I didn’t beat about the bush. “I’m Cain,” I said. “How do you like that?”

He gulped, looked at Davis, then back at me.

“How am I supposed to like it?” he asked, in a thick voice.

“You love it,” I said.

He raised his hands shoulder high. “Okay,” he said.

“Relax,” I told him. “You don’t have to be scared of me. But if you start something, you won’t have time to be scared. Get it?”

He said he understood. I could see he was looking reproachfully at Davis.

“You don’t have to feel sore,” Davis said irritably. “We’re going to do you a bit of good.”

“How’d you like to get even with Flaggerty and pick up five Cs as well?” I asked.

Mitchell peered at me. “Doing what?” he asked, interest in his voice.