Her chin was in her hands, and her head bobbed up and down when she talked. Gus was sitting down again, on the edge of the chair.
Neilan grinned at McNulty. He said: “What do you think, Mac?”
McNulty went over to Bella and reached down and put one big finger under her chin and jerked her head back.
“I think she’s a liar,” he said.
Gus stood up.
McNulty turned as if that had been what he wanted. He hit Gus very hard in the face, twice. Gus fell down and rolled over on his side. He pulled his knees up and moaned a little.
McNulty took off his coat and folded it carefully and put it on a chair. He went to Gus and kicked him hard in the chest and then kicked his head several times. Gus tried to protect himself with his arms. He didn’t make any more noise but put his arms up and tried to protect himself. He tried to get up once and McNulty kicked him in the stomach and he fell down and lay quietly. In a little while, McNulty stopped kicking him and sat down. He was panting. He took off his hat and took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his face.
I looked at Neilan. “I called you,” I said, “because I thought you’d give Gus a break...”
He said: “You ought to of called the police. They’d be after giving Gus a break, and your lady friend here” — he jerked his head at Bella — “with a length of hose.”
Bella was leaning back on the davenport with her hands up to her face. She stared at Gus and tried to look at McNulty.