Burn, Witch, Burn!

entered softly. Ricori had slipped out of the drug into a natural sleep. He was breathing easily, peacefully,

in deep and healing slumber.

His room was a quiet one at the rear, overlooking a little enclosed garden. Both my houses are

old-fashioned, dating back to a more peaceful New York; sturdy vines of Virginia creepers climb up

them both at front and back. I cautioned the nurse to maintain utmost quiet, arranging her light so that it

would cast only the slightest gleam upon Ricori. Going out, I similarly cautioned the guards, telling them

that their chief's speedy recovery might depend upon silence.

It was now after six. I asked Braile to stay for dinner, and afterward to drop in on my patients at the

hospital and to call me up if he thought it worthwhile. I wanted to stay at home and await Ricori's

awakening, should it occur.

We had almost finished dinner when the telephone rang. Braile answered.

"McCann," he said. I went to the instrument.

"Hello, McCann. This is Dr. Lowell."

"How's the boss?"

"Better, I'm expecting him to awaken any moment and to be able to talk," I answered, and listened

intently to catch whatever reaction he might betray to this news.

"That's great, Doc!" I could detect nothing but deepest satisfaction in his tones. "Listen, Doc, I seen

Mollie an' I got some news. Dropped round on her right after I left you. Found Gilmore-that's her

husband-home, an' that gave me a break. Said I'd come in to ask her how she'd like a little ride. She

was tickled an' we left Gil home with the kid-"

"Does she know of Peters' death?" I interrupted.

"Nope. An' I didn't tell her. Now listen. I told you Horty-What? Why Missus Darnley, Jim Wilson's gal.

Yeah. Let me talk, will you? I told you Horty was nuts on Mollie's kid. Early last month Horty comes in

with a swell doll for the kid. Also she's nursing a sore hand she says she gets at the same place she got

the doll. The woman she gets the doll from gave it to her, she tells Mollie-What? No, gave her the doll,

not the hand. Say, Doc, ain't I speaking clear? Yeah, she gets her hand hurt where she got the doll.

That's what I said. The woman fixes it up for her. She gives her the doll for nothing, Horty tells Mollie,

because she thought Horty was so pretty an' for posing for her. Yeah, posing for her, making a statue of

her or something. That makes a hit with Horty because she don't hate herself an' she thinks this doll

woman a lallapaloozer. Yeah, a lallapaloozer, a corker! Yeah.

"About a week later Tom-that's Peters-shows up while Horty's there an' sees the doll. Tom's a mite

jealous of Horty with the kid an' asks her where she got it. She tells him a Madame Mandilip, an' where,

an' Tom he says as this is a gal-doll she needs company, so he'll go an' get a boy-doll. About a week

after this Tom turns up with a boy-doll the lick-an'-split of Horty's. Mollie asks him if he pays as much for

it as Horty. They ain't told him about Horty not paying nothing for it or posing. Mollie says Tom looks

sort of sheepish but all he says is, well, he ain't gone broke on it. She's going to kid him by asking if the

doll woman thinks he's so pretty she wants him to pose, but the kid sets up a whoop about the boy-doll

an' she forgets it. Tom don't show up again till about the first of this month. He's got a bandage on his

hand an' Mollie, kidding, asks him if he got it where he got the doll. He looks surprised an' says 'yes, but

how the hell did you know that?' Yeah-yeah, that's what she says he told her. What's that? Did the

Mandilip woman bandage it for him? How the hell-I don't know. I guess so, maybe. Mollie didn't say

an' I didn't ask. Listen, Doc, I told you Mollie's no dummy. What I'm telling you took me two hours to

get. Talking 'bout this, talking 'bout that an' coming back casual like to what I'm trying to find out. I'm

afraid to ask too many questions. What? Oh, that's all right, Doc. No offense. Yeah, I think it pretty

funny myself. But like I'm telling you I'm afraid to go too far. Mollie's too wise.

"Well, when Ricori comes up yesterday he uses the same tactics as me, I guess. Anyway, he admires the

dolls an' asks her where she gets 'em an' how much they cost an' so on. Remember, I told you I stay out

in the car while he's there. It's after that he goes home an' does the telephoning an' then beats it to the

Mandilip hag. Yeah, that's all. Does it mean anything? Yeah? All right then."

He was silent for a moment or two, but I had not heard the click of the receiver. I asked:

"Are you there, McCann?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking." His voice held a wistful note. "I'd sure like to be with you when the boss

comes to. But I'd best go down an' see how the hands are getting along with them two Mandilip cows.

Maybe I'll call you up if it ain't too late. G'by."

I walked slowly back to Braile, trying to marshal my disjointed thoughts. I repeated McCann's end of the

conversation to him exactly. He did not interrupt me. When I had finished he said quietly: