"Uh-uh. Geiger worked that one on everybody.
It was strictly his own idea.
He'd get notes from people that looked legal — were legal, I dare say, except that he wouldn't have dared sue on them.
He'd present the notes, with a nice flourish, leaving himself empty-handed.
If he drew an ace, he had a prospect that scared and he went to work. If he didn't draw an ace, he just dropped the whole thing."
"Clever guy," I said. "He dropped it all right.
Dropped it and fell on it.
How come you know all this?"
He shrugged impatiently.
"I wish to Christ I didn't know half the stuff that's brought to me.
Knowing other people's business is the worst investment a man can make in my circle.
Then if it was just Geiger you were after, you're washed up on that angle."
"Washed up and paid off."
"I'm sorry about that.
I wish old Sternwood would hire himself a soldier like you on a straight salary, to keep those girls of his home at least a few nights a week."
"Why?"
His mouth looked sulky.
"They're plain trouble.
Take the dark one.
She's a pain in the neck around here.
If she loses, she plunges and I end up with a fistful of paper which nobody will discount at any price.
She has no money of her own except an allowance and what's in the old man's will is a secret.
If she wins, she takes my money home with her."
"You get it back the next night," I said. "I get some of it back.
But over a period of time I'm loser."
He looked earnestly at me, as if that was important to me.
I wondered why he thought it necessary to tell me at all.
I yawned and finished my drink.
"I'm going out and look the joint over," I said.
"Yes, do." He pointed to a door near the vault door. "That leads to a door behind the tables."
"I'd rather go in the way the suckers enter."
"Okey. As you please.
We're friends, aren't we, soldier?"
"Sure." I stood up and we shook hands.
"Maybe I can do you a real favor some day," he said.
"You got it all from Gregory this time."
"So you own a piece of him too."
"Oh not that bad.
We're just friends."
I stared at him for a moment, then went over to the door I had come in at.
I looked back at him when I had it open.
"You don't have anybody tailing me around in a gray Plymouth sedan, do you?"
His eyes widened sharply.
He looked jarred.
"Hell, no.
Why should I?"
"I couldn't imagine," I said, and went on out.
I thought his surprise looked genuine enough to be believed.
I thought he even looked a little worried.
I couldn't think of any reason for that.