“I may want to borrow one of your men.”
The smile left his face. It was as expressionless as though he had just drawn a pat flush in a poker game. “Which one?”
“Louie Hazen.”
His eyes softened, then he smiled, and, after a moment, laughed outright. “What do you want to do?” he asked. “Assassinate him?”
“No. I might have some use for him. Would it inconvenience you if I harrowed him for a while?”
“Good God, no! Take him with my compliments. I’ll give you a quitclaim deed.”
“I would, of course, pay his wages while he was—”
“Nothing of the sort. I’ll give him a thirty-day layoff from duties and keep him on the payroll. Thirty days be long enough for you?”
“A week should be long enough.”
“Take him for as long as you want. The poor devil. I, hate to fire him, but — well, you know what he is. He’s inoffensive and good-natured enough, but completely punch drunk. I suppose he’ll get me into serious trouble if I keep him on here. I hate to just turn him loose. As a matter of fact, Lam, you’d be doing me a favor if you’d take him off my hands for a while. I’m going to try and find something else for him.”