I wrenched one of my arms free and slugged the bigger of the two guys in the eye, then as the other swung at me I stepped close and hit him low.
That was as far as I got. Lew came up and slammed me over the head with his gun-butt. By the time I’d cleared my head I was sitting in a chair trussed up like a Houdini act.
Peppi was looking at the clock. “We ain’t got a lot of time,” he said.
“It’s not going to take me long,” Lydia said. She held a thin, sharp knife in her hand. She looked across at me. “You won’t have many dates after this,” she said viciously.
“Let’s be reasonable,” I said hurriedly. “You wouldn’t really want to do that to me.”
She held up the knife, then she came over. “You won’t feet it for a while,” she said, standing over ime. “I’ve done it before.” Her face was white and stony and I could see she was - getting a big kick out of seeing me sweat.
Peppi said to me. “Are you talking?”
“I’m talking,” I said, shrinking away from the knife.
“Where’s the plate?”
I gave him Harriet’s address.