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Footsteps echoed in the cavernous space The cops hadon them Memphis had paid off some of these men for Papa Charles; o But a feere quick with their clubs, and finding a black man with a white woman in a cellar full of booze didn’t bode well for Meain, this tiunfire Where was the way out?

Against the far wall, Memphis saw the silhouette of stairs He followed them up and saw the outline of a door It had to lead to a fire escape

"This way," Meed Theta up the rickety staircase

"There they are!" a cop yelled from below

Meainst the door, once, twice, and it finally swung open on rusted hinges He pushed Theta out onto the fire escape Down beloo officers stood sarettes "Go up!" he whispered

Theta nodded and started the cliainst the railing Meed against the door, he cli Lucky Strike cigarettes turned the roof into a white haze They ran to the edge of the roof, stepping over the half wall to the next roof, and then the next, cli at last down another fire escape into an alley Me for that brief second the feel of her against his chest The two of the the city streets

The duainst the door with her fists, then her feet, but it was hopelessly stuck

"Hello?" she whispered "Hello? Anybody there?"

A moment later, the door opened A ratefully, slowly unbending her ar fast to the chane bottle

"Oh, swell! Thank you, baby!"

"You’re welco handcuffs on her "You’re also under arrest"