one, but fifteen, guns inside the safe. Each had a tag, a few num- bers written on cardboard, attached to it.

"Now, why would you keep all these guns?" Candy put a finget to her own red mouth. "I wonder why?"

She left for a moment and searched among the debris of ner clothes, scattered about the floor, for the 'wire'. The apart- ment room was clearly as soundproof as it would have to be - being above a night club, but sooner or later, someone would come to the room. Candy only hoped that the first one there would be Bud Hamilton.

He was actually the third. Uniformed cops burst in and had Candy under their guns before Hamilton came ambling into the

room.

"You took your time," said Candy accusingly.

"It broke faster than we thought," said Hamilton, a tight smile on his face. He sighed. "At least we get you out alive, if nothing else."

While the uniformed men began to undo Attemisia's gag, Candy showed the Lieutenant the safe and the guns. Hamilton's face gave out a big, beaming smile as he took the plastic-covered forty-four from the safe.

"That's the date of Bassaglia's killing," he said, pointing to the second row of numbers. He turned to Artemisia, now panting heavily on the bed. "I'll bet she was supposed to dump all of these, fingerprints and all -- but she kept them - to black- mail the old man, perhaps." The venom on the girl's face made his guess appear quite reasonable. "Ballistics will have a field day here! This haul could solve fifteen murders!"

Artemisia began to curse and swear as the uniformed men dragged her away. She swore at Candy. "That queen's your girl- friend, right cop!" She swore at him again. "Well, she's down- right unhealthy now! She ain't got long to live!"

The door closed behind her at last. "Will I have to testify in open court!" Candy asked very shakily.

Hamilton was looking at a thirty-eight, encased in a tiny plastic bag. "I don't know," he said doubtfully. "I don't think so. This could be the one that wasted Jimmy. It would be the evidence. There'd be nothing useful that you could add."

Candy smiled thankfully a pretty, feminine smile. "|

can go back to my apartment?" she asked.

Hamilton shrugged. "I'll probably want to keep you looked after for a while," he said. "But you'll probably want to move. A new I.D. even.'

""

Candy considered. "You'd supply that for me?" she asked. "Another girl's I.D?"

-68.