‘I’m busy,’ Olin grunted. ‘Go away and bother someone else.’
Dallas came into the small office, pulled up a chair and sat astride it. In the hard light of the desk lamp he looked tired and edgy. He made a face at Olin, took out a cigarette and pasted it on his lower lip.
Olin said into the phone, ‘Okay, check it for finger-prints and call me back.’ He hung up, pushed back 103
James Hadley Chase. The Fast Buck. 1952
his chair and scowled at Dallas. ‘What do you want? I’m busy.’
‘I heard you the first time,’ Dal as said. ‘Found Hater yet?’
‘I’m not even looking for him,’ Olin returned. ‘What makes you think he’s where I could find him?’
‘It’s my bet Baird engineered his escape.’
‘Baird?’ Olin reached for a cigar, bit off the end and spat into his trash basket. ‘Are you making guesses or do you know something?’
‘I know something,’ Dal as returned, paused to light his cigaret e, then went on, ‘Kile hired Baird to get Hater out of jail. Hater was to tell Kile where he had cached the stuff. The idea was put to Kile by a guy named Adam Gillis, Eve Gillis’s brother. He and Kile were going to hand the stuff over to the Rajah of Chittabad in return for a half million in cash.’