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.'
'Kent? I'm not sure that he's regis-Oh,' said the clerk, glancing at the bill in his hand. 'Yeah, we got him. Want me to give him a buzz?'
'Not now. Is his key in his box?'
'That don't mean nothing. People here carry their keys mostly. He should be in, though, him and the missus both. I ain't seen 'em go out.'
Airedale deliberated. He had a deputy sheriff's commission but he was reluctant to use it. It was always much better, particularly when you were dealing with a friend, to have someone else do the strong-arm work.
'Where's old lardass, the demon house dick?'
'Up with some broad, probably. No, there he is,'-the clerk pointed-'in stuffing his gut.'
Airedale glanced toward the coffee shop. 'Okay, I'll drag him out. About three minutes after you see us catch the elevator, you ring hell out of Kent's phone.'
Airedale got hold of Kennedy, the house detective, and together they went upstairs. They stopped at Toddy's door. Almost immediately the phone began to ring. It rang steadily for what must have been a full two minutes. There was no other sound, either then or after it had stopped.
Airedale raised his fist and pounded. He stood aside, and nodded to Kennedy. The house dick gripped the doorknob with one hand; with the other he poised a peculiarly notched key before the keyhole. He slowly turned the knob and pushed gently. He dropped the key back into his pocket, drew out a shot-weighted blackjack, and abruptly flung the door open.
'Okay,' he growled, 'come out of it!' Then, after a moment's wait, he went in and Airedale followed him.
They looked in the bathroom, the closet and under the bed. Panting from the unaccustomed activity and his recent meal, Kennedy dropped into a chair and fanned his face with his hat.
'Well,' he said, 'they ain't here.'
'No kidding,' said Airedale.
Airedale went to the window and looked out. He looked down at the once-white enameled sill-at the streaked outline of a heel print.
Kennedy said, 'She gave ol' Toddy a little more than he would take tonight. Boy, you could hear her yelling a block away!'
'Yeah?'
'I'm tellin' you, Airedale. It sounded like he was killin' her. If I'd had my way he'd of gone ahead and done it.'
'So what did you do?'
'Gave him a ring. She'd already shut up by then, though, and there wasn't another peep after
