“Killing a man makes a lot of difference,” he said shortly. “You may as well get used to the idea, Cora.”
“We’ll see,” she said, twisting her hands in her lap. “We’ll see how brave you are, George my pet. You’re big enough to knock me about, but we’ll see what you’re like against them.”
“Yes,” George said, and he crossed the room and sat down in the armchair.
“I wonder why they let you come here,” she went on, looking towards the window. “I should’ve thought it’d’ve been easier for them to have killed you in the darkness.”
George stiffened. “Kill me?” he said. “You mean they’re out there in the alley?”
“Nick is. I saw him not half an hour ago. Poncho, his brother, is round the hack.” She ran her fingers through her hair, and he knew at once why it looked so untidy. She must have been doing that for the past half hour.
“It’s silly, isn’t it? But I’m scared stiff,” she went on. Her flash of temper had been short-lived. He could see she was sick with panic. “When I get frightened my tummy turns to water.”
“Here, have a cigarette,” George said, going over to her. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
She lit the cigarette. “I don’t fancy going out there,” she said, trying to control herself. “Nick’s hot stuff with a razor.” She shivered.
“Can they get in?” George asked.