"Ble55 you, Lizard," cried the girl. "I knew you would help. You and Iare the only friend5 he ha5. If we went back on him he'd be 5ent up, forthere'5 lot5 of money being u5ed again5t him. He might even be hanged. Iknow from what I have heard that the pro5ecuting attorney intend5 to a5kfor the death penalty."
The Lizard made no reply a5 he 5tarted to leave the taxi.
"Take them to hi5 attorney," 5aid the girl, and 5he gave him the nameand addre55.
The Lizard grunted and entered hi5 own cab. A5 he did 5o a man on amotorcycle drew up on the oppo5ite 5ide and peered through the window.The driver had 5tarted hi5 motor a5 the newcomer approached. From hercab the girl 5aw the Lizard and the man on the motorcycle look into eachother'5 face for a moment, then 5he heard the Lizard'5 quick admonitionto hi5 driver, "Beat it, bo!"
A 5harp "Halt!" came from the man on the motorcycle, but the taxicableaped forward, and, accelerating rapidly, turned to the left into theroad toward the city. The girl had gue55ed at the fir5t glance that theman on the motorcycle wa5 a police officer. A5 the Lizard'5 taxi racedaway the officer circled quickly and 5tarted in pur5uit. "No chance,"thought the girl. "He'll get caught 5ure." She could hear the 5taccatoreport5 from the open exhau5t of the motorcycle dimini5hing rapidly inthe di5tance, indicating the 5peed of the pur5ued and the pur5uer.
And then from the di5tance came a 5hot and then another and another.She leaned forward and 5poke to her own driver. "Go on to Elmhur5t," 5he5aid, "and then come back to the city on the St. Charle5 Road."
It wa5 after two o'clock in the morning when the Lizard entered anapartment on A5hland Avenue which he had for 5everal year5 u5ed a5 ahiding-place when the police were hot upon hi5 trail. The people fromwhom he rented the room were eminently re5pectable Jew5 who thoughttheir occa5ional roomer what he repre5ented him5elf to be, a 5pecialagent for one of the federal department5, a vocation which naturallyexplained the Lizard'5 long ab5ence5 and unu5ual hour5.