Tibbs drank coffee and cleared his throat "Frank, I know better than to dispute evidence, and I know too how people can put up a false front. But if Wang was in that business, he had every person I've met so far who knew him completely fooled. A number of very responsible citizens have been unqualified in their endorsement of him."
"Like that."
"Absolutely. Usually somewhere along the line, if anything is wrong, it'll come to Hght. Not this time."
Lonigan studied him. "Possibly it could be the girl," he said.
"Possibly," Tibbs agreed. The time factor would be important there."
Lonigan emptied his coffee cup. "Here's why I want you in the picture, Virgil-I want to ask something. If you uncover any narcotics angle, or anything resembling one, in your investigation, please let me know. Immediately. It isn't just the usual thing." 1
"Meaning what?"
Frank Lonigan bent forward. "Virgil, put two things together and see what sort of a result you get. One: out of a clear sky we suddenly start getting tips that lead us to some of the biggest hauls in years. Two: we get the word that the Chicoms are trying to get keto into this country. And remember: not all narcotics addicts are street-comer bums. Some of them come pretty high up the social and economic ladder."
"Is there any evidence?"
"Yes, Virgil, there is. We've had four junkies DOA in the last two days. Three of them, according to our pathologist, had been hot-shotted-overdosed to death."
"What percentage of heroin does it take to do that?" ^
"Twenty-five or thirty, roughly-it depends on the addict and the purity of the drug. But these weren't heroin cases, Virgil. They died of keto-bedmidone."
When he got to his oflBce Virgil was in no mood to talk to anyone. He hung his coat over the back of his chair, sat down, and noted a memo that Commander Reese of the LAPD had called him. That was getting up there; in the Los Angeles Police Department the commander rank was next above captain. He picked up the phone and returned the caU.
The commander was brief, but potent. "I have the word that you have a problem with a possible narcotics angle. If the boys in room 321 can help you, count on us. And if you have any need to work in our jurisdiction, permission granted."
'Thank you, sir," Tibbs said. "As a matter of fact I was going to check with your narcotics people this afternoon."
"Good; I'U pass the word."
As he hung up the phone Virgil felt a little better. Things did not seem to be closing in on him quite so much. He knew where the gaps were in the layout he had made; it was a matter now of filling them. Including the one which did not show because it came at the very end-the name of the person who had done murder.
When he had gone through more paper work, and had disposed of those items which were the most pressing, he opened the telephone directory and began a patient job. There was an imposing hst of stockbrokers and unless he got an unexpectedly good break, he would have to call them all. He began by checking the white pages and establishing that Mr. Harvey's Christian name was Elliot. That helped a little, since there was less likelihood of more than one active stock trader in the area with the same name.
On his sixth call he hit pay dirt. After he had identified himself to the branch manager's satisfaction, he was told that Mr. Elhot Harvey had a sizable account with the firm and a very active one. Any further information could not be given over the phone. That was a promising enough lead to send Tibbs across the street to where the official unmarked cars were parked in a neat tan-colored row. He took the one he had been assigned and was in the brokerage office within a few minutes.
When he had presented his credentials and satisfied the branch manager of the importance of his mission, he got the kind of cooperation he had hoped for. "Some of our clients are very secretive concerning their portfolios," the manager explained. "If you were concerned with one of them, I might have to ask you to produce an official request.
Fortunately Mr. Harvey apparently doesn't care; he is a very direct and blunt person, but he has never instructed us to keep his account confidential."
"You are most helpful," Tibbs assured him. "rd like to examine the records of his transactions for the past two years if I may. Perhaps you have an ofi amp;ce somewhere that is out of sight where I can work."
"I think we can provide you with that In the unlikely circumstance that Mr. Harvey should come in personally, what shall I tell him?"
"In that case, if you need the records simply come and get them from me. I know Mr. Harvey and I prefer for the time being that he not know of this visit."
"Very well. I think, Sergeant Tibbs-is that right? — that I am entitled to ask a question in return."
"I'll answer it if I can," Virgil said.
"Mr. Harvey is a margin customer and at times we have a considerable amount of money on loan to him. While it is nominally secured by his portfoUo-I beUeve you see the direction of my concern."
"I do," Tibbs said. "At the present time I don't see any reason for you to be worried. Mr. Harvey is involved indirectly in a murder investigation; beyond that I can't go. And that information is not to be circulated."
"It will not be. I'll have my secretary show you to a vacant office; Mr. Fletcher isn't in today and you can use his. She will provide you with the records you need. I'd appreciate being kept informed as far as you are able."
"One more point," Tibbs said. "Do you know if Mr. Harvey also did business on a regular basis with any other broker?"
"I seriously doubt it. We've handled a considerable volume of transactions for him and in return we have given him a number of special services that he seems to appreciate."
"Thank you. I may be here for some time if you don't mind."
"All day if you like. If you need anything more, ask for me.
It did take much of the remainder of the day to accimiu-late all of the information that Virgil wanted. He worked patiently with a long yellow ruled pad, taking down data and making certain comparisons with the chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the other major indicators. He worked straight through the lunch hour without being really aware of it, and completed his task a few minutes before three. By that time the brokerage office was all but deserted; the 7:00 a.m. opening time of the market on the West Coast forced everyone to be in early, so few of the customers' men chose to remain very long in the afternoon. Weary, but contented, Tibbs straightened things up, put his own worksheets back into his briefcase, and returned the records of Elliot Harvey's account together with the other data he had borrowed.
The manager was on the point of leaving himself. "Did you get what you needed?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you. If anyone asks questions, I was one of the company's auditors. Do you have any Negro employees?'
"Oh yes, quite a few." The answer came back a little too hastily, but Virgil forgave him that; he had heard far worse in his lifetime. Apparently the manager realized it himself, for he tried to make amends. "It is entirely consistent that one of our auditors might be black. Many of our most important clients are black also."
Tibbs took the will for the deed, shook hands, and went back to where he had parked his official car. He did not especially care for the word "black": under no circumstances would he have referred to his office mate as "yeUow." "Negro" and "Nisei" were dignified terms and he wondered how much longer it would take people, including his own, to learn to use them.
There was a ticket stuck under the windshield wiper of his car. Automatically he looked up and saw that he had been all day in a two-hour zone. He turned the slip of paper over to see who had been dumb enough to tag an official police car and found in red ink the words: Naughtyy naughty.