be fine. But it will be an hour before she wakes up and two hours before she's herself again. I'll have to ask you to remain in the next room.' He pointed.

'All right,' I said, turning to Fleur. 'Uh — good luck.'

'She'll be fine.' Doc held open another door and gestured for Fleur to precede him.

She gave me a terrified glance and stiffly walked through it.

Waffle slipped past me and left by the back door. I went into the room Doc had pointed out. It was dark until I switched on a corner lamp. Then I picked up copies of Reader's Digest to look for the funny stuff.

Nearly an hour passed. Suddenly I wondered if Matt Rainey had accomplished anything today. I decided to find out, despite what Doc had said, and slipped outside, making sure that the door would not lock behind me. Then I ran to the nearest newsstand and snatched up a copy of the New York Mirror, tossing coins onto the counter. I hurried back to the clinic.

Doc was standing in the hall, glaring at me.

I swallowed, too scared to speak.

'Your friend will be fine,' Doc said finally. 'She has asked to see you, but she should not try to walk for another hour or so. I'll be in my office until then.'

'Yeah, okay.'

Doc showed me into a room where Fleur lay on an examination table under a sheet. Only a small lamp was on. Doc closed the door after me.

'How are you?' I whispered.

'It's over,' she said quietly, blinking back tears.

'He said you'll be okay.'

'Yeah.'

'He said you still have to rest. I'll go back out — '

'Don't go. Please.' Her voice cracked and she started to cry.

'All right.' I sat down on a small wheeled stool.

She calmed down again. 'What's that?'

'The final edition of today's Mirror.' Unfolding it for the first time, I looked at the front page.

ARSON PLOT FOILED ran the headline in big, black letters. Under it, the byline added, 'By Matt Rainey.'

'He did it!' I started skimming the article. 'He took what I found to the cops and they believed him! Yeah! And they hit the other warehouse early this morning — at dawn! Cool!'

'Really?' Her voice still came in a quiet whisper.

'And in time for the final edition — that's fast! Oops …'

'What is it?'

'Well … I'm sort of in here. He says he got some street directions from 'an alleged Jap joker.'' I winced at the phrase.

'My father's friends won't care about street directions.'

'Wow — it says a mysterious black Cadillac turned a nearby corner and hit the brakes. It made an illegal U- turn and took off before the cops could get after 'em. I bet that was Lansky!'

I heard a loud knocking, actually a pounding, on the outside door. Doc's footsteps went from his office to the back door and the knob clicked as he unlocked it. I figured it was his next appointment. Then I heard scuffling out in the hall.

Fleur gasped and struggled to sit up. 'What is it?'

I ran to the door. When I opened it, Doc was falling to the floor, holding his hands over his beak. Henry van Renssaeler, his fists clenched, strode toward me, wild-eyed.

'Where is she? Where is she, you joker scum?'

'Hey — ' I blocked his way, but he smacked me aside.

He marched past me into the examining room. 'Goddamn filthy joker's whore!'

I rushed after him, but I didn't know what to do.

'Thought you could escape me? You can never get away from me!'

Fleur was staring at him, speechless.

I overheard your little hero's question about going to the bank — and your answer! I sent one of the servants to catch up to you there and follow you. He tailed you here, then found a phone to report back to me at home. I was a little slow finding the place; I will not dirty myself asking jokers for directions. But you see, my darling daughter, you can't get away from me.'

'You're too late!' Fleur spat back at him. 'You're too late, Daddy. You can see what kind of place this is. You won't have another child — not through me, anyway!' She started sobbing.

I finally started getting the picture — the whole picture.

'Quiet! Quiet, you slut!' He started toward her.

'And he knows!' She pointed to me. 'And now Doc has seen you — and the servant knows! Everyone will know, Daddy!' Fleur threw off the sheet and swung her legs over the side of the table. She jumped to the floor, but staggered dizzily.

Henry leaped forward to grab her.

I ran forward and hit his legs in a flying tackle. We both crashed to the floor. I grabbed one of his arms with both hands and tried to bite his wrist with my gigantic buck teeth.

Henry screamed and jerked himself away, falling again. I had hardly had a chance to nip him, but he was acting crazy. He scuttled away from me with a horrified look on his face.

Behind me, Fleur, who was still stark naked, snatched up her clothes, purse, and shoes in a bundle. She darted behind me. I backed out, still snapping idiotically at Henry.

When we were out of the room, I slammed the door shut to delay him. Fleur was already jumping over Doc, who was lying in a daze watching us, as she headed for the door. Then I followed her out and pointed down the alley. I pulled her down behind some old oil drums being used as trash cans.

While Fleur pulled her clothes on, I got down low and peered around the edge of an oil drum. Her father had stopped outside the door, looking around. He couldn't decide which way to go.

'You ready yet?' I whispered, glancing back over my shoulder.

'Almost. Gotta get my shoes on,' she whispered back.

Suddenly bright headlights swung toward us as a car turned from the street into the alley behind Doc's door. A long, shiny black Cadillac pulled up to a stop. As one of the rear windows opened, Henry trotted toward it.

'It's Lansky,' I whispered. 'Or one of his lieutenants.'

'Oh, no!' Fleur scrambled up next to me and looked.

As her father leaned down toward the open window, two loud shots snapped out, making the same sound as the guns in the warehouse last night. He crumpled to the ground.

The Cadillac backed quickly into the street, paused to reverse gear, then smoothly glided out of sight.

I got up, still in shadow, and looked at Henry van Renssaeler, U.S. Congressman. He was lying motionless on his back, his face a bloody mess. I thought Fleur might be upset, but she walked toward him, looking at him.

'Is he dead?' she asked quietly.

'Yeah.' I came up next to her.

She let out a long breath and sagged against me, crying quietly. When she spoke again, her voice was oddly strong. 'They did it. All those self-righteous, stuffy, prim and proper know-it-alls, so perfect and good.'

'They had Lansky arrange it again.'

'Yeah. He was already scared. This morning he came into my room and yelled at me. I never saw him that scared before.'

'His own friends killed him?'

'He didn't have friends, Chuck. Not real ones. He had business associates. I bet they arranged his death, 'cause he was in charge of their arson plot. The police might find a lead to him. Now he's a dead end.'

'Yeah.'

'Those people move fast.'

'Like I said, Lansky or his guys must have been in that Cadillac when they saw the cops breaking into the