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was there. She even had those spooky eyes that looked like they were seeing
things hidden from the rest of us. She pretended not to study me while I
pretended not to study her.
Thanks, Sas.
Sure, Bish. She left.
Sure looks like him, I admitted.
There you go. Any problems now?
Not really. I wondered if she d studied me because the dwarf had told her who
I was. Probably. Maybe he d sent her back more to give her a look than to give
me one. This supposed to be a secret?
Secret?
I ll tell my partner, of course. He won t kick it around. But is it supposed
to be a secret from the rest of the world?
Probably wouldn t hurt. The guy maybe does have an enemy or three.
Suppose he catches on that I m watching? Am I allowed to tell him why?
I don t figure that would do Sas no good. Look, I know this ain t in your
usual line. Pretty tame, you being used to mixing it up with sorcerers and
gangsters and Hill folk, but it means something to us. You don t got to make a
career out of it. I ain t paying that much. But we d all appreciate it if
you d let us in on it should he get his ass into something he can t handle.
Right?
I rose. Good enough. I believed him because I wanted to believe him. You
don t much see people do nice things for people. One of your girls said your
musicians are having problems.
You don t need to worry about that. Tooken care of. For a moment he looked
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like the evil thing I d pictured him to be. Or will be, real soon. How about
you take my mug back out to Crunch?
I took both mugs.
24
The dwarf grunted when I made my delivery. For an old guy, especially for an
old dwarf, Crunch was astonishingly polite.
As I headed for the street, I glanced at the bandbox. And almost tripped over
my feet. A man had joined the musicians. He was one guy I d hoped I wouldn t
ever see again. He stared at me. I stared back.
He had nothing on me in height and only a little in weight, but size didn t
make this man. He reeked menace the way Barking Dog Amato reeked uninspired
personal hygiene. He scared you just by being around, even when he smiled. His
name was Crask. He was one of Chodo Contagues top cats. He hurt people for a
living. He enjoyed his work.
I realized I d stopped to stare. He kept staring too. Each of us was
wondering what the hell the other was doing there. When my brain unfroze again
I had no trouble figuring him. He was there because of the battered musicians.
Old Licks didn t have a license from the outfit. Him and his buddies would be
in deep shit if Crask caught up. Especially deep for picking on musicians in
the Tenderloin. The Tenderloin was Chodos. Even the King doesnt mess around
down there.
I almost made it to the door before I got stunned again.
The girl blew in as I reached for the latch. I dodged, gaped. For all she
reacted, I was a ghost.
She was the one those villains had dragged out of Morley s place. The one
Morley claimed was the kingpin s daughter. I turned, stared, and maybe panted
some, as she strode toward Crunch.
Crask s face went as cold as death. My heart jumped. But it wasn t me he was
watching.
The girl glanced his way, stopped, made a little sound of surprise, whirled,
and sprinted for the street. She ricocheted off me as she went. I purred. Whip
me, beat me . .
Crask came pounding up behind me as I stepped into the rain to watch her fly
away. He halted beside me. What the hell was that? I asked.
What you doing here, Garrett? He sounded suspicious. Nasty suspicious. Like
getting ready to break arms and legs suspicious.
What are you doing here? I thought you were too big time for legwork.
She come here to meet you?
Huh? That was a surprise notion. Uh-uh. No touch. I ll break things. Crask
was scary, but I wasn t afraid of him in any head butting contest. I figured
our chances were equal if we got to prancing around pounding on each other. He
was scary because he was a killer and a smart one. If he decided to send you
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