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e just a plain damned fool。〃
He seemed still unconvinced。 〃Where'd you get them？〃
〃Out of the safe。〃 She gestured with her sleek head towards the interior of the apartment。
He asked： 〃What time last night did he blow？〃
〃I don't know。 I got home at half past nine and sat around most of the night expecting him。 It wasn't till morning that I began to suspect something and looked around and saw he'd cleaned house of every nickel in money and every piece of my jewelry that I wasn't wearing。〃
He brushed his mustache with his thumb…nail again and asked： 〃Where do you think he'd go？〃
She stamped her foot and； shaking both fists up and down； began to curse the missing Bernie again in a shrill enraged voice。
Ned Beaumont said： 〃Stop it。〃 He caught her wrists and held them still。 He said： 〃If you're not going to do anything about it but yell； give me those markers and I'll do something about it。〃
She tore her wrists out of his hands； crying： 〃I'll give you nothing。 I'll give them to the police and not to another damned soul。〃
〃All right； then do it。 Where do you think he'd go； Lee？〃
Lee said bitterly that she didn't know where he would go； but she knew where she would like to have him go。
Ned Beaumont said wearily： 〃That's the stuff。 Wisecraeking is going to do us a lot of good。 Think he'd go back to New York？〃
〃How do I know？〃 Her eyes had suddenly bee wary。
Annoyance brought spots of color into Ned Beaumont's cheeks。 〃What are you up to now？〃 he asked suspiciously。
Her face was an innocent mask。 〃Nothing。 What do you mean？〃 He leaned down towards her。 He spoke with considerable earnestness； shaking his head slowly from side to side with his words。 〃Don't think you're not going to the police with them； Lee； because you are。〃
She said： 〃Of course I am。〃
7
In the drug…store that occupied part of the ground…floor of the apartment…building Ned Beaumont used a telephone。 He called the Police Department's number； asked for Lieutenant Doolan； and said： 〃Hello。 Lieutenant Doolan？ m speaking for Miss Lee Wilshire。 She's in Bernie Despain's apartment at 1666 Link Street。 He seems to have suddenly disappeared last night； leaving some of Taylor Henry's I 0 Us behind him。 。 。 。 That's right； and she says she heard him threaten him a couple of days ago。 。 。 。 Yes； and she wants to see you as soon as possible。。 。 。 No； you'd better e up or send and as soon as you can。 。 。 。 Yes。。 。 。 That doesn't make any difference。 You don't know me。 I'm just speaking for her because she didn't want to phone from his apartment。 。 。 。〃 He listened a moment longer； then； without having said anything else； put the receiver on its prong and went out of the drug…store。
8
Ned Beaumont went to a neat red brick house in a row of neat red brick houses in upper Thames Street。 The door was opened to his ring by a young Negress who smiled with her whole brown face； said； 〃How do you do； Mr。 Beaumont？〃 and made the opening of the door a hearty invitation。
Ned Beaumont said： 〃'Lo； June。 Anybody home？〃
〃Yes； sir； they still at the dinner…table。〃
He walked back to the dining…room where Paul Madvig and his mother sat facing one another across a red…and…white…clothed table。 There was a third chair at the table； but it was not occupied and the plate and silver in front of it had not been used。
Paul Madvig's mother was a tall gaunt woman whose blondness had been faded not quite white by her seventy…some years。 Her eyes were as blue and clear and young as her son'syounger than her son's when she looked up at Ned Beaumont entering the room。 She deepened the lines in her forehead； however； and said： 〃So here you are at last。 You're a worthless boy to neglect an old woman like this。〃
Ned Beaumont grinned impudently at her and said： 〃Aw； Mom； I'm a big boy now and I've got my work to look after。〃 He flirted a hand at Madvig。 〃'Lo； Paul。〃
Madvig said： 〃Sit down and June'11 scrape you up something to eat。〃
Ned Beaumont was bending to kiss the scrawny hand Mrs。 Madvig had held out to him； She jerked it away and scolded him： 〃Wherever do you learn such tricks？〃
〃I told you I was getting to be a big boy now。〃 He addressed Madvig： 〃Thanks； I'm only a few minutes past breakfast。〃 He looked at the vacant chair。 〃Where's Opal？〃
Mrs。 Madvig replied： 〃She's laying down。 She's not feeling good。〃
Ned Beaumont nodded； waited a moment； and asked politely： 〃Nothing serious？〃 He was looking at Madvig。
Madvig shook his head。 〃Headache or something。 I think the kid dances too much。〃
Mrs。 Madvig said： 〃You certainly are a fine father not to know when your daughter has headaches。〃
Skin crinkled around Madvig's eyes。 〃Now； Mom； don't be indecent；〃 he said and turned to Ned Beaumont。 〃What's the good word？〃
Ned Beaumont went around Mrs。 Madvig to the vacant chair。 He sat down and said： 〃Bernie Despain blew town last night with my winnings on Peggy O'Toole。〃
The blond man opened his eyes。
Ned Beaumont said： 〃He left behind him twelve hundred dollars' worth of Taylor Henry's I 0 Us。〃
The blond man's eyes jerked narrow。
Ned Beaumont said： 〃Lee says he called Taylor Friday and gave him three days to make good。〃
Madvig touched his chin with the back of a hand。 〃Who's Lee？〃
〃Bernie's girl。〃
〃Oh。〃 Then； when Ned Beaumont said nothing； Madvig asked： 〃What'd he say he was going to do about it if Taylor didn't e across？〃
〃I didn't hear。〃 Ned Beaumont put a forearm on the table and leaned over it towards the blond man。 〃Have me made a deputy sheriff or something； Paul。〃
〃For Christ's sake！〃 Madvig exclaimed； blinking。 〃What do you want anything like that for？〃
〃It'll make it easier for me。 I'm going after this guy and having a buzzer may keep me from getting in a jam。〃
Madvig looked through worried eyes at the younger man。 〃What's got you all steamed up？〃 he asked slowly。
〃Thirty…two hundred and fifty dollars。〃
〃That's all right；〃 Madvig said； still speaking slowly； 〃but something was itching you last night before you knew you'd been welshed on。〃
Ned Beaumont moved an impatient arm。 〃Do you expect me to stumble over corpses without batting an eye？〃 he asked。 〃But forget that。 That doesn't count now。 This does。 I've got to get this guy。 I've got to。〃 His face was pale； set hard； and his voice was desperately earnest。 〃Listen； Paul： it's not only the money； though thirty…two hundred is a lot； but it would be the same if it was five bucks。 I go two months without winning a bet and that gets me down。 What good am I if my luck's gone？ Then I cop； or think I do； and I'm all right again。 I can take my tail out from between my legs and feel that I'm a person again and not just something that's being kicked around。 The money's important enough； but it's not the real thing。 It's what losing and losing and losing does to me。 Can you get that？ It's getting me licked。 And then； when I think I've worn out the jinx； this guy takes a Mickey Finn on me。 I can't stand for it。 If I stand for it I'm licked； my nerve's gone。 I'm not going to stand for it。 I'm going after him。 I'm going regardless； but you can smooth the way a lot by fixing me up。〃
Madvig put out a big open h