will get you nowhere, Teddy darlin'. Now tell me where Hoxey is.” I took a step toward her.
She started to curse me some more. Then she stopped and stared at my hands. I had them in front of me, ready to grab her. She took a step backward. She slammed her door inches from my nose.
“I’m big enough to break that down.”
She said through the panel, “Hoxey is with Nick Calumet.”
I said, “Try again. Calumet told me he fired Hoxey because you wouldn’t steer your customers to his place.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Teddy said. “But Hoxey called an hour or so ago. He said he was with Nick. Now leave me alone.”
She was so burned up at me that I could hear the truth in her voice. She was too mad to be acting. I turned and trotted down the stairs. I looked up and down the dark length of the alley cautiously. I thought I might be safer where there was more light. Then I remembered what the DA had said. If I went onto Hill Street, I could end up in a squad car.
I tackled the darkness.
It was empty. I passed Arch’s rear door. I reached Calumet’s. In the old days, when Joe Rome owned the place, the door had always been unlocked. It was a convenient way for a certain type of customer to get into the back rooms without being seen out front. There had been a rabbit warren of rooms then; the bar girls used them as places to “rest” while they waited for customers.
The door was locked now. I thought that was interesting. I took my key ring out of my pocket and went to work on the lock. The third key worked. I eased the door open and stepped into the musty old rear hall. I shut the door behind me.
I tried some of the doors that opened onto the hall. They were all locked until I came to the one that led to Calumet’s office. That opened. I walked in.
Calumet was seated behind his desk. He was smiling. He could afford to smile. He had a gun in his hand. It was pointed at me. He said, “Close the door.”
“I thought you didn’t like guns, Nick.” I closed the door.
“You made a lot of noise opening that back door,” he said. He didn’t say why he’d suddenly grown fond of a gun. But I could guess.
I said, “I want Hoxey, not you.”
“I told you he doesn’t work here any more.”
“He was here last night, Nick. And Teddy Jenner told me not five minutes ago that he’s here now.”
Calumet just shook his head. He looked confident with the gun in his hand and his wrist supported by the edge of the desk. It was a position he could hold for quite a while without getting tired.
He said, “Why so eager to see Hoxey, McKeon?”
“I have some questions to ask him.”
“The same ones you asked me?”
This conversation wasn’t telling him or me anything. I had the feeling that he was sparring for time. To give Minto and Pooly a chance to pick me up? To give Hoxey time to put a lot of distance between him and me?”
I wondered what Calumet would do if I tried leaving. I took a backward step. The muzzle of the gun lifted a fraction of an inch.
Calumet said, “You didn’t answer my question, McKeon. That isn’t polite.”
I took another step. The gun muzzle lifted higher. I reached behind me and put my hand on the doorknob.
He said, “Sit down, McKeon.”
“And wait for your pals? For Minto and Pooly? Or give Hoxey a chance to get away?”
He made an effort to look blank. I said, “You haven’t got the guts to use that gun, Nick. You might try going for me with your knife, if you were mad enough or scared enough. But you won’t pull that trigger just to keep me from leaving.”
He pulled the trigger.
He moved the gun first. The bullet went into the ceiling above the door. Tiny bits of wood drifted down on me.
I stared at Calumet. He stared back. I don’t know which of us was more surprised. His hand was shaking. He had scared himself.
I said, “Don’t do that again. You might hit something.”
He touched his lips with the tip of his tongue. “It wasn’t as tough as I thought
She started to curse me some more. Then she stopped and stared at my hands. I had them in front of me, ready to grab her. She took a step backward. She slammed her door inches from my nose.
“I’m big enough to break that down.”
She said through the panel, “Hoxey is with Nick Calumet.”
I said, “Try again. Calumet told me he fired Hoxey because you wouldn’t steer your customers to his place.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Teddy said. “But Hoxey called an hour or so ago. He said he was with Nick. Now leave me alone.”
She was so burned up at me that I could hear the truth in her voice. She was too mad to be acting. I turned and trotted down the stairs. I looked up and down the dark length of the alley cautiously. I thought I might be safer where there was more light. Then I remembered what the DA had said. If I went onto Hill Street, I could end up in a squad car.
I tackled the darkness.
It was empty. I passed Arch’s rear door. I reached Calumet’s. In the old days, when Joe Rome owned the place, the door had always been unlocked. It was a convenient way for a certain type of customer to get into the back rooms without being seen out front. There had been a rabbit warren of rooms then; the bar girls used them as places to “rest” while they waited for customers.
The door was locked now. I thought that was interesting. I took my key ring out of my pocket and went to work on the lock. The third key worked. I eased the door open and stepped into the musty old rear hall. I shut the door behind me.
I tried some of the doors that opened onto the hall. They were all locked until I came to the one that led to Calumet’s office. That opened. I walked in.
Calumet was seated behind his desk. He was smiling. He could afford to smile. He had a gun in his hand. It was pointed at me. He said, “Close the door.”
“I thought you didn’t like guns, Nick.” I closed the door.
“You made a lot of noise opening that back door,” he said. He didn’t say why he’d suddenly grown fond of a gun. But I could guess.
I said, “I want Hoxey, not you.”
“I told you he doesn’t work here any more.”
“He was here last night, Nick. And Teddy Jenner told me not five minutes ago that he’s here now.”
Calumet just shook his head. He looked confident with the gun in his hand and his wrist supported by the edge of the desk. It was a position he could hold for quite a while without getting tired.
He said, “Why so eager to see Hoxey, McKeon?”
“I have some questions to ask him.”
“The same ones you asked me?”
This conversation wasn’t telling him or me anything. I had the feeling that he was sparring for time. To give Minto and Pooly a chance to pick me up? To give Hoxey time to put a lot of distance between him and me?”
I wondered what Calumet would do if I tried leaving. I took a backward step. The muzzle of the gun lifted a fraction of an inch.
Calumet said, “You didn’t answer my question, McKeon. That isn’t polite.”
I took another step. The gun muzzle lifted higher. I reached behind me and put my hand on the doorknob.
He said, “Sit down, McKeon.”
“And wait for your pals? For Minto and Pooly? Or give Hoxey a chance to get away?”
He made an effort to look blank. I said, “You haven’t got the guts to use that gun, Nick. You might try going for me with your knife, if you were mad enough or scared enough. But you won’t pull that trigger just to keep me from leaving.”
He pulled the trigger.
He moved the gun first. The bullet went into the ceiling above the door. Tiny bits of wood drifted down on me.
I stared at Calumet. He stared back. I don’t know which of us was more surprised. His hand was shaking. He had scared himself.
I said, “Don’t do that again. You might hit something.”
He touched his lips with the tip of his tongue. “It wasn’t as tough as I thought
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