I wasn't going to show him that he had pulled a quick one on me. I gave him a smile. “Still pushin' them into pockets, Bud?” I said.
“An' talkin' about pool, did you hear the one about the guy who was laying the red—?”
“Skip it, Mason,” Katz said out of the side of his mouth. That's another thing I love. These guys who've been to so many tough movies that they just have to talk out of the side of their mouths, because they think it's the thing to do. “Get her untied.”
I shook my head. “You're crazy,” I said. “You don't know what you're saying. If I took the rope off this dame she'd kill us both.”
The automatic jerked up. “Listen, wise guy,” Katz said, “you ain't goin' to get anywhere with this line. Untie that dame, an' make it snappy.”
Ackie had said this guy was as dangerous as a rattlesnake. To look at him now, I thought Ackie might be right. He didn't look the dope any more. There was a cold, vicious gleam in his eye, and I thought he'd love to have a crack at me. When a guy's got a gun I don't argue too long. Guns always did make me nervous, anyway.
“Turn over, Tootz,” I said.
I wasn't looking forward to the time when she got her hands free. The look she gave me didn't exactly reassure me that a love feast was on its way.
I got her hands free and stepped away from her. I reckoned that I'd sooner argue with Katz's gun than take anything from her.
She sat up, rubbing her wrists. “Give me a wrap,” she snarled at Katz.
Without taking his eyes from me, he pulled another wrap off the hook on the door and tossed it to her. She struggled into it and got off the bed. She looked a hell of a wreck. Blood from my nose was all over her shoulders and she'd got a big bruise on her jaw. I had left my fingerprints all over her arms, and the punch I had got in on her shoulder was already turning red and green.
She walked into the bathroom and shut the door. I could hear the water running.
“Sit down,” Katz said, jerking the automatic again.
I sat on the bed. I said: “Suppose you put the gun away and take it easy. This is a private matter between Blondie and me... it don't call for any outside interference.”
Katz said: “You talk too much. Keep your trap shut. I'll do the talking an' you just answer... get it?”
I shrugged.
“What are you doin' here?” he asked.
I grinned. “That's an easy one,” I said. “What the hell would any man be doin' here?”
Katz pushed his hat at the back of his head and leant against the wall. He put a finger and thumb in his vest-pocket and took out a toothpick. He put the toothpick in his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully.
“If you don't like to talk straight,' he said, “it's goin' to be tough for you.”
I said: “Be your age, Katz. You can't get that way with me. I could make this town so hot for you that you'd have to take a powder quick.”
Katz shifted the toothpick. “You're all washed up,” he said. “You ain't nothin'. Suppose you get wise an' talk? What are you doin' here?”
The bathroom door opened and Blondie came in. She'd done some good work and she was looking more herself. Her eyes still glinted dangerously and she stood in the doorway, watching us.
I shrugged. “I guess I'll be on my way,” I said, getting to my feet.
Katz said: “Sit down.” There was a threat in his voice.
“We won't get anywhere,” I said. “I'm goin'.”
Katz shifted a little, so that his back was against the door. “Don't start anythin',” he said. “I ain't ready to plug you yet, but don't rush me.”
I said: “You better get out of the way.” I was getting mad with this gunman. I guessed he'd think twice about letting the gun off. After all, we were on a main street, and guns can make a noise.
Maybe Katz gave Blondie a signal, or maybe she acted on her own initiative. I had been keeping my eyes on the gun, making up my mind whether I could jump Katz or not, and for a moment she was out of the picture. Well, I deserved what came to me, because I had had a taste of her before. I said already this dame was poison, and poison she was.
Something hard and heavy hit me on the side of my head, and I went down on my knees. The room tilted and the lights began to spin.
Dimly I heard Katz say: “Don't hit him again.... I wantta talk to this bird.”
Someone grabbed my arms and twisted them behind me and a hard, cold strap bit into my wrists. I felt myself tossed on the bed. My head cleared and I struggled to sit up, but a hand, out of the mists, closed over my face and slammed me back on the pillow. I lay still until I could focus the lights properly, then I raised my head cautiously and looked at them. They stood at the end of the bed, watching me.
Blondie had her arms crossed over her breasts. Her face was indifferent, but her eyes smouldered. Katz chewed the toothpick and held the automatic loosely.
Without taking his eyes off me, he said to Blondie: “What's it all about?”
“He's crazy. He came up here an' said I'd taken five grand off him.”
Katz shrugged. “Well, didn't you?” he said. He moved round the bed and sat down close to me. “Listen, punk,” he went on, I m goin' to tell you somethin'... then you're goin' to tell me somethin'. We've got your jack all right. Blondie lifted it, like you thought she did....”
Blondie made a move forward. “What the hell....” she began.
Katz turned his head. “Shut up,” he said. “I'm handlin' this. I want this guy to know where he gets off.”
He turned his head back to me. “We've been watchin' you for some time. You went to Vessi's bump-off, didn't you?”
I said: “What of it?” It struck me that if this guy talked enough, I might learn something.
“We're interested to find who sent you... get this right, we don't care about you... we just want to find who's paying you; get it?”
I looked at Blondie. I was getting a little of the angle. “I thought you were Vessi's side-kick,” I said. “I see. I'm wrong. Vessi was framed, an' you know it. This guy's no pal of Vessi's... what the hell are you playin' ball with him for?”
Blondie said viciously: “You lay off that. Who sent you that five grand... that's what you gotta tell us.”
I shook my head. “I can't tell you that... I don't know myself. I just got a note offerin' me five grand to bust the frame-up open, an' I was interested. I went along to see Vessi die.... I didn't learn anythin', and the five grand turned up to encourage me, an' you knocked it off. That's the history as far as I'm concerned.”
I was careful not to tell them that I had my instructions by 'phone, because I didn't want to give them a lead that it was a woman. I reckoned I'd given them just enough information without telling them more than they knew.