You must know her a lot better to take a chance on that squeeze with the photo."
"She skates around plenty.
I figure maybe she has a couple of soft spots she don't want the old man to know about.
I figure she can raise five grand easy." "A little weak," I said. "But pass it.
You're broke, eh?"
"I been shaking two nickels together for a month, trying to get them to mate."
"What you do for a living?"
"Insurance.
I got desk room in Puss Walgreen's office, Fulwider Building, Western and Santa Monica."
"When you open up, you open up.
The books here in your apartment?"
He snapped his teeth and waved a brown hand.
Confidence was oozing back into his manner.
"Hell, no.
In storage."
"You had a man bring them here and then you had a storage outfit come and take them away again right afterwards?"
"Sure.
I don't want them moved direct from Geiger's place, do I?"
"You're smart," I said admiringly. "Anything incriminating in the joint right now?"
He looked worried again. He shook his head sharply.
"That's fine," I told him. I looked across at Agnes.
She had finished fixing her face and was staring at the wall, blank-eyed, hardly listening.
Her face had the drowsiness which strain and shock induce, after their first incidence.
Brody flicked his eyes warily.
"Well?"
"How'd you come by the photo?"
He scowled.
"Listen, you got what you came after, got it plenty cheap.
You done a nice neat job.
Now go peddle it to your top man.
I'm clean.
I don't know nothing about any photo, do I, Agnes?"
The blonde opened her eyes and looked at him with vague but uncomplimentary speculation.
"A half smart guy," she said with a tired sniff. "That's all I ever draw.
Never once a guy that's smart all the way around the course.
Never once."
I grinned at her.
"Did I hurt your head much?"
"You and every other man I ever met."
I looked back at Brody.
He was pinching his cigarette between his fingers, with a sort of twitch.
His hand seemed to be shaking a little.
His brown poker face was still smooth.
"We've got to agree on a story," I said. "For instance, Carmen wasn't here.
That's very important. She wasn't here.
That was a vision you saw."
"Huh!" Brody sneered.
"If you say so, pal, and if — " he put his hand out palm up and cupped the fingers and rolled the thumb gently against the index and middle fingers.
I nodded.
"We'll see.