The D.A. Breaks an Egg

“She didn’t show up. Now I happen to know she’s working on another job which took her to Windrift, Montana. In fact, that’s the reason I happened to think of her. She came walking in three or four weeks ago and said hello and told me she was working on a job; that it didn’t concern me at all, but that she wanted to get some information from me about some of the other places and how they were being run. So I asked her if she could take on a job for me on the side, and she said she didn’t see any reason why not. So I told her about this girl and about being nicked for the six grand. Now then, gentlemen, there’s my story. I’m clean as a hound’s tooth. I’ll show you my driver’s license, show you pictures of my place, and if I absolutely have to, I can give you references of people here in town who know me, people who have been staying out at one of the dude ranches around Windrift, and have had occasion to stop in at my place and naturally they’ve remembered me. I try to treat them right.”

“Okay,” Hardwick said, “let’s take a look at what you’ve got, buddy. Turn your pockets out. Got any letters from this Rose Furman?”

“Certainly not. She didn’t send me letters, and I didn’t want any. When she had anything important she’d let me know on the phone. When I hire a detective there’s only one thing important that I want and that’s the final answer.”

“Where’re you staying in town?”

“At the Critchwood.”

Hardwick glanced at Brandon and Selby, turned back to Mosher. “All right, buddy, you left out one of the answers.”

“What’s that?”

“The name of the lucky girl.”

“I left that out on purpose.”

“I’m asking her name on purpose.”

“I don’t see that it needs to enter into it.”

“Why are you protecting her?”

“I’m not protecting her. I’m protecting me. We don’t gossip about such things in my profession.”

“You’re not gossiping. You’re answering questions. You’re among friends — if you act friendly. Now then, what’s her name?”

“She’s a girl who plays the dude ranches.”

“You told me that before. Now I want her name.”

“Daphne Arcola.”

Hardwick turned to the visiting officials. “That name mean anything to you boys?”

Brandon’s nod was all but imperceptible.

“And Rose Furman told you she had the definite answer on this babe.”

“That’s right.”

“Did she say whether it was good or bad?”

“No, just that she’d be ready to tell me the answer.”

“Where’d she phone from?”

“Some place in the citrus belt. Madison City, I think it was.”

“You fellows want this man any more now?” Hardwick asked. “We can let him go to his hotel and then check up on him by telephone. What’s the name of the sheriff in your county at home, buddy?”

Mosher grinned and said, “I’ll even go you one better than that. I’ll give you one of his election cards when he was running last fall. I wish you’d ring him up and ask him about me.”

“Okay, we will.”

“You don’t know where Daphne Arcola is now?” Selby asked.

“No, I don’t, but I’m satisfied that Rose Furman does. If we can get hold of her she’ll tell us the whole thing.”

“You think Daphne Arcola put over a crooked play to win the six thousand?”

“I don’t know. I was willing to spend a little money to find out, that’s all.”

Brandon said, “If your place was on the square, one of your men couldn’t very well stand in on the deal so that he could make a pay-off.”

Mosher looked at him, thought a moment, then said dryly, “I hadn’t thought of that, gentlemen.”

Hardwick chuckled. “All right, go to your hotel and stay there, now. Don’t do any running around. We may want to talk with you. If we do, we want to be able to put our finger on you. That car’s registered in your name?”

“That’s right, that’s my car.”

“You drove it out here?”

“Yes, and it didn’t take me very long. I came tearing right along. I’m nervous, and when I’m going any place I want to be the one who pushes the throttle.”

“Then you feel Daphne Arcola is around here somewhere?”

“I think so. Rose Furman telephoned me to come to her apartment here. She said she was going to be in a position to give me an answer.”

“What’s the name of this man you think was standing in with her?”

“I’d rather not say. I have some good men there and if I make a bad guess it’s going to...”

“Which one do you think?”

“I don’t know. That’s what I was getting Rose Furman to find out. I can stand a six-thousand-dollar loss — once. I’d hate to have to stand it twice.”

“Okay,” Hardwick said, “there’s your car. Get in and drive it to your hotel.”

Mosher smiled affably. “Well, gentlemen, I’m glad to see you, and if you’re ever around Windrift, Montana, drop in at the Crystal Ball.”

“You run wide open up there?” Sheriff Brandon asked.

Mosher grinned. “Not wide open, Sheriff, just open.”

14

“You fellows want in this Furman apartment?” Hardwick asked.

“We want in,” Brandon said. “But we don’t want any kickback.”

“Leave that to me. We’ll go in.”

“When?”

“Now. The place is right around the corner.”

“How about keys?” Selby asked.

“I got a passkey from the manager. It’s all ready for us to go in if we want.”