cat-like movement of the born thug, and were facing Speedy.
"Waddeya know about that, boys; the kid don't like us," growled the stocky man.
"In that case maybe we better part company, hey?" snarled one of the tall men with a sneering smile.
Speedy had been sizing up all three men, trying to recall if he recognized any of them as having been in Puggy Callahan's "club" the night of his visit. He thought he recognized two of them. The short man, he decided, was Puggy himself and the tall man who had just spoken was the one who had opened the door for Danny and him and had then led them to their intended destruction.
At that moment they were in front of Chris Walter's delicatessen store. Chris himself was standing beside the track, apparently waiting for the car to pass so that he could cross the street. He was within a few feet of Speedy as the front platform of the vehicle came even with the burly chest of the merchant.
"Good morning, Mr. Walters," said Speedy pleasantly, leaning out of the car. "Looks like rain." With an almost imperceptible hitching of his shoulder toward the three tough customers standing beside him.
"It does, at that," replied Walters.
Glancing back a second later, Speedy noted with satisfaction that his lieutenant had turned back to the curb and was undoubtedly going to warn De Lacey Street to stand by for trouble.
