it would be,” he said. “Next time I won’t pull up.”
His eyes were a little wild. I walked away from the door and toward a chair. I started to sit down and changed my mind. Someone was coming down the hall. I could hear heels clicking in fast tempo. The doorknob turned and the door swung open.
Stephanie took a single step into the room. She stopped and stared, wide-eyed, at the gun in Calumet’s hand. Her head swung to the side. Her eyes focused on me.
“Thank heaven, I found you!” she said.
Calumet said, “Who the hell is this, McKeon?”
I ignored him. I said to Stephanie, “What’s up?”
“The police are looking for you.”
“The DA already told me that.”
She said, “Oh.” She sounded a little hurt that I already knew.
I glanced toward Calumet. He was looking interested. He was also doing a good job of examining Stephanie. She was wearing a knit suit. It fit very tightly.
He said thoughtfully, “I could be quite a hero if I held you for the cops, couldn’t I, McKeon?”
I shrugged. I lit a cigaret. I walked over to his desk. I dropped my match in an ashtray half-full of butts. I didn’t even bother to tell him he was bluffing. That he wasn’t in any position to call the police.
I tipped one edge of the ashtray. I slid my fingers under the bottom. I lifted my hand and pushed the ashtray as if it was a 16-pound shot.
Ashes and butts went for Calumet’s face. I went right after them. I swung my left arm as I dove. My knuckles caught his gun and sent it spinning. I grabbed a handful of hair with my right hand. He clawed at my arm. His hair was slippery with grease. It slid out of my fingers.
His swivel chair went over backward, taking him with it.
I left him on the floor. I straightened up and pushed Stephanie toward the door.
We moved. Calumet made no effort to follow us. We went back into the alley. With the hall door closed, the damp darkness folded around us. There was no sound but that of our breathing.
Stephanie said, “What are you going to do now, Jeff? Where can you hide?”
“I’m not about to hide, dollbaby. I have work to do. I’ve got to find that damn Hoxey Creen. Teddy Jenner steered me over here. Maybe she wasn’t lying, but I’ve got to make sure.”
“But what if they catch you?” she demanded. “Lieutenant Maslin isn’t stupid. He’ll guess you’ve come here.”
“I’d rather be caught here than dragged out of some damn hole I’m trying to hide in.”
She didn’t say any more. We started walking back down the alley toward the rear of the Blue Beagle. A short way beyond Arch’s rear door, I stopped. Light was filtering down through the mist, making a yellowish pattern on the slime of the alley floor. I looked upward. One of Hoxey’s windows overlooked the alley. The light was coming through that window.
I said, “Listen, do me a favor. It’s late enough now so that Teddy Jenner should be working. Go into the Blue Beagle and keep an eye on her. If she looks like she’s heading for upstairs, try to detain her.”
“All right,” Stephanie said. She sounded dubious.
“If the cops do catch me, don’t mix in. Stay clear of trouble. The DA wouldn’t appreciate having both of us mixed up in this.”
“All right,” she said again.
We reached the rear door of the Blue Beagle. I showed Stephanie the way into the hall leading to the big room. I waited until she was through the door. Then I climbed the stairs.
I paused by Teddy’s red door. I rapped lightly. There was no answer. I was fairly certain she had gone downstairs to work. I walked on to Hoxey’s door. I lifted my hand to knock.
I dropped my arm. The door was cracked open about two inches. I gave it a light push. It swung back toward the wall. I looked into the room.
It was more of a mess than the last time I had seen it. It had been torn apart. The guts were spilled out of everything; the mattress, the one dresser, the padded chair, the battered sofa. The few magazines and books
His eyes were a little wild. I walked away from the door and toward a chair. I started to sit down and changed my mind. Someone was coming down the hall. I could hear heels clicking in fast tempo. The doorknob turned and the door swung open.
Stephanie took a single step into the room. She stopped and stared, wide-eyed, at the gun in Calumet’s hand. Her head swung to the side. Her eyes focused on me.
“Thank heaven, I found you!” she said.
Calumet said, “Who the hell is this, McKeon?”
I ignored him. I said to Stephanie, “What’s up?”
“The police are looking for you.”
“The DA already told me that.”
She said, “Oh.” She sounded a little hurt that I already knew.
I glanced toward Calumet. He was looking interested. He was also doing a good job of examining Stephanie. She was wearing a knit suit. It fit very tightly.
He said thoughtfully, “I could be quite a hero if I held you for the cops, couldn’t I, McKeon?”
I shrugged. I lit a cigaret. I walked over to his desk. I dropped my match in an ashtray half-full of butts. I didn’t even bother to tell him he was bluffing. That he wasn’t in any position to call the police.
I tipped one edge of the ashtray. I slid my fingers under the bottom. I lifted my hand and pushed the ashtray as if it was a 16-pound shot.
Ashes and butts went for Calumet’s face. I went right after them. I swung my left arm as I dove. My knuckles caught his gun and sent it spinning. I grabbed a handful of hair with my right hand. He clawed at my arm. His hair was slippery with grease. It slid out of my fingers.
His swivel chair went over backward, taking him with it.
I left him on the floor. I straightened up and pushed Stephanie toward the door.
We moved. Calumet made no effort to follow us. We went back into the alley. With the hall door closed, the damp darkness folded around us. There was no sound but that of our breathing.
Stephanie said, “What are you going to do now, Jeff? Where can you hide?”
“I’m not about to hide, dollbaby. I have work to do. I’ve got to find that damn Hoxey Creen. Teddy Jenner steered me over here. Maybe she wasn’t lying, but I’ve got to make sure.”
“But what if they catch you?” she demanded. “Lieutenant Maslin isn’t stupid. He’ll guess you’ve come here.”
“I’d rather be caught here than dragged out of some damn hole I’m trying to hide in.”
She didn’t say any more. We started walking back down the alley toward the rear of the Blue Beagle. A short way beyond Arch’s rear door, I stopped. Light was filtering down through the mist, making a yellowish pattern on the slime of the alley floor. I looked upward. One of Hoxey’s windows overlooked the alley. The light was coming through that window.
I said, “Listen, do me a favor. It’s late enough now so that Teddy Jenner should be working. Go into the Blue Beagle and keep an eye on her. If she looks like she’s heading for upstairs, try to detain her.”
“All right,” Stephanie said. She sounded dubious.
“If the cops do catch me, don’t mix in. Stay clear of trouble. The DA wouldn’t appreciate having both of us mixed up in this.”
“All right,” she said again.
We reached the rear door of the Blue Beagle. I showed Stephanie the way into the hall leading to the big room. I waited until she was through the door. Then I climbed the stairs.
I paused by Teddy’s red door. I rapped lightly. There was no answer. I was fairly certain she had gone downstairs to work. I walked on to Hoxey’s door. I lifted my hand to knock.
I dropped my arm. The door was cracked open about two inches. I gave it a light push. It swung back toward the wall. I looked into the room.
It was more of a mess than the last time I had seen it. It had been torn apart. The guts were spilled out of everything; the mattress, the one dresser, the padded chair, the battered sofa. The few magazines and books
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