12 Chinks and A Woman

     Without any effort, Fenner hit him on the side of his jaw. Noolen jerked back; his fat thighs, pinned under the desk, saved him from going over. Fenner slid off the desk, took four quick steps away and turned a little so that he could see the three of them.

     Bugsey's hand was groping in his back pocket. His face showed the indecision that was bewildering him.

     Fenner said, “Hold it. If you start somethin', I'll smack your ears for you.”

     Bugsey took his hand away and transferred it to his head. He scratched his square dome violently. “I guess I'll scram,” he said.

     “You'll stay if you're wise,” Fenner said evenly. “Carlos might be interested to know what you've been doing playin' around with a dick.”

     Bugsey went a little green. “I didn't know you were a dick,” he said sullenly.

     Fenner sneered. “Tell it to Carlos. You don't have to tell it to me.”

     Bugsey hesitated, then he slumped against the wall.

     Fenner glanced at Noolen, who sat in a heap, rubbing his jaw. All the fight had gone out of him. “Okay,” he said. “Now maybe I can get down to things. You and me are goin' to run Carlos and his mob out of town. Bugsey here can either come in on our side, or go back to Carlos. I don't care a lot what he does. If he goes back he'll have a lot of explaining. If he sticks, he'll pick up five hundred bucks a week until the job's cleaned up.”

     Bugsey's eyes brightened. “I'll stick for that amount,” he said.

     Fenner felt in his wallet, took out a sheaf of notes, crumpled them into a ball and tossed them at Bugsey. “That's something to go on with,” he said.

     Noolen watched all this in silence. Fenner came across and sat on the desk again. “How would you like to be the king-pin in this burg?” he said. “That's what you can be if you work with me.”

     “How?” Noolen's voice was very husky.

     “We'll get your little mob and me and Bugsey and we'll make the town very hot for Carlos. We'll hi-jack his boats, we'll sabotage his organization and we'll go gunning for him.”

     Noolen shook his head. “No, we won't,” he said.

     Fenner said evenly, “You yellow big shot! Still scared?”

     “I've never worked with the cops an' I never will.”

     “You don't understand. Four days ago, Carlos had me in his waterfront place. He made things pretty tough, but I got away. I'm making this a personal business. I'm not inviting the law to come along.”

     Noolen shook his head. “I ain't playin'.”

     Fenner laughed. “Okay, we'll make you play.”

     He stood up. “You in this?” he said to Bugsey.

     Bugsey nodded. “I'll hang around,” he said.

     Fenner nodded to Glorie. “Come on, baby,” he said. “You, me an' Bugsey'll look after this until this punk decides to fight.”

     Glorie got up. “I don't want to play either.”

     Fenner showed his teeth. “What a shame,” he said, walking over to her and taking her arm. “But you're not Noolen; you'll do as you're told.”

     Noolen said, “Leave her alone.”

     Fenner took no notice. “Let's go,” he said, and they went out of the room, Glorie walking stiffly beside him.

     Out in the street, Fenner paused. He said to Glorie, “We'll stay at your place.”

     Glorie shook her head. “I told you I haven't got a place.”

     Fenner smiled. “We'll go where you keep your clothes. That evening dress looks sort of out of place at this time.”

     Glorie hesitated, then she said, “Listen, I honestly don't want to be mixed up with Carlos. Will you please excuse me?”

     Fenner pushed her into the car. “It's too late, baby,” he said unpleasantly. 'I can't have anyone shootin' you up whenever they want to. You've got to stick by me for a while.”

     She heaved a sigh. “Okay. I've got a little place off Sponge Pier.”

     Fenner nodded to Bugsey. “Sponge Pier, fast,” he said.

     Bugsey climbed into the car and Fenner followed him. He sat close to Glorie, keeping his grips upright between his legs. “There's goin' to be an awful lot of fun in this joint pretty soon,” he said. “Maybe I'll get somewhere or maybe I won't, but whatever happens to me, Carlos'll go first.”

     Glorie said, “You quite hate that guy, don't you?”

     Fenner looked ahead. His eyes were very cold. “You bet,” he said curtly.

     About a half mile past Sponge Pier, hidden by a thick cluster of palm trees, was a small bungalow. Bugsey ran the car through the small landscape garden and parked it outside the door. A wide piazza screened by green sun-blinds encircled the house, and every window had green wooden sun-shutters.

     Fenner got out of the car and Glorie followed him. She said to Bugsey, “The garage is at the back.”

     Fenner said, “You got a car?”

     “Yes. Do you mind?”

     Fenner looked at Bugsey. “Take that rented car back. We'll use this baby's. We can't afford to be extravagant.”

     Glorie said, “Don't mind me.”

     “Got a staff here?” Fenner asked, looking the house over.

     “I've got a woman who runs the place.”

     “That's fine. Bugsey can help her.” Once more Fenner turned to Bugsey. “Take the car back, then come on here. Miss Leadler will tell her woman you're coming. Then you make yourself useful until I want you. Get it?”

     Bugsey said, “You're payin' the bill,” and he drove the car away.