The lawyer seemed amused. “As far as this office is concerned, the matter is quite routine. Mrs. Ovett wished to undertake an investigation which is possibly a little distasteful, but entirely legitimate. I simply acted as intermediary in assigning the investigation to Mister Schlauff. I can’t speak for him, naturally. I don’t know what he may have uncovered—”
“Wa-a-ait a minute.” Schlauff sat up straight, rolling the newspaper up into a tight cylinder. “Nobody ever accused me of being a middleman; I don’t intend to start now with the police on one side and a law firm on the other. This isn’t my picnic; the best I’ll get out of it is a few crumbs.”
Fross’s eyes glinted behind the pince-nez; he cut in rapidly before Koski could speak: “There’s no reason why you shouldn’t tell the authorities any fact of which you have definite knowledge, Morrie.”
Koski held up his hand. “How’s for skipping all the hipper-dipper? I’m tired of listening to you bounce yourselves back and forth. You’re not testifying before a Grand Jury panel. There’s no court stenographer around.” He shoved his hat up so the brim was at a forty-five degree angle, put a foot on the rung of Schlauff’s chair, leaned over, crossed his forearms on the upraised knee. “You trailed Merrill Ovett over to the Bar-Nothing. You saw him with Ansel Gjersten. Maybe you saw a man with a bandage around his face.”
“No sir, Lieutenant. Only one I saw was this Purdo babe. I heard her asking about Gjersten. That’s all I know, positively.”
Koski made an ejaculation of disgust. “You were back at Dommy’s after I left. You cuddled up to one of the precinct boys; he remembered it when I put out the net for you. So you know a man was killed up in one of the rooms. That we’re hunting the murderer. You must have shadowed Merrill to the yacht at Rodd’s. So you probably know Gjersten and Ovett had an argument.”
Schlauff did his best to grin, but his eyes shifted to Fross. The grin froze.
Koski moved so his body was between Schlauff and the lawyer; spoke as if Fross were nonexistent:
“You’re one of the those boys who carry your heart around in your wallet, Schlauff. All right. How much’d your license cost you?”
“You should ask. You get paid for carrying your badge. Mine cost me two hundred counters. And a little greasing of the wheels, besides.”
“Going to throw away an investment like that?”
“You don’t need to intimidate me, Lieutenant.” Schlauff leaned well back in his chair to get as far away from Koski’s eyes as possible. “I realize I got a living to make. So maybe it’s not the best living in the world; — I couldn’t even buy coffee and cakes if my ticket was revoked; — I appreciate it, believe me.”
“That makes better. Now... where is Ovett?”
“If I should be struck dead this second, I swear I couldn’t tell you, Lieutenant. The last time I saw him was going on to the yacht at Rodd’s.”
Fross said smoothly. “That’s correct, Lieutenant.”
“Maybe. Far as it goes.” Koski wheeled on him. “You people are going to get yourselves in a jam, here. There’s more than one murder involved. A girl got dropped over in Brooklyn today, — because she might have known something. You gents know something, — more than you’re letting out. You beat us to the gun on Ovett. You were trailing him before we were. And you’re keeping pretty close tabs on his wife.”
“I don’t follow you.”
“Two of your former employees were working on the Seavett; she hired them on your recommendation.”
“Correct.”
“They wouldn’t be much use watching Merrill, because generally he wasn’t on the yacht long enough to change his shirt. But if they’d been paid off to report on Mrs. Ovett’s doings, they’d have been able to put you hep to a lot of stuff. Give you the whip hand over her.”
“Nobody has control over Barbara Ovett.” The lawyer chose his words carefully. “A sex hangover from some promiscuous ancestor has made her emotionally unstable and mentally unreliable.”
“Why you acting for her on this divorce tangle, — against young Ovett, then? At the same time you’re corporation counsel for his father?” Koski circled the room, restlessly.
“The interests may seem to differ. Actually they are identical. My loyalty is to the Line which fees me; I act in its behalf to prevent the dispersal of its securities into hands which might impair their value.”
“Whose hands?”
“A person who knows nothing whatever about ships or the shipping business. And who may be inclined, accordingly, to adopt policies which would wreck the company.” The lawyer nodded at Schlauff. “Morrie will corroborate me. Miss Ellen Wyatt.”
“How’s she get in the mixup?”
“No reason why I shouldn’t tell you. It’s a matter of public record. Merrill’s aware his activities subject him to great risk, but he didn’t make a will to dispose of the minority stock his grandfather left him. He gave it outright to establish Blue Water Babies, a foundation. Stated purpose, to provide for the care of children left fatherless by the fortunes of submarine warfare.”
“Has my vote. If it’s as stated. Show me somebody who’s against it.”
“No one is, naturally. That’s the point. It’s too good an idea to ruin. But the Foundation won’t be able to carry out its program if the stock which endows it loses money. Which it will do if the Line is run by the governors Merrill has appointed for the Foundation.”
“Who’ll the governors be?” Koski watched a puzzled frown deepen on Schlauff’s face.
“Besides Miss Wyatt, Merrill himself and a union radical named Joslin. None of them has ever had the slightest experience in conducting a business. Miss Wyatt’s to be chairman; she’ll appoint successors if either of the other should... be incapacitated.”
“How’ll this setup affect the Ovett Lines, if Merrill only owns a minority interest?”
“The boy will inherit his father’s stock, which will undoubtedly be given to the Foundation, too — if Merrill has his way. Miss Wyatt will then control a definite majority of the voting shares. You see?”
“I get a glimmer.” The Lieutenant stared bleakly. “You think the old man won’t live much longer. You hired Schlauff to get the goods on Merrill so you could stop his transferring the shares to the Foundation. Or maybe Schlauff dug up some dirt about Mrs. Ovett and one of the yacht-hands and tipped Merrill off, hoping the boy would pull some rough work and put himself out of the picture.”
The investigator came up out of his chair. “Hey, now! Don’t put me on the spot. I never talked to M.O. in my life; I’ve told you all I know.”
“Hell you have.” Koski gripped Schlauff’s arm. “You know more. What you might know is this. The murderer we’re after may be supplying the background for this flurry of sub sinkings off the coast. You’re not holding out on the Police Department. You’re criscrossing the old gentleman with the beard and the beaver hat. You’re helping to gang up on the guys who sleep with their pants on and one ear cocked for the call to put on life-belts.” Fross slapped his desk smartly, for emphasis. “That puts quite a different light on it. Quite a different aspect. Neither Morrie or I would hesitate to give you any information we might possess... or may possess in the future... if it comes to a patriotic consideration.”
Schlauff chimed in: “You’re damn tooting. Just give me a chance to heil... ptth... right in der Fuehrer’s face.”
Fross removed his pince-nez, tapped his thick lips with the rim of one lens. “Do I understand you? Merrill is the traitorous individual you mention?”