He stared at her, trying to recover from the shock. What was the matter with him? He hadn’t even seen her approach. Suppose it had been Dutch or one of the mob? He would have been dead by now without even having a chance to hit back.
“I have a place just around the corner,” the girl went on. “We could have fun.” She smiled, showing small white teeth, but her eyes were hard and calculating as she looked down at him.
Pete realized the advantages of going with her. Once in her place he could hold a gun on her and wait until darkness came. But dare he leave the saloon? What did she mean: just round the corner? It might be a few yards or it might be a few hundred yards. These girls said anything to get you to go with them.
“Where’s your place?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Just across the street, darling,” she said. “Just at the corner. Will you come?”
“Well, all right,” he said, and stood up. He went over to the bar and paid for his drinks.
The barman gave him a long hard stare. There was something in the way the barman eyed him that frightened Pete. He walked quickly down the long room with the girl who held his arm.
“You seem nervous, honey,” the girl said, smiling at him. “Don’t tell me I’m your first?”
He didn’t bother to answer as he stepped into the hot sunshine, feeling suddenly naked and horribly vulnerable on the bright, noisy waterfront.
“Where do we go?” he asked anxiously, his eyes searching the crowded scene, hunting for a familiar face.