“This dame interests me. I want to know who she is. I had a bad break the other day. I nearly ran into her but just missed it. I won’t go into that now, but maybe I’ll tell you about it later. The next excitement is you. I wanted to see a little more of you, and when I heard you were missing I got worried. I got still more worried when this dame rings up and hints that I’ll find you in trouble at an old east-side wharf.
“I go along there and have an argument with three guys, and instead of finding you I run into Blondie again. She also is on her way out of town. Then I run into you, and I guess that’s where I stop.” I sat back with a sigh of relief.
Mardi said: “I believe I can help you. There are a lot of things I couldn’t understand which now I think I could fit into the puzzle.”
“Suppose we look at it from this angle ” I began.
She smiled at me. “Could it wait until to-morrow?” she asked. “I’m so tired. Look at the time. I feel as if I shall go to sleep right here in this chair.”
I got up quickly. “Sure,” I said. “I guess I’m over-anxious. You get some sleep.. We can talk over what you’re goin’ to do and all about this business to-morrow.”
She got out of the chair slowly and stretched. Standing there in front of the electric stove, the strong reflection of the elements outlining her legs through her dress, her grand little head back, and her arms raised a little, she looked good. I wanted to put my arms round her. It was tough going not to start anything.
I said: “Through there is the bedroom. You go ahead. You get some sleep.”
She said sleepily: “Can I borrow things from you?”
I went ahead of her and fished out a pair of my pyjamas and my dressing-gown. I tossed them on the bed.
She came in and stood watching me. “It’s nice of you,” she said, “giving up your bed. Do you mind an awful lot?”
I didn’t move. I just didn’t trust myself. “No, I don’t mind,” I said.
The sudden unevenness in my voice made her look at me quickly. “I’m sorry I can’t do what some girls would do,” she said steadily. “Not because I think it’s wrong, but because I think it’s too soon.”
I went over to her and stood very close. “You’re swell,” I said, “I don’t want that. I just want you to know I’m crazy about you. I want to help you and do things for you.”
She put her hand on my arm. “Thank you.”
I gave a grin and walked out, shutting the door behind me.
The fat guy and Gus were sitting under the lamp waiting for me. The fat guy held an automatic directed at my belly. He said: “Reach up, lug, grab a handful of heaven.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THOSE TWO GUYS got me rattled for the moment. I leant against the door and put my hands up. There was a vicious look in the fat guy’s eyes that I didn’t like. I guessed he was feeling mighty sore with me.
Did he know Mardi was right behind me? Was he after her or was he just going to settle things up with me?
I said softly: “How’s your noggin, Gus? You birds want a lot of shakin’, don’t you?”
The fat guy waved the gun at me. “Come away from the door, lug, we want the dame. Come on… I ain’t goin’ to ask twice.”
I yelled: “Mardi, lock the door quick… trouble’s arrived.”
Gus sprang towards me with a curse. He came at me from the side so that his body didn’t get in the line of the fat guy’s gun. I wedged myself against the door and let him come.
The fat guy said: “Get him away… if he starts anything, I’ll drill him.”
Gus gripped my arm and tried to swing me from the door. I was too heavy for him and just for a second he came off balance. I jerked my arm a little, and he fell forward, right in the line of fire. I clutched him to me like he was my long-lost brother and lammed a couple of short ones to his belly. My heel thudded against the door and I yelled again: “Lock up, quick.”
The two punches I had shot into Gus held him for a second and then he caught me with a swinger on the jaw. It was a nice punch and it sent me over. I took him with me and we went down in a heap on the floor.
The fat guy came forward and rammed the barrel of his rod into my neck. “Take it easy,” he said softly, “this gun don’t make much noise.”
The cold barrel digging into me cooled me off quick. I let go of Gus, who scrambled to his feet. The fat guy said: “I don’t want to rub you out, but I’ll do it all right if you ask for it.”
I met his eyes. This guy meant everything he said.
“I’ll be good,” I said.
The barrel of the gun looked like a cannon to me.
Gus said: “Watch him… he’s slippery.”
The fat guy shook his head. “He’ll be all right now, you see.”
I sat on the floor hoping that Mardi would start yelling out of the window. I didn’t hear a sound, and my heart sank.
“Come on, get up,” the fat guy said, digging the gun into me again.
I got to my feet.
“If you think you’re goin’ to start anything, I should forget it. This rod’s got a light trigger.”
I guess that guy would think nothing of touching his gun off, so I just stood.
Gus came round the back of me and jerked my arms behind me. For a moment I stiffened my muscles, but the gun kept digging into me. I thought maybe I’d be more useful to Mardi alive than dead, so I let him rope me.
I tried the dodge of expanding my arm muscles, so that I could have a little slack when the time came, but Gus knew all about roping, and when he put the pressure on I called him some fancy names.
They stood back and looked at me.
Gus said to the fat guy: “We gotta get goin’.” He went over to Mardi’s door and turned the handle. The door was locked. I knew that door would want some opening. They could only do that by making a hell of a noise.
I said: “Skip it, you two guys, can’t you leave us alone? You ain’t getting in there without callin’ out the riot squad, so why not turn it in?”
The fat guy gave a little chuckle. When he laughed he certainly looked mean. “This is easy,” he said. “We’ll get her out quick an’ quiet.’
He went to the door and pushed Gus on one side. He put his bullet-head against the panels. “Come on out, sister,” he said, speaking in his hoarse, croaking voice. “We want you out in ten seconds or we start on your boy friend.”
I yelled: “To hell with them, Mardi! You stay where you are. Yell out of the window…!”
Gus hit me across the mouth with the back of his hand. His bony knuckle cut my lip and I staggered across the room, getting my balance.
The fat guy knocked on the door again. “Wait a minute, sister,” he called. “Don’t you start anythin’ until I’m through. Then you can make up your mind. I know you’re in there, so you don’t have to be cagy. You can hear me okay?”
“I can hear you.” Mardi’s voice was pretty steady.
“If you don’t come out right now, I’m going to get tough with your boy friend. When I say tough, I mean tough, get it? I’ll give you ten seconds, an’ if you ain’t out by then I’m goin’ to give him the works.”
I dodged Gus’s rush and yelled, “It’s a bluff… yell out of the window… don’t open—”
Again Gus’s fist smashed into my face and this time I went over. I was quick enough to jerk my head away from the kick he aimed at me.
Mardi opened the door and came out.
The fat guy and Gus stood motionless staring at her. I saw Gus’s eyes open and he pursed his mouth.
She stood framed in the doorway, one hand hanging by her side and the other holding the door handle. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide, but she held her head up and she wasn’t looking scared.