He turned round, crossed the room, opened the door and hauled in Speratza.
Speratza was wearing light blue trousers, very neat, with pleats at the waist; and his coat was a kind of mustard colour and flared out so wide at the shoulders that he looked bigger than a house. The lapels of his coat came out in a peak about eight inches long on each side and in the left one there was a white rosebud. I bet there were some women who’d swoon at the sight of him.
He smiled around, took a look at Herrick’s body under the blanket, and switched off the smile. He looked at me, then looked away fast.
I lit another cigarette. In a moment or so, I’d know where I was heading.
I found out quick enough. Speratza said that he hadn’t called me. He claimed he didn’t even know I was in town until he saw me in the Casino. He went on to say that he’d heard of my reputation, and he was sorry to see me in this place.
Then I knew for sure that I was being taken for a ride. I called Speratza a liar, and he looked hurt. But he had nothing to worry about. It was his word against mine, and mine was a drug on the market.
Flaggerty got rid ot Speratza and came back looking like the cat that’d swallowed the canary.
“Lying won’t get you anywhere, Cain,” he said. “You’d better watch your step.”
“Go take a nap under a falling axe,” I said, and blew smoke in his face.
“You wait ’til I get you to the station,” he snarled