Would you be so kind？〃 Degarmo stood up slowly； a dark flush staining his cheekbones。 He leaned a hard hand flat on the desk and looked at Webber。 There was a little charged silence。 He said： 〃Okay； captain。 But you're playing this wrong。〃 Webber didn't answer him。 Degarmo walked to the door and out。 Webber waited for the door to close before he spoke。
〃Is it your line that you can tie this Almore business a year and a half ago to the shooting in Lavery's place today？ Or is it just a smoke screen you're laying down because you know damn well Kingsley's wife shot Layery？〃 I said： 〃It was tied to Lavery before he was shot。 In a rough sort of way； perhaps only with a granny knot。 But enough to make a man think。〃
〃I've been into this matter a little more thoroughly than you might think；〃 Webber said coldly。 〃Although I never had anything personally to do with the death of Almore's wife and I wasn't chief of detectives at that time。 If you didn't even know Almore yesterday morning； you must have heard a lot about him since。〃 I told him exactly what I had heard； both from Miss Fromsett and from the Graysons。
〃Then it's your theory that Lavery may have blackmailed Dr。 Almore？〃 he asked at the end。 〃And that that may have something to do with the murder？〃
〃It's not a theory。 It's no more than a possibility。 I wouldn't be doing a job if I ignored it。 The relations； if any； between Lavery and Almore might have been deep and dangerous or just the merest acquaintance； or not even that。 For all I positively know they may never even have spoken to each other。 But if there was nothing funny about the Almore case； why get so tough with anybody who shows an interest in it？ It could be coincidence that George Talley was hooked for drunk driving just when he was working on it。 It could be coincidence that Almore called a cop because I stared at his house； and that Lavery was shot before I could talk to him a second time。 But it's no coincidence that two of your men were watching Talley's home tonight； ready； willing and able to make trouble for me； if I went there。〃
〃I grant you that；〃 Webber said。 〃And I'm not done with that incident。 Do you want to ifie charges？〃
〃Life's too short for me to be filing charges of assault against police officers；〃 I said。
He winced a little。 〃Then we'll wash all that out and charge it to experience；〃 he said。 ？〃And as I understand you were not even booked； you're free to go home any time you want to。 And if I were you； I'd leave Captain Webber to deal with the Lavery case and with any remote connection it might turn out to have with the Almore case。〃 I said： 〃And with any remote connection it might have with a woman named Muriel Chess being found drowned in a mountain lake near Puma Point yesterday？〃 He raised his little eyebrows。 〃You think that？〃
〃Only you might not know her as Muriel Chess。 Supposing that you knew her at all you might have known her as Mildred Haviland； who used to be Dr。 Almore's office nurse。 Who put Mrs。 Almore to bed the night she was found dead in the garage； and who； if。 there was any hanky…panky about that； might know who it was； and be bribed or scared into leaving town shortly thereafter。〃 Webber picked up two matches and broke them。 His small bleak eyes were fixed on my face。 He said nothing。
〃And at that point；〃 I said； 〃you run into a real basic coincidence； the only one I'm willing to admit in the whole picture。 For this Mildred Haviland met a man named Bill Chess in a Riverside beer parlor and for reasons of her own married him and went to live with him at Little Fawn Lake。 And Little Fawn Lake was the property of a man whose wife was intimate with Lavery； who had found Mrs。 Almore's body。 That's what I call a real coincidence。 It can't be anything else but； but it's basic； fundamental。 Everything else flows from it。〃 Webber got up from his desk and went over to the water cooler and drank two paper cups of water。 He crushed the cups slowly in his hand and twisted them into a bail and dropped the ball into a brown metal basket under the cooler。 He walked to the windows and stood looking out over the bay。 This was before the dimout went into effect； and there were many lights in the yacht harbor。
He came slowly back to the desk and sat down。 He reached up and pinched his nose。 He was making up his mind about something。
He said slowly： 〃I can't see what the hell sense there is in trying to mix that up with something that happened a year and a half later。〃
〃Okay；〃 I said； 〃and thanks for giving me so much of your time。〃 I got up to go。
〃Your leg feel pretty bad？〃 he asked； as I leaned down to rub it。
〃Bad enough； but it's getting better。〃
〃Police business；〃 he said almost gently； 〃is a hell of a problem。 It's a good deal like politics。 It asks for the highest type of men； and there's nothing in it to attract the highest type of men。 So we have to work with what we get…and we get things like this。〃
〃I know；〃 I said。 〃I've always known that。 I'm not bitter about it。 Goodnight； Captain Webber。〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 he said。 〃Sit down a minute。 If we've got to have the Almore case in this； let's drag it out into the open and look at it。〃
〃It's about time somebody did that；〃 I said。 I sat down again。
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Webber said quietly： 〃I suppose some people think we're just a bunch of crooks down here。 I suppose they think a fellow kills his wife and then calls me up on the phone and says： 'Hi； Cap； I got a little murder down here cluttering up the front room。 And I've got five hundred iron men that are not working。' And then I say： 'Fine。 Hold everything and I'll be right down with a blanket。'〃
〃Not quite that bad；〃 I said。
〃What did you want to see Talley about when you went to his house tonight？〃
〃He had some line on Florence Almore's death。 Her parents hired him to follow it up； but he never told them what it was。〃
〃And you thought he would tell you？〃 Webber asked sarcastically。
〃All I could do was try。〃
〃Or was it just that Degarmo getting tough with you made you feel like getting tough right back at him？〃
〃There might be a little of that in it too；〃 I said。
〃Talley was a petty blackmailer；〃 Webber said contemptuously。 〃On more than one occasion。 Any way to get rid of him was good enough。 So I'll tell you what it was he had。 He had a slipper he had stolen from Florence Almore's foot。〃
〃A slipper？〃 He smiled faintly。 〃Just a slipper。 It was later found hidden in his house。 It was a green velvet dancing pump with some little stones set into the heel。 It was custom made； by a man in Hollywood who makes theatrical footwear and such。 Now ask me what was important about this slipper？〃
〃What was important about it； captain？〃
〃She had two pair of them； exactly alike； made on the same order。 It seems that is not unusual。 In case one of them gets scuffed or some drunken ox tries to walk up a lady's leg。〃 He paused and smiled thinly。 〃It seems that one pair had never been worn。〃
〃I think I'm beginning to get it；〃 I said。
He leaned back and tapped the arms of his chair。 He waited。
〃The walk from the side door of the house to the garage is rough concrete；〃 I said。 〃Fairly rough。 Suppose she didn't walk it； but was carried。 And suppose whoever carried her put her slippers on…and got one that had not been worn。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃And suppose Talley noticed this while Lavery was telephoning to the doctor； who was out on his rounds。 So he took the unworn slipper； regarding it as evidence that Florence Almore had been murdered。〃 Webber nodded his head。 〃It was evidence if he left it where it was； for the police to find it。 After he took it； it was just evidence that he was a rat。〃
〃Was a monoxide test made of her blood？〃 He put his hands flat on his desk and looked down at them。 〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃And there was monoxide all right。 Also the investigating officers were satisfied with appearances。 There was no sign of violence。 They were satisfied that Dr。 Alrnore had not murdered his wife。 Perhaps they were wrong。 I think the investigation was a little superficial。〃
〃And who was in charge of it？〃 I asked。
〃I think you know the a