Honest Money

Erle Stanley Gardner

IT IS THE NUMBERS that are so impressive when

Before Perry Mason, however, there was

thinking about Erle Stanley Gardner. He created Ken Corning, an equally hardhitting, fearless, the most famous criminal defense attorney in and incorruptible defense attorney who made literature, Perry Mason, when he published The his debut in Black Mask magazine in November Case of the Velvet Claws on March 1, 1933. He 1932. Had he been named Perry Mason, and his went on to produce eighty Mason novels which, secretary named Delia Street instead of Helen in all editions, sold more than 300,000,000 Vail, it would be impossible to tell the difference copies.

between the two. “Honest Money” is the first story in the series.

The novels were the ultimate in

formulaic genre fiction, with the lawyer taking Gardner (1889‐1970) began his lengthy

on the role of detective to prove his client writing career in the pulps in Breezy Stories in innocent at trial, turning to point a finger at the 1921, eventually producing hundreds of short real culprit, who generally broke down and stories, countless articles, more than a hundred confessed. The television series based on the novels, and numerous nonfiction books on the character,

starring

Raymond

Burr,

was law and, as a noted outdoorsman, on travel and enormously successful for nine years, running environmental issues. At the time of his death, from September 21, 1957 to May 22, 1966, and he was the bestselling writer in history.

showing in reruns pretty much ever since.

HE CLOCK ON THE CITY hall

Helen Vail was dusting her desk. She

was booming the hour of nine grinned at Ken.

in the morning when Ken

Corning

pushed

his

way

He reached a hand to his inside pocket.

through the office door. On

the frosted glass of that door

“Pay day,” he said.

appeared the words: “Kenneth D. Corning, Attorney at Law— Enter.”

Her eyes glinted with a softness that

held a touch of the maternal.

Ken Corning let his eye drift over the

sign. It was gold leaf and untarnished. It was

“Listen, Ken, let it go until you get

precisely thirty days since the sign painter had started. I can hang on a while longer. . . .” collected for the job, and the sign painter had collected as soon as his brush had finished the He took out a wallet, started spreading

last letter of the last word of that sign.

out ten‐dollar bills. When he had counted out five of them, he pushed the pile over to her.

The credit of young attorneys in York There were two bills left in the wallet.

City wasn’t of the best. This was particularly true of young lawyers who didn’t seem to have

“Honest, Ken. . . .”

an “in” with the administration.

He pushed his way to the inside office. On it had been written with the monotony of

“Forget it,” he said. “I told you we’d make it go. mechanical repetition, over and over: “Now is We haven’t started to fight yet.”

the time for all good men to come to the aid of

the party.”

She followed him in, the money in her

hand. Standing in the doorway, very erect, chin

The door completed its closing. The latch

up, she waited for him to turn to meet her gaze.

clicked.

The outer door of the entrance office

“Get his name?” asked Ken.

made a noise.

“Sam Parks. He’s nervous. It’s a criminal

She turned. Looking over her shoulder, case. I’d have kept him waiting longer, but he Ken could see the big man who stood on the won’t stand for it. He’s looking at his watch—

threshold. He looked as though his clothes had twice in the last sixty seconds.” been filled with apply jelly. He quivered and jiggled like a jellyfish on a board. Fat encased Ken patted her hand.

him in layers, an unsubstantial, soft fat that seemed to be hanging to his bones with a grip

“Okay. Good girl. Shoot him in.”

that was but temporary.

Helen walked to the door, opened it,

His voice was thin and falsetto.

smiled sweetly. “You may come in now, Mr.

Parks.”

“I want to see the lawyer,” he shrilled.

She held the door open. Ken could see

Helen turned on her heel, called over the big man heaving his bulk free of the chair.

her shoulder: “All right, Mr. Corning. I’ll enter He saw him blot out the light in the doorway as up this retainer.” To the man she said: “You’ll the girl stepped aside. He was signing a paper as have to wait. Mr. Coming’s preparing an the big man entered the office and paused. Ken important brief. He’ll see you in a minute or kept his eyes on the paper until the door catch two.”

clicked. Then he looked up with a smile.

The pneumatic door check swung the

“Mr. Parks, is it?” he asked.

door to.

The big man grunted, waddled over to

Ken Corning turned in his swivel‐chair the chair which was placed so close to the new and sent swift hands to his tie. From the outer desk as to invite easy intimacy. He sat down, office sounded the furious clack of a typewriter. then, apparently feeling that the chair was too Three minutes passed. The roller of the machine far away, started hitching it closer and closer to made sounds as the paper was ripped from it. the desk. His voice was almost a shrill whisper.

The door of the private office banged open.

Helen Vail pushed her way in, in an ecstasy of

“My wife,” he said, “has been arrested.”

haste, crinkling a legal paper in her hands.

Ken laid down the pen, looked

“All ready for your signature,” she said.

professional.

The pneumatic door check was swinging

“What,” he asked, “is the charge?”

the door closed as Ken reached for the paper.

The big man’s shrill voice rattled off a they took her. They said she could. I paid her string of swift words: “Well, you see it was this fifty cents for the food and gave her a ten‐cent way. We had a place, a little restaurant, and the tip. Then they closed up the place, took the officers came busting in without a warrant…tell booze away with ‘em, and put me out. The wife me, can they come into a place without a said she ran the place alone.” warrant, that way?”

Ken Corning twisted a pencil in his

Ken replied crisply: “They did, didn’t fingers.

they?”

“I’ll want a retainer of a hundred and

“Yes.”

fifty dollars,” he said, “and then I’ll see what I can do and report.”

“Okey, then they can. They’re not

supposed to, but they did, they do and they can.

The glassy eyes squinted.

What happened?”

“You ain’t in with the gang here?”

“Well, that was about all. They claimed

we were selling booze.”

“I’m a newcomer.”

Ken’s voice was sharp.

The man opened his coat, disclosed a

wrinkled vest and shirt, soggy with perspiration.

“Find any?”

He pulled a leather wallet from an inside pocket

and pulled out a hundred dollar bill and a fifty.

“A little.”

The wallet was crammed with money. He tossed

the money carelessly on the desk.

“How much?”

“The first thing to do,” he said, “is to see

“Ten or fifteen gallons.”

the wife. Tell her you’re going to represent her,

see? Let her know I’m on the job, and tell her to

“Then they arrested you both?”

keep a stiff upper lip, and to keep quiet, see?

Tell her to keep quiet, see?”

The fat man blinked glassy eyes.

Ken Corning folded the money, got to his

“Just her. They didn’t take me.”

feet, stood there, signifying that the interview was over.

“Why?”

“Come back when I send for you. Leave

He fidgeted, and the layers of fat jiggled your name and address and your wife’s name about.

with the girl in the outer office so I can get my

records straight. Leave a telephone number

“Well, we sort of outslicked ‘em. There where you can be reached.” had been a guy eating at one of the tables. He got wise as soon as the first man walked in on The man turned on the threshold.

the raiding party. He ducked out the back. I sat

down at his table and finished up his food. The

“You ain’t in with the ring?” he asked,

wife pretended she didn’t know me, and asked and there was a note of anxiety in his voice.

the officers if she could collect my bill before Ken Corning reached for a law book, woman who was running it tried to slip a bribe, shook his head.

and she’s booked on a felony. That big guy was

sitting in there, eating chow. He claimed he was

The pneumatic door clicked shut.

a customer. I happened to see him come in

here. He looked phoney, so I tagged along. I Ken set down the law book and fingered want to know what he wanted.” the money. He turned it over and over in his fingers. He cocked his head on one side,

Ken Corning’s voice was hard.

listening. After a moment he heard the click of the outer door catch. Then Helen Vail was

“This,” he said, “is a law office, not an

standing on the threshold of the inner office. information bureau.” Her eyes were starry.

The gray eyes became brittle hard. The

Ken Corning waved the money.

jaw jutted forward. Perkins crowded to the

desk.

“Start an account for that bird, and

credit it with a hundred and fifty.”

“Listen, guy,” he said, “you’re new here.

Whether you’re going to get along or not

She was smiling at him when the door depends on whether you play ball or not. I opened. Broad shoulders pushed their way asked you who that guy was. I asked because I across the outer office. From his desk, Ken could wanted to know…” see the man as he crossed the outer office.

Helen Vail barred the inner office door.

Corning moved free of the swivel‐chair.

“Whom do you wish?” she asked.

“You getting out?” he asked.

The man laughed, pushed past her,

The lips of the broad shouldered man

walked directly to Ken Coming’s desk. He twisted in a sneer.

flipped back a corner of his coat with a casual hand.

“So that’s your line of chatter?”

“Who,” he asked, “was the guy that just

“That’s my line of chatter.”

left here, and what’d he want?”

The man turned on his heel, strode

Ken Corning pushed back the swivelchair towards the door. He turned with his hand on as he got to his feet.

the knob.

“This,” he said, “is my private office.”

“Try and get some favors out of the

liquor detail!” he said.

The broad shouldered man laughed. His

face was coarse skinned, but the gray eyes had

Ken’s tone was rasping. He stood with

little lights in them that might have meant his feet planted wide apart, eyes glinting.

humor, or might have meant a love of conflict.

“I don’t want favors,” he said, “from

“Keep your shirt on, keep your shirt on,” anybody!” he said. “I’m Perkins from the booze detail.

There was a speak knocked over last night. The

The broad shouldered man walked from

the office, heels pounding the floor. Slowly the Ken picked up the envelope. It was

automatic door check swung the door shut.

unsealed. There were five one hundred‐dollar

bills in it.

Ken was ready to leave his office, seeking an

“What,” asked Ken cautiously, “am I

interview with his client at the jail, when the supposed to do?” door of his private office framed the white features of Helen Vail.

The gloved hand waved in an airy

gesture.

“It’s Mr. Dwight,” she said.

“Just use your head,” said Dwight. “I’ve

“What is?”

got rather extensive interests here. You’ve

probably heard of me, know who I am.”

“The man who just came in. Carl Dwight.

He’s outside. He wants to see you.”

Ken Corning chose his words carefully.

Ken whistled. “Show him in,” he said.

“You,” he said, “are reputed to be the

head of the political machine in this county. You

She motioned towards the desk.

are reputed to be the man who tells the mayor

what to do.”

“Shall I get you some papers?”

The filmed eyes blinked. The swarthy

“Not with him. He’s a wise bird. He skinned man made clucking noises in his throat.

knows. Shoot him in.”

“That, of course, is an exaggeration, Mr.

Helen stood to one side of the door and Corning. But I have interests in the county, beckoned. Carl Dwight came in. He walked with interests which are rather extensive. Now you a slight limp. His lips were smiling. He had pale can sort of look out for those interests. And, by eyes that seemed covered with a thin white the way, there’s a criminal case, the matter of a film, like boiled milk. Those eyes didn’t smile. woman who was running rather a disreputable His skin was swarthy and oily. There was a cut joint, gambling, hooch and all that. Parks was on his forehead, a slight bruise on his left cheek the name, I believe.

bone.

“Do you know, I think it might be rather

He wasn’t large, and yet he radiated a a good thing to have that case disposed of suggestion of ominous power. He said, crisply: rather rapidly. A plea of guilty, let us say. I’m

“I’m busy. You’re busy. You know of me. I know certain you’ll agree that it’s a dead open and of you. I’ve had my eye on you for the last week shut case. She tried to bribe an officer. There or two. You’re a likely looking young man. I were witnesses. She gave him fifty dollars.

want to give you a retainer. Here’s five hundred Having such things aired in front of a jury don’t dollars. That’ll be for this month. There’ll be five do any good.” hundred dollars more coming next month, and

the month after that.”

He got to his feet. The swarthy skin

crinkled in a smile, a sallow, bilious smile. The His gloved hand laid an envelope on the filmed eyes regarded Ken Corning with the desk.

wisdom of a serpent.

Esther Parks came into the room

“So now,” he smirked, “we understand through the doorway which led to the cell each other perfectly. I think you’ll like it in York corridor. Ken Corning watched her with interest.

City, Corning.”

Her face was heavy, her walk plodding. She was

a big woman, broad‐hipped and big‐shouldered.

Ken slowly got to his feet.

Her eyes were like oysters on a white plate.

“Yes,” he said, “I understand you

She plowed her way forward.

perfectly. But you don’t understand me, not by

a long ways. Take back this damned money

The attendant who had charge of the

before I slap your face with it!”

room stood at the doorway, beyond earshot,

but where he could see everything that went on

Dwight teetered back and forth on his in the room.

feet, made little clucking noises with his mouth.

The woman sat down on the stool

“Like that, eh?” he said.

opposite Ken Corning. Her face was within three

feet of his. Her big hands were folded upon the

“Like that,” agreed Corning.

scarred wood of the long desk. The heavy

screen separated them.

Dwight sneered.

“Hello,” she said.

“You won’t last long. You can’t…”

Ken Corning kept his voice low pitched.

He didn’t finish. Ken Corning reached out

with the envelope which he held by a corner,

“Hello. I’m the attorney that your

and slapped it across Dwight’s mouth. The husband engaged to represent you. He thought filmed eyes blazed into light. The mouth twisted you were just charged with unlawful possession in a snarl. Dwight snatched at the envelope, of liquor. You’re not. They’ve got you on the crammed it in his pocket, whirled and started to charge of offering a bribe to an officer. That’s a the door. He paused on the threshold.

felony.”

“Wait,” he said, significantly.

He paused expectantly.

And Ken Corning, standing by his desk,

The woman said: “Uh‐huh.”

feet braced wide apart, jaw thrust forward, said:

“You’re damned tooting I’ll wait. I’ll be waiting Ken stared into the oyster eyes.

long after you think you’re finished with me!”

“Well,” he said, “I’m to do the best I can

for you. Can we go to trial and beat the

The attorneys’ room in the county jail was a charge?” dull, cheerless place. There was a long desk which ran down the center of the room. Above

The eyes didn’t change expression. The

this desk was a heavy wire screen. The prisoner heavy face rippled into dull speech.

could sit on one side of the desk, the attorney on the other.

“I was running a speak, me and Sam. We

went in mostly for cheap food with drinks to sell

to the right parties. I don’t see why they had to

pick on us. Everybody’s doing it, that is,

“Nothin’.”

everybody anywhere round our neighborhood.”

Corning squinted his eyes thoughtfully.

Ken frowned and shook his head.

“How did it happen that they didn’t spot

“I’m telling you it isn’t the liquor charge Sam as your husband? Usually when they make they’ve got you on. I could square that with a these raids they’ve had a stoolie go in and make fine. It’s the bribery charge. Can we beat that?”

a purchase or two. They have all the dope on where the stuff is kept and who runs the place.”

The woman’s voice was blurred in its

accent, indifferent and stolid in tone.

The woman’s head turned again, slowly,

from side to side.

“I don’t know. I gave him the money.

They all take the money. Twice before I’ve had

“I dunno. They just didn’t spot Sam, that

men call on me and say they was the law. I’ve was all. I was behind the counter at the cash given ‘em money. I gave this man money. Then register. They came walkin’ in. I think I heard he collared me. They didn’t spot Sam. He sat somebody say ‘There she is,’ or ‘That’s her, down at a table and ate some grub.”

now,’ or some‐thin’ like that. I didn’t pay so much attention. They made the pinch, and I

Ken Corning made little drumming tried to hand ‘em the dough.

noises with the tips of his fingers. He regarded the woman through the wire mesh of the

“It was their fault I slipped ‘em the

screen.

money, too. One of the men held up the jug that had the hooch in it, and said: ‘Well, sister,

“Have they asked you for a statement?” what are you goin’ to do about this?’ I seen he he wanted to know.

had me, dead to rights, so I opened the cash register, an’ asked him if he’d listen to reason.

A flicker of intelligence appeared in the He said he would. I slipped him the cash, an’

pale, watery eyes.

then they said something to each other and told

me to come along with them.

“I ain’t so dumb. I told ‘em to wait until

my lawyer showed up, then they could talk with

“Sam had got wise to what was goin’ on,

him.”

an’ he’d gone over to the table an’ was boltin’

down food. I asked the law if I could close up

“Who was it?” asked Corning, “the one the joint, take the cash an’ collect from the gent who wanted the statement?”

at the table. They said I could, an’ I did, an’

that’s all I know about it. They took me here.”

She moved her head in a gesture of slow

negation.

Ken Corning clamped his mouth into a

thin line.

“I dunno. Somebody from the Sheriffs

office, or the District Attorney’s office. He was a

“Then we’ve got to plead guilty,” he said.

young fellow and he had a man with him that took down what I said in shorthand.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“What did you say?”

“That’s your job. I dunno. I’m tellin’ you

“All right,” he said. “Sit tight. Remember

what happened. I figured Sam would get a what I told you. Don’t talk. I’m going to see mouthpiece an’ spring me.”

what I can do.”

Corning continued to drum with his

The attendant moved forward.

fingers.

“This way,” he said to the woman, in a

“Look here,” he said, “there’s something voice that was a mechanical monotone.

funny about this case. I’m going to keep a close

mouth for a while, and see if I can find out what’s back of it. You seem to be on the outs Don Graves, the Deputy District Attorney in with the ring that’s running the town. Do you charge of the case of the People vs. Esther know why?”

Parks, was almost totally bald, despite the fact that he was in his early thirties. His face ran to The big head shook slowly.

nose. The eyes on either side were round and lidless. He had a peculiar peering appearance

“Well,” said Corning, “sit tight for a like that of a startled anteater.

while. Don’t talk to anyone. If anyone asks you

any questions, no matter who it is, tell them to

He turned the nose directly towards Ken

see your lawyer, Mr. Corning. Can you Corning, so that the twin eyes bored remember to do that?”

unblinkingly into those of the attorney, and said: “We won’t reduce the charge. She bribed

“Uh‐huh.”

an officer. That’s a serious offense.”

“I’ll have you arraigned and get bail set.

Ken kept his temper.

Can you raise bail?”

“That’s a hard charge to prove, and you

“How much?”

know as well as I do that the officer kept angling to get her to give him money. You get a jury of

“Maybe three thousand dollars?”

twelve people together, and some of ‘em are going to think it’s a hell of a note to send a

“No.”

woman to the pen because she had some hooch

and an officer kept sticking his palm out at her.

“Two thousand?”

It’s only natural to slip a man something when he makes a stall like that. That isn’t being

“Maybe.”

criminal. That’s just human nature.”

“Any property you could put up as

The deputy licked his lips with the tip of

security with a bail bond company for the a pale tongue that seemed, somehow, to be purpose of getting them to issue a bail bond?”

utterly cold.

“No. Just cash. We had a lease on the

“The penal code don’t say so, brother.”

joint. It paid fair money. Lately it ain’t been payin’.”

Ken Corning frowned.

Ken Corning got to his feet.

“The penal code says lots of things—so

does the Constitution.”

Don Graves said: “Yeah,” and made as

Corning asked: “Fine or imprisonment?”

though he’d turn away.

“Imprisonment,” said Graves. “To hell

Corning raised his voice.

with a fine.”

“Well, listen, about bail. If you’ll suggest

Coming’s retort was emphatic. “To hell

to the magistrate that bail be reduced to a with you!” he said, and slammed the door.

thousand dollars cash, I think she can raise it.”

Graves turned back to Corning, stared Helen Vail had the afternoon papers for him lidlessly at him.

when he walked into his office.

“You heard what the magistrate said:

“News?” she asked.

ten thousand bucks cash, or twenty thousand

bond.”

He grinned at her, took the papers,

touched her fingertips as he took them, and Corning’s rage flared up.

suddenly patted her hand.

“A hell of a bail that is. You’d think the

“Good girl,” he said.

woman was guilty of a murder or something. If

you don’t know that these cheap dicks are

“Why?”

sticking their palms out right and left and shaking down the people that run the little

“Oh, I don’t know. You just are.”

speaks, you’re just plain crazy! You keep riding me around, and I’ll take this jane before a jury

“How about the case?”

and see what twelve men in a box have to say about the way you’re getting so damned

“I don’t know. There’s something funny.

virtuous in York City all of a sudden.”

You’d think the woman had done a murder or something. And Graves, that billiard ball guy The lidless eyes remained hard and with the snake eyes, told me he’d let me cop a peering.

minimum sentence if I’d rush her through the mill and make a plea.”

“Go ahead,” said Graves.

Helen Vail’s eyes were sympathetic.

“I will!” snapped Corning.

“You mean send the woman to the pen

Graves spoke as Ken Corning was because she slipped one of these dicks a little halfway to the door.

dough?”

“Tell you what I will do, Corning.”

“Exactly.”

Corning paused, turned.

“What’d you tell him?”

“Take her into court right away, plead

Corning grinned.

her guilty as charged, and I’ll ask to have a minimum sentence imposed.”

“That, precious, is something your little collected enough information to know who was shell‐like ears shouldn’t hear.”

running the place, and had let the husband slip

through their fingers?

And he walked into the inner office,

taking the papers with him. He sat in his swivel‐

He stared at the newspaper, let his

chair, put his feet on the desk, turned to the forehead crinkle in thought, and tried to fit the sporting page, browsed through the headlines, ends of the puzzle together.

turned back to the front page.

Minutes passed.

The telephone rang.

The clock on the city hall boomed the

He called out to Miss Vail: “I’ve got it, hour of four, and the big gilt hands crept around Helen,” and scooped the receiver to his ear, until the minute hand marked the quarter hour.

holding the newspaper in one hand, the

telephone in the other.

There was the sound of a truck

backfiring in the street.

The shrill, piping voice of Sam Parks

came over the wire.

Something came trebling up through the

window, the scream of a child, or of a very

“Listen, is this Corning, the lawyer?”

frightened woman. Then there was the sound of

rubber tires, skidding into a turn on pavement,

“Yes.”

the shout of a man.

“Okey. This is Parks. I was in to see you

There was a second silence, and then the

this morning about my wife. Listen, I know why noise made by many voices, the sound of feet they’re trying to give her the works. I can’t tell running on cement. A siren wailed in the you over the telephone. I’m coming over. You distance.

be there?”

Ken Corning, lost in contemplation, did

“Come right away,” said Corning.

not interpret the significance of those sounds until the siren had become a scream, until the

“Yeah!” shrilled Parks excitedly, and clanging bell of the ambulance sounded almost banged the receiver into place. Ken Corning directly beneath his office window, and until the hung up, turned to the paper. There was a door of his private office opened and Helen Vail frown creasing his forehead. He looked at his stared at him.

watch. It was five minutes to four. Street noises

came up through the open window. The

“There seems to have been a man hurt,”

afternoon was warm, the air laden with the she said.

scents of late summer.

Ken Corning put down the paper and

Ken’s eyes drifted unseeingly to the went to the window. Helen put her hand on his front page of the newspaper. Why should so shoulder as they leaned out. Corning was much stir be made over the matter of a conscious of the touch of her hair against his commonplace

woman

in

a

third‐grade cheek, the pressure of her hand on his shoulder.

speakeasy giving some money to an officer who He slid his right arm out, around her waist.

held out his hand for it? Why should a raid be made on a place where the officers hadn’t

They looked down upon the street.

There was no traffic. Such vehicles as

“Give us a hand here, some of you

were on the street were stalled. Men swarmed guys!” about like busy ants, moving in seething

disorder. An ambulance was backing towards

Ken Corning pushed through the circle as

the curb. A uniformed officer was clearing a two of the spectators swirled forward. A path for it. Stalled cars, their motors running, uniformed officer also bent to give a lift.

belched forth thin smoke films which made the Corning asked a question: “Who saw it? How air a light blue color.

did it happen?”

A black circle of men were not moving.

Men stared at him with blank curiosity.

They were grouped about something which lay He was hatless, wandering about asking how it on the sidewalk. From that form there was a had happened, and men regarded him as a part dark stain which had welled along the cement of the incident which had broken into the until it trickled in a thin, sluggish stream into the routine of their daily life. They watched him gutter.

with that expression of impersonal curiosity

with which fish in an aquarium stare at

The man was big and fat. He was lying spectators who press against the glass tank.

on his back.

On the fifth repetition of the question, a

“Good heavens!” said the voice of Helen man gave an answer.

Vail, “it’s the man who was in the office.”

“I saw it. He drove up in an automobile

Ken Corning swung from the window. He and parked the car. He started walking along reached the doorway of the private office in the street. The guy that shot him was in a three strides, and gained the stairs. He went roadster. He pulled right in to the curb, and he down them two at a time. He reached the didn’t drive away until he was sure the guy was sidewalk as the men were loading the stretcher. dead. The first shot smacked him over. He shot He pushed his way through the crowd. Men again when the guy was on the cement. I seen muttered comments, turned and stared at him, him twitch when the second bullet struck!” growled warnings to watch what he was doing.

Corning paid no attention to them.

Corning led the man to one side.

He reached the inner circle, saw the

“Drove up in a car, eh? Which car?”

stretcher bearers heaving against the weight of

the bulk that they strove to place in the

He indicated the line of parked

ambulance.

machines.

Parks had been shot twice. To all

The witness shrugged his shoulders. “I

appearances he was dead. The bullet holes ain’t sure. I think it was the flivver over there. I welled a red trail which dripped from the remember that it was a car that had a smashed stretcher. The eyes were half open and waxy. fender. You know, there wasn’t no reason why I The skin was like discolored dough. The hands should notice him until. . .” trailed limply at the ends of dangling arms.

“Yes,” said Corning, “I know. Now you

One of the stretcher bearers spoke want some advice?” sharply.

The man looked at him with curious

It was red, bearing the insignia of the

eyes.

police department. It was, he found when he deciphered the scrawled lines which were

“Huh?” he asked.

placed in the printed blanks, a ticket for parking within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant on Seventh

“Get away from here and don’t tell your Street, between Madison and Harkley. The time story to a soul. Go to headquarters, get the was checked at three‐forty‐five, of that day.

homicide squad’s office and ask for Sergeant Home. He’s on the square. Tell your story to Ken pocketed the ticket and walked

him, and ask that your name be withheld. around to the front of the car, inspecting the Otherwise, if you got a good look at the man dent in the fender. There was but little paint left that did the shooting, you might find yourself upon the nondescript car which Parks had been parked on a marble slab. Killers don’t like driving. That little paint had been cracked and witnesses.”

chipped where the fender had crumpled. And,

on the tip of that crumpled fender, was a spot The man’s face paled. “Gee,” he said; of bright red enamel, evidently taken from the then, after an interval: “Gee whiz!”

car with which the flivver had collided.

He spun on his heel, started walking

Ken examined the front of the springs,

rapidly away. From time to time he glanced over the radiator, found further evidences of a his shoulder.

collision, further bits of red paint. The accident had evidently been very recent.

His tip gave Ken Corning the chance to

be the first man to examine the light car with Aside from those things, there was

the bent fender.

nothing to indicate anything whatever about

the occupant of the car, or the errand upon He looked at the registration certificate which it had been driven.

which was strapped about the steering post of the car. That showed the machine was

Ken walked to the curb, looked at the

registered in the name of Esther Parks, and the crowd which was commencing to move along address which was given was the same address under orders of the uniformed police. The as that of the place which had been raided traffic was moving now, crawling past at a when the woman was arrested.

snail’s pace, horns blaring. An officer,

accompanied by a woman, moved along the

Ken felt of the seat. It was still warm.

parked lane of cars, inspecting them.

He noticed an afternoon newspaper

Corning felt that this woman had seen

lying on the floorboards. He picked it up. There the fat man emerge from a machine, but was nothing else on the inside of the car to give couldn’t identify the machine. Ken let himself any inkling as to who had driven or owned it. drift away with the scattering spectators. He Ken felt in the flap pocket of the right‐hand walked around the block, and back to his office.

door. His groping fingers encountered a lady’s He climbed the stairs, smiled at Helen Vail’s handkerchief, a pair of pliers, the cap from an white face.

inner tube, and a bit of pasteboard. He pulled out the pasteboard.

“Was it. . . ?”

He nodded, passed into the inner office.

The article sounded very promising. It

She came and stood in the doorway. Ken gave the location of Dike’s office in the smoothed out the newspaper he had taken Monadnock Building. The Monadnock Building from the car Parks had driven. He spread it out.

was on Seventh Street, between Madison and

Harkley.

A knife had cut away a section of the

front page.

Helen Vail watched Corning as he

clamped his hat down on his forehead.

“Was it because he came here?” asked

Helen, mustering her courage.

“Ken,” she said, “you’re going out... on

this thing, into danger?”

Ken Corning reached for the other

afternoon newspaper he had been reading

Her face was a dead white. The eyes

when the sound of the shots had interrupted were starry and tender.

him. He nodded absently as he spread the two front pages out on the desk, one over the other.

He laughed at her, saw the pale lips

stiffen, quiver and tremble into the first sign of The paper from the death car showed a sob, then lift into a half smile. He patted her the page of the other paper through the shoulder, grinned at her.

opening where the knife had cut. That which had been cut out was a picture with a small

“Listen, kid, I’m a newcomer here. I’m

paragraph or two below it.

here to stay. Some of these chaps don’t

recognize that fact yet, that’s all. It’s time they Ken looked at the picture.

did. I’m just going out and let a few of them know that when I hung out my shingle in this It showed a man with a square‐cut chin, town I did it with my eyes open. I planted my shell glasses, a firm, thin mouth, high cheek feet here, and I’m staying here.” bones and a high forehead. Below it appeared the words Mayor Appoints Harry B. Dike as New

And he strode across the office, went

Head of Water Department.

through the outer door, made time to the

street, caught a taxi. “Monadnock Building,” he

Corning read the few paragraphs said, as he settled back against the cushions, appearing below the headlines of the “and make it snappy.” accompanying news article. Those paragraphs

recited the enviable record Harry B. Dike had The cab lurched into motion.

enjoyed in connection with his own business

enterprises and such civic activities as had

“Man shot here a while back,” said the

claimed his time. It also mentioned that Dike communicative driver. “Raised hell with traffic.” was firmly opposed to the granting of contracts

and concessions to those who enjoyed political

Corning said: “Yeah,” without interest

pull, and that, in the future, the water and the conversation languished. The cab department would be conducted upon a basis swung in to the curb at Seventh Street, Corning of efficiency with all work thrown open to the paid the meter, consulted the directory of the lowest responsible bidders, although the Monadnock Building, found that Dike’s office department would reserve the right to let was on the seventh floor, and took the elevator private contracts.

up.

There was no one in the reception office

“He’s not to be disturbed. You haven’t

except a typist who was tapping frantically at an appointment, and . . .” the keys of a noiseless typewriter, and a rather

stern‐faced but pretty secretary who sat stiffly Corning gained the door to the inner

behind a desk in the corner of the room, three office in a swift stride, without waiting for her to telephones in front of her.

finish the sentence.

Corning walked to her, smiled.

“And I’m in a hurry,” he said, and

opened the door.

“I’m anxious to get in touch with a man

who was to have met me here earlier this

Harry B. Dike was even more dignified in

afternoon, but I had a puncture and was his frosty appearance than the newspaper delayed. He’s a great big man, fat, about forty-photograph would have indicated to a casual

eight, wearing a gray suit that’s in need of observer. The light glinted from the bald pressing ...”

reaches of his high forehead. His eyes were steel gray and bored steadily out from behind Her voice was crisply efficient.

his shell spectacles. He looked up from a desk which contained a sheaf of papers, stared at

“You mean Mr. Parks. He’s been here Corning and said: “Get out! I’m busy.” and gone.”

His eyes went down to the papers.

Corning

made

a

gesture

of

disappointment, but his mouth clamped shut to

Corning walked across the room.

keep from showing his elation.

Dike didn’t look up again. He was moving

“Mr. Dike’s in?”

the point of a pencil along the typewritten lines

of a document. “Get out,” he said, “or I’ll call a

“Yes. He’s busy. You haven’t an cop and have you thrown in for disturbing the appointment?”

peace. I’ve canceled my appointments. I don’t want any life insurance, any books or a new

“No. Can you answer the question? automobile.” What kind of a car does he drive?”

Corning sat down.

“A Cadillac. It’s a sedan. Then he had a

roadster, a Buick.”

Dike scowled at him, banged the pencil

down on his desk and reached for the

“Thanks. I think I’m interested in the telephone.

Cadillac. It’s a bright red, isn’t it?”

“I’m Kenneth D. Corning, attorney for

“It’s red, yes.”

Sam Parks, the man who called on you a little while earlier this afternoon,” he said.

“I’m afraid I’ve got to disturb Mr. Dike.

Tell him it’s Mr. Corning, and that I’m in a Dike dropped the telephone. His eyes

hurry.”

widened, darkened, then became fixedly steady

in gaze and expression. He said coldly: “What’s

She shook her head.

that to me?”

“It has to do with your acceptance of the

position of Superintendent of the Water

Dike laughed scornfully.

Department,” said Corning. “I think it would be

far better for you to refuse the appointment—

“A man calls at my office. Later on he’s

particularly in view of the fact that Parks was found murdered. I have been sitting here all the murdered about twenty minutes ago.”

time. Simply because he came here you think that I should give up my career, eh?”

The face did not change by so much as a

line.

Corning played his bluff.

“You mean that you think I had

“Forget it,” he said. “I know what I’m

something to do with the murder?” asked Dike doing. Parks talked before he died. It was on the coldly.

road to the hospital. I rode with him in the ambulance.”

Coming’s tone was equally cold.

That statement shook Dike’s self‐control.

“Yes,” he said.

The eyes wavered. The mouth twitched. Then

he gripped himself and was as granite once

The two men stared at each other.

more.

“Corning,” said Dike, as though trying to

“I presume he said I ran alongside his

place the name. “A newcomer here, eh? I flivver and stabbed him!” he snorted.

presume you’re crazy. But if you’ve got anything

to say, I’ll listen.”

Corning grinned.

Corning spoke, his tone dispassionate.

“So you know it was a flivver, eh? Well,

I’ll tell you what he said. He said that he and his

“He made the mistake of coming to you wife were out driving and that they had an first. I presume he wanted a shakedown. When automobile accident. The car that they ran into things didn’t go to suit him here he called me. It was your car. You were in it, and there was was Dwight’s men who put him on the spot. You another man in it, Carl Dwight, the head of the probably weren’t directly connected with it. You machine that’s milking the city of millions in notified Dwight, that’s all. You weren’t entirely graft money. The people had been demanding a surprised to hear of the murder, but you hadn’t change in the water department because of that exactly expected it.”

very graft. The mayor made them a gesture by putting you in charge. You were supposed to Dike got to his feet.

put an end to the graft on water contracts. Yet you were out riding with Dwight, the man you

“All right. You’ve had your say. Now get were supposed to fight.

out.”

“You didn’t get the man’s name. But you

Corning held his ground.

found out about the woman. She was driving

the car. You learned she was running a

“You

accept

that

position

of speakeasy. You thought it’d be a good plan to Superintendent of the Water Department,” he get her where her testimony wouldn’t count. So said, slowly and forcefully, “and I’ll have you Dwight raided her place and framed a felony rap before the grand jury for murder.”

on her. She didn’t know the full significance of what she’d seen. You thought it’d be a good plan to forestall developments. The testimony

“What you’re hearing. A man named

of a convicted felon wouldn’t go very far in a Parks was killed this afternoon. He’d been court of law.”

driving a flivver that had collided with a red car.

Harry B. Dike owns a red car that’s been in a Corning ceased talking. His fists were collision. Parks had been to call on Dike just clenched, his eyes cold and steady.

before he got killed. Carl Dwight has been in some sort of a smash. There’s a cut on his Dike’s gaze was equally steady.

forehead, and he walks with a limp. Sam Parks has a wife, Esther. You’ve got her in jail right

“Corning,” he said, “you are a very now on a felony charge.” vigorous and impulsive young man. You are also

either drunk or crazy. Get out and stay out.”

Sergeant Home’s voice betrayed his

excitement.

Corning turned towards the door.

“Tell me, who is this speaking? Where do

“I thought,” he said, “that I would have you get that dope?” the satisfaction of telling you what I know, and

showing you that you can’t gain anything by rail‐

Ken snapped his answer into the

roading this woman. Also you’ll either resign transmitter.

your post, or you’ll be mixed up in murder.”

“Have a man you can trust at the

Dike scooped up the telephone.

Columbino at eight tonight. Have him wear a white carnation and sit near the front door.

“When you go out,” he said, “tell my Look up the information I’ve given you in the secretary to put the spring catch on the door. I meantime.” don’t want any more crazy guys busting in

here.”

And Corning slammed the receiver back

on the hook, waited a moment for a free line, Corning grinned at him.

and then called Harry Dike’s office on the

telephone. The line was busy. He called three

“I’ll put the catch on the door myself,” times with the same result. The fourth time he he said, and pushed the thumb snap down, got Dike on the line, after some argument with walked out and closed the door behind him. The the secretary.

typist paused in her pounding of the keys to watch him. The secretary stared with wide eyes.

“Corning,” he snapped crisply. “I’m

Corning walked to the corridor and took the giving you one last chance to get out of the elevator.

tangle Dwight’s got you in. I’ll be at the Columbino tonight at eight. If you want to make He stepped into a drug‐store on the a written statement and get out of the mess I corner and called police headquarters. He asked won’t put the screws down.” for the homicide squad, and got Sergeant Home

on the line.

Dike’s voice was smoothly suave.

“This,” he said, “is a tip.”

“Kind of you, I’m sure, but I don’t think I

care to see you there. However…where are you

“What is?” gruffed the sergeant.

now?”

Corning laughed into the transmitter.

Ken Corning ordered a full dinner with a

cocktail at the start, a bottle of wine with the

“Wouldn’t you like to know!” he said, meal, a cordial afterwards. Momentarily he and hung up.

expected action, and the action did not come.

He waited in front of the drug‐store,

It was nine‐fifteen when he reluctantly

keeping in the background, yet being where he called for the waiter and paid the check. The could watch the entrance to Dike’s office man with the white carnation continued to sit building.

by the door.

Carl Dwight didn’t show up. But a

Evidently the powers that ruled the city

speeding automobile, slamming into the curb at had decided to ignore Ken Corning, and Ken was the fire hydrant, disgorged Perkins, the disquieted at the thought. Things were not detective. Half a dozen minutes later a taxicab turning out as he had anticipated.

paused to let out Fred Granger, who was

Dwight’s right‐hand man.

The waiter was gone some little time.

Ken waited for the change. The man in the

Perkins came out, almost on the run, dinner coat with white carnation looked at his within fifteen minutes. Granger didn’t come out watch, pursed his lips. Ken got the idea that this for half an hour. Dike followed him. Ten minutes man had a definite time limit fixed. At nine-after that, a police car bearing a detective thirty, probably, he would leave.

stopped in front of the office building.

The waiter returned.

Ken Corning terminated his vigil, stepped

into a barber shop, had a shave, hot towels,

“I beg your pardon,” he said, “but the

massage, haircut and shampoo. He was careful manager wants to see you in his office. There’s not to go near any of his regular haunts, or a bit of trouble, sir.” leave a trail which could be picked up.

Ken got to his feet, followed the waiter.

He was walking lightly, his hands slightly away The Columbino ran fairly wide open. Anyone from his sides, his head carried alertly, eyes could get in there who had the price. It went in watchful.

somewhat for music, atmosphere and an aura

of respectability. The liquor was very good.

The manager stared coldly from behind

the desk.

It was early when Ken Corning walked

into the place, exactly eight o’clock, and there The waiter turned to go. Ken thought

were but few patrons, most of them eating. The that something brushed against his coat. He dance floor would fill up later on, and by couldn’t be sure. He glanced at the waiter’s midnight the place would be going full blast.

retreating back.

A man in evening clothes, with a

The manager said: “I’m sure it’s a

conspicuous white carnation in his buttonhole, mistake, but it’s something I’ll have to had a table in the front of the place. Ken heaved investigate.” a sigh as he saw that Home had investigated his

tip, found out enough to go ahead on the lead.

“What is?” asked Corning.

Service now. You won’t find any political frame‐

“This,” said the manager, and placed on ups with us. As a matter of form, would you the desk in front of him the bill which Ken mind letting me see the rest of your money?” Corning had given the waiter. “It’s counterfeit.”

Ken laughed, reached in his coat, took

Ken laughed.

out his wallet.

“Well,” he said, “it happens that I can

That wallet felt strangely bulky. He

give a complete history of that bill. It was paid stared at it. It wasn’t his wallet. It was crammed me this morning by way of retainer in a legal with currency. He made a move as though to matter, in the presence of my secretary. What’s put it back in his pocket. The Federal man more, I don’t think it’s counterfeit.”

whipped down a swift arm.

A door opened. A man stepped

“Here,” he said, “none of that. Acting

purposefully into the room.

funny ain’t going to help you.”

The manager waved his hand.

He grabbed the wallet, opened it,

whistled.

“I’ll let you discuss that with McGovern,

of the Secret Service. You probably don’t know

There was a moment of silence.

it, but we’ve been flooded with clever

counterfeits here the last week. McGovern has

“That,” said Ken, “is not my wallet. I

been waiting on call.”

demand that the waiter who brought me in

here be called. I want to have him searched. He

Ken turned to meet the man’s eyes.

slipped this wallet into my pocket and took mine out. He’s a professional dip, and this is a McGovern smiled, and the smile was plant.”

frank.

The lip of the Federal man curled.

“If you can tell me where you got it,

that’s all I need to know,” he said. “One look at

“Yeah,” he said. “How often I’ve heard

you’s enough to convince me you‘re no that one! You’ve got to come along. Want to go counterfeiter.”

quietly, or would you rather make a fuss?”

Ken smiled in return, then let the smile

Ken stared at the wallet.

fade.

“I’ll go quietly if you’ll pick up the waiter

“Look here,” he said, “this bill came from and take him along, too,” said Ken.

a client. I have an idea certain interests would like to frame something else on that client and

The Federal turned to the manager.

his wife. The man is dead. The wife isn’t—yet. I

don’t want to play into any frame‐up. . . .”

“Who was it?” he asked.

The other smiled, waved his hand.

“Frank,” said the manager.

“Just a formality, but you’ll have to tell

“Get him,” said the Federal. “In the

me. You’re dealing with the Federal Secret meantime I’ll take this guy along in a cab. Come on. You can tell your story where it’ll be appreciated. They don’t pay me to listen, only to do things.”

Behind him, McGovern said: “Get your hat and coat and don’t try any funny business.”

Ken went out through the cabaret.

Ken moved up to the checking stand. A

The man in the dinner coat, who wore girl with a beautiful face flashed him a smile the white carnation, was looking at his watch that was meant to be dazzling, but was only with an air of finality. Ken walked rapidly so that mechanical, took the square of pasteboard he was a step or two ahead of McGovern. There which he handed her and pushed Ken’s hat out were couples standing on the floor. Many of the over the counter.

tables were vacant. The music stopped when

Ken was some twenty feet from the table

The man who wore the white carnation

occupied by the man in the dinner coat who in his dinner coat had evidently found some wore the white carnation. There was a people he knew. He was chatting with them, a perfunctory spatter of applause and then young man of about thirty, and a red‐haired couples stood, waiting, staring at the orchestra woman who could not have been over twenty-expectantly.

three. As he chatted, he reached up and plucked

the white carnation from the dinner jacket,

Ken Corning raised his voice and called dropped it to the floor and stepped on it.

over his shoulder to McGovern: “This is just a frame‐up, because I’ve got some evidence in

Ken said to McGovern: “Can I talk with

that Parks murder case.”

you? Will you listen to reason?”

McGovern spoke in an even, ominous

McGovern said: “Sure, I’ll listen to any

tone. “Shut up!” he said.

guy who wants to talk; only remember that

anything you say will be used against you.”

Ken flashed a glance to the man who

wore the white carnation. He was signaling a Ken lured him over to the far corner of

waiter for his check. There was nothing on his the checking counter and said: “All right now, face to indicate that he had heard what Ken had listen. I told you that this thing was a frame‐up said; or hearing, was in anywise concerned with because I was a witness in the Parks case. You it. The orchestra struck up an encore. As the don’t seem to be interested.” couples started to twine and twist to the strains

of the dance, Ken flashed a glance at McGovern,

McGovern said: “Why should I be

then at the man who wore the white carnation. interested? That’s a state case, I’m a Federal.

The man was handing the waiter a bill. The You tell me where you got this counterfeit waiter was pushing an oblong of pink money from and where the plates are and I’ll sit pasteboard at him from which had been figured here and listen to you until daylight. But if the items of the check. The man pushed away you’ve got anything to say on the Parks case you the pasteboard, made a sweeping gesture with can tell it to the state authorities—I’m not his hand as though to indicate that the waiter interested.” should keep the change. Staring at his face, it was impossible for Ken to tell whether the man

Ken fixed his eyes on McGovern and

had hurried his exit because Ken was leaving, or said: “Listen, suppose that I could show you that whether he had simply grown tired of waiting, this man Parks had something on the and decided to knock off for the day.

administration and was going to keep Dike from

accepting the position of Superintendent of the

Water Department? Suppose I could show you

Ken grinned and said: “Under the

that Carl Dwight is mixed up with Dike; that, in circumstances, I guess I’ll go quietly.” place of being enemies, those two fellows are working hand in glove regardless of all this McGovern said: “Now you’re talking

newspaper talk about Dike wanting to clean up sense. You can’t gain anything by talking any the graft. . . .”

other way. I’m on the square and I’m going to take you in, but I ain’t going to stand here all McGovern took his arm above the elbow night and listen to a lot of hooey and I ain’t and gave him a push.

going to have you pull any smart aleck stuff on

me. Get started!”

“Listen, guy, I told you I wasn’t

interested in all that stuff. Are you going to tell Corning moved towards the door. He

me where you got the plates or where you’ve noticed that the man who had worn the white got the rest of this queer cached?”

carnation was moving towards the door also

and that the man who had been with the red-Ken Corning’s eyes narrowed.

haired girl was walking with him. The red‐haired

girl moved off towards the left and went into

“Okey,” he said, “I tried to give you the the women’s dressing room. The man who had breaks and you wouldn’t listen. Now I’ll take a worn the white carnation lit a cigarette. He look at your credentials before I leave this place. seemed in no hurry. Ken Corning went out of the door painfully conscious of the pressure of McGovern grinned easily and dropped the gun which was held against his ribs. The his right hand to the side pocket.

doorman looked at them and said: “Taxicab?”

“Gee,” he said, “you sure are full of alibis

McGovern shook his head and said: “No,

and stalls. Come on and let’s get going. This is all I’ve got a car.” in the day’s work with me and I want to get home and get my beauty sleep. You can stall all

The big limousine which had been

night, but you can’t keep me from taking you to parked near the curb with motor running slid jail and booking you on a charge of possession smoothly up to the front of the cabaret and of counterfeit money. If you want my authority, stopped. The doorman started to open the door here it is.”

and McGovern spoke sharply: “That’s all right,”

he said, “I’m a Federal dick and this man is a Ken felt something hard prodding prisoner. He’s desperate and may try to start against his ribs. He glanced down to where the something. Keep back, I’ll handle this!” right hand of McGovern was holding the gun

concealed by the right‐hand side pocket of his He reached out and opened the door.

coat. He said: “Oh, it’s like that, is it?”

His gun prodded Ken in the ribs. “Get in,” he said.

McGovern said: “Yes, guy, it’s like that.

You’re going to take it and like it. Get started Ken put his right foot on the running-out of here. You’ve got counterfeit money in board of the limousine. He could see two men your possession and there are witnesses that seated in the back seat. They were grinning. Ken you tried to pass it. You can either go quietly or swung his body in a pivot, grabbing with his left you can get your insides blown out right here. hand at the gun which McGovern was holding Which is it going to be?”

against his ribs and pushing down with all his strength.

Ken said: “Those men were trying to

take me for a ride. This guy posed as a Federal

McGovern fired twice before Ken’s fist agent...” connected with his jaw. Neither shot hit.

Somebody shot from the interior of the

McGovern spoke up and said: “I am a

limousine but the bullet hit the plate‐glass Federal agent. This crook’s been shoving the window, shattered it into a thousand fragments queer. He’s got a wallet of phoney stuff on him and deflected. McGovern went down like a sack right now.” of cement. Ken swung himself on him and

reached for the gun. Over his shoulder he could

The man in the dinner coat laughed and

see the swirl of motion from the interior of the said: “Federal, hell! I know you, you’re Jim limousine. A man jumped to the running‐board Harper, and you’ve done time!” while Ken was still struggling for the possession

of the gun. Ken heard him say: “All right, guy, A uniformed policeman, on beat, ran up.

take a load of this!”

The man in the dinner coat spoke to him

sharply: “All right, Bell. Get the crowd back. I’ll Two shots roared out as though they had handle what’s left of this.” been one explosion. The man who had stood on

the running‐board of the limousine pitched

A curious crowd was commencing to

forward and struck on his face. Ken jerked the form a ring around the men, and the uniformed gun from the pocket of McGovern and saw that policeman started to herd them back.

the man in the dinner jacket was standing on the steps of the cabaret, an automatic in his The man in the dinner coat said: “That’s

hand. The man who had been with the red‐

all right, buddy, I know this guy, he’s a crook.

haired girl was standing on the sidewalk a little You’re a witness in the Parks case, huh?” bit to one side with a double‐action revolver spouting fire. The doorman was running heavily,

Ken Corning stared at him with round

his gold‐braided coat flapping grotesquely eyes and shook his head.

behind him. The limousine had lurched into

motion. Somebody was rolling down the back

“No,” he said, “I’m not a witness, I’m

window, which had not been shattered. Guns attorney for Mrs. Parks and I came here to meet blazed over Ken’s head. A bullet whistled past a witness but he didn’t show up.” his cheek. The two men standing in the front of

the cabaret answered the fire.

The man in the dinner jacket stared at

Ken Corning for a long five seconds. Then his Ken got McGovern’s gun in his hand and right eyelid slowly closed in a solemn wink: took a couple of shots at the limousine. He “So,” he said, “that’s your story, eh?” heard the bullets give forth a clinking sound as they struck against the metal of the body. The Ken Corning kept his face perfectly

limousine swung far over to one side as it straight and his eyes perfectly steady. “That,” he rounded the corner to the accompaniment of said, “is my story and I’m sticking to it. I’m not a screaming tires.

witness, I’m a lawyer. I was to meet a witness here. These guys tried to keep me from meeting

The man in the dinner coat ran towards him, that’s all.” Ken as McGovern, recovering from the daze of Ken’s blow, started to struggle to his feet.

The man in the dinner coat said: “Who the flivver and they had a smash. She was a were they? Would you recognize any of them if little bit belligerent and insisted on taking down you saw them again?”

the license number of the automobile. They

paid her for her damage but she acted a little Ken Corning shook his head.

suspicious so Dwight got the license number of

her automobile and found out who she was.

“No,” he said, “the light wasn’t good They knew that she was running a speak, and enough. I couldn’t see them.”

figured that she was too dumb to know what it

was all about, but they wanted her out of the The man in the dinner coat turned to the way, just the same. With the deal Dike was fake Federal agent. Ken Corning slipped away. planning to pull, it would have been fatal if No one tried to stop him. There was the sound somebody had uncovered this woman as a of a police siren, approaching fast, as he turned witness, so Dwight decided that he’d get her the corner.

convicted of a felony. That would have

discredited her testimony if she’d ever been called as a witness.

Ken Corning walked into his office.

“She probably was suspicious, because

The morning sun streamed in at the east she told her husband about it. Nobody knows window. Helen Vail stared at him with eyes that just how much she told him or how much he were dark with emotion, warm with pride.

knew, but it’s a cinch that he knew enough to put two and two together when he saw Dike’s

“Got your name in the papers, didn’t picture in the paper with the blurb about his you?”

taking over the Water Department and

eliminating graft.”

He grinned at her.

Helen Vail watched him with wide eyes.

“How about our client?” she asked.

“Can we prove any of that?” she asked.

He spread his hands, palm up, made a

sweeping gesture.

Ken Corning shook his head. “We can’t

prove anything,” he said. “Wouldn’t do us any

“Gone. Case is closed, dismissed.”

good if we could. They’ve dismissed the case against the woman, released her from custody

“And all we get then is the hundred and and she’s gone. They probably made a deal with fifty dollar retainer?”

her, gave her some money and started her

traveling.”

Ken nodded.

“Why would they do that?” asked Helen

“That’s all. The woman was driving the Vail. “Her testimony is just as damaging now as car. Her husband wasn’t with her. I figured that it ever was.” he must have been, but he wasn’t. Dike and Dwight had been having a secret meeting.

Ken Corning smiled and motioned

They’d been out in the country at a roadhouse towards the morning paper.

where they were safe. Coming back they were riding in the same car. Dike was driving and he

“Read the news,” he said, “and you’ll

was a little bit ‘lickered.’ The woman was driving notice that Dike has declined the appointment.

He said that his private business was taking up the wallet in with my left hand before I grabbed too much of his time for him to make the at this guy’s gun and socked him with my right.” sacrifice of accepting a public position.”

She shuddered and said: “Oh, Ken, I

Helen Vail blinked her eyes thoughtfully don’t like it.” and said: “How about the people in the

automobile— don’t you know any of them?”

He stood with his feet planted far apart,

his jaw thrust forward, hands thrust into the Ken Corning said: “You mean the ones pocket of his coat.

who were trying to take me for a ride?”

“I like it,” he said, “and I’m going to

She nodded her head.

make them like it. I’m going to bust this town wide open. They’re going to stop me if they can.

Ken laughed and said: “Sure I do. Perkins They’ll try to frame me, try to take me for a ride, was one of them. He was the detective who try to freeze me out. I’m going to stay! I’m going barged into the office here. He’s a cheap heel to be here after they’re gone.” who does dirty work for the Dwight machine.”

“But, Ken,” she objected, “you’ve done

“But,” she said, “you told the officers all this work and risked your life and we only get that you couldn’t recognize any of them.”

a hundred and fifty dollars out of it.”

Ken Corning laughed mirthlessly and

Ken Corning nodded and laughed.

said: “Of course I did. I’d never get anywhere trying to pin anything on Perkins. He’d produce

“A hundred and fifty dollars,” he said,

an alibi and get acquitted. Then they’d turn “and it’s honest money.” around and prosecute me for perjury. I’m

bucking a machine in this town, and the

Then he walked into his private office

machine is well entrenched with a lot of money and the door clicked shut.

back of it. I’m not a fool!”

Helen Vail could hear him moving

“How about the man who pretended to around in the inner office. He was whistling be a Federal officer?” she asked.

cheerfully as though he didn’t have a care in the

world.

“He’s got to take the rap. They’ve got

the goods on him. They might have managed to She opened the drawer of her desk, took out a make some sort of stall there, only I knew it was ledger which was innocent of entry, took a pen coming. I had worked the wallet that the waiter and wrote in a hand which trembled slightly: had planted on me out of my pocket. When “People versus Parks—cash retainer $150,00.” they opened the door of the limousine I tossed