I looked up as a tall, beautiful woman entered the speakeasy. She should be in the movies. I scribbled down some notes about her hair and dress, then went back to my current story.

A man entered and sat down with the woman. I choked on my mouthful of muffin. Officer McCarty! I glanced around, but no one seemed to care - or even realize - that a cop had just walked into their midst. What if he's a snitch? What if he's not really a policeman? Which is worse? My heart pounded a rhythm that contradicted the music.

McCarty and the woman were sitting in a corner, conversing intensely with one another. I watched their altercation, imagining their words. Of course he wouldn't call her Doll. He'd call her Sheba. I tossed my head and began to write again, pressing so hard on my paper that my pencil lead snapped. I jumped, muttered a few choice words I'd learned from Neil and the fellas he'd brought around, and pulled another pencil out.

I had made significant progress on my story, despite glancing over to watch McCarty and his dame from time to time. She seemed to be getting the better of him in their argument. I grinned. You tell him, Sheba.

Suddenly they both turned to look at me. I froze as McCarty and I locked eyes. Maybe he didn't recognize me. I stuffed my pencils in my purse, then tucked my notebook, purse, and coat under one arm. Or at least I tried to. The pages of my notebook flopped over my arm and rustled loudly, and I almost stepped on my coat.

"Hello, Doll." Someone took me by the elbow. I gulped and looked up at McCarty, who pulled aside his coat to reveal a police badge.

"My name isn't Doll," I whispered, adjusting my coat and feeling inside my purse for my pencils.

"Cool it, kitten. What have you got there?" McCarty's hand circled around my wrist and pulled it out of the purse.

I finally found my voice and looked him in the eye. "Pencils." My reply came out crisply. Then I realized how stupid that sounded and looked down, slipping the pencils back into my purse.

"Pencils?" I risked a glance upwards and could have sworn that McCarthy was trying not to laugh as he guided me towards the door, hand still firmly on my elbow. "You think a pencil would stop me, Doll?"

I frowned. "My name isn't Doll, Mr. McCarty." We were outside now and I shrugged his hand off.

"That's Officer McCarty to you...Doll." He leaned against the wall, his badge peeking out from under his coat.

I shivered and slipped into my coat, dropping my notebook in the process. I stooped down to pick it up and clutched it to my chest. "Are you going to take me in?"

"I don't know. Tell me why I shouldn't."

"Well...I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

He raised one eyebrow. "You were sitting in a speakeasy, eating muffins."

"But...but there's nothing wrong with the muffins!"

"Prohibition, Doll. You were eating bootleg muffins."

I shook my head so violently that my curls bounced up and down. "I just go there to write!"

He sighed. "You should stay at home to write. Better yet, stay at home and cook your own muffins."

Why...he...I stomped my foot. "Tell that to the quiff you were talking to earlier!"

McCarty grabbed my arm suddenly, glaring down at me. "Don't call her that. You don't know what you're talking about."

I pulled away. "If you take me in, I'll tell them you were here, too!"

He froze momentarily for some reason, then recovered. "It'll be your word against mine. Who do you think they'll believe, Doll?"

You. I pouted. "But...what are you doing here? Are you a snitch?"

"That," he said shortly, "is none of your beeswax." He reached for my elbow again.

"Officer McCarty," I said desperately, "please don't take me in!" A lie flew into my brain and off my tongue before I could stop it. "My brother will come looking for me."

McCarty raised an eyebrow. "What's your brother's name?"

"Neil." My throat tightened and I blinked, lifting my chin. "Neil O'Capella."

"Neil was your brother?"

My heart sank. "You kne-know him?"

"Knew him. He's..." McCarty paused and narrowed his eyes at me. "You do know he's dead, Doll?"

"Of course I know!" I gulped back tears. "But how do you know?"

McCarty sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Never mind. I -" He was interrupted by a shrill whistle. "Aw, hell," he muttered disgustedly. "C'mon!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me into a side alley.

"What's wrong?" I gasped, unsure what the lights and noise meant.

He looked askance at me. "It's a raid, sweetheart. The coppers are here to bust up the joint. You had a gangster for a brother and you don't know what a raid is?"

I shook my head, mouth suddenly dry. "No."

McCarty looked over his shoulder at the flashing lights and swore softly. "Look here." He took me by the shoulders. "Yes, I'm a cop. No, I'm not on the take, but the whole darned police force thinks I am. If they find me here, it'll reinforce their opinion."

I gulped. The situation had just gone from bad to worse. He ran his fingers through his hair again, gnawing on his lip. "I don't know what to do. I..." He stopped and stared at me.

I took a step backwards. "I'm sorry...I should go..."

"Uh-uh, Doll," he said, blocking my way. "We're in this together." His grip tightened on my arms momentarily.

"Together? I am not in this with you! You may not be on the take, but I bet you're a snitch! I don't help snitches!"

He pressed his lips together and I suddenly found myself against a brick wall, his face inches from mine. "Annie O'Capella, you are going to help me once we get out of this...or I will take you in!"

I shrank back, but then I started to giggle. "You can't take me in, McCarty! If what you said is true, they'll takeyou in without giving you a chance to explain about me. I won't help you unless you tell me why they think you're on the take." What are you doing, Annie? I felt brave and reckless, but I also was scared stiff.

McCarty looked over his shoulder as tires squealed in the street. A fancy car flew by, and he swore again. "That was my ride outta here." He looked back at me. "Please, doll-face."

"Say my name. My real name."

He rolled his eyes. "Look, Doll, this is no time-"

"You know my name! Say it!"

"Annie!" He gave me a little shake. "There, I said it!" A stray beam of light flashed across his face and the next instant I found myself flattened between a brick wall and a man who wanted to become part of that wall.

After a minute, I coughed...or gasped. "I think...if we're going to be this close, I should know your first name."

He looked down at me and a few stray hairs fell onto his forehead. "Billy." I was tempted to smooth his hair back, but my arms were trapped. "How about it...Annie? Will you help me?"

"Yes."

He pushed himself away from the wall, hands on his hips. "That's it? No conditions or angles? Just yes?"

"I said yes!" Another beam of light flashed our way, and we scurried further down towards the end of the alley. "Just tell me why you're under suspicion." A figure appeared in the alley and a beam of light blinded us.

Billy grabbed my arm and pulled me into another alley. "Now?"

I nodded again. "Yes, now." A shout sounded behind us and we began to run.

Billy muttered something over his shoulder that sounded suspiciously like, "Nosey dame," but I ignored that and listened as he talked. "I was trying to infiltrate McGinty's gang, but I got found out. McGinty's wife saved my life, but all my evidence was gone. I made a deal with Lou to leave McGinty's gang alone if she would give me the low-down on other gangs. That was enough to keep me out of trouble, but not enough to keep the rumors away."

I yelped as I stumbled over an uneven patch of cement and turned my ankle. Billy turned back to look at me. "I'm fine!" I gasped, limping along until my gait was back to normal. The beam of light was still following us, bouncing off the walls behind us.

We skidded to a stop in front of a fence that barred our way. "C'mon!" Billy let go of my arm and threw one leg over the fence.

I eyed the fence doubtfully, then glanced behind me and started to climb. I couldn't manage with my notebook tucked underneath my arm.

Billy made a frustrated noise. "Hurry up!" As he reached up and swung me to the ground, my dress caught on the fence and my notebook fell - on the wrong side of the fence. I squeaked, tugged, and heard a ripping sound.

"My notebook!"

"Leave it!" Billy dragged me away and we hurried on until all signs of pursuit had faded. We stopped, both breathing heavily. "You all right, Doll?"

Annie, not Doll. I nodded breathlessly and pulled my coat closed, not bothering to correct him. For some reason, the name didn't rankle so much anymore.

"Okay. I'll walk you home." I didn't think of refusing him - he might walk me to the slammer. He offered his arm and we walked to my flat. He laid a hand on my arm as we mounted the steps. "You said you'd help me, so I'll be dropping by tomorrow to talk. Deal?" He held out his hand.

"Deal." I shook his hand brusquely, irritated at the fact that I'd let him straight to my house. I looked up. "Only I want you to tell me what you know about Neil."

He smirked. "You're not exactly in a position to bargain, Doll. I can still take you in right now, or I could always come by with a paddy wagon tomorrow."

"That won't be necessary. I'll look for you tomorrow. Good night!" I tossed my head and went inside. A horrible feeling hit me in the stomach. My notebook! It wasn't just the stories. Scribbled in bold, hard letters on the top page were the words: McCarty - cop or criminal?