“Business looks good,” I chattered as we pushed through the crowd. “You know, I had a tip on Beeswax this afternoon, and wouldn’t play the pup.” I made two or three more aimless cracks of that sort—just because I knew the girl’s mind was full of something else. She paid no attention to anything I said.
But when we had dropped down in front of a vacant table, she asked:
“Who were your friends?”
“What friends?”
“The four jobbies who were at the bar when you were there a few minutes ago.”
“Too hard for me, sister.” I shook my head. “There were slews of men there. Oh, yes! I know who you mean! Those four gents who seemed kind of smitten with Gooseneck’s looks. I wonder what attracted them to him—besides his beauty.”
She grabbed my arm with both hands.
“So help me God, Painless,” she swore, “if you tie anything on Ed, I’ll kill you!”
Her brown eyes were big and damp. She was a hard and wise little baby—had rubbed the world’s sharp corners with both shoulders—but she was only a kid, and she was worried sick over this man of hers. However, the business of a sleuth is to catch criminals, not to sympathize with their ladyloves.
I patted her hands.