kind!” Her blue eyes flashed: “You’re having it too much your own way.”
“Sure, and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you go out and run into Parker what do you think he’ll do to you? Use your head. You stay here until I see what’s cooking.”
She brooded, then she said abruptly, “Where’s the compact?
“We’ll talk about that some other time,” I said and finished my coffee. “Right now I’ve other things on my mind.”
She studied me thoughtfully.
“If it hadn’t been for me you’d be filling a hole in the ground,” she said. “Can’t you show a little gratitude?”
“Some other time.” I picked up my hat. “We’ll get together before long. Just take it easy. If you want anything use the telephone. Joe’s looking after you. Don’t try any tricks with him. He’s got a heart of stone.”
She beat me to the door, grabbed the key and tried to twist out of my clutch.
“Take it easy,” I said and scooped her up, ran her to the bed. On the way she pounded the top of my hat with clenched fists.
“Let me go!” she stormed. “How I hate you, you heel!”
I tossed her on the bed, knelt on her while I squeezed her fingers and took the key.
“Can’t you quit fighting?” I asked, scowling at her. Now lay off and act like a lady.”
I made a rush for the door. A clock and a vase helped me on my way. I got outside and turned the key as she began to pound on the panels. The names she called me would have made a taxi-driver blush.
Joe came along the passage, paused to listen.
“Snapping her garters, huh?” he said. “The jobs I get. If she calls me names like that I’ll sock her in the jaw.”
“Not a bad idea,” I said and handed him the key. “Give her anything she wants except a gun and poison. Okay?”
He put the key in his vest pocket and sighed.
“I guess so. See you before long I hope.”
I went down to Casy’s office. The long, fragile-looking guy with the profile like Byron and the cornflower in his buttonhole was draped up against the wall, his hands in his pockets. He was watching Casy reading his mail.
“This is Lu Farrel, Floyd,” Casy said. “He’ll take care of any trouble you might run into. Take him along with you. He can drive the car.”
Lu fluttered his Bambi eyes at me. I tried not to show my horror.
“Thanks all the same,” I said hastily, “but I can handle my own trouble. All I want is the car.”
“Better take him along,” Casy advised. “He’s a good guy with a rod.”
“He’d be better with a powder-puff,” I thought, but didn’t say so. I didn’t want to hint Casy’s feelings or make Lu cry.
“That’s okay, but I’d rather go along on my own. No hard feelings,” I went on to Lu.
“Not at all, dear,” he said and sniffed at his cornflower.
Casy grinned.
“Don’t let Lu kid you. His appearance is against him.”
“Something is,” I agreed darkly and went out.
A big black-and-chromium Cadillac was parked outside. The doorman guarding it smirked when he saw my expression.
“The boss says for you to use her,” he said and held the door open for me.
In that beauty it took me a little over half an hour to reach my rooms. I had a small apartment in a three-storey house in the less prosperous quarter of San Luis Beach. It was comfortable enough: a little shabby, but clean, and Mrs. Baxter who looked after me was no more dishonest than the other landladies in the street.
A closed car was parked on the opposite side of the street to the house. I parked the Cad outside the front door, looked the closed car over and grinned to myself. The guy sitting at the wheel, reading a sporting sheet, had ‘cop’ written all over him.
I got out slow, allowed him to take a good look at me, then went on up the stairs to my rooms.
I unlocked the door and went in. They had taken some trouble not to leave signs of a search, but it wasn’t hard to see they’d been over the joint with a fine comb and a small earthquake to
“Sure, and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you go out and run into Parker what do you think he’ll do to you? Use your head. You stay here until I see what’s cooking.”
She brooded, then she said abruptly, “Where’s the compact?
“We’ll talk about that some other time,” I said and finished my coffee. “Right now I’ve other things on my mind.”
She studied me thoughtfully.
“If it hadn’t been for me you’d be filling a hole in the ground,” she said. “Can’t you show a little gratitude?”
“Some other time.” I picked up my hat. “We’ll get together before long. Just take it easy. If you want anything use the telephone. Joe’s looking after you. Don’t try any tricks with him. He’s got a heart of stone.”
She beat me to the door, grabbed the key and tried to twist out of my clutch.
“Take it easy,” I said and scooped her up, ran her to the bed. On the way she pounded the top of my hat with clenched fists.
“Let me go!” she stormed. “How I hate you, you heel!”
I tossed her on the bed, knelt on her while I squeezed her fingers and took the key.
“Can’t you quit fighting?” I asked, scowling at her. Now lay off and act like a lady.”
I made a rush for the door. A clock and a vase helped me on my way. I got outside and turned the key as she began to pound on the panels. The names she called me would have made a taxi-driver blush.
Joe came along the passage, paused to listen.
“Snapping her garters, huh?” he said. “The jobs I get. If she calls me names like that I’ll sock her in the jaw.”
“Not a bad idea,” I said and handed him the key. “Give her anything she wants except a gun and poison. Okay?”
He put the key in his vest pocket and sighed.
“I guess so. See you before long I hope.”
I went down to Casy’s office. The long, fragile-looking guy with the profile like Byron and the cornflower in his buttonhole was draped up against the wall, his hands in his pockets. He was watching Casy reading his mail.
“This is Lu Farrel, Floyd,” Casy said. “He’ll take care of any trouble you might run into. Take him along with you. He can drive the car.”
Lu fluttered his Bambi eyes at me. I tried not to show my horror.
“Thanks all the same,” I said hastily, “but I can handle my own trouble. All I want is the car.”
“Better take him along,” Casy advised. “He’s a good guy with a rod.”
“He’d be better with a powder-puff,” I thought, but didn’t say so. I didn’t want to hint Casy’s feelings or make Lu cry.
“That’s okay, but I’d rather go along on my own. No hard feelings,” I went on to Lu.
“Not at all, dear,” he said and sniffed at his cornflower.
Casy grinned.
“Don’t let Lu kid you. His appearance is against him.”
“Something is,” I agreed darkly and went out.
A big black-and-chromium Cadillac was parked outside. The doorman guarding it smirked when he saw my expression.
“The boss says for you to use her,” he said and held the door open for me.
In that beauty it took me a little over half an hour to reach my rooms. I had a small apartment in a three-storey house in the less prosperous quarter of San Luis Beach. It was comfortable enough: a little shabby, but clean, and Mrs. Baxter who looked after me was no more dishonest than the other landladies in the street.
A closed car was parked on the opposite side of the street to the house. I parked the Cad outside the front door, looked the closed car over and grinned to myself. The guy sitting at the wheel, reading a sporting sheet, had ‘cop’ written all over him.
I got out slow, allowed him to take a good look at me, then went on up the stairs to my rooms.
I unlocked the door and went in. They had taken some trouble not to leave signs of a search, but it wasn’t hard to see they’d been over the joint with a fine comb and a small earthquake to
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