crimes but
seldom convicted of them.

"Well, what's your game this time, Max?" the detective demanded
sharply. "What brought you here?"

CHAPTER III

The Threat

Max Lynch smiled disarmingly as he seated himself in a chair opposite
the detective.

"You have an abrupt way with your clients, Nichols."

"You're no client of mine," the detective retorted. "You never have
been and you never will be!"

The gambler continued to smile blandly, refusing to take offense. "I
admit I've never hired you on a job of my own," he said. "But many a
time a guy has said to me 'Who is the best private dick in town?' and I
says 'Chris Nichols,' just like that. It has brought you some nice
jobs."

"I don't believe I've ever taken any case through your influence, Max
Lynch. But that's neither here nor there. What's on your mind?"

The gambler moved forward in his chair.

"Well, Nichols, it's like this. Dutch O'Neil is in the jug for pasting
a dude customer of mine over at my casino last night. Dutch is one of
my bouncers and this fellow started upsetting the faro tables after he
had lost his roll. Dutch bounced him out so hard the fellow is in the
hospital with a broken jaw."

"And you want me to send the man some flowers?" the detective asked
sarcastically.

Max Lynch ignored the thrust. "It's this way," he explained. "The guy
turned out to be a big shot of the town--a broker or something. And he
has turned so much heat on the judge the poor old fossil is afraid to
let Dutch go. Now it happens this broker is an old friend and client
of yours--George Kirby. Know him?"

"Yes, I know him very well."

"All right, you go and see George and soften him up. If you can get
him to drop his charges and have the case nolled there's half a grand
in it for you."

"I'll have nothing to do with it."

"I'll raise the ante," the gambler offered. "Seven hundred and fifty."

"There's not enough of your kind of money in this town to employ me on
a crooked case like this."

"A real good guy, ain't you?" Lynch sneered.

"No, not good. Just sanitary."

The gambler's face flushed with anger as he arose and edged toward the
door.

"O.K., chief," he said mockingly. "And don't worry about that
'sanitary' stuff. Just wait till our clean-up gang hears about this!"

He slammed the door after him and Penny could hear his heels clicking
angrily as he walked rapidly down the long corridor to the elevator.
She quickly