MacMan opened the door for me when I returned to Wales’s apartment.
“Anything doing?” I asked him.
“Nothing—except they’ve been bellyaching a lot.”
Wales came forward, asking eagerly:
“Satisfied now?”
The girl stood by the window, looking at me with anxious eyes.
I didn’t say anything.
“Did you find her?” Wales asked, frowning. “She was where I told you?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Well, then.” Part of his frown went away. “That lets Peggy and me out, doesn’t—” He broke off, ran his tongue over his lower lip, put a hand to his chin, asked sharply: “You didn’t give them the tip-off on me, did you?”
I shook my head, no.
He took his hand from his chin and asked irritably:
“What’s the matter with you, then? What are you looking like that for?”
Behind him the girl spoke bitterly.
“I knew damned well it would be like this,” she said. “I knew damned well we weren’t going to get out of it. Oh, what a smart guy you are!”