“His wife plugged him.”

“You saw her?”

“I saw her the next second⁠—with the gat in her hand.”

“That’s no good to either of us,” I said. “I don’t know how far you’ve got it cooked. Rigged right, you could make it stick in court, maybe, but you’ll not get a chance to make your play there. If Noonan takes you at all he’ll take you stiff. Give me the straight of it. I only need that to pop the job.”

He dropped his cigarette on the floor, mashed it under his foot, and asked:

“You that hot?”

“Give me your slant on it and I’m ready to make the pinch⁠—if I can get out of here.”

He lit another cigarette and asked: