“Yeah, this guy used a knife.”
Duffy said, “I came back and found her like that.”
“You hear that? He came back and found her like that!” The first cop grinned. “You’re coming with us… come on.”
“You ain’t charging me with killing her?” Duffy was incredulous.
“Get wise to yourself.” The first cop liked the sound of his voice. “We’ve been tipped off.”
Duffy felt a restricting hand across his chest. “I don’t get that,” he said slowly.
“That dame had a hidden roll salted away in this joint, and you knew it. You made up to her and tried to get the roll away, but it didn’t work. So you rubbed her out, and took the joint to pieces. The roll is on you, now, ain’t that right, Gus?”
The second cop nodded. He walked over to Duffy and put his hand in Duffy’s inside pocket. He pulled out a flat packet of currency.
Duffy said, very evenly, “A frame-up, huh?”
Gus looked at him and grinned. “Between you and me, you’re right. You’re bucking the wrong outfit, mug,” he said.