“Meanin’ I’m a small-town hick an’ might get a swell belly-ache if I bit this off an’ couldn’t chew it?” I grinned at her to show her I wasn’t mad.
She looked at me then, and her eyes were troubled. “No, I didn’t mean that quite,” she said. “But if what you have told me is true… isn’t it rather one-sided? Don’t you think you ought to have someone to back you, if you’re determined to go ahead?”
I tapped the ash off my cigarette. This was the kind of girl I’d thought about for a long time. A girl who talked things over and put out ideas. “Suppose you were handlin’ this, what would you do?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I wouldn’t make a move until I found out who the woman was who telephoned you. Why she was giving you all that money. What were her interests in starting the investigation.”
I nodded. “Yeah,” I said, “that’s a swell idea, but not easy. Just a voice on the telephone… wants some finding.”
She glanced at her watch and gave a little exclamation. “I must go,” she said, stubbing out the cigarette and gathering her gloves and bag. “Thank you for the lunch.”
I pushed back the chair and followed her. “You haven’t paid the check,” she said softly.
I grinned. “Not in this burg,” I said, waving to the Greek. He beat me to the door and held it open.
“I hope,” he said, bowing in half, “you will bring the beautiful lady again.”
Mardi flushed, but I could see she was mighty pleased. I nodded. “You’ll be seein’ her again,” I promised.