‘Don’t make any sudden moves, Malloy,’ the man in the fawn suit said and lifted the gun. ‘No one on this floor would bother about the sound of a gun, and I’m in the mood to make a mess of you. Sit down.’ He waved his other hand to an armchair, facing his on the other side of the fireplace.
He couldn’t have missed me at that range, and I had an idea he wasn’t bluffing so I sat down.
‘You’re quite a puncher,’ he went on, and his hand touched the back of his neck tenderly. I’ll have a stiff neck for weeks, damn you!’ His hard, black eyes roamed over my face. ‘Bit of luck, you walking in like this. We’d made up our mind to get rid of you as soon as we could. You’re getting a nuisance.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ I said. ‘The trouble is I’m full of theories and have no proof. Does Serena know you’re here?’
He shook his head and grinned
‘No; she hasn’t an idea. Make yourself at home. There’re cigarettes by your elbow. We have a little time to kill before anything can happen. Barratt’ll want to talk to you. Don’t try anything funny unless you’re tired of life, will you?’
I lit a cigarette while he watched me, his finger curled round the trigger of the .45, its barrel continuing to point at my face.
‘Be careful with that gun,’ I said. It looks very dangerous from this end.’
He laughed.
‘You don’t have to worry. It’ll only go off if you don’t behave yourself.’ He stubbed out the cigarette he was smoking, reached for another and lit it I sat still while he did so. The expression in the hard black eyes told me he would shoot if he had to.