facin' prosecution, but there's no one we can turn to. Now or any time. We ain't going to be able to keep a finger in; we ain't going to be able to elect anyone that's halfway reasonable. What you've done, Doc, is put the whole damned reform crowd in office, put 'em there for good. And I'm sayin'-'
'Son-of-a-bitch,' sobbed Burkman. 'S-son-of-a-bbitch…'
'Will you shut up?' yelled Flanders. 'Doc, didn't I tell you that-'
'I'm talkin'!' Kronup shouted. 'I say this phony psychologist made a deal! I say he sold us out!'
He shouted the accusation again, for they were all talking now; all shouting and snarling and growling at once. Frightened, surly, half- hysterical animals. Only Doc and Hardesty were silent. Hardesty was staring at Doc, a puzzled but bitter frown on his too-handsome face. Doc sat with his hands folded, looking down at the floor.
His mouth was working; he might have been muttering to himself. He might have been, but he wasn't. I was beginning at last to read his expressions. He was laughing.
His mouth stopped moving, and he looked up. He shook his head and the room grew quiet.
'Don't be a damned fool,' he said coldly to Kronup. 'How could I sell out? What would I get out of it? How could I make a deal with the reform crowd? There's no way they could give me anything, even if they wanted to.'
'But-'
'But nothing,' said Doc. 'Anyway, we don't know how much of the deal was spilled to Edgars. A very little would be enough to get Arnholt and that's probably all Edgars has. He's trying to throw a bluff into us. If we sit tight and keep quiet, it may blow over.'
There was a growl of dissent. 'You don't believe that,' said Flanders. 'Arnholt's going to sing his head off. Regardless of what Edgars has or hasn't got in the way of documentary proof, it's going to be enough to wash us up.'
'We're through and you know it,' snuffled Burkman, angrily. 'All we can do now is grab what we can before the ceiling falls in on us.'
'Maybe you're right,' Doc shrugged.
His quietness seemed to madden Burkman. He tried to speak and his throat choked with fury. And then he was pointing at me, shaking a trembling finger in my direction.
'You got some kind of scheme you're pullin' with that red-head, there. I don't know what it is but I know it must be good, the trouble you went to gettin' him out. You're cuttin' me in on it.'
'You're cutting all of us in on it,' corrected Flanders.
'I'm not,' said Doc, levelly, 'cutting anyone in on it. That deal is off. I'm letting Cosgrove return to Sandstone tomorrow.'
27
I'd been expecting that, but the cold fact of its happening jolted me. I lighted a cigarette and my hand trembled.
'That's pretty sudden, Doc,' I said. 'Would you mind explaining?'
'If you need an explanation,' said Doc, his voice clipped. 'I've done a great deal for you.! intended to do a great deal more. And all I've asked of you is that you leave Lila alone. You wouldn't do it. You've carried on an affair right in front of me. Recently, you gave her the money to buy a car for you. You intended to jump your parole and leave town with her-leave me holding the bag both ways. I'm beating you to the punch.'
A low murmur went around the room. Kronup cleared his throat with embarrassment.
'Say, that's too bad, Doc,' he said. 'I been hearing things out around the capitol, but-'
'Of course, you've heard things,' I said. 'Doc wanted you to hear them, and there was a certain basis of truth in them. Lila did buy that car for me. She has thrown herself at me. I've known the talk was spreading, but I didn't know what to do. I-'
'Well, I know what to do,' said Doc, getting up from the stool. 'Gentlemen, I suggest that we get together in the morning and see what can be done about this Arnholt matter. Frankly, I can't think clearly enough tonight to discuss it.'
They began to get up, brushing at their clothes and moving toward the door. A few stared at me; most of them deliberately avoided doing so. For the moment Doc's problem had become paramount to theirs.
'Just a minute,' I said. 'There's one thing you haven't told these gentlemen, Doc. Lila isn't your wife.'
The movement toward the door stopped abruptly. They stared from me to Doc, and his jaw fell slack. And then Hardesty's voice boomed out, breaking the silence.
'So what?' he demanded reasonably. 'He couldn't get a divorce from his wife, so he hasn't been able to marry Lila. That has no bearing on the matter. She's been more to him than most wives are to their husbands.'
'Yes,' said Doc. 'A great deal more.'
'Well, we'll all get along now,' said Hardesty bluffly. 'But I'd keep an eye on Cosgrove, if I were you. He isn't going to like going back to Sandstone.'
'I'll keep an eye on him,' said Doc.
They filed past him out the door. They were in a hurry to get out now. The news about Lila had value; some highly placed people would be very interested in hearing it.
They didn't know, as I did, that Doc wasn't going to be around to face the music.
At last, only Hardesty and Doc remained, and Doc took Hardesty by the arm and urged him toward the door. Hardesty hung back.
'I think I'd better have a little talk with Pat. Let him know how things stand.'
'Later,' said Doc, not looking at me. 'Not now.'
'I really think-'
'I don't give a damn what you think,' said Doc. 'I'll do the explaining when the time comes for it. Right now I want to get away from here.'
Hardesty suddenly remembered something.
'You blew this Arnholt deal, didn't you? What the hell was the idea?'
'I'll explain about that, too,' said Doc. 'Now, come on. We're liable to have some callers as soon as that crowd starts telephoning. We can't afford to get tied up here.'
'What about him?'
'He'll keep,' said Doc, and he literally dragged Hardesty through the door and slammed it.
I fixed myself a drink and sat down on the bed. Faintly, I heard the last of the cars pulling away from the front of the house. Clearly, a few minutes later, I heard the smooth purr of Doc's sedan as it rolled out the driveway.
I finished my drink and lay back on the bed. I felt very comfortable, relaxed, for the first time since I'd left Sandstone. I'd told Lila to beat it as soon as she made the telephone call. There was nothing to do now but take things easy.
I lay thinking, grinning a little when I thought of the surprise that Doc and Hardesty were in for. And then I thought of Madeline and my grin went away. Regardless of what she'd done, I couldn't take any pleasure in what was going to happen to her.
I let my mind wander, wish-thinking, wondering if I could be wrong about her… After all, she had suggested that I go to Myrtle Briscoe and lay my cards on the table. She hadn't insisted on it; but how could she when I, obviously, was as I was: ready to do anything that would keep me out of Sandstone. She could be working with Myrtle. She could be-and her actions with Hardesty didn't prove that she wasn't. She'd have had to lead him on. She couldn't let me beat the truth out of him, perhaps even kill him. She…
