I didn’t wait to see him fall. I glanced through the open door, knowing that if the Chinese were there, I’d have to move even faster. But the hall was empty. I swung the door shut and whirled back to Eddie West. He’d already fallen. One leg was twitching, then he suddenly relaxed with a sigh. He was unconscious, and ought to stay that way for three or four minutes.
I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. There was no one in sight. I didn’t bother with the elevator, but went down the stairs as fast as I could, not slowing up until I hit the lobby. Sure enough, there was a cab waiting in front of the building and the Chinese was sitting in it. I walked casually past it, crossed the street, and went on down to the corner. As soon as I was around it, I hurried to my car. A moment late
