"Well I want you to call these children into the room and let them
tell you family secrets. The whole ward here knows the story of that
killing. The air is filled with it. The men and women keep trying to
tell me, but they're afraid. The police have them scared and they
half-tell me and then run away like frightened animals.
"I want them to tell you. You don't count with the police down here.
They think you're too beautiful and too good to touch the real life of
these people. None of them--the bosses or the police--are watching
you. I'll keep kicking up dust and you get the information I want. You
can do the job if you're any good."
After McGregor's speech the woman sat in silence and looked at him.
For the first time she had met a man who overwhelmed her and was in no
way diverted by her beauty nor her self--possession. A hot wave, half
anger, half admiration, swept over her.
McGregor stared at the woman and waited. "I've got to have facts," he
said. "Give me the story and the names of those who know the story and
I'll make them tell. I have some facts now--got them by bullying a
girl and by choking a bartender in an alley. Now I want you in your
way to put me in the way of getting more facts. You make the women
talk and tell you and then you tell me.
Pages:
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185