I'll Get You For This

  We had a couple of snorts before a thin little man with polished black hair, polished black eyes and a paper-thin mouth came out from behind a curtain and joined us.

  " 'Lo, Sansotta," Davis said, tipping his hat. "Here's a pal of mine who's blown in looking for a good time. George, this is Sansotta, I was telling you about."

  I nodded to the little man, thinking he looked a tough egg in spite of his size.

  "Hi yah," I said. "Glad to know you."

  He nodded. His puss didn't reveal anything.

  "Nice town you have here," I said, like I thought he owned the burg.

  "Fair," he said, looking around the room. His eyes were continually on the move.

  I trod on Davis's foot.

  He grunted, then said, "Any poker going on tonight? My pal's anxious to lose his roll."

  Sansotta looked me over, and then looked at Davis. He raised his eyebrows.

  Davis nodded. "He's okay."

  "He can go up. They're playing in room 5."

  "Thanks," I said, finishing my drink. "Coming?" I said to Davis.

  He shook his head. "I'll stick around for a drink or two, then beat it. You can get a taxi back."

"Okay," I said, and started up the stairs.

Half-way up, I glanced back, paused.

  Flaggerty appeared in the main doorway. He was still wearing his green gaberdine suit, and a cigar burned unevenly between his teeth. He was scowling as he joined Davis at the bar.

  I shot up the stairs and out of sight, glancing back after I'd rounded the corner to make sure he hadn't seen me. He hadn't. Davis was combing his hair, a fixed grin on his face. Flaggerty was buying himself a drink.

  I walked along the passage to room 5, listened to the hum of voices from inside and then moved on. There were three other doors in the passage, but I didn't bother with them. I headed for the second lot of stairs.

  Half-way up I heard someone coming along the lower passage; I took the remaining stairs three at a time. I found myself in a dimly lit passage with two doors facing me.

  Footsteps went along the lower passage, a door opened and then shut.

  I stepped over to the first door facing me and listened. Silence. I moved along to the next door, listened. A voice was speaking, but the words were lost. I stood there, my ear to the panel, waited. Then I heard a muffled groan that set my teeth on edge. I was sure Brodey, was in there.

  Any moment Sansotta might discover I wasn't in room 5 playing poker. As soon as he'd found that out, he'd be looking for me. If I was going to do anything, I'd have to do it now and fast.

  I turned the handle. The door wasn't locked; it gave as I pushed.

  I walked in.

  On a bed in the corner of the room was a bald-headed man in a grey lounge suit. There was blood on his face and shirt front. One eye was closed and bruised, and a patch of broken skin showed by his right ear where he had been punched. His wrists and ankles were roped to the bed, and he was gagged.

  Standing over him was a short, thickset man in a baggy brown suit. He was bow-legged and his battered, apish face was moronic and cruel. He was raising his great hairy fist as I walked in.

  "Grab some cloud, Bat," I said.

  He stiffened, then without moving his body he looked over I his shoulder. His small pig eyes hardened when he saw me. His right hand moved, but I showed him the Luger.

  "I shouldn't, Bat," I said gently. "I'm Cain."

  That held him. Slowly he raised his hands to shoulder height. He grinned at me. His teeth were black and broken.

  "Hullo, bub," he said.

  "Get over to the wall," I said, watching him, "and face it."

  "You're my meat, bub," he went on, grinning at me. "Not now, but later. I'm as good with a rod as you."

  "We'll try it sometime," I said. "Get over to the wall."

  Still grinning, he sidled over to the wall.

  "Turn," I said.

  He turned.

  I stepped up to him and belted him over his head with the gun barrel. I hit him as hard as I could. He slumped down on; his hands and knees, but he wasn't out. He had the hardest head in the world. He squirmed round, grabbed at my legs. He nearly had me over. I kicked him off, hit him again with the butt of the gun. I hit him so hard the gun jumped out of my hand. He stretched out flat.

  I cut the ropes that tied Brodey to the bed and sat him up. He fell off the bed before I could catch him. He was out.

  As I stooped to pick him up, the door jerked open and Sansotta walked in. He stopped, gaped at me, at Bat; then his hand flashed to his hip pocket.

  I let go of Brodey, flung myself at Sansotta's legs. We went down in a squirming heap. He clubbed at my head with his fist, but I wriggled away, caught him a bang under his right eye. His head snapped back, but he was on his feet before I was on mine. He was as fast and as tricky as a lizard.

  The Luger had vanished under the bed. Bat was stirring, trying to sit up. Brodey was lying like a dead man a few feet from me. Sansotta jumped me. I caught him round his waist, I dragged him down, belted him about the body.

  He tried to fight me off, but my weight was too much for him. He gave a strangled yell, but I had him by the throat. I squeezed.