Twelve Times Zero

  Chapter III

  "I don't give a triple-distilled damn _what_ you say!" Troy snarled."Nobody's got enough money to make that kind of payoff. Five men,Lieutenant--five men and five locked doors stood between that girl andthe street. And you sit there and try to tell me somebody bought all_five_ of 'em off!"

  "Then," Kirk said heatedly, "what's _your_ explanation?"

  It had been going on this way for over an hour. The morning sun came inweakly at the window behind Troy's huge polished mahogany desk, pickingup random reflections from the collection of expensive gadgets litteringthe glass top.

  Troy began to wear another path in the moss-colored broadloom carpeting.He was big and broad and getting puffy around the middle, like aone-time halfback going to seed. His round, heavy-featured face was evenmore florid than usual, and his heavy growth of reddish-blond hairneeded a comb.

  Martin Kirk pushed himself deeper into the depths of a brown leatherchair and watched the D. A. through brooding eyes. He wanted a cigar butit was too early in the morning for that kind of indulgence. You neededa good breakfast and a couple cups of coffee before--

  "I don't explain it," Troy said in quieter tones. He was standing by thewindow now, staring down into the boulevard passing that side of theCriminal Courts Building. "It's one of those things that make me thinkmy sainted mother wasn't so wrong when she used to tell about elves andgnomes and leprechauns and fairies and--"

  Kirk made a sound deep in his throat, "Naia North was a hell of a longway from being a leprechaun. Somebody wanted her out of here for somereason--and they got her out. I want to know who took her out, why shewas taken, and where she is now. And I'm going to find out the answersto all three if I have to turn this town on its ear."

  "Go ahead," Troy said. "Hop right to it and I wish you luck. Only leaveme and my people out of it."

  "Seems to me you're mighty damned anxious _to_ be left out."

  Arthur Kahler Troy turned on his heel and strode toward the Lieutenantuntil he was towering over him. "Just what," he said between his teeth,"do you mean by _that_ crack?"

  "Figure it out for yourself," Kirk snapped. "And I'm sure you can."

  Troy reared back as though the police officer had pulled a gun on him."Why--why you--I'll have you busted for making a dirty insinu--"

  "You couldn't bust a daisy chain at the police department," Kirkgrowled. "The Commissioner hates your guts and you know that as well asI do. Now let's cut out all this hokey-pokey and pick up a few looseends, The first thing: what about Paul Cordell?"

  All the wide-eyed fury seemed to go out of Troy's face like water downthe bathtub drain. He turned away and walked slowly back to his deskchair and sat down.

  He said, "What about Cordell," in a soft voice.

  "The morning paper," Kirk said, "reports he was taken up to Hillcrestlast night. The warden out there's probably got him in Death Rowalready."

  "Uh-hunh."

  "Well, let's get him out of there. With the evidence we've got, plusNaia North's sworn statement, Judge Reed will have to bring him backdown here and release him--at least on bail until we can find the girl.The man's innocent, Mr. D. A.; have you forgotten?"

  "Yes."

  "'Yes'? Yes, what?"

  "I've forgotten he's innocent," Troy said quietly. "Matter of fact, he'sguilty as hell."

  * * * * *

  The Lieutenant half rose from his chair. "Now wait a minute! You heardthat girl's story and you've got the evidence I turned over to you righthere in this office last night. What more--"

  "I'll tell you what more," Troy snapped. "That girl was a fraud, herstory was a downright lie and that evidence was faked. Let me tell yousomething else, Mister: within five minutes after the guard downstairsreported your girl friend missing, I had five squads of my men outrunning down the personal information she gave me a few hours before.And you know what they found out? _Every bit of what she told me wasfalse!_ Hear that? False! It took my men about one hour to prove asmuch, for the simple reason that not one lead panned out. Not one! Andyou know what _I_ think?"

  Martin Kirk opened his mouth but nothing came out but a strangled croak.

  "I think you and this dame worked out the whole thing between the two ofyou to save Cordell's neck. Who could do a better job of faking evidencethan a crooked cop? What's more, you might have gotten away with it,too--only it suddenly dawned on the girl that she was getting in toodeep."

  "And so," Kirk cut in hotly, "she calmly walked through five locked setsof iron bars and went back to Mars!"

  He stood up and crossed to the desk and leaned down with his palms inthe center of the brown blotter. "You won't get away with it, Troy. Youdidn't want any part of this new development from the minute I calledyou on the phone last night. You knew it could show you and your wholeorganization up as a bunch of bunglers and incompetents. So you got ridof the girl, thinking that without her the truth of those murders wouldnever get out to the voters.

  "Well, it won't work, Fatso! The evidence I dug up is strong enough toreopen the case _without_ Naia North. All I have to do is put thatevidence in front of Judge Reed, and--"

  Troy was smiling wolfishly. "_What_ evidence, Lieutenant?"

  Kirk stiffened. "You know damned well what evidence. It's in your filesright now: Naia North's statement, the strips of paneling from that coatcloset, the murder weapon. I turned the whole works over to you."

  The D. A. was shaking his head. "We don't keep worthless junk aroundhere, my boy. The Cordell case is closed; the guilty man is awaitingexecution. Sure, you run along and tell the Judge all about it. Tell thenewspapers, tell Cordell's defense attorneys, tell the world for all Icare. See who'll touch it without something more concrete than yourhighly imaginative day dreams. For all you can prove, the girl mighthave confessed the whole thing was a hoax and we tossed her out of herelast night....

  "I'm a busy man, Lieutenant. Good morning--good luck--and kindly closethe door on your way out."