Part 8 (1/2)
”Yes.”
”And how did he get out there on the street?”
Pemmican rubbed his hands together, looking first to Thorne and then to the captain for approval.
”I dragged him out.”
”Good work!” was Broderick's brief comment.
”Who did this thing?” asked Thorne.
Pemmican gulped. After a second he answered:--
”Challoner.”
”Laurie Challoner? You don't say!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Broderick. That was all the surprise manifested. Challoner's proclivities were too well known to everybody in the room; besides, Cradlebaugh's was always expecting the unexpected to happen.
”Challoner,” exclaimed Thorne with a show of satisfaction, ”is a client of mine!”
Broderick's eyes brightened.
”Great! That simplifies matters. You'll defend him?”
”I shall,” admitted Thorne, ”if he be apprehended.”
”But we must fix it so that he won't be,” remarked Broderick.
”Or, if apprehended,” continued Thorne, ”so that he won't be brought to trial.” And turning again to Pemmican: ”Where is Challoner?”
Pemmican spread his hands apart, shrugged his shoulders and finally answered:--
”Gone--n.o.body knows where.”
Just then the telephone bell rang. Pemmican answered it, listened for an instant and then resigned the receiver as he called:--
”Captain, it's for you.”
The captain with some trepidation seized the instrument, and talked in low tones while the rest remained silent. Finally he hung up the receiver and announced:--
”It's my office. Murgatroyd is there now.” The captain looked worried as he declared: ”He wants to talk to me.”
”Let him wait!” Broderick bl.u.s.tered out. Nevertheless a shadowy gloom settled down upon them all. Thorne was the first to break the silence.
”If Murgatroyd drags Cradlebaugh's into this murder case there'll be the devil to pay.”
”He's got to keep it out,” insisted Broderick. ”Confound it! If he drags Cradlebaugh's into it, he'll drag into it his own organisation! He doesn't know the men who are behind it--its party affiliations, its patrons. If he makes this case a handle for his confounded investigations--well----”
”He will!” interrupted the captain of police. ”See if he don't...”
”What if he does?” protested Broderick. ”There isn't a grand jury ever been picked that would indict Cradlebaugh's! And there you are!”