"He never had a chance to use it," Gatti explained.
The door opened again. A man with his hat drawn down low over his eyes, stood in the doorway and looked wildly about at the dead men and at Dan and Gatti. Then he turned around frantically.
"Our man," Gatti cried.
He leaped forward, grabbed the fleeing man by the elbow and jerked him violently into the room.
"You wanted to see us," Gatti said. "You phoned the lieutenant, didn't you?"
Every feature of the man's face was distorted with terror. Gatti shook him.
"This is the lieutenant," he said pointing to Dan. "What were you going to tell him?"
The man was looking at the corpses with a slow, steady gaze. His face was more composed now.
"Sure," he said in a deep, resonant voice. "Dey a' deada now, yes? I no hava ta be afraid, yes?"
"That's right, they're dead," Dan said. "Where have they been keeping the kid?"