‘I am if that’s all your client wants; and to that extent I’ll even help you, if I can.’ His face darkened. ‘But Mutschmann — he’s mine. If your fellow has got any misplaced ideas of revenge, tell him to lay off. That’s my beat. It’s simply a matter of good business practice.’

‘Is that all you want? Just to tidy up the store? You’re forgetting the small matter of Von Greis’s papers, aren’t you? You remember — the ones your boys were so anxious to talk to him about. Like where he’d hidden them or who he’d given them. to. What were you planning to do with the papers when you got them? Try a little first-class blackmail? People like my client maybe? Or did you want to put a few politicians in your pocket for a rainy day?’

‘You’re quite well informed yourself, fleabite. Like I said, your client is a clever man. It’s lucky for me he took you into his confidence instead of the police. Lucky for me, lucky for you; because if you were a bull sitting there telling me what you just told me, you’d be on your way to being dead.’

I leaned out of the booth to check that Inge was all right. I could see her shiny black head easily. She was freezing off a uniformed reveller who was wasting his best lines.

‘Thanks for the champagne, fleabite. You took a fair-sized chance talking to me. And you haven’t had much of a payout on your bet. But at least you’re walking away with your stake-money.’ He grinned.

‘Well this time, the thrill of playing was all I wanted.’

The gangster seemed to find that funny. ‘There won’t be another. You can depend on it.’

I moved to go, but found him holding my arm. I expected him to threaten me, but instead he said:

‘Listen, I’d hate you to think that I’d cheated you. Don’t ask me why, but I’m going to do you a favour. Maybe because I like your nerve. Don’t turn round, but sitting at the bar is a big, heavy fellow, brown suit, sea-urchin haircut. Take a good look at him when you go back to your table. He’s a professional killer. He followed you and the girl in here. You must have stepped on someone’s corns. It looks as though you must be this week’s rent money. I doubt he’ll try anything in here, out of respect for me, you understand. But outside . . . fact is, I don’t much like cheap gunmen coming in here. Creates a bad impression.’

‘Thanks for the tip. I appreciate it.’ I lit a cigarette. ‘Is there a back way out of here? I wouldn’t want my girl to get hurt.’