“What?”
“The idea that some person with powerful political connections who owns land in Citrus Grove wants to change the location of this factory and is stalling around over a zoning ordinance change hoping he can learn the identity of the manufacturer and steal the deal.”
“That’s absolutely ridiculous! That’s absurd! That’s utterly false!” Hale said.
“I was merely commenting about an idea one of the reporters has,” I told him.
“If you can tell me which one, I’ll punch his nose.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because there’s nothing to it.”
“Then why should you punch his nose? What’s it to you?”
Hale said nothing.
Taber said, “What Mr. Hale means is that a publication of that sort of a story, accompanied by a lot of innuendoes might reflect upon him personally.”
“You mean he has property in Citrus Grove?”
“I have always been a strong believer in the future of Citrus Grove,” Hale said unctuously. “I have made money by a series of fortunate real estate investments, which have backed my faith in the growth of the community. I have made considerable personal sacrifices to help this community.”
“That’s the spirit!” I said.
“It is indeed,” Taber agreed.
“All right,” Bertha said, “this crap isn’t getting us anywhere. What do you want?”
“Mr. Nickerson is a witness in the Endicott murder case,” Taber said.
I said nothing.
“So is Mr. Hale,” Taber went on.
“Well?” I asked.
“And you are interested in the Endicott murder case,” Taber said.
“We’re working on it,” I told him.
“Ansel doesn’t stand a chance! Not a single chance in the world! The case against him is dead open-and-shut.”
“Doubtless the district attorney thinks it is,” I said. “Mr. Quinn, who is the attorney for the defense, has other ideas.”
“It is a case where the citizens of the community feel greatly incensed,” Taber said. “That community spirit will manifest itself throughout the trial. In fact, some of the jurors will undoubtedly be from the vicinity of Citrus Grove. The district attorney will demand the death penalty and I don’t think there is the slightest chance but what Ansel will be sent to the gas chamber.”
I said nothing.
“Now,” Taber went on, “we are prepared to co-operate. If, as I rather suspect, much of the motivation back of these rumors which have been appearing in the press is due to a desire to distract attention from the Endicott case and involve certain witnesses, it might be that you are resorting to the wrong tactics. You might make more actual progress by trying to co-operate instead of trying to tear down.”
“In what way?”
“The district attorney is not an unreasonable man. As it happens he is a friend of mine. I feel certain that he would be amenable to reason.”
“In what way?”
“I feel quite certain that if Ansel should plead guilty the district attorney would take into consideration the fact that a great deal of expense had been saved the county and no attempt would be made to try to get the judge to impose the death penalty. In fact, it might well be that the district attorney himself would ask for a life sentence. I am not in a position to state. I don’t represent the district attorney. I am only exploring the situation.”
“I see.”
“It might even be that Ansel could plead guilty to second-degree murder or manslaughter.”
I said, “I don’t think Mr. Quinn would be interested in such a deal. It is Mr. Quinn’s position that John Ansel is absolutely innocent.”
“That’s a completely cockeyed assumption. It disregards the cold, hard, evidentiary facts.”
“I’m not as yet too familiar with the facts,” I said. “We’re working on the case”
“Well, when you get familiar with the facts,” Taber said, getting to his feet, “you can get in touch with me. You can always find me in my office at Citrus Grove. And I may state that I’m always glad to do anything which will advance the economic interests of my fair city.”
“Then you’d better get busy with that zoning ordinance,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“If five members of the Trustees got two thousand dollars apiece from Drude Nickerson,” I said, “it’s rather remarkable that someone would be that interested.
“Now,” I went on, “I have a personal theory. My theory is that members of the Trustees each received two thousand dollars as a contribution to their campaign fund, but they didn’t receive it with the understanding that they were going to vote in favor of changing a zoning ordinance. I think they received the money with the understanding that Mr. Nickerson would be very, very happy to see the zoning ordinance remain unchanged so that the location of the new factory could be diverted to some property held by a friend of his.
“I can’t give you all the names as yet, but I hope to have them by this time tomorrow.”
“You’re working on this?” Taber asked.
“Certainly I’m working on it.”
“Professionally?”
I said, “I hope I’m not doing it amateurishly.”
“You could get into trouble over this thing, you know.”
“Sure, I could. So could a lot of other people. I wonder if Mr. Crosset reported the two thousand dollars that he received on his income tax.”
“You don’t have to report contributions made for campaign expenditures,” Taber said.
I grinned at him.
“At least, I don’t think you do,” he amended.
I kept on grinning.
Hale said, “We’ve done everything we can do here; Charles. We’ve offered to co-operate. The district attorney is my friend. I’m willing to do what I can, but I want people to meet me halfway.”
Taber nodded. “All right,” he said, “we just dropped in for a visit to get acquainted. We thought you should appreciate our position.”
“I’m damn certain you should appreciate ours,” I told him.
“You’ll hear from us again,” he said, and both men walked out without shaking hands.
When the door had closed, Bertha’s eyes were snapping cold light like the diamonds on her fingers.
“Donald,” she said, “what the hell are you trying to do? You’ve insulted those men. You’ve virtually made accusations of double-dealing.”
“Did it impress you that way?” I asked.
“It certainly did.”
“Then in all likelihood it impressed them the same way.”
“Do you have any idea what you’re talking about in this case?”
“Sure I do. Nickerson got fifteen grand from a Stella Karis. She wanted some zoning ordinances changed because there was a factory that wanted to locate on some of her land.
“Nickerson found out about it. Hale knew about it. Hale had some land that he wanted to lease to the factory. He didn’t want Stella Karis in the picture.
“So Hale decided to bribe the councilmen to sit tight and not change the zoning ordinance. However, Hale was constitutionally opposed to putting up any money, so he and Nickerson worked out a swell double cross by which they got Stella Karis to put up the money ostensibly for the purpose of influencing the council to grant the zoning ordinance, but Nickerson used that money as a bribe to get the city councilmen to leave the zoning ordinance the way it was.
“By the time the people of Citrus Grove get the idea that a big factory offering employment to thousands of men went elsewhere simply because some politician wanted to get in on the ground floor, it’s going to make quite a little—”