"Nick."

"Aw, hell, Harry. You're getting moral on me again."

I smiled, but it felt tight on my mouth, and my stomach churned with anger. "Look, we'll think of something. Just get down here and pick us up."

"What happened to your car?"

"Broke down this afternoon."

"Again? What about the El?"

"I'm broke. Nick, I need a ride. I can't walk back to the office with her, and I don't want to stand here in a public booth fighting her, either. So get down here and get us."

"I don't want to spend time in jail because you can't salve your conscience, Harry."

"What about your conscience?" I shot back. Nick was all bluster. When it came down to the wire, he couldn't have left the girl alone in that part of town, either.

Nick growled out something that sounded vaguely obscene, then said, "Fine, whatever. But I can't get across the river very easy, so I'll be on the far side of the bridge. All you have to do is cross the bridge with her and stay out of sight. Police patrols in the area will be looking for you. Half an hour. If you're not there, I'm not waiting. Bad neighborhood."

"Have faith, man. I'll be there."

We hung up without saying good-bye.

"All right, kid," I said. "Stop kicking me and let's talk."

"To hell with you, mister," she shouted. "Let me go before I break your leg."

I winced at the shrill note her voice hit and stepped away from the phone, half dragging and half carrying her with me while I looked around nervously. The last thing I needed was a bunch of good citizens running to the kid's aid.

The streets were empty, the gathering dark rushing in quickly to fill the spaces left by the broken streetlights. There were lights in the windows, but no one came out in response to the girl's shouting. It was the sort of neighborhood where people looked the other way and let live.

Ah, Chicago. You just gotta love big, sprawling American cities. Ain't modern living grand? I could have been a real sicko, rather than just looking like one, and no one would have done anything.