the efficiency expert-第28节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ght。〃

〃Who？〃　asked　Edith。

〃Murray。〃

〃I　thought　he　knew　a　lot　about　it；〃　said　the　girl。　〃That's　why　I　sent　for　you。　You　haven't　got　any　love　for　Murray；　have　you？〃

〃No；〃　replied　the　Lizard；　〃not　so　you　could　notice　it。〃

〃I　think　Murray　knows　a　lot　about　that　job。　　If　you　want　to　help　Jimmy　I　know　where　you　can　get　the　dope　that　will　start　something；　anyway。〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　Lizard。

〃This　fellow　Bince；　who　is　assistant　general　manager　for　Compton；　got　a　letter　from　Murray　two　or　three　weeks　before　Compton　was　killed。　Murray　enclosed　a　threat　signed　I。W。W。；　and　his　letter　instructed　Bince　to　show　the　threat　to　Compton。　I　haven't　got　all　the　dope　on　it；　but　I've　got　a　hunch　that　in　some　way　it　is　connected　with　this　job。　Anyway；　I've　got　both　Murray's　letter　and　the　threat　he　enclosed。　They're　hidden　in　my　desk　at　the　plant。　I　can't　get　them；　of　course；　they　wouldn't　let　me　in　the　place　now；　and　Murray's　so　strong　with　the　police　that　I　wouldn't　trust　them；　so　I　haven't　told　any　one。　What　I　want　is　for　you　to　go　there　to…night　and　get　them。〃

The　Lizard　was　thinking　fast。　　The　girl　knew　nothing　of　his　connection　with　the　job。　She　did　not　know　that　he　had　entered　Compton's　office　and　had　been　first　to　find　his　dead　body；　in　fact；　no　one　knew　that。　Even　Murray　did　not　know　that　the　Lizard　had　succeeded　in　entering　the　plant；　as　the　latter　had　told　him　that　he　was　delayed；　and　that　when　he　reached　there　a　patrol　and　ambulance　were　already　backed　up　in　front　of　the　building。　He　felt　that　he　had　enough　knowledge；　however；　to　make　the　conviction　of　Jimmy　a　very　difficult　proposition；　but　if　he　divulged　the　knowledge　he　had　and　explained　how　he　came　by　it　he　could　readily　see　that　suspicion　would　be　at　once　transferred　from　Jimmy　to　himself。

The　Lizard　therefore　was　in　a　quandary。　　Of　course；　if　Murray's　connection　was　ever　discovered　the　Lizard　might　then　be　drawn　into　it；　but　if　he　could　keep　Murray　out　the　Lizard　would　be　reasonably　safe　from　suspicion；　and　now　the　girl　had　shown　him　how　he　might　remove　a　damaging　piece　of　evidence　against　Murray。

〃You　will　get　it；　won't　you？〃　asked　the　girl。

〃Where　are　these　papers？〃　he　asked。

〃They　are　in　the　outer　office　which　adjoins　Mr。　Compton's。　　My　desk　stands　at　the　right　of　the　door　as　you　enter　from　the　main　office。　Remove　the　right…hand　lower　drawer　and　you　will　find　the　papers　lying　on　the　little　wooden　partition　directly　underneath　the　drawer。〃

〃All　right；〃　said　the　Lizard；　〃I'll　get　them。〃

〃Bless　you；　Lizard；〃　cried　the　girl。　〃I　knew　you　would　help。　You　and　I　are　the　only　friends　he　has。　If　we　went　back　on　him　he'd　be　sent　up；　for　there's　lots　of　money　being　used　against　him。　He　might　even　be　hanged。　I　know　from　what　I　have　heard　that　the　prosecuting　attorney　intends　to　ask　for　the　death　penalty。〃

The　Lizard　made　no　reply　as　he　started　to　leave　the　taxi。

〃Take　them　to　his　attorney；〃　said　the　girl；　and　she　gave　him　the　name　and　address。

The　Lizard　grunted　and　entered　his　own　cab。　　As　he　did　so　a　man　on　a　motorcycle　drew　up　on　the　opposite　side　and　peered　through　the　window。　The　driver　had　started　his　motor　as　the　newcomer　approached。　From　her　cab　the　girl　saw　the　Lizard　and　the　man　on　the　motorcycle　look　into　each　other's　face　for　a　moment；　then　she　heard　the　Lizard's　quick　admonition　to　his　driver；　〃Beat　it；　bo！〃

A　sharp　〃Halt！〃　came　from　the　man　on　the　motorcycle；　but　the　taxicab　leaped　forward；　and；　accelerating　rapidly；　turned　to　the　left　into　the　road　toward　the　city。　The　girl　had　guessed　at　the　first　glance　that　the　man　on　the　motorcycle　was　a　police　officer。　As　the　Lizard's　taxi　raced　away　the　officer　circled　quickly　and　started　in　pursuit。　〃No　chance；〃　thought　the　girl。　〃He'll　get　caught　sure。〃　She　could　hear　the　staccato　reports　from　the　open　exhaust　of　the　motorcycle　diminishing　rapidly　in　the　distance；　indicating　the　speed　of　the　pursued　and　the　pursuer。

And　then　from　the　distance　came　a　shot　and　then　another　and　another。　　She　leaned　forward　and　spoke　to　her　own　driver。　〃Go　on　to　Elmhurst；〃　she　said；　〃and　then　come　back　to　the　city　on　the　St。　Charles　Road。〃

It　was　after　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　the　Lizard　entered　an　apartment　on　Ashland　Avenue　which　he　had　for　several　years　used　as　a　hiding…place　when　the　police　were　hot　upon　his　trail。　The　people　from　whom　he　rented　the　room　were　eminently　respectable　Jews　who　thought　their　occasional　roomer　what　he　represented　himself　to　be；　a　special　agent　for　one　of　the　federal　departments；　a　vocation　which　naturally　explained　the　Lizard's　long　absences　and　unusual　hours。

Once　within　his　room　the　Lizard　sank　into　a　chair　and　wiped　the　perspiration　from　his　forehead；　although　it　was　by　no　means　a　warm　night。　He　drew　a　folded　paper　from　his　inside　pocket；　which；　when　opened；　revealed　a　small　piece　of　wrapping　paper　within。　They　were　Murray's　letter　to　Bince　and　the　enclosure。

〃Believe　me；〃　muttered　the　Lizard；　〃that　was　the　toughest　job　I　ever　pulled　off　and　all　I　gets　is　two　pieces　of　paper；　but　I　don't　know　but　what　they're　worth　it。〃

He　sat　for　a　long　time　looking　at　the　papers　in　his　hand；　but　he　did　not　see　them。　He　was　thinking　of　other　things：　of　prison　walls　that　he　had　eluded　so　far　through　years　of　crime；　of　O'Donnell；　whom　he　knew　to　be　working　on　the　Compton　case　and　whose　boast　it　had　been　that　sooner　or　later　he　would　get　the　Lizard；　of　what　might　naturally　be　expected　were　the　papers　in　his　hands　to　fall　into　the　possession　of　Torrance's　attorney。　It　would　mean　that　Murray　would　be　immediately　placed　in　jeopardy；　and　the　Lizard　knew　Murray　well　enough　to　know　that　he　would　sacrifice　his　best　friend　to　save　himself；　and　the　Lizard　was　by　no　means　Murray's　best　friend。

He　realized　that　he　knew　more　about　the　Compton　murder　case　than　any　one　else。　He　was　of　the　opinion　that　be　could　clear　it　up　if　he　were　almost　any　one　other　than　the　Lizard；　but　with　the　record　of　his　past　life　against　him；　would　any　one　believe　him？　In　order　to　prove　his　assertion　it　would　be　necessary　to　make　admissions　that　might　incriminate　himself；　and　there　would　be　Murray　and　the　Compton　millions　against　him；　and　as　he　pondered　these　things　there　ran　always　through　his　mind　the　words　of　the　girl；　〃You　and　I　are　the　only　friends　he　has。〃

〃Hell；〃　ejaculated　the　Lizard　as　he　rose　from　his　chair　and　prepared　for　bed。




CHAPTER　XXVII。

THE　TRIAL。

Edith　Hudson　spent　a　restless　night；　and　early　in　the　morning；　as　early　as　she　thought　she　could　reach　him；　she　called　the　office　of　Jimmy's　attorney。　She　told　the　lawyer　that　some　new　evidence　was　to　have　been　brought　in　to　him　and　asked　if　he　had　received　it。　Receiving　a　negative　reply　she　asked　that　she　be　called　the　moment　it　was　brought　in。

All　that　day　and　the　next　she　waited；　scarcely　leaving　her　room　for　fear　that　the　call　might　come　while　she　was　away。　The　days　ran　into　weeks　and　still　there　was　no　word　from　the　Lizard。

Jimmy　was　brought　to　trial；　and　she　saw　him　daily　in　the　courtroom　and　as　often　as　they　would　let　her　she　would　visit　him　in　jail。　On　several　occasions　she　met　Harriet　Holden；　also　visiting　him；　and　she　saw　that　the　other　young　woman　was　as　constant　an　attendant　at　court　as　she。

The　State　had　established　as　unassailable　a　case　as　might　he　built　on　circumstantial　evidence。　Krovac　had　testified　that　Torrance　had　made　threats　against　Compton　in　his　presence；　and　there　was　no　way　in　which　Jimmy's　attorneys　could　refute　the　perjured　statement。　Jimmy　himself　had　come　to　realize　that　his　attorney　was　fighting　now　for　his　life；　that　the　verdict　of　the　jury　was　already　a　foregone　conclusion　and　that　the　only　thing　left　to　fight　for　now　was　the　question　of　the　penalty。

Daily　he　saw　in　the　court…room　the　faces　of　the　three　girls　who　had　entered　so　strangely　into　his　life。　He　noticed；　with　not　a　little　sorrow　and　regret；　that　Elizabeth　Compton　and　Harriet　Holden　always　sat　apart　and　that　they　no　longer　spoke。　He　saw　the　effect　of　the　strain　of　the　long　trial　on　Edith　Hudson。　She　looked　wan　and　worried；　and　then　finally　she　was　not　in　court　one　day；　and　later；　through　Harriet　Holden；　he　learned　that　she　was　confined　to　her　room　with　a　bad　cold。

Jimmy's　sentiments　toward　the　three　women　whose　interests　brought　them　daily　to　the　court…room　had　undergone　considerable　change。　The　girl　that　he　had　put　upon　a　pedestal　to　worship　from　afar；　the　girl　to　whom　he　had　given　an　idealistic　love；　he　saw　now　in　another　light。　His　reverence　for　her　had　died　hard；　but　in　the　face　of　her　arrogance；　her　vindictiveness　and　her　petty　snobbery　it　had　finally　succumbed；　so　that　when　he　compared　her　with　the　girl　who　had　been　of　the　street　the　latter　suffered　in　no　way　by　the　comparison。

Harriet　Holden's　friendship　and　loyalty　were　a　never…ending　source　of　wonderment　to　him；　but　he　accepted　her　own　explanation；　which；　indeed；　was　fair　enough；　that　her　innate　sense　of　justice　had　compelled　her　to　give　him　her　sympathy　and　assistance。

Just　how　far　that　assistance　had　gone　Jimmy　did　not　know；　though　of　late　he　had　come　to　suspect　that　his　attorney　was　being　retained　by　Harriet　Holden's　father。

Bince　appeared　in　the　court…room　only　when　necessity　compelled　his　presence　on　the　witness　stand。　The　nature　of　the　man's　testimon