Free Fiddlefoot by Luke; Short Page B

strangely wild.
    Frank’s glance shuttled to Hugh now, and Hugh said dryly, “Do you care?”
    Afterward, there was a full half-minute of silence. Frank balled up his right fist and rubbed it gently in the palm of his left hand, and he stared at the floor. Hugh watched him a tense ten seconds and then he thought, He’ll take it , and relaxed, waiting for the rest.
    Rhino said presently, “Now, Frank, listen carefully. There are three things you can do.” He leaned both arms on the edge of the tub and waggled an admonitory finger at Frank. “You can get reckless and walk out of here straight to Hannan and tell him I’ve just said I killed Rob. If you do, I won’t even have to deny it. I’ll simply tell Hannan you came to me with the proposition to split Saber with me if I would dig up a man who could prove you were with him between the fourth and ninth of July. Hugh will be my witness. Furthermore, after Hannan’s arrested you, I’ll dig up a man who saw you here between the fourth and ninth.”
    Rhino paused, nodded as if to nail this down, and then touched the second finger of his left hand, ticking off the second item. “Or,” he said, “you can free yourself of all suspicion of Rob’s murder by telling Hannan you were wearing an Army uniform between the fourth and the ninth.” He smiled at the idiocy of this suggestion.
    â€œOr,” he continued, spreading his hands, “you can get Saber back, throw in with me, and I’ll prove you were with my crew between the fourth and the ninth. After that, we’ll make money.”
    He settled back in the bathtub, although Hugh heard this rather than saw it. He was watching the gathering wildness in Frank’s face, and he thought resignedly, Here we go .
    Frank turned and moved toward the door, and Hugh rose and said sharply, “What’ll it be, Frank?”
    â€œI’m going to Hannan,” Frank said.
    Hugh tipped up his gun and said, “Stay there,” and Frank halted. Carefully, Hugh moved over to him and lifted the gun from the waistband of Frank’s levis, and then stepped back.
    Rhino said mildly, “Are you sure, Frank?”
    Frank didn’t answer. Hugh glanced over at Rhino, saw Rhino’s nod, and then he hefted Frank’s gun in his hand, cocking it. Once it was cocked, he pointed it at the floor and pulled the trigger. The shot bellowed through the room, and Hugh, still keeping Frank covered, moved over to the door and opened it and called sharply, “Willie! Get Hannan at the hotel!”
    He heard Willie run out, and now he looked at Frank and grinned lazily. “Begin to shape up?” he asked gently.
    â€œYou’re a fool, Frank,” Rhino said crossly.
    They waited then, and Hugh watched the bitter resignation replace the anger in Frank’s eyes.
    When, some minutes later, Buck Hannan hurried through the door, they were standing exactly as they had been. Buck halted just inside the room and looked from one to the other. Willie Haver and a couple of men poked their heads into the room, but Rhino shouted angrily, “Get out, you fools! I’m taking a bath!”
    Hannan closed the door on the curious, and then said to Rhino, “What’s the trouble, Rhino?” He eyed Frank with a cold suspicion, Hugh noticed.
    Hugh handed him Frank’s gun, and then Rhino said, “Look, Buck. Isn’t there any way you can keep this wild man off my back?” in a plaintive, half-angry tone.
    Hannan looked again at Frank and said softly, “Sure. What happened?”
    â€œHe shot at me,” Rhino said. “That is, he was going to, if Hugh hadn’t knocked his gun down.”
    â€œWhy?” Hannan demanded.
    Rhino glanced levelly at Frank and said, “You feel like telling him, Chess?” His voice held an undertone of irony.
    Frank’s face was stony and expressionless. Hugh saw him take a deep breath, saw his