What about his row the other
night? I thought that girl was sure."

"Well, Mr. Clemm, ye see, we had it fixed all right, an' some foxy gink
blows in wid a taxi an' lifts de dame right from outen Shepard's mit!
De slickest getaway I ever seen. I don't know wot 'is game is, but he
sure made some getaway, an' we never even got a smell at 'im."

"Who was with you on the deal? Who did the come-on?"

"Oh, pretty Baxter. You knows, w'en dat boy hands 'em de goo-goo an'
wiggles a few Tangoes he's dere wid both feet! But dis girl was back
on de job ag'in in her candy store next day. But Baxter'll git 'er
yit. Shepard's pullin' dis t'eayter manager bull, so he'll git de game
yet."

"Did her folks get wise?"

"Naw, not as we kin tell. Shepard he seen her once after she left de
store. De trouble is 'er sister woiks in de same place. We got ter
git dat girl fired, and den it'll be easy goin'. De goil gits home
widout de sister findin' out about it, she tells Shepard. I don't
quite pipe de dope on dis butt-in guy. But he sure spoiled Shepard's
beauty fer a week. Dere's only one t'ing I kin suspect."

"All right, shoot it. You know I'm busy. This girl's worth the fight,
for I know who wants one just about her looks and age. What is it?
We'll work it if money will do it, for there's a lot of money in this
or I wouldn't have all you fellows on the job. I saw a picture she
gave Baxter. She's a pretty little chicken, isn't she?"

"Shoor! Some squab. Well, Mr. Clemm, dere's a rookie cop down in de
precinct w'ere I got a couple workin', named Burke. Bobbie Burke, damn
'im! He gave me de worst beatin' up I ever got from any cop, an' I'm
on bail now for General Sessions fer assaultin' 'im."

"What's he got to do with it?"

"Well, dis guy was laid up in de hospital by one of me pals who put 'im
out on first wid a brick. He got stuck on a gal whose old man was in
dat hospital, and dat gal is de sister of dis yere Lorna Barton. Does
ye git me?"

Clemm's eyes sparkled.

"What does he look like? Brown hair, tall, very square shoulders?" he
asked.

"Exact! He's a fresh guy wid his talk, too--one of dem ejjicated cops.
Dey tells me he was a collige boy, or in de army or somethin'."

"Could he have known about Lorna Barton going out with Baxter that
night Shepard was beaten?"

"My Gaud! Yes, cause Baxter he tells me Burke was dere at de house."
Clemm nodded his head.

"Then you can take a hundred to o