Detective Coogan lost his listless air, and looked at me in
astonishment.
"I don't see your game, Wilton," he said.
"I'm giving you the straight facts," I said sullenly, a little
disturbed by his manner and tone.
"Well, in that case, I'd expect you to keep the straight facts to
yourself, my boy."
It was my turn to be astonished.
"Well, that's my lookout," I said with assumed carelessness.
"I don't see through you," said the detective with some irritation. "If
you're playing with me to stop this inquiry by dragging in--well, we
needn't use names--you'll find yourself in the hottest water you ever
struck."
"You can do as you please," I said coolly.
The detective ripped out an oath.
"If I knew you were lying, Wilton, I'd clap you in jail this minute."
"Well, if you want to take the risks--" I said smiling.
He looked at me for a full minute.
"Candidly, I don't, and you know it," he said. "But this is a stunner
on me. What's your game, anyhow?"
I wished I knew.
"So accomplished a detective should not be at a loss to answer so
simple a question."
"Well, there's only one course open, as I see," he said with a groan.
"We've got to have a story ready for the papers and the coroner's
jury."
This was a new suggestion for me and I was alarmed.
"You can just forget your little tale about the row in the alley," he
continued. "There's nothing to show that it had anything to do with
this man here. Maybe it didn't happen.
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