“I thought you might be interested to know that Yarde is in town again,” he ventured. “Or perhaps you know already?”
She looked at him, her eyes dark and mysterious.
“I didn’t know and I’m not interested.” She opened a drawer in the desk, took out a packet of bills, from which she took four five-dollar bills. “Here take them! That’s all your information is worth to me. Now, get out!”
Sweeting got unsteadily to his feet and took the money with a shaking hand.
“You couldn’t spare a little more?” he whined. “I appreciate your kindness, but I am entirely without funds.”
“Get out!” she repeated.
As he moved to the front door with Leo slinking at his heels, the doorbell rang sharply.
Sweeting stopped in his tracks and looked swiftly at Gilda. She stared beyond him at the door.
“Come with me!” she said sharply, and again the gun came up, threatening him. “Quickly!”
Terrified the gun might go off accidentally, Sweeting snatched up Leo and dived through the door she had opened and into the passage beyond.