The young man heard his name called and pulled the brim of his bowler hat up from over his eyes. There stood Jim Gaines in front of him. "Mind if I sit down?"
Nate raised a hand and motioned for Jim to sit down. The streetcorner pub was dimly lit, so neither hitman had to worry about being recognized. "Y'wanna drink?" Nate asked him.
Jim shook his head. Nate raised an eyebrow. "That's the first time y'ever refused an alcoholic drink. Somethin' the matter?"
"'Course somethin's the matter! I'm lookin' for that girl, that's what!"
A few heads turned in their direction. Nate shushed Jim. Standing up, he fished in his pocket and pitched a few pennies onto the table, then motioned for Jim to follow. The two left the pub.
Evening was beginning to set in as the two young men walked silently down the street. "Where we goin'?" Jim asked.
"We'll find a roof or somethin'. I don't want you attracting any more attention like you jus' did," Nate answered, irritated.
Jim and Nate walked down Duane Street a ways before picking a random building's fire escape and beginning to climb.
Inside the lodging house attic, Racetrack and Madeline sat, eating their dinner, when they heard the fire escape rattling. "Wonder who's climbin' up..." Race wondered aloud, standing and walking over to the window. "It's two guys."
Madeline's eyes widened and she scooted back into a dark corner, although she could still see out the window. As the two young men climbed up, she caught glimpses of their faces. "Race! Race, it's them!"
Racetrack hurried to her side. "Who's them? Jim?"
"Jim and Nate," she cried, terrified. She clung to Race's shirt for dear life, but he gently pried her off. "C'mon, we'll get you outta this mess. C'mon."
Race led Madeline down the stairs to the boys' washroom. Opening a lavatory door, he pushed her inside. "Stay here. I'll go back up and see what all this is about."
Madeline nodded, tears coming to her eyes. Race touched her face. "Now, don't cry. It's gonna be all right."
She nodded again, but tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. "Maddie. Maddie, listen to me." Race put a hand under her chin and gently tipped her head up. "You're gonna be all right. You got that? I'm gonna keep you safe. Now, stay here. I'll come back to get you."
With that, Race shut the lavatory door and headed back upstairs to the attic. Ever so cautiously, he opened the window to see if he could hear what Nate and Jim were saying.
"Jim, how did you let her get away?" Nate was asking.
"Some guy attacked me from behind...I didn't have enough time to react. All I was thinkin' about was the kill. Didn't figure somebody might try to kill me," Jim answered.
"You're the best man in the business, Jim! How can a hitman get hit by somebody else?"
Hitman, huh? Race thought. This gets fishier every minute.
"I don't know, but I told her pop that somebody attacked her and I tried to stop 'im. Her old man bought it, all right. He's got no idea his own daughter's on to his little game."
"Her old man hittin' tonight?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, Tom's hittin', but he wouldn't say who." Jim sighed audibly. "Y'wanna come on an' help me look for the girl? She can't go around town spreadin' that her daddy dearest is in organized crime, now can she?"
"Nah, she wouldn't turn Tom in. But she'd sure as heck rat on us," Nate said, hatred laced in his voice.
"C'mon, let's get to work," Jim said.
The two young men began their climb down the fire escape. Race ducked down below the window, and luckily they didn't notice. He breathed a sigh of relief. 'Least they don't know Maddie's here.
However, another thing gnawed at his mind. She must've found out about her pop's business...There's no way around it, I gotta talk to her about it now.
Race descended the stairs and entered the washroom. Kid Blink and Jack Kelly were washing their hands and faces, conversing loudly about the girls they were going out with that night. When they saw Race, they immediately started asking him what he was going to do, if he was going to the tracks or to Medda's. Race, wishing that they would get out so that he could get Madeline, answered, "I ain't feelin' so good, guys."
"Eh, c'mon, a drink at Medda's might cheer ya up," Jack said, clapping Race on the back.
Instead of answering, Race rushed to the lavatory stall adjacent to Madeline's and pretended to retch. His plan worked.
"Uhh, well, take it easy, Race," Blink said as he and Jack rushed out of the washroom. Neither wanted whatever Race had.
Race stood and peered out. No one was left in the washroom. "Maddie?" he called, opening the stall door.
She looked up at him, her face tear-stained. "Are they gone?"
"Yeah," he answered, taking her arm and pulling her out. "They didn't even know you was here."
Madeline looked at Race. "Really?"
"Yeah, but I gotta talk to you about somethin'."
Racetrack and Madeline climbed the stairs to the attic and sat back down. "Them two was just up on the roof talkin'. They had no idea you're here, 'else they would've busted in already. No, they were talkin' about...about their business. Your pop's business."
Madeline hung her head in shame. "I should have told you."
"Well, I know what he's into now, but...did you walk in on a meeting or somethin', to make those two so mad?"
Madeline sniffed. "Well, Father doesn't know that I know. I was listening at his study door...I was supposed to call him for supper, but he never allowed me into his study. I thought it might be all right, just that one time. But I heard...voices, so I listened...and Jim opened the door and saw me, and took off after me, then he got me in that alley, and then you came..." All this was a rambling through tears.
Race pulled Madeline into his arms. "It's all right. We won't talk about it any more."
There Madeline remained until she cried herself to sleep.