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Midnight

<h2 id="id01485" style="margin-top: 4em">CHAPTER XVII</h2> <h5 id="id01486">BARKER ACCUSES</h5> The men looked at each other in silence for a minute. Leverage was sorry for Carroll—sorry because he knew that Carroll was disappointed, that the boyish detective had hoped against hope that the trail would lead to some person other than the flaming creature who was Gerald Lawrence's wife. It was not that Carroll had become infatuated with her. It was merely that he liked her—liked her sincerely—and was sorry for her. The conclusions to be inevitably reached from the premise that Naomi was the woman in the taxicab were none too pleasant. In the first place there was the matter of morals involved. It had been pretty well established that the dead man had planned a trip to New York with someone: there was the fact that he had purchased a drawing room and two railroad tickets—only one of which later had been found in his pockets at midnight that night. Then there was the circumstance of Mrs. Lawrence packing her suit-case and taking it, or sending it, from the house during the day—and its reappearance a couple of days later. It also explained her willingness that Evelyn spend the night with Hazel Gresham. Knowing that she, Naomi, was going to leave her home before midnight, she had not wanted her youthful sister to spend the balance of the night alone—and so had sent her to the house of a friend. That much was clear— "It's hell!" burst out Carroll. "You said it." "Suppose she was the woman in the taxicab—?" "Yes—suppose she was: it doesn't prove that she killed Warren?" "No—but it proves something a good deal worse, Leverage. It proves that she was going to elope with him." "It may—we don't know!" "We don't know anything. But there is a certain logic which is irrefutable—and, confound it! man—what are we going to do now?" Leverage refused to meet his friend's eyes. "We-e-ll, David—suppose you tell me what you think we should do?" "We ought to—but it's rotten! Absolutely rotten!" "Trouble with you, David," said Leverage kindly—"is that you're too damned human!" "I can't help it. It isn't my fault. And if I was sure that Naomi Lawrence was the woman in that taxi, I'd arrest her immediately. But I'm not sure, Leverage—and neither are you. Let's admit that it's a ten to one bet—we're still not positive. And I wonder if you realize what her arrest would mean?" "What?" "We can't arrest a woman of her prominence socially without a reason—and a darned good reason. Therefore, when we arrest her we have to tell the public why we're doing it. And what do we tell 'em? That she was—or might have become—Warren's light-o'-love! That she was going to elope with him!" "And yet, David—all of that is probably true." "Probably—yes. But not positively. We haven't proved anything. And once we explode that social bomb—we've started something that she'll never live down. We've done more than that—we've played the devil with Evelyn's chance of happiness. That kid will be in a swell position when the scandal-mongers get hold of the gossip about her sister. Can't you hear 'em—babbling about it being in the blood?" "But she might prove that none of it is true." "That doesn't make a bit of difference. Gossip pays no attention to a refutation. Leave consideration for Mrs. Lawrence out of it altogether—and figure where Evelyn comes in on the backwash." "It is tough. But this is a murder case—and, anyway, I don't think she killed Warren." "Even if she didn't—I fancy she'd rather be convicted of murder—than of what this will lead to. I'm afraid, Leverage. We're trifling with something a good deal more sacred than human life. If Naomi Lawrence is guilty—there's no objection to her suffering. But her kid sister will suffer too—" "You don't think, Carroll—that she looked like that kind?" "Good God! no! And even if we prove that she was the woman in the taxicab—that she was going to elope with Warren—it still won't prove that she was that kind. There's something about that husband of hers—meet him, Leverage—meet him! That's the only way you'll have any understanding of my sympathy for the wife." Leverage rose and walked to the window. He spoke without turning, "Tough—David; mighty tough. And we've got to do something." No answer. Carroll had lighted a cigarette and was puffing fiercely upon it. Leverage spoke again softly— "Haven't we?" "I suppose we have—" "Well?" Another long silence. "Isn't there anything we can do, Eric—before we start something that no human power can stop? Something to make us sure—to give us a clincher? That's all I ask. You say I'm cursed with too much of the milk of human kindness. Perhaps I am—perhaps that's what makes me no better detective than I am—but it's a trait—good or bad—that I'll never get over. And until every possible doubt as to that woman's complicity has been removed, I am opposed to any such course as arrest and public announcement of the reasons therefor." Leverage shook his head. He was disappointed in his friend. Not that Carroll would flinch from duty—but Leverage considered it a weakness that Carroll insisted on postponing the inevitable. He was sorry—he knew that it had to come: Naomi's arrest and the consequent nasty publicity. His manner, as he addressed Carroll, was that of a man who washes his hands of something— "It's your case, David. Handle it your own way. That's been our agreement always when we worked together—and I'm game to stick to it now." Carroll flushed. "Yet you're disappointed in me?" "A little—yes," said Leverage honestly. "But I've been disappointed in you before, David—and you've always made me sorry for it. I know you won't throw me down this time. You've never done it yet." "You're safe!" said Carroll grimly. "No—" as Leverage started for the door; "Don't go! I want to think for a minute—" Leverage sank obediently into a chair. Carroll paced the room slowly. He was thinking—struggling to decide upon a plan of action which would delay the arrest of Naomi Lawrence until the ultimate moment. And finally he flung back his head triumphantly. Leverage looked up with pleasure at the sound of relief in his friend's voice— "Leverage?" "Yes?" "You say this case is mine—absolutely? To handle as I see fit?" "Yes." "You agree that we have enough against William Barker to arrest him?" "Gosh—I said that the first day we met him." "You also agree that he knows whatever connection the Lawrences have with the Warren murder?" "I do." "Then get Barker. Bring him here!" Leverage departed with a light step. There was a smile on his lips. Here was the style of procedure with which he was familiar and in full sympathy. Here was action supplanting stagnation—something definite succeeding the long nerve-wracking period of conjecture which appeared to lead nowhere save into a labyrinth of endless discussion. He started the machinery of the department to moving. When he returned to his office an hour later, Carroll was still seated motionlessly before the grate fire—an extinguished cigar between his teeth—eyes focused intently on the dancing flames. Leverage spoke— "I've got Barker." "Where is he?" "Downstairs." "Bring him in. You stay here when he comes—send everybody else out." Cartwright brought Barker into the room and Leverage dismissed the plainclothesman. Barker, eyes wide with fear, face pallid—yet with a certain belligerence in his attitude—confronted the two detectives. "I say—" he started, "what does this mean?" "It means," said Carroll coldly, "that you are under arrest for the murder of Roland Warren!" "That I'm—" Barker fell back a step. It was plain that he was surprised. "You're arresting me for Warren's murder?" "Yes." "But I didn't do it. I'll swear I didn't." "Of course you'll swear it—" Carroll's steely voice excited a vast admiration in Leverage's breast. Many times before he had seen the transformation in his friend from all too human softness to almost inhuman coldness—yet he never failed of surprise at the phenomenon. "But we know you did do it." "You don't know nothin' of the kind," Barker's voice came in a half-snarl. "I don't give a damn how smart you fly-cops are—you can't prove nothin' on me." "That so?" "Yes—that's so. Just because I worked for Warren ain't no reason why you should arrest me for his murder. Suppose I had wanted to kill him—and I didn't—didn't have no reason at all. But suppose I had wanted too—you know bloody well that I didn't do it." "Why do we know that?" "Because you know he was killed by a woman!" "Aa-a-ah! That's what you think, eh?" "I know a woman killed him." "You were present?" "Bah! Trying to trap me—are you? Well, I ain't going to be trapped. I don't know nothin' about it. Like I said from the first." "But you do know something about it," insisted Carroll icily. "And I'd advise you to come clean with us." "There ain't nothin' to come clean about." "You say we know that a woman killed Warren. You seem pretty confident of that yourself. Well, we happen to know that you know who this woman was. Who was she?" For the first time Barker's eyes shifted. "You know as well as me who she was?" "Who was she?" Carroll's voice fairly snapped. "It was—Miss Hazel Gresham!" Carroll stared at the man. "Listen to me, Barker—you're lying and we know you're lying. You know as well as we do that Miss Gresham was at her own home when Warren was killed. I don't want any more lies! Not one! Now tell us the truth!" Barker stared first at Carroll—then at Leverage. An expression of doubt crossed his face. It was patent that these men knew more than he had credited them. Finally he shrugged his shoulders— "Well—Mr. Carroll, that bein' the case—I ain't goin' to stick my head in a noose for nobody!" "You've decided to tell us the truth!" "I have." "You know who killed Roland Warren?" "Yes—I know who killed Roland Warren!" "Who was it?" Barker's face went white. Leverage and Carroll leaned forward eagerly—nervously. It seemed an eternity before Barker's answer came—but when it did, his words rang with conviction—he uttered a name— "Mrs. Naomi Lawrence!" <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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