Dillon shook his head. “He’s out,” he said briefly.

“Too bad. I wanted to see Abe.” Gurney fidgeted a little. Dillon made him a little uneasy.

“Will he be long?” he said after a pause.

“Maybe.” Dillon began to edge away into the darkness of the store.

Gurney thought he’d try a little probing. He said: “You’re new around here.”

Dillon rubbed his forearm. He still looked at Gurney from under his eyelids. “You’re the guy who’s runnin’ Sankey, ain’t you?” he said.

Gurney swelled a little. “That’s me,” he said.

“What’s the matter with him?”

“Matter? Nothin’. What d’you mean?”

“You know. That guy’s gone yellow. What’s eatin’ him?”