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guess I'd better look this Spencer guy over,” I said at last. “Maybe I'll, get something out of him.”
     Mardi fiddled with her coffee-spoon. “I wish you wouldn't,” she said, without looking at me. “Don't you think that it would be better to leave this business alone?”
     I raised my eyebrows. I must say I was getting a hell of a lot of encouragement on this job. “I've gotta get into this,” I said. “Can't you understand with a thing like this there's a big angle as a story hanging to it? If I bust this thing, it'll start a riot. I shall be the guy responsible. It'll mean something then.”
     “I don't want to sound a crab,” she said, putting her hand suddenly on my sleeve, “but isn't it a bit big? I mean... I don't want you to think....” She stopped in confusion.
     “Meanin' I'm a small-town hick an' might get a swell belly-ache if I bit this off an' couldn't chew it?” I grinned at her to show her I wasn't mad.
     She looked at me then, and her eyes were troubled. “No, I didn't mean that quite,” she said. “But if what you have told me is true... isn't it rather one-sided? Don't you think you ought to have someone to back you, if you're determined to go ahead?”
     I tapped the ash off my cigarette. This was the kind of girl I'd thought about for a long time. A girl who talked things over and put out ideas. “Suppose you were handlin' this, what would you do?”
     She didn't hesitate. “I wouldn't make a move until I found out who the woman was who telephoned you. Why she was giving you all that money. What were her interests in starting the investigation.”
     I nodded. “Yeah,” I said, “that's a swell idea, but not easy. Just a voice on the telephone... wants some finding.”
     She glanced at her watch and gave a little exclamation. “I must go,” she said, stubbing out the cigarette and gathering her gloves and bag. “Thank you for the lunch.”
     I pushed back the chair and followed her. “You haven't paid the check,” she said softly.
     I grinned. “Not in this burg,” I said, waving to the Greek. He beat me to the door and held it open.
     “I hope,” he said, bowing in half, “you will bring the beautiful lady again.”
     Mardi flushed, but I could see she was mighty pleased. I nodded. “You'll be seein' her again,” I promised.
     I called a taxi. She turned to me. “I hope you won't come back to the office,” she said quickly. “I hope you won't do anything silly until you've thought about things. Find out who that woman is first.”
     With a quick smile she climbed into the taxi, and I stood there and let her go.
     From across the street, Earl Katz suddenly stepped from a doorway. He looked across at me, tossed a cigarette butt in my direction, and then walked slowly in the same direction as Mardi's taxi had gone.
     

CHAPTER FIVE
         
     I DIDN'T GET OFF to the Hotcha Club until late. After Mardi had left me, and Katz had made his unexpected appearance, I had a wander round and had a little brain exercise. It didn't get me anywhere, but I did think maybe I'd wait a little while before exposing my hand to Spencer. Having a living to earn, I attended a ball game, went home and wrote it up, mailed it to a sports paper that took my stuff, and went out to dinner.
     By the time I got through it was getting on for ten o'clock. It was a hot night, with stars and a big moon. I thought I'd go along and see if I could have a look at Vessi's moll.
     The Hotcha Club was one of those swell dives that look good but are pretty rank when you examine them close. I got a table in a corner, ordered a big rye high-ball, and passed the time with a newspaper.
     The place was pretty crowded, and the dames were not all they should be. I had a little trouble with two of them, but when they saw I wasn't playing they gave