Sally took the cigarette from her lips and said crisply:
“Why don’t you quit bubbling, Jumbo, and tell me what it’s all about?”
“About. Je-sus Christ, Ferg. About! It’s about this guy Sterling murdering patients in that ward out there. Bucks says you’ve had time to get ‘in’ and it’s up to you to get the dots on him. Four people gone out in the same bed since Thursday. All patients of his. Done between eleven and twelve at night. He jabbed ’em with a hypodermic. For four days we’ve known hell had burst loose up here, but we couldn’t squeeze blood from no tick. Then this morning a woman dropped a bunch of red roses in the service corridor and we got a tip.
“The Attorney-General’s trying to get the Governor to ‘hush’ it ... but Bucks says he can fry his tail in hell. It’s the biggest story west of the Mississippi in twenty years and he ain’t goin’ to lock those presses ’till ten tonight. In the meantime you got to....”
As usual when excited, Jumbo walked up and down and did not look at the person he was addressing. That habit gave Sally time to take the shock before he turned.
She held the cigarette between her lips to keep them from trembling. Her feet were flat upon the mattress, pressing against each other desperately. Her voice was hail-fellow and confident. She said:
“Thanks for the chance you and Bucks are giving me. It’s white! Darned white! And lucky, too, Jumbo. He’s my doctor. Due to come to see me in about half an hour. You go back and tell Bucks to give me till five. It’s now a quarter to three. I’ll get the story! Gimme a pencil and some paper. Beat it, before somebody comes in...!”
“But Bucks said....”
“You tell Bucks Hammond if he wants this story, he’ll get it ... provided he gives me a little time. I know the ropes around here. I know the man. The only way to muff it is for you to stand there till you’re caught! Quit sucking your tongue like a lolly-pop and beat it. If you are not back by five I’ll wrap my story in a cake of soap and sling it out that window!”
Jumbo tripped to the door, turned and said: