I let him get to within six feet of me, then I hauled off and busted him in the nose. He staggered back, banged into Flaggerty, and they both sat on the floor.
They remained like that. The cop’s nose began to bleed.
Miss Wonderly came out of the bedroom, carrying one of my grips.
“Wait by the door, honey,” I said.
I walked over to the window, pulled back the curtain, and collected the cigar box I’d hidden behind the pelmet. The box contained eighteen grand: my vacation money.
Although I didn’t even bother to watch them, they still didn’t flutter a muscle. I guess my reputation stood pretty high in Paradise Palms or else they were plain yellow through to their jaegers.
“We’ll go,” I said to Miss Wonderly.
She opened the door.
“So long,” I said to Flaggerty. “Come after me if you feel like it. I’m itching to be forced into a fight, but I don’t shoot first. I don’t have to.” I winked at him. “I’ll be seeing you.”
He sat on the floor hating me with his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.