Sally Camino faced him in sudden fury. "You rat!" she spat at him. "You're an even bigger phony than I guessed. Taking me across the state line so's you could put the screws on the gang. Well, let me tell you, fake copper, when Briscoe hears of this—"
"You one of the Briscoe mob?" demanded Link. "Why I was practic'ly lined up with Briscoe—before I got sent up the last time. It's a small world, ain't it?"
The girl glanced at him with repugnance. "Yeah? That just about makes us pals, don't it?"
The irony was wasted. "Sure does," he grinned.
"How about her?" McGruder indicated the golden-haired girl.
"That's Pearl," explained Link. "She ain't all there."
"A lot you know about it!" retorted Maw Barstow. "Pearlie's brighter than you think. Is these the ones that was comin', dearie?" she demanded.
The girl's lips parted in a beatific smile.
"Has vishuns," explained Link. He tapped his forehead to indicate a mysterious form of mental activity. "The old guy—he's nuts too."
This confidence was imparted in a lowered voice, but hardly low enough to avoid being overheard.