“It’s all right, baby,” I said quickly. “We’re running into a town. I thought maybe you’d like to talk things over with me before we go any further.”
She peered out of the window, then she turned round to me and put her hands on my arm. “Oh, Nick, it’s good to have you,” she said. Her voice was quite steady, and I knew she’d got her nerve back.
I lit a cigarette and gave her one. “We’ve come a mighty long way,” I said. “So you don’t have to get scared any more.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m all right now. I was so frightened, Nick. I wanted to get away. I don’t want to go back. Promise me you’ll not go back any more.”
I patted her arm. “It’s all right now. We’ve washed them up. You don’t have to worry your head any more. We’ve turned the whole business over to the Federal Bureau to deal with—”
She clutched my arm. “The whole business?” Once more her voice trembled. “Do you have to be in it?”
“Now take it easy,” I said. “I’m out. Ackie’s doin’ it all. You an’ me are out of this.”
She drew a deep breath. “I see,” she said.
I said, “I must know what happened at the lodge.”
She turned her head and looked at me. “Happened? Why, what do you mean? Happened?”