I spun him around and hit him in the mouth. It was a sweet punch, and I felt my knuckles grate on his teeth. He went over backwards, spitting blood. It did me a power of good.
Then the cops jumped me, and one of them bounced a nightstick across my head.
I came round as Flaggerty was sitting up. I had a bump on my head, but he had lost a couple of teeth.
Killeano sorted us out.
After a while the atmosphere quietened down, but Flaggerty was still too groggy to continue questioning. Killeano took over. He stood in front of Miss Wonderly, his short fat legs astride.
“Unless you tell us what happened you’ll be arrested,” he said to her.
“What does it matter?” I said, rubbing my head. “Why do it the hard way? Tell ’em you passed out, and know nothing about it. They’ve got all the witnesses they want.”
One of the coppers slapped me across the mouth.
“Shaddap,” he said.
“That’s going to be too bad for you,” I said, and the look in my eyes made him edge away.