"You were listening at the door, eh? You would remove Mr. Kent from the difficult position in which his stupidity has placed him? I will give you one more chance. Why was it, when you were given Mr. Kent's address, you were forced to pick him up several blocks away?"
"Because… he got away from me."
"Yes?"
"I… it was as I told you. He was leaving the hotel when I first saw him; that was at about six o'clock. I followed him from there to the watch shop, then back again. In my haste to park, I passed through a red light. A police officer saw me. He insisted on giving me a lecture, then on trying to arrange a later meeting…"
A rosy flush spread under the cream-colored skin, and her eyes lowered for a moment. "I do not know exactly how long it was before I got away. Perhaps twenty minutes. Perhaps a total time of thirty minutes elapsed before I parked the car and got up to Mr. Kent's room…"
"Go on. You knocked on the door. You tried it and found it unlocked. See? I save you the repetition of tiresome details."
"I went in. Mr. Kent was not there…"
"But the room was in great disarray, eh? You were shocked by its condition."
The girl shook her head.
"No," she said dully. "There was no disarray. The room was in quite good order."
"Now wait a minute!" Toddy exclaimed. "I left that room just-"
"Quiet, Mr. Kent. You will have ample opportunity to talk in a moment. I shall even assist you." Alvarado grinned at him fiercely, then nodded to the girl. "You say the room was in reasonably good order, Dolores? Surely, you are overlooking one very important item. Only a few minutes before-or so he tells me-the body of Mr. Kent's wife was in that room. Brutally murdered. Strangled with her own stockings. Killed and robbed of the watch which Mr. Kent had hidden in a dresser drawer… You recollect it now, eh? You remember this shocking sight now that I have refreshed your memory? The body of Mr. Kent's wife was in the room, yes? Answer me!"
Poised at the front door, the Doberman turned his great head and stared at them thoughtfully. Then he bellied down at the threshold, moved his muzzle back and forth across the lintel. A quiet, waiting purr ebbed up from deep in his throat.
"Well? We are waiting, Dolores."
The girl hesitated a moment longer, her lip caught between her small white teeth.
Then she looked up. She spoke staring straight into Toddy's eyes.
"No," she said. "There was no body."
12
Airedale Aahrens (Need Bail?– Call Airedale) let the telephone jangle for a full minute while he lay cursing bitterly. Then he kicked back the bedcovers, snapped on the reading lamp, and literally hurled himself across the room.
"George!" he howled into the wall telephone. "How many times do I gotta tell you I… Oh," he said, after a minute. "Well, okay, George. Send him up."
Unlatching the door, he slid his feet into house slippers and shuffled out to the kitchenette. He poured himself a glass of milk from the refrigerator and carried it back into the other room.
The door opened, and City Councilman Julius Klobb came in.
"Look," he said. "This Elaine Ives-Kent. You've got to have her in court in the morning."
"I do, huh?" Airedale took a sip of milk. "Who says so?"
"Yes-you-do! And I say so. And you know why I say it."
"She'll have to do her time?"
"Naturally. Part of it, anyway; until the heat goes off."
"Heat," said Airedale, sourly. "Nine grand he takes off of me last year and still we got heat. Maybe I ought to fix through a beat cop. Or one of them guys that cleans out the washroom. Maybe they could earn their money."
Councilman Klobb spread his hands. "That's not being reasonable, Airedale," he said reproachfully. "The lid's been off now for well over eighteen months. Almost two years now without the slightest kind of rumble. I can't help it if we have an opposition party and they squeeze out from under once in a while. Frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way and I know you wouldn't. It's what makes America great- competition-unceasing struggle-"
Airedale groaned. "Unceasing horse shit. Put it away, will you? Save it for the Fourth of July."
"You'll have her there?"
"If it has to be her. We couldn't throw 'em another chump?"
"Of course not. Twenty-three arrests in a year and she's never laid out a day. She's the one they'll tie into. You know what'll happen when they do. Good God, man, do I have to draw you a picture?"
He didn't have to, of course. Airedale had known what to expect from the moment Elaine's name had been mentioned.
In many cities, bail is set to approximate the fine for a misdemeanor, and its forfeiture automatically closes the case. Usually, however, often in those places where the practice is most thoroughly entrenched, there are periods when it becomes inoperative. Bail then gives the lawbreaker his freedom only until court is held. And if he fails to appear he is considered a fugitive.
This, as Airedale well knew, must not be allowed to happen in Elaine's case. Obviously, the political opposition intended to use her as a broom in a thoroughly unpleasant house-cleaning. This woman, they'd say-they'd shout- has forfeited almost two thousand dollars in bonds. Where is that money? What is there to show for it? What besides a parcel of land which has already been obligated for twenty times its appraised value?
Airedale shook his head ruefully. To stave off an investigation, Elaine would have to face court on charges which, under adverse circumstances, could total up to months in jail and/or several thousand dollars in fines. She'd be sore as hell-which didn't trouble Airedale in the least. Toddy would be sore-and that did trouble him. Toddy had laid his money on the line. Now he wouldn't get anything for it. Airedale would return the dough he had paid, of course, but that wouldn't help much. Once a rap was squared, it was supposed to stay squared.
"How about this?" he said. "Can't we get our paper back and put up the cash in its place?"
"Would I be here if we could?" Klobb demanded. "Can't you see they planned this so we wouldn't have time to squeeze out?"
Airedale nodded. For Elaine to face court was bad, but the alternative was indescribably worse: to face it himself.
"Okay. I don't like it, but okay. She'll be there."
"Good." Councilman Klobb stood up. "Better get her on the phone right now, hadn't you?"
"Get her on the phone," mocked Airedale. "Yessir, that's all I need to do; just tell her to go down and turn herself in."
"But…" Klobb frowned. "Oh, I see."
"Do you see that door?" said Airedale.
Klobb saw it. Rather hastily, he put it to use. Airedale began to dress.
Some fifteen minutes later he stepped out of a cab at Toddy's hotel and went inside. He was acquainted with the room clerk. He was acquainted with practically everyone in a certain stratum of the city's society. The clerk winked amiably, and extended a hand across the counter.
"How's it goin', boy? Who you looking for?"
"Might be you, you pretty thing," said Airedale. "But I'll settle for Toddy Kent."