Sally’s hands continued wringing themselves, and she begged:
“Cub, isn’t there some way ... another stairs, Cub?”
He swirled without a word and ran down to the second floor again. Higgins and Sally followed, hopefully.
Another stairs ... behind the pharmacy ... where Rose Standish had kissed his interne ... perhaps that went up as well as down....
They reached the door that opened onto the enclosed stairway. Cub pulled the knob savagely. The door flew open. He peered into the darkness. Matthew Higgins thick body brushed him aside. The detective pushed onto the narrow landing and struck a match. Caticornered from the stairway that led down to the pharmacy, a rusty door-knob caught the reflection.
“Locked!” his discovery was like a curse.
Sally stood in the doorway that led to the second floor and moaned. Fatigue. Blinding fatigue was beginning to....
Cub Sterling moved over to Higgins’ side and said “Let’s bust it!”
They propped their feet upon the opposite wall and laid their shoulders against the flimsy panels. The match was out and the veins in their necks began choking them.
Far down below Sally heard the clanking bell of an approaching ambulance; it hid the scrunching of the wood from her ears.