“I don’t know if you have anywhere to go,” Johnny went on. “Every road will be watched, and you may have to hole up somewhere. Go to my sister. Her place is 45 Maddox Court.
She’ll let you stay with her until the heat cools off. Tell her what’s happened to me. Tell her O’Brien tricked me into writing her a letter so she should think I was going to Paris. Tell her about the barrel. I want her to know the kind of guy she’s marrying. Will you do that for me?”
Ken hesitated.
“You’ll do yourself some good,” Johnny urged. “She’ll give you money. She’ll get you out of town.”
“All right,” Ken said reluctantly. “I’ll get to her if I can.”
“Maybe she can think of some way to get me out of this jam. She’s full of ideas. Don’t let anyone see you. There’s a night clerk in the lobby. You’ll have to get past him without him seeing you.” He pointed to his coat, lying on a chair. “Get me my billfold.”
Ken took the leather billfold from the inside pocket of the coat and handed it to him.
Johnny found an old envelope addressed to himself in the billfold.
“Got a pencil?” he asked.
Ken gave him his pen.