squawks.”
“Nice work, Mick,” I said admiringly. “I didn’t know you owned the town. You’ve pulled me out of a hole bigger than the one you were in. That makes us quits.”
“Like hell it does,” he said, but his face brightened. “Listen, soldier, when you pulled me out of my hole you didn’t know me from a dog’s flea. That’s what makes what you did something, and I ain’t forgetting it.”
I stubbed out my cigarette, lit another.
“And please yourself what you tell me,” Casy went on, “but if you want to tell me, now’s the time.”
I didn’t hesitate. I could trust Casy and he might be useful. “I was up there last night,” I said. “It’s a cockeyed yarn: you’d better hear it.”
I took him through the story from Gorman’s proposition to the time Veda and I had come to Santa Medina last night: He sat smoking; his frown deepened as the story unfolded. Even to me it sounded as phoney as O’Readen’s smile.
“That’s it,” I concluded. “Make what you like of it, but I smell money somewhere in all this and I mean to be at the head of the queue.”
“Not in my line,” he said. “It’s crazy. But you watch out. Brett’s big time. You be careful how you monkey with him. I’ll take care of Gorman and Parker if you like.”
“No. You’re doing all I want you to do right now. I can’t do a thing until I get this compact or whatever it is. The frail upstairs says she knows what it’s all about.” I shook my head thoughtfully. “I don’t know what to make of her, Mick. She’s an enigma.”
“That’s your lookout. You were always a sucker for a woman. Anything I can do?”
I grinned at him.
“I’m going over to San Luis Beach. I want to get some clothes for one thing. I want to see Redfern too. Will O’Readen play?”
“Sure he’ll play. You heard what I told him. Redfern won’t bust your alibi.”
“That’s fine. I’ll go over there and iron things out with him and maybe have a look around. Can I borrow a car?”
Casy nodded.
“Then there’s the frail upstairs. She’d better stay put until I come back. I don’t want her to run out on me. Can you get a guy to keep an eye on her?”
“Joe can do it. He ain’t doing anything.” Casy raised his voice and bawled for Joe.
“I want her to stay right where she is. I’ll lock her in, but a lock mightn’t keep her there if she takes it into her head to take a powder. If Joe can keep an eye on her . . .”
Joe came in.
“Miss Rux is to stay where she is until Jackson’s say-so,” Casy told him. “You’re to see she stays.”
Joe gave a soft grunt. Dismay showed in his eyes, but he was well trained.
“Check,” he said.
“And watch her, pally,” I told him. “She’s as tricky as a sackful of rattlesnakes. Every time she snaps her garters some guy comes arunning.”
“If she snaps anything at me I’ll snap right back,” Joe said with a cold little grin.
“I’ll have a word with her and then I’ll get off,” I said to Casy. Will that car be ready?
“Sure; right outside in five minutes.”
Veda, in sky-blue pyjamas and red mules, was looking over the wooden roofs of Santa Medina from the roof garden when I came in. She swung around on her heels and her chest pointed at me.
“Coffee coming up,” I said. “I’ll have to go out. You stay here until I return.”
“I might.” She looked over her shoulder to the distant summit of Ocean Rise. “I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll stay, unless you want to jump off the roof.”
She turned quickly.
“And what does that mean?”
The friendly-looking negro came in with a tray of hot rolls and coffee. He ducked his head at us, said it was a fine morning, and shuffled away.
I poured the coffee, added cream and sugar and handed her a cup.
“I don’t want you floating around foot-loose,” I explained. “Take it easy. I’m locking the door when I go out in case you start sleep-walking again.”
“You’ll do nothing of the
“Nice work, Mick,” I said admiringly. “I didn’t know you owned the town. You’ve pulled me out of a hole bigger than the one you were in. That makes us quits.”
“Like hell it does,” he said, but his face brightened. “Listen, soldier, when you pulled me out of my hole you didn’t know me from a dog’s flea. That’s what makes what you did something, and I ain’t forgetting it.”
I stubbed out my cigarette, lit another.
“And please yourself what you tell me,” Casy went on, “but if you want to tell me, now’s the time.”
I didn’t hesitate. I could trust Casy and he might be useful. “I was up there last night,” I said. “It’s a cockeyed yarn: you’d better hear it.”
I took him through the story from Gorman’s proposition to the time Veda and I had come to Santa Medina last night: He sat smoking; his frown deepened as the story unfolded. Even to me it sounded as phoney as O’Readen’s smile.
“That’s it,” I concluded. “Make what you like of it, but I smell money somewhere in all this and I mean to be at the head of the queue.”
“Not in my line,” he said. “It’s crazy. But you watch out. Brett’s big time. You be careful how you monkey with him. I’ll take care of Gorman and Parker if you like.”
“No. You’re doing all I want you to do right now. I can’t do a thing until I get this compact or whatever it is. The frail upstairs says she knows what it’s all about.” I shook my head thoughtfully. “I don’t know what to make of her, Mick. She’s an enigma.”
“That’s your lookout. You were always a sucker for a woman. Anything I can do?”
I grinned at him.
“I’m going over to San Luis Beach. I want to get some clothes for one thing. I want to see Redfern too. Will O’Readen play?”
“Sure he’ll play. You heard what I told him. Redfern won’t bust your alibi.”
“That’s fine. I’ll go over there and iron things out with him and maybe have a look around. Can I borrow a car?”
Casy nodded.
“Then there’s the frail upstairs. She’d better stay put until I come back. I don’t want her to run out on me. Can you get a guy to keep an eye on her?”
“Joe can do it. He ain’t doing anything.” Casy raised his voice and bawled for Joe.
“I want her to stay right where she is. I’ll lock her in, but a lock mightn’t keep her there if she takes it into her head to take a powder. If Joe can keep an eye on her . . .”
Joe came in.
“Miss Rux is to stay where she is until Jackson’s say-so,” Casy told him. “You’re to see she stays.”
Joe gave a soft grunt. Dismay showed in his eyes, but he was well trained.
“Check,” he said.
“And watch her, pally,” I told him. “She’s as tricky as a sackful of rattlesnakes. Every time she snaps her garters some guy comes arunning.”
“If she snaps anything at me I’ll snap right back,” Joe said with a cold little grin.
“I’ll have a word with her and then I’ll get off,” I said to Casy. Will that car be ready?
“Sure; right outside in five minutes.”
Veda, in sky-blue pyjamas and red mules, was looking over the wooden roofs of Santa Medina from the roof garden when I came in. She swung around on her heels and her chest pointed at me.
“Coffee coming up,” I said. “I’ll have to go out. You stay here until I return.”
“I might.” She looked over her shoulder to the distant summit of Ocean Rise. “I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll stay, unless you want to jump off the roof.”
She turned quickly.
“And what does that mean?”
The friendly-looking negro came in with a tray of hot rolls and coffee. He ducked his head at us, said it was a fine morning, and shuffled away.
I poured the coffee, added cream and sugar and handed her a cup.
“I don’t want you floating around foot-loose,” I explained. “Take it easy. I’m locking the door when I go out in case you start sleep-walking again.”
“You’ll do nothing of the
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