He started at me with dumbfounded eyes. He gaped. He couldn’t understand what I had done to him.

I looked at the others, tried to look virtuous as hell, asked:

“That’s settled, isn’t it? Let’s get the rest of the kicks squared.” I addressed Pete the Finn: “How do you feel about yesterday’s accident to your warehouse and the four men?”

“One hell of an accident,” he rumbled.

I explained:

“Noonan didn’t know you were using the joint. He went there thinking it empty, just to clear the way for a job in town. Your men shot first, and then he really thought he had stumbled into Thaler’s hideout. When he found he’d been stepping in your puddle he lost his head and touched the place off.”