unmarked from the stays, and her breasts high. They were ripe, coming to impudent points, and they threw sharp shadows, which moved with her breathing. He looked at her face. She was very young.

“Turn around.”

She turned slowly, looking at him over her shoulder. “Now lie down.”

She lay down on the cold cement floor, legs drawn up. “Stretch out.”

She did. She pointed her toes, legs together, and put her arms over her head. All the while she looked at him with large eyes. Catell never moved from his place by the door. After a while he told her to get up. He walked over to her and brushed the lint from her naked back. Then he went back to the door.

“You can get dressed now, Lily.”

While she put her clothes on, Catell lit another cigarette and smoked without looking at her.

“May I go now?” Lily had stepped close to the door.

“Sure.”

He opened the door for her and let her pass. Just as she went by he grasped her arm and said, “I’m the first? Right, Lily?”

“Yes, mister.”

“Tony.”

“Yes, Tony.”

Their eyes held for a moment. Catell frowned.

“You’re a hard one.”

She started to smile, gave it up. “No,” she said.

Catell closed the door again. Lily waited.

“So why’d you do it, just like that?”

“I didn’t, just like that.”

“Why’d you do it?”

This time her small smile didn’t make it at all. “It didn’t hurt,” she said.

“What does?”

She smiled a moment. “Not much,” she said, and looked down at her feet.

“Lily.”

“Yes?”

“Your folks in L.A.?”

“I don’t think so,” she said. She said it in no special way, and that’s what gave it the meaning.

Catell didn’t ask any more. He opened the door, stepped back. When he put his hand on her arm again it surprised both of them.

“Lily.”

“Yes, Tony?”

“See you?”

“I’d like to,” she said.

She finished saying it and then went out. He closed the door behind her.

When he had smoked his cigarette he crushed it under his foot and walked back the way he had come. He didn’t see the two detectives, but Paar was standing by the swinging doors.

“You may come out now, Tony.” Paar smiled.

“They gone?”

“Yes. In fact, quite a while ago. And furthermore, I’m afraid you will have to go home alone. Selma has left, too. They took her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The detectives. They took her along for routine questioning about old Schumacher, it seems.”

Catell didn’t answer right away.

“Lily gone too?” He didn’t look at Paar.

“Why, yes. Tony. She had to make an early plane. L.A., you know. I think I mentioned it.”

“You did.”

“I didn’t mention, though, who she’s going to join. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of him, but his name is Topper. And if I were you, Tony, I’d stay away from Topper.”

Catell left Paar standing there. He got his coat and took a taxi back to town. He left Detroit that same night, but first he stopped at Selma’s apartment and took the two thousand bucks that was there.

Chapter Five

Paar didn’t like Catell very much. He didn’t understand him, and he didn’t have any patience with his kind. But Paar didn’t want Catell to come to any harm. Not yet, anyway.

After Catell had left the club, Paar walked slowly toward the bar, then changed his mind and went to his office. He closed the heavy door, took off his dinner jacket, and sat down behind his desk. Without his padding Paar looked narrow and stoop-shouldered. He put his hands on the large desktop and frowned. It would be very nice to let the cops pump Selma dry. The drunken slut would implicate herself and get locked out of the way. She would spill what it was Catell had hidden and Paar had enough pull to find out whatever the cops might get out of her. And finally they’d find out for sure whether she knew where Catell was going from here. If she didn’t know, then Paar would be happy to know that he didn’t have to bother with her. If she did know, the cops would get to him first, and Paar wouldn’t have a chance. The thought pained him, but he’d have to take Selma on himself.

Paar sighed, picked up the phone, and dialed a city number. A butler answered at the other end.

“Let me talk to him,” said Paar.

The butler knew Paar’s voice and said, “One moment, sir.”

Then a voice said, “What is it, Paar?”

“Two dicks hauled in a friend of mine, a woman. She’ll be at the Fifth Precinct house for questioning. Get her out…I