The Rubber Band

"Well, they can't. We've got nothing at all to go on except that Harlan Scovil had his name on a piece of paper and he was at your place last night. We couldn't use a hose on all eight of them even if we were inclined that way. The last one was brought in less than an hour ago, and he's worse than any of the others. He's a night watchman and he's seventy if he's a day, and he says who he knows or doesn't know is none of our damn business, and I'm inclined to believe him. Look here, Goodwin. This Walsh isn't a client of Wolfe's. You don't owe him anything, and anyway we're not going to hurt him unless he needs it. Come on and take a look and tell me if we've got him."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry- It wouldn't go with the program. I'd like to, but I can't."

Cramer took his cigar from his mouth and pointed it at me. "Once more I'm asking you. Will you do it?"

I just shook my head.

He walked around the desk to his chair and sat down. He looked at me as if he regretted something. Finally he said, "It's too much, Goodwin. This time it's too much. I'm going to have to put it on to you and Wolfe both for obstructing justice. It's all set for a charge. Even if I hated to worse than I do, I've got upstairs to answer to."

He pushed a button on his desk. I said, "Go ahead. Then, pretty soon, go ahead and regret it for a year or two and maybe longer."

The door opened and a gumshoe came in. Cramer turned to him. "You'll have to turn 'em loose. Nick. Put shadows on all of them except the kid that goes to N. Y. U. and the radio singer. They're out. Take good men. If one of them gets lost you've got addresses to pick him up again. Any more they pick up, I'll see them after you've got a record down."

"Yes, sir. The one from Brooklyn, the McGrue Club guy, is raising hell."

"All right. Let him out. I'll phone McGrue later."

The gumshoe departed. Cramer tried to get his cigar lit. I said, "And as far as upstairs is concerned, to hell with the Commissioner. How does he know whether or not it's justice that Wolfe's obstructing? How about that cripple Paul Chapin and that bird Bowen? Did he obstruct justice that time? If you ask me, I think you had a nerve to ask me to come down here. Are we interfering with your legal right to look for these babies? You even looked for one of them under Wolfe's bed and under my bed. Do Wolfe and I wear badges, and do we line up on the first and fifteenth for a city check? We do not."

Cramer puffed. "I ought to charge you."