"Just stick around to look after the remains--if any."
"You're not expecting anything rough?"
"Naw.... Teddy ain't that kind unless he's changed a lot. But I'm gonna
stage an awful play just to see whether a feller which owns three
automobiles can turn green."
She led him to the door and then withdrew into the shadows of an
adjacent room. Jim patted down the ill-fitting coat which hung so
grotesquely around his girthful figure and rapped once upon the door.
For a dramatic instant he stood motionless, then flung open the door
and entered--blinking like a monster owl in the brilliant light.
Before him was an interesting tableau. Lathrop, motionless, was bending
across the table inspecting a string of magnificent matched oriental
pearls. Beside him was a pile of crisp, new one-hundred dollar bills.
His lean, rather saturnine, face, still reflected the avarice of a
moment since although an expression of stark terror was now slowly
robbing him of his naturally aggressive unpleasantness.
Opposite sat Teddy Nelson--suave, dapper, perfectly at ease. Nelson's
experienced eyes rested briefly upon the intruder and a close observer
could have noticed the visible effort with which he pulled himself
together. Too, it was Nelson who broke the portentous silence. That
insouciant criminal rose to his feet, bowed with exaggerated politeness
and spoke in a quiet conversational tone--
"Mr. Hanvey--this is indeed a pleasure."
Jim was enjoying himself thoroughly. He produced a pink silk
handkerchief and mopped his forehead. "'Lo Teddy."
Nelson waved a comprehensive hand toward Lathrop, the pearls and the
money. As yet the astounded jewelry importer had not moved; he sat
staring in bewilderment from one to the other.
"You will notice, Jim," said Nelson, "that you have nothing on me.
My host is in possession of the money and also of the pearls which I
presume you are seeking."