blow to the man's privates, and bent the bigger man over in a bellow of pain. Using the camera case for leverage, he slammed it against the bully's neck, flattening him to the wooden floor.
By this time the gang of boys from the street careened inside screeching. Georgina retreated to the wall, out of their way. Without regard to her, the newspaperman she had considered mild-mannered and amusing pointed at the ruffian he had single-handedly brought down.
"The gentleman had a little accident, Douglas. Why don't you and the boys haul him out where he can get some fresh air?"
With whoops of triumph the boys grabbed every available limb and piece of fabric and unceremoniously hauled the huge man out into the open cesspool that they called a street.
"Who in hell was that?" Daniel demanded as soon as the boys were gone, turning back to the two women clinging to each other.
Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Georgina could see that there was already a growing bruise on the face of the woman she knew as Janice. The younger woman, who looked enough like her to be her sister, was sobbing brokenly. Janice lifted her chin in a defiant tilt as she glanced to Georgina then back to the man who had saved her.
"That's the rent collector. It's the first of the month, and we didn't have all the rent."
Her sister gulped back a sob long enough to offer the explanation Janice had proudly refused to give. "Betsy was sick and we had to use some of the rent money for medicine. We told him we would have it next week, but Egan's a brute."
Douglas returned, brushing his hands off on his dirty corduroys. He gave a questioning glance to Georgina, but hurried to his sisters. "How did that bastard sneak up on us like that? We usually get plenty of warning when he's around."
"It's Sunday, and nobody expected him. And he came up through the back alley. He must have known we didn't have the money, so he started here first." Janice took her sister's hand and turned her in the direction of the back room. Glancing over her shoulder at Daniel, she said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think we're interested anymore. Find someone else for your story, please."
Janice was the one who had been hurt, but she was comforting her sobbing sister as if it were the other way around. Georgina wanted to help, but she didn't know how. She felt as if she had been dropped into an entirely alien territory and spoke another language.
She almost gasped at Daniel's expression when he turned to her. She had grown accustomed to seeing him in wire-rimmed glasses, reading her notes or working on his press. She knew the laughter that lurked behind his eyes when he took the glasses off. He was always pleasant, good-humored, and patient.
Right now, he looked as if he could commit murder.
The look disappeared behind the gentle gray of his eyes as he turned to Douglas. "Who owns these houses?"
The boy shrugged and avoided his eyes. "Anybody wants to rent, they talk to Egan. But he don't own them. He calls the owner 'boss.' "
Daniel curled his hand around Georgina's elbow, tugging her toward the door. "Come on, we're going to find out who 'boss' is."
One of the neighbors was already hurrying toward the little house with a basket of medicinal supplies. She gave Georgina's rich gown a look of hostility before disappearing into the interior.
There was no sign of the unconscious Egan in the gutter, but the man hauling Georgina down the street didn't seem to notice. Mr. Martin's jaw was taut and strained, and his limp had returned. She wondered how in heaven's name he had been able to deliver that kick. She wasn't certain he was quite human.
She hurried to keep up with his furious pace. "Where are we going?"
"You are going home."
"I can't. Blucher won't be at the church for another hour or more."
"I'll hire a cab."
Georgina dug in her heels and refused to move farther. "I want to help. You said a story like this needs pictures."
Daniel glared at her. "This isn't the same
By this time the gang of boys from the street careened inside screeching. Georgina retreated to the wall, out of their way. Without regard to her, the newspaperman she had considered mild-mannered and amusing pointed at the ruffian he had single-handedly brought down.
"The gentleman had a little accident, Douglas. Why don't you and the boys haul him out where he can get some fresh air?"
With whoops of triumph the boys grabbed every available limb and piece of fabric and unceremoniously hauled the huge man out into the open cesspool that they called a street.
"Who in hell was that?" Daniel demanded as soon as the boys were gone, turning back to the two women clinging to each other.
Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Georgina could see that there was already a growing bruise on the face of the woman she knew as Janice. The younger woman, who looked enough like her to be her sister, was sobbing brokenly. Janice lifted her chin in a defiant tilt as she glanced to Georgina then back to the man who had saved her.
"That's the rent collector. It's the first of the month, and we didn't have all the rent."
Her sister gulped back a sob long enough to offer the explanation Janice had proudly refused to give. "Betsy was sick and we had to use some of the rent money for medicine. We told him we would have it next week, but Egan's a brute."
Douglas returned, brushing his hands off on his dirty corduroys. He gave a questioning glance to Georgina, but hurried to his sisters. "How did that bastard sneak up on us like that? We usually get plenty of warning when he's around."
"It's Sunday, and nobody expected him. And he came up through the back alley. He must have known we didn't have the money, so he started here first." Janice took her sister's hand and turned her in the direction of the back room. Glancing over her shoulder at Daniel, she said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think we're interested anymore. Find someone else for your story, please."
Janice was the one who had been hurt, but she was comforting her sobbing sister as if it were the other way around. Georgina wanted to help, but she didn't know how. She felt as if she had been dropped into an entirely alien territory and spoke another language.
She almost gasped at Daniel's expression when he turned to her. She had grown accustomed to seeing him in wire-rimmed glasses, reading her notes or working on his press. She knew the laughter that lurked behind his eyes when he took the glasses off. He was always pleasant, good-humored, and patient.
Right now, he looked as if he could commit murder.
The look disappeared behind the gentle gray of his eyes as he turned to Douglas. "Who owns these houses?"
The boy shrugged and avoided his eyes. "Anybody wants to rent, they talk to Egan. But he don't own them. He calls the owner 'boss.' "
Daniel curled his hand around Georgina's elbow, tugging her toward the door. "Come on, we're going to find out who 'boss' is."
One of the neighbors was already hurrying toward the little house with a basket of medicinal supplies. She gave Georgina's rich gown a look of hostility before disappearing into the interior.
There was no sign of the unconscious Egan in the gutter, but the man hauling Georgina down the street didn't seem to notice. Mr. Martin's jaw was taut and strained, and his limp had returned. She wondered how in heaven's name he had been able to deliver that kick. She wasn't certain he was quite human.
She hurried to keep up with his furious pace. "Where are we going?"
"You are going home."
"I can't. Blucher won't be at the church for another hour or more."
"I'll hire a cab."
Georgina dug in her heels and refused to move farther. "I want to help. You said a story like this needs pictures."
Daniel glared at her. "This isn't the same
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