The Rubber Band

Perry sounded flustered. "Well… precipitate… yes, it was. It was, yes. You see… you asked me yesterday if I am not the fount of justice in this organization. To a certain extent, yes. But there is always… well… the human element. I am not a czar, neither in fact nor by temperament. When you phoned me last evening you may have thought me irritable- as a matter of fact, I thought of calling you back to apologize. The truth is I was chagrined and deeply annoyed. I knew then that a warrant had been issued for the arrest at the instance of Mr. Muir. Surely you can appreciate my position. Mr. Muir is a high official of my corporation. When I learned later in the evening that the money had been found in Miss Fox's car, I was astounded… I couldn't believe it… but what could I do? I was amazed…"

"Indeed." Wolte still snapped. "You've got your money back. Do you intend to proceed with the prosecution?"

"You don't need to take that tone, Wolfe." Perry sharpened a little. "I told you there is the human element. I'm noЈ a czar. Muir makes an issue of it. I'm being frank with you. I can't talk him off. Granted that I could kick the first vice-president out of the company if I wanted to, which is a good deal to grant, do you think I should? After all, he has the law-"

"Then you're with him on it?"

A pause. "No. No, I'm not. I… I have the strongest… sympathy for Clara- Miss Fox. I would like to see her get something… much more human than justice. For instance, if there is any difficulty about bail for her I would be glad to furnish it."

"Thank you. We'll manage bail. You asked me to be brief, Mr. Perry. First, I suggest that you arrange to have the charge against Miss Fox quashed immediately. Second, I wish to inform you of our intentions if that is not done. At ten o'clock tomorrow morning I shall have Miss Fox submit herself to arrest and shall have her at once released on bail. She will then start an action against Ramsey Muir and the Seaboard Products Corporation to recover one million dollars in damages for false arrest. We deal in millions here now. I think there is no question but that we shall have sufficient evidence to uphold our action. If they try her first, so much the better. She'll be acquitted."

"But how can… that's absurd… if you have evidence…"

"That's all, Mr. Perry. That's my brevity. Good-by."