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〃With beaming smiles on our faces；〃 the desk sergeant said； 〃and our arms spread wide in wele； and a rock in each hand。〃 Degarmo jerked his head at me and we went out。
27
Captain Webber pushed his sharp bent nose across the desk at me and said： 〃Sit down。〃 I sat down in a round…backed wooden armchair and eased my left leg away from the sharp edge of the seat。 It was a large neat corner office。 Degarmo sat at the end of the desk and crossed his legs and rubbed his ankle thoughtfully； looked out of a window。
Webber went on： 〃You asked for trouble； and you got it。 You were doing fifty…five miles an hour in a residential zone and you attempted to get away from a police car that signaled you to stop with its siren and red spotlight。 You were abusive when stopped and you struck an officer in the face。〃 I said nothing。 Webber picked a match off his desk and broke it in half and threw the pieces over his shoulder。
〃Or are they lying…as usual？〃 he asked。
〃I didn't see their report；〃 I said。 〃I was probably doing fifty…five in a residential district； or anyhow within city limits。 The police car was parked outside a house I visited。 It followed me when I drove away and I didn't at that time know it was a police car。 It had no good reason to follow me and I didn't like the look of it。 I went a little fast； but all I was trying to do was get to a better lighted part of town。〃 Degarmo moved his eyes to give me a bleak meaningless stare。 Webber snapped his teeth impatiently。
He said： 〃After you knew it was a police car you made a half turn in the middle of the block and still tried to get away。 Is that right？〃 I said： 〃Yes。 It's going to take a little frank talk to explain that。〃
〃I'm not afraid of a little frank talk；〃 Webber said。 〃I tend to kind of specialize in frank talk。〃 I said： 〃These cops that picked me up were parked in front of the house where George Talley's wife lives。 They were there before I got there。 George Talley is the man。 who used to be a private detective down here。 I wanted to see him。 Degarmo knows why I wanted to see him。〃 Degarmo picked a match out of his pocket and chewed on the soft end of it quietly。 He nodded； without expression。 Webber didn't look at him。
I said： 〃You are a stupid man； Degarmo。 Everything you do is stupid； and done in a stupid way。 When you went up against me yesterday in front of Almore's house you had to get tough when there was nothing to get tough about。 You had to make me curious when I had nothing to be curious about。 You even had to drop hints which showed me how I could satisfy that curiosity； if it became important。 All you had to do to protect your friends was keep your mouth shut until I made a move。 I never would have made one； and you would have saved all this。〃 Webber said： 〃What the devil has all this got to do with your being arrested in the twelve hundred block on Westmore Street？〃
〃It has to do with the Almore case；〃 I said。 〃George Talley worked on the Almore case…until he was pinched for drunk driving。〃
〃Well； I never worked on the Almore case；〃 Webber snapped。 〃I don't know who stuck the first knife into Julius Caesar either。 Stick to the point； can't you？〃
〃I am sticking to the point。 Degarmo knows about the Almore case and he doesn't like it talked about。 Even your prowl car boys know about it。 Cooney and Dobbs had no reason to follow me unless it was because I visited the wife of a man who had worked on the Almore case。 I wasn't doing fifty…five miles an hour when they started to follow me。 I tried to get away from them because I had a good idea I might get beaten up for going there。 Degarmo had given me that idea。〃 Webber looked quickly at Degarmo。 Degarmo's hard blue eyes looked across the room at the wall in front of him。
I said： 〃And I didn't bust Cooney in the nose until after he had forced me to drink whiskey and then hit me in the stomach when I drank it； so that I would spill it down my coat front and smell of it。 This can't be the first time you have heard of that trick； captain。〃 Webber broke another match。 He leaned back and looked at his small tight knuckles。 He looked again at Degarmo and said： 〃If you got made chief of police today； you might let me in on it。〃 Degarmo said： 〃Hell； the shamus just got a couple of playful taps。 Kind of kidding。 If a guy can't take a joke…〃 Webber said： 〃You put Cooney and Dobbs over there？〃
〃Well…yes； I did；〃 Degarmo said。 〃I don't see where we have to put up with these snoopers ing into our town and stirring up a lot of dead leaves just to promote themselves a job and work a couple of old suckers for a big fee。 Guys like that need a good sharp lesson。〃
〃Is that how it looks to you？〃 Webber asked。
〃That's exactly how it looks to me；〃 Degarmo said。
〃I wonder what fellows like you need；〃 Webber said。 〃Right now I think you need a little air。 Would you please take it； lieutenant？〃 Degarmo opened his mouth slowly。 〃You mean you want me to breeze on out？〃 Webber leaned forward suddenly and his sharp little chin seemed to cut the air like the forefoot of a cruiser。 〃Would you be so kind？〃 Degarmo stood up slowly； a dark flush staining his cheekbones。 He leaned a hard hand flat on the desk and looked at Webber。 There was a little charged silence。 He said： 〃Okay； captain。 But you're playing this wrong。〃 Webber didn't answer him。 Degarmo walked to the door and out。 Webber waited for the door to close before he spoke。
〃Is it your line that you can tie this Almore business a year and a half ago to the shooting in Lavery's place today？ Or is it just a smoke screen you're laying down because you know damn well Kingsley's wife shot Layery？〃 I said： 〃It was tied to Lavery before he was shot。 In a rough sort of way； perhaps only with a granny knot。 But enough to make a man think。〃
〃I've been into this matter a little more thoroughly than you might think；〃 Webber said coldly。 〃Although I never had anything personally to do with the death of Almore's wife and I wasn't chief of detectives at that time。 If you didn't even know Almore yesterday morning； you must have heard a lot about him since。〃 I told him exactly what I had heard； both from Miss Fromsett and from the Graysons。
〃Then it's your theory that Lavery may have blackmailed Dr。 Almore？〃 he asked at the end。 〃And that that may have something to do with the murder？〃
〃It's not a theory。 It's no more than a possibility。 I wouldn't be doing a job if I ignored it。 The relations； if any； between Lavery and Almore might have been deep and dangerous or just the merest acquaintance； or not even that。 For all I positively know they may never even have spoken to each other。 But if there was nothing funny about the Almore case； why get so tough with anybody who shows an interest in it？ It could be coincidence that George Talley was hooked for drunk driving just when he was working on it。 It could be coincidence that Almore called a cop because I stared at his house； and that Lavery was shot before I could talk to him a second time。 But it's no coincidence that two of your men were watching Talley's home tonight； ready； willing and able to make trouble for me； if I went there。〃
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