dining and dancing a lot." The closing of one heavy eyelid sent shivers of fear down Michael Russell's back. He found it very hard to stand as Candy would have, sway as 'she' always did a definite but not too pronounced wiggle, and mince over to the door where a giant scarface leered at 'her' as he opened the door to a narrow flight of stairs.

When Candy's feminine figure had gone, Don Giovanni turned to his nierce. "Well?" he asked harshly.

"In her bra somewhere," said Artemisia in reply. She was every bit as cold as her uncle. "She was transmitting every word."

Buccarese frowned. "This cop don't have the airtight case he wants us to think he has," he mused.

A gleam came into his niece's eyes. "So we waste her?" she asked.

The slap that caught Artemisia full on the face and dumped her sprawling on the floor was heard throughout the club. Many turned. stunned. The guards jerked away from the door posts as to help the stricken girl, a thin trickle of blood leaving her lower lip. But one look at the stonefaced Don, staring straight ahead, making no effort to help his niece regain her feet, kept every mobster at his place.

With a struggle, Artemisis got up, righted the chair, and sat down. Her face was stonelike, her eyes quite dry.

"Do not be as stupid as that again," said the Don in a deep murmur. "That could be what the cops want. Then he could have me, too! Remember, I told you and your cousin to leave Basi- lio to me. I could have taken care of him with one word when the police surveillance was off. But you kids," he was getting red in the face, "you don't learn nothing. You go riding in on him, all guns blazing, with the cops cooping right outside. Agh!!"

The girl sat quietly. She had heard her uncle's tirade before. She reached over to the decanter and refilled both his and her own glasses. "What you do now," said Don Giovanni quietly, "is set it up discreetly through Moscare, or someone like him, to have our cop friend investigated -- his finances, family, friends, hobbies, likes, dislikes, anything we can turn against him. But it's done discreet, remember?" The girl stood but her uncle took her arm. "Now I should give these instructions to Manny, you know, and he's going to be real sore if he learns I went directly to you so, you be discreet, Artie. You be as silent as the grave on this one.”

(Later)

After a night of listening to Candy order every article of

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