Again McDermott was quiet for a long spell. He gazed down at the desktop. Finally he said, “We know who we want but we can’t move. We got nothing on him. He’s listed as a solid citizen, honest taxpayer and respected member of the community and so forth. He’s got money, he’s got connections, he’s got a lot of people scared. The ones he couldn’t scare, you don’t see around no more. You don’t see them because they’re in boxes; buried.”

Corey stiffened slightly.

“What we need is evidence,” McDermott said. “We need tangible proof that he’s a lawbreaker. And I don’t mean jaywalking. It’s gotta be something big and it’s gotta be airtight and—what’s the matter?”

Corey was shaking his head.

“What’s the matter?” McDermott said. “You backing out? You don’t wanna know who he is? You afraid to know?”

That just about says it, Corey told himself.

The detective-sergeant spoke very softly. “You got the jitters, there’s no use talking further. We’ll call it off and you can walk out.”

Corey moved his hand toward the trousers pocket where he’d put the badge and the card. His hand went in and he told himself to take out the badge and the card and toss them onto the desk and go for the door. Do it, he begged himself. Get out while the getting is good. Like that fly got out. That fly who didn’t hafta be told twice.

His hand moved deeper into his pocket and came in contact with the metal of the badge. In that instant he felt a twinge very high on his thigh near his groin.

He grimaced. He took his hand from his pocket and there was nothing in his hand. He heard himself saying, “All right, I’ll go to work on it. Who is he?”

“I’m trusting you with this,” McDermott said. “You come in on this, you’re in all the way. You’re under oath—”

“All right, all right,” Corey cut in irritably, impatiently. “Lemme have it. Who is he?”

McDermott said quietly, matter-of-factly, “His name is Walter Grogan.”

Chapter 5

Chapter 5