seem necessary. I had this girl in my hair until…”
“Yes, I think you are slipping,” Ritchie said quietly. “I’ve never known you to make excuses before.”
“Oh, go to hell!” Corridon exclaimed. “I’m not making excuses. I’m telling you what happened.”
“You realise Lestrange is a key man?” Ritchie said. “There’s going to be an awful rumpus about this. You seem to have been particularly clumsy. You were seen entering the flat. The woman and a man who lives in the flat above hers have given very accurate descriptions of you. The police know it is you. The woman claims she kept jewellery in the desk, and you took it. She says you shot Lestrange down in cold blood.”
“There was no jewellery and I didn’t shoot Lestrange,” Corridon said.
“I know that, but it will be difficult to prove.”
“Well, it’s got to be proved!” Corridon snapped. “I was damn near hanged the last job I did for you. I’m not going through that experience again.”
Ritchie took out a cigarette-case, opened it and selected a cigarette.
“Have you any suggestions?” he asked mildly.
“I’ll tell my story to the police and you’ll corroborate it. If the police work on the woman, she’ll crack.”
“I’m afraid it won’t be as easy as that,” Ritchie said. “Naturally, you are looking at this thing from your point of view. But I see it from many points of view. What you don’t seem to realize is that this organization is not yet aware it has been discovered. They believe we don’t know these murders and acts of sabotage are planned and carried out by this particular group of people. They think they have covered their tracks, and we are floundering about in the dark. They have no idea I am hunting for them. If I come forward and corroborate your story, the cat will be out of the bag, and they will be much more difficult to track down. I’m afraid it is in the interests of the country for me not to come forward.”
Corridon stood very still. His face hardened.
“Let’s get this straight,” he said. “Are you going to throw me to the wolves?”
Ritchie lit his cigarette and put the match carefully in the ash-tray.
“I’m afraid I am. You have stepped out of line, and as you admit, you have only yourself to blame. If you hadn’t fooled with that girl, you could have got word to Marian and I should have been able to cover you. I would have told Saunders to watch you, and as soon as the shot had been fired, he would have entered the room and caught the woman in the act. You would have had the necessary witness and I need not have come into it. But as it is, it’s you or the country. I’m sorry.”
Corridon went to the cupboard and fetched out the whisky and soda syphon.
“Then if I’m not working for you any more,” he said, “I may as well buy myself a drink.” He poured a stiff whisky. “Like one?”
Ritchie shook his head.
“You don’t think I’m going to hand myself over to Rawlins, do you?” Corridon went on. “You don’t imagine I’m going like a lamb to the slaughter? You should know me better than that. It’s easy enough for you to talk about putting the country first. You’re not risking your life. I like my life, and I intend to keep it as long as I can. I’m afraid your little plan is going to misfire.”
“I seem to have misjudged you,” Ritchie said. “I was a fool to have taken you into my confidence.”
“I think you were,” Corridon returned. “I warned you. I’m sorry, Colonel, but I’m not falling in with your patriotic plans. I’m going over to the other side. I don’t doubt if I tell them you are the boy they should watch; they will favour me. They’ll probably be interested to know what happened to No. 12, the fella you worked on and who committed suicide. They’ll also be interested to learn something of your methods you have so obligingly taught me in the past. I wouldn’t mind betting they’ll find a suitable hiding-place for me
“Yes, I think you are slipping,” Ritchie said quietly. “I’ve never known you to make excuses before.”
“Oh, go to hell!” Corridon exclaimed. “I’m not making excuses. I’m telling you what happened.”
“You realise Lestrange is a key man?” Ritchie said. “There’s going to be an awful rumpus about this. You seem to have been particularly clumsy. You were seen entering the flat. The woman and a man who lives in the flat above hers have given very accurate descriptions of you. The police know it is you. The woman claims she kept jewellery in the desk, and you took it. She says you shot Lestrange down in cold blood.”
“There was no jewellery and I didn’t shoot Lestrange,” Corridon said.
“I know that, but it will be difficult to prove.”
“Well, it’s got to be proved!” Corridon snapped. “I was damn near hanged the last job I did for you. I’m not going through that experience again.”
Ritchie took out a cigarette-case, opened it and selected a cigarette.
“Have you any suggestions?” he asked mildly.
“I’ll tell my story to the police and you’ll corroborate it. If the police work on the woman, she’ll crack.”
“I’m afraid it won’t be as easy as that,” Ritchie said. “Naturally, you are looking at this thing from your point of view. But I see it from many points of view. What you don’t seem to realize is that this organization is not yet aware it has been discovered. They believe we don’t know these murders and acts of sabotage are planned and carried out by this particular group of people. They think they have covered their tracks, and we are floundering about in the dark. They have no idea I am hunting for them. If I come forward and corroborate your story, the cat will be out of the bag, and they will be much more difficult to track down. I’m afraid it is in the interests of the country for me not to come forward.”
Corridon stood very still. His face hardened.
“Let’s get this straight,” he said. “Are you going to throw me to the wolves?”
Ritchie lit his cigarette and put the match carefully in the ash-tray.
“I’m afraid I am. You have stepped out of line, and as you admit, you have only yourself to blame. If you hadn’t fooled with that girl, you could have got word to Marian and I should have been able to cover you. I would have told Saunders to watch you, and as soon as the shot had been fired, he would have entered the room and caught the woman in the act. You would have had the necessary witness and I need not have come into it. But as it is, it’s you or the country. I’m sorry.”
Corridon went to the cupboard and fetched out the whisky and soda syphon.
“Then if I’m not working for you any more,” he said, “I may as well buy myself a drink.” He poured a stiff whisky. “Like one?”
Ritchie shook his head.
“You don’t think I’m going to hand myself over to Rawlins, do you?” Corridon went on. “You don’t imagine I’m going like a lamb to the slaughter? You should know me better than that. It’s easy enough for you to talk about putting the country first. You’re not risking your life. I like my life, and I intend to keep it as long as I can. I’m afraid your little plan is going to misfire.”
“I seem to have misjudged you,” Ritchie said. “I was a fool to have taken you into my confidence.”
“I think you were,” Corridon returned. “I warned you. I’m sorry, Colonel, but I’m not falling in with your patriotic plans. I’m going over to the other side. I don’t doubt if I tell them you are the boy they should watch; they will favour me. They’ll probably be interested to know what happened to No. 12, the fella you worked on and who committed suicide. They’ll also be interested to learn something of your methods you have so obligingly taught me in the past. I wouldn’t mind betting they’ll find a suitable hiding-place for me
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