“She came through on the telephone.”
Spencer said to Gus, “All right, wait outside.”
Gus went out slowly.
Mardi leant against the wall. I could see her mouth was quivering, but she still kept her chin up.
Spencer looked at me keenly. “What sort of voice did she have?”
I shrugged. “I guess she disguised it. It was hard and metallic, but it wasn’t a natural sort of voice.”
He wandered about the room a bit, then he came and stood over me. “So it was a woman, eh? I’ve got to look for a woman.”
I didn’t say anything.
He looked at Mardi and then at me. “As for you two…” he passed his hand over his hair, “you don’t know what you’re bucking. Take my advice and keep clear of this business. If that woman comes over the ’phone again, let me know.. I’ll give you a lot more than ten grand if you can turn her up.”
I said, “I’m through with this business, anyway,” and meant it.