Triple Jeopardy by Rex Stout

trembling, toward me.
    Tina gestured impatiently. Thats nothing to you, she said, letting bitterness into it for the first time. We know that, its nothing. But the danger has come, and we had to have someone tell us where to go. This morning a man came to the barber shop and asked us questions. An official! A policeman!
    Oh. I glanced from one to the other. Thats different. A policeman in uniform'
    No, in regular clothes, but he showed us a card in a case, New York Police Department. His name was on it, Jacob Wallen.
    What time this morning'
    A little after nine oclock, soon after the shop was open. He talked first with Mr. Fickler, the owner, and Mr. Fickler brought him around behind the partition to my booth, where I do customers when theyre through in the chair or when they only want a manicure, and I was there, getting things together, and he sat down and took out a notebook and asked me questions. Then he -
    What kind of questions'
    All about me. My name, where I live, where I came from, how long Ive been working there, all that kind, and then about last night, where I was and what I was doing last night.
    Did he say why he was curious about last night'
    No. He just asked questions.
    What part of last night did he ask about'All of it'
    Yes, from the time the shop closes, half-past six, from then on.
    Where did you tell him you came from'
    I said Carl and I are DPs from Italy. Thats what we had decided to say. We have to say something when people are just curious.
    I suppose you do. Did he ask to see your papers'
    No. That will come next. She set her jaw. We cant go back there. We have to leave New York today - now.
    What else did he ask'
    Thats all. It was mostly about last night.
    ___ what'Did he question Carl too'
    ___ but not right after me. He sent me away, and Mr. sent Philip to him in the booth, and when Philip itout he sent Carl in, and when Carl came out he sent Jimmie in. Jimmie was still in the booth with him when I went to Carl, up front by the rack, and we knew we had to go out. We waited until Mr. Fickler had gone to the back of shop for something, and then we just walked out. We it to our room down on the East Side and packed our stuff and started for Grand Central with it, and then we realized that we didnt know anything about where to go and might make terrible mistake, so there in Grand Central we talked it p We decided that since the police were after us already Jdnt be any worse, but we werent sure enough about roi the people we have met in New York, so the best thing be to come to you and pay you to help us. Youre a professional detective, and anyway Carl likes you about the i of all the customers. You only tip him a dime, so its not Bt. I have noticed you myself, the way you look. You look I a man who would break rules too - if you had to.
    Ip gave her a sharp look, suspicious, but if she was trying to jitter me she was very good. All that showed in her blue ; was the scare that had put them on the run and the hope me they were hanging on to for dear life. I looked at Carl.
    : scare was there too, but I couldnt see the hope. Still he : solid on the chair, with no sign of trembling, as I thought myself that it would have been no surprise to him if I had eked up the phone and called the cops. Either he had his share of guts or he had run out entirely.
    I was irritated. Damn it, I protested, you bring it here lalready broke. What did you beat it for'That alone fixes | you. He was questioning the others too and he was concenJ tearing on last night. What about last night'What were you i doing, breaking some more rules'
    They both started to answer, but she let him take it. He sisaid no, they werent. They had gone straight home from I work and eaten in their room as usual. Tina had washed some clothes, and Carl had read a book. Around nine they had gone for a walk, and had been back in their room and in bed before ten-thirty.
    I was disgusted. You sure did it up, I declared. If youre clean for last night,