She finished her hair and opened up the suit-case. I saw her make a little grimace at the way I had packed her things, but that didn’t worry me. She’d got a hell of a crust asking me to do it, so if she didn’t like it she could do what the monkey did.
She sorted some things out that she wanted to wear and began to get dressed. I sat there and watched her. The thing uppermost in my mind was that she was leaving town and I might never see her again. She was an important link between Katz and Spencer, and consequently she might be able to lead me to Mardi. I risked everything and had another try.
“There was a girl working for Spencer at the Mackenzie Fabrics. She was a mighty swell dame an’ I got interested in her,” I began.
“Listen, hayseed,” she said, without looking up. She was bending over, fixing her suspender. “I ain’t interested in your love life.”
I was tempted to take a sock at her, but I kept my hands in my pockets. “This dame has disappeared,” I went on. “I can’t find her—”
“If she was a good girl she’s saved herself a lot of grief,” she said, straightening up and reaching for her dress.
“I could do things to you,” I said grimly.
“I know—I know. It’s no use makin’ a beef now.”
I went over to her and put my hands on her arms. I held her tight. She looked up at me, her face hardening. “Don’t start getting tough,” she said. “I’ll get that way too.”
“You haven’t thought that Katz is hanging around waiting to put a slug in you, have you?” I said. “You think you’re bright enough to play a solo hand on this and get away with it. You might, but then again you might not. If one day I read that a nice-lookin’ blonde has been fished out of the drink, I’ll have a laugh. I am ready to take this thing over if you’re ready to tell me what you know. If you wait too long, you might never be able to talk. So this is your last chance to get it off your chest.”