“Got it all worked out, ain’t you?” he said, staring at the gun. I could see he was impressed. He put the gun back into the holster, adjusted the strap to bring the gun in a slightly lower position. “That right?” he asked.
“I’d make it lower,” I said, “but then you’re not as tall as I am.”
He hesitated, then let the strap out another knotch. The way he had it now was the way I wanted him to have it if I could lay my hands on a gun. The holster was now loose enough to go with the gun when he pulled it, and that’d mean a time lag before he could free the gun.
“Yeah,” he said, looking at the way the gun was hanging. “That’s okay.” He grinned at me. “You ain’t so smart, are you, bub?”
“What the hell?” I said, shrugging. “I still got confidence. I don’t murder guys. I give ’em a chance.”
He stared at me. “You ain’t murdering me,” he said, showing his teeth. “I know I’m good.”
“To me you’re just a tough egg from Detroit, but not tough enough to stay in Detroit.”
He was sliding across the room, his great fist set to belt me, when the door opened and Killeano and Flaggerty came in.
Bat paused, dropped his hand to his side.
“Hi. boss,” he said to Killeano.
Killeano ignored him. He stood at the foot of the bed, looked at me.
“Hullo,” I said, stubbing out my cigarette.
Flaggerty stood by the door. His face was set.
“Where’s the Wonderly girl?” Killeano snapped.
“How do I know?” I said. “Think I carry her around in my pocket?”
“You’d better talk, Cain,” he said. “We want that girl, and we’re going to get her.”
“You don’t expect me to help, do you?” I said, lighting another cigarette. “I wouldn’t tell you if I knew. We parted company last night after I’d given her enough dough to get out of town.”
“She hasn’t left town,” Killeano said, stroking the bedrail with his small white hands. “There wasn’t time before we closed the roads.”
“Then she must still be in town,” I said, shrugging. “Why don’t you look for her?”
Bat threw a punch at me, but I saw it coming. I rolled off the bed on to the floor, grabbed him around the ankles. He came down on top of me. Flaggerty jumped us, and after a little squirming around and thumping, I felt a gun-barrel against my ear. I relaxed.
Bat’s moronic face was close to mine.
“Take it easy,” he said, “or I’d blow your lid off.”
“I’m easy,” I said.
They stood away. I got up.
“Look,” I said, dusting myself down, “this won’t get us anywhere.” I sat on the bed, and reached for another cigarette. “Let me do a little talking. Maybe we’ll find out where we stand.”
Bat folded his fist, but Killeano stopped him.
“Let him talk,” he said, sat down on the chair.
Bat and Flaggerty stood behind the bed ready to jump me if I looked like starting trouble.
“I’m making a lot of guesses,” I said, looking at Killeano, out this is the way I see it. You’re the top shot in town. The only guy who might have been dangerous to you was Herrick. You own the Casino, which is a swell place for getting rid of dud currency which you’re printing. You didn’t think I knew that, did you? It didn’t take me long to figure that one out. You have the Bank and the police in your pocket, and no doubt you’re paying the boys to keep their mouths shut. The dud money circulates in the town. But if the visitors take it out of town, you’ve made sure it’s good enough to fox anyone until it’s too late to trace it back to you. But what happens? Herrick suspects that you’re passing dud notes, and he begins an investigation. He can’t go to the police because they’re playing with you. He has to work on his own. He gets some of your dud notes and he is ready to spring the surprise on the Governor of the State. But you get wise, and knock him off.” I flicked my cigarette away and grinned at Killeano. “How am I going?”
His square-shaped face was expressionless. “Go on,” he said.
“Herrick is an important citizen and is running for election! He’s not the guy you can knock off regardless. You hear I’m coming to town. It doesn’t take you long to figure I’m the boy who’s to be blamed for the killing. You fix it, and you make a swell job of it, and I’m the fall guy. Okay. But you slip up on a couple of points. You forgot that Brodey was wise and had I evidence too, and you misjudged the girl who was to lead me into this mess. She ratted on you, and you know she can blow the lid right off your racket. Without her, you’re sunk, even if you have made Brodey spill what he knows.”
Killeano took a cigar from his vest pocket, bit off the end, spat. He lit the cigar carefully and blew out a cloud of smoke.
“Finished?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
He looked over at Flaggerty. “He knows too much,” he said. “We’ll have to alter our ideas. It wouldn’t do to bring him before a jury now. They might cotton on.”
“Killed while resisting arrest?” Flaggerty said, raising his eyebrows.
“That’s it,” Killeano said. “You’d better do it quick. This guy’s a tricky customer.”
“I’ll say I am,” I said, winking at Bat.
“With him out of the way, we can concentrate on finding the girl. She can’t get away,” Killeano went on.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get rid of both of them,” Flaggerty said.
Killeano shook his head. “We’ve got to put on a show,” he pointed out. “We’ll fix her so she won’t talk when it comes to the trial. Girls are easy.” He looked across at Bat, who leered at him. “Could you handle her?”
“I could sort of try,” Bat said, showing his teeth.
Killeano got up. “Get rid of him,” he said to Flaggerty.
“So long, Fatso,” I said. “Don’t think you’re safe. You’re not. It’ll catch up with you in the end.”
He took no notice and went out, closing the door sharply behind him.
Bat looked at Flaggerty.
“Do it now?” he said hopefully.
“Not here,” Flaggerty said. “We’ll take him for a ride.”
“Give it to me quick,” I said to Bat, “and shoot straight.”
“Sure, bub,” he said, patting my arm. “It won’t hurt.”
7
Flaggery drove; Bat and I sat in the back. “How’s it feel to take your last ride?” Bat asked, looking at me with simple curiosity. “All right,” I said. “I got good nerves.” “You have, at that, bub,” he said admiringly. “But don’t think you’re going to skip out on this. You ain’t.”
“Doesn’t look as if we’ll find out who’s the better man, does it, Bat?” I said after a while.
“I don’t have to find out; I know,” Bat said, grinning. “I can take you any time.”
“Not you,” I said. “I’d rather meet you in a gun fight than a paralysed old lady in mittens.”
He clouted me in the face with his fist.
“Shaddap,” he snarled. “I could take you blindfolded.”
“You haven’t the nerve to try, have you?” I said.
“He ain’t going to,” Flaggerty broke in. “We’re not taking chances with a snake like you.”
“See?” I said to Bat. “Even your pal thinks I’m better than you. Hear him?”
Bat breathed heavily.
“You ain’t so good,” he said, struggling with his fury. “I could take you. To hell with that lousy flatfoot. I could take you with a guy hanging on each of my arms.”
“Pipe dreams,” I said, and jerked my head out of the way as he slammed a punch at me. His fist hit the rear window of the car and smashed the glass.
