Page 78 (1/2)

Both detectives looked away abruptly

Had Harry, too, heard the same rumors he had ferreted out? No, Scully recalculated Harry Warren would have been shadowing the Gophers That’s how he got here The gang specialist didn’t know about the Hip Sing-Gopher alliance yet He had just followed a Gopher and ended up inside, failing to put two and two together Scully was ht proudly Before he was done he’d beat the New York Van Dorns in their own hometown

Two girls came his way

One was a shapely dark Irish lass made up like a Chinese The other was a petite redhead, a dead-swell looker, with blue eyes so bright they flashed in the diht She put Scully in h that could be the effect of her enormous hat, with its upswept brient s of paint and powder slathered thick as an actress’s makeup on a face that didn’t need any cosmetics at all

The redhead disirl with a curt nod

Scully’s pulse quickened Young as she was, she acted like she irlfriend he’d been hunting

“Welco Scully of a Chinese princess on the vaudeville stage Except her accent was pure Hell’s Kitchen “How did you happen to find us?”

“Sadie sent me”

“Sadie does us great honor What will be your pleasure, sir?” Scully gaped like a blue jay from the sticks as if overwhelmed by the possibilities In fact, he was a little overwhel business like anyinto his eyes as if offering herself And herself, the dazzled Scully had to admit, was quite a cut above the usual fare

“Your pleasure?”

“I alanted to try a little opium”

She looked disappointed “You could get that from your apothecary Where are you from?”

“Schenectady”

“Can’t a et opium in a pharmacy?”

“Sort of afraid to at home, if you knohat I mean”