“I’ve got them,” he answered shortly.
“Vetter hasn’t!” There was a cold, unpleasant inflection in her voice.
“Well, what do you expect!” He forced a raucous note into his voice. He was not sure that it sounded genuine. It was not easy to play the Rat with her! “Think it over! It’s not so soft a job to get them back to him without leaving a trail behind that might trip me up! See?”
She appeared to consider this for a moment.
“That is true,” she said at last. “Well, have you got them here?”
“Yes.” He reached into his pocket and took out the chamois pocketbook. He laughed brusquely, as he held it out to her. “If you can handle that envelope, maybe you can handle the sparklers, too!”
“I can—and I will,” she said simply, as she took the pocketbook from him. “That’s only fair. I told you once that I would put no difficulties in the way of your keeping yourself solid—if you could!—with your fellow yeggs. And that applies equally to to-night. You may bring the Cadger back here. You will find the house empty.”
“Thanks!” he said grimly. “I’ll move along then; I’ve got just about enough time left. And would you mind locking the front door when you go out? I’d like the Cadger to get all the run that’s coming to him for his money.”
He stepped forward to pass her, but she laid a detaining hand on his arm.
“Wait!” she said tersely. “I agreed to look after this envelope, but even so you are not through yet to-night, Bundy. I know where Mr. Dayler is this evening, and I am going to bring him back here to his own house myself. But I will give you time first to play out your little farce with your two thugs, and send them about their business. Say, ten o’clock. Mr. Dayler and myself will be here at that time—and so will you.”