She wrinkled her forehead, studying him with eyes that perplexity clouded.
Tom grunted in disgust.
Dundy, still scowling at the girl, ignored Spade’s speech and asked her: “If he’s not telling the truth, how come he did the squawking for help, and not you?”
“Oh, he was frightened to death when I struck him,” she replied, looking contemptuously at the Levantine.
Cairo’s face flushed where it was not blood-smeared. He exclaimed: “Pfoo! Another lie!”
She kicked his leg, the high heel of her blue slipper striking him just below the knee. Dundy pulled him away from her while big Tom came to stand close to her, rumbling: “Behave, sister. That’s no way to act.”
“Then make him tell the truth,” she said defiantly.
“We’ll do that all right,” he promised. “Just don’t get rough.”
Dundy, looking at Spade with green eyes hard and bright and satisfied, addressed his subordinate: “Well, Tom, I don’t guess we’ll go wrong pulling the lot of them in.”
Tom nodded gloomily.
Spade left the door and advanced to the center of the room, dropping his cigarette into a tray on the table as he passed it. His smile and manner were amiably composed. “Don’t be in a hurry,” he said. “Everything can be explained.”
“I bet you,” Dundy agreed, sneering.