“Katherine?” I said.
She started in horror. “Who are you? I never saw you in my life before. How do you know me?”
“It’s a long story,” I said, “but for now let me just assure you that I am a friend. I’m on your side.”
“Did you tell her, Sadie?” Katherine asked.
“Of course she didn’t tell me, but don’t worry, you can trust me. What on earth possessed you to hide out here, of all places?”
“We couldn’t think of anywhere else. This room is hardly ever used, so we thought I’d be safe enough.”
“But so close to Mostel. What if he’d discovered you up here?”
“He’d have been annoyed, of course.”
“Annoyed. Wasn’t he the one trying to have you killed?”
They looked at me as if I was speaking Chinese.
“Mr. Mostel? He’s really an old sweetie,” Katherine said.
“Then who?”
“Why, her husband and his horrible friends, of course,” Sadie said. “She came to me one night in a terrible state and I couldn’t think of anywhere else to hide her but here. I smuggled her in early next morning and I’ve been bringing her food.”
“So that’s why you’ve been leaving the café early, and going to the washroom so frequently.”
She nodded.
“You’ve been taking a terrible risk.”
“I know,” Katherine said, “that’s why I should go now, while I have the chance.”
“Where will you go?” Sadie asked.
“I’ve no idea.”
“I’ve an idea,” I said. “My name is Molly and believe it or not, I’ve been trying to find out what happened to you. I’ve just thought of a perfect place for you to hide out. Go to Nine Patchin Place, behind Jefferson Market in Greenwich Village. Two women live there. Their names are Sid and Gus—don’t ask. Tell them you are Katherine and Molly says they should hide you until she gets home. I’ll explain everything later.”
“Are you sure?” She was still regarding me suspiciously. “Why should you put yourself out for me?”
“I said I’ll explain everything later, but for now you have to trust me, Katherine. And nobody would think of looking for you as far away as Greenwich Village, would they?”
“I suppose not.”
“Then wrap yourself up in a shawl and get out of here while you can.”
We were just about to bundle her down the stairs when the sound of voices rose from below. The girls were back from lunch.
“We’ll have to wait until after work,” I said. “Sadie and I will work out how we can distract Sam while we get you out of here somehow.”
“Don’t put yourself at risk for me,” Katherine said.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied breezily. “Come on, Sadie. Let’s get back down there before Sam docks us half our pay.”
We rushed down the stairs.
“So where have you two been?” he demanded.
“Washroom again,” I said. “We’re both sick from the stinking stew we ate yesterday. We’re not eating at that café ever again.”
Sam just grunted.
“It’s like an icehouse in here,” one of the girls commented as a group of them came back into the room. “Can’t you turn up those stoves any higher?”
“If I do, they’ll burst,” Sam said. “If only you try working hard enough you’ll create your own heat.”
“Very funny,” the girl muttered.
Machines started clattering again. The afternoon dragged on. Girls clapped their hands together and stamped their feet to bring back the circulation. Sam walked up and down the lines of girls.
“What kind of work are you doing here?” he demanded, stopping beside a machine in the far row. “Those are supposed to be straight lines, not zigzags. Only a blind person would want to buy that garment.”
“Maybe I could keep my lines straighter if my hands weren’t so cold,” the girl he was speaking to said. “The wind comes in through the cracks around this crummy window. I’m so cold I’m one big shiver. I can’t take it no more.”
“Fine by me,” Sam said. “You don’t have to take it. Get your things and go. You’re out.”
“Wait a second.” Gina, the tall Italian girl, rose to her feet. She was almost the same size as Sam and she glared at him, eye to eye. “You can’t fire her because you don’t heat this lousy place well enough for us to do our work.”
“I just did,” Sam said. “You want to join her—fine by me too.”
“This place is too cold for anyone to work properly,” Gina said. “It’s a disgrace. Look at it. Nobody ever sweeps the floors. Nobody cleans the W.C. No light, no heat. We’re treated no better than animals.”