“But, Donald, you can’t. You wouldn’t be willing to. You couldn’t be—”

“We can either waste time arguing about it,” I said, “or we can do something about it. Those cops didn’t take you into custody because they decided they didn’t have enough on you, and a smart lawyer could get you loose. So they figured they’d give you plenty of rope and see just how you’d go about hanging yourself. They also wanted to see what other fish would get drawn into the net. As soon as they get back and report to police headquarters they’ll have this apartment sewed up so tight not even a cockroach could get out without being picked up and shadowed and classified. Do you want to wait for that?”

“Of course I don’t.”

“I don’t either. I want to get out before that happens. That means just about now.”

I started for the door.

“How much do you want, Donald?”

“Three thousand dollars.”

“Three what?” she cried.

“Thousand,” I said. “Three grand. I want it now.”

“Donald, you talk as though you were crazy.”

“You act as though you were,” I said. “This is your only out. I’m giving it to you. Do you want it, or don’t you?”

“How do I know I can trust you?” she asked.

I wiped lipstick off my lips and said, “You don’t know.”

“I’ve been betrayed lots of times by men whom I’ve trusted.”

“How much did Morgan leave in those safety deposit boxes?” I asked.

“He didn’t have any.”

“They were in your name. It won’t be long until the police sew those up too.”

She laughed then, and said, “Do I look as though I was born yesterday?”

“I suppose,” I observed, “you went out and stripped the boxes, and thought you were being smart. By the time the prosecuting attorney gets finished with that, it’ll make a swell motive for murder.”

I could see startled realization in her eyes.

“And if you happen to have that money on you,” I said, “you’re just crazy, because every move you make from now on is going to be shadowed. Sooner or later the police are going to take you down to jail and a great big broad-hipped matron is going to take all your nice clothes off and search your pretty little body. While that’s going on, detectives will be searching the apartment. What do you think of that?”

“Donald, they wouldn’t?”

“They’re going to.”

She said, “It’s in a money belt on me.”

“How much?” I asked.

“Lots.”