xplain why Gresham threw those
record-cards in the fire," Rand contributed. "You know why Olsen says
Gresham had it in for Rivers? Rivers sold Gresham a fake antique, a flint
lock navy pistol that had been worked over into something else. Gresham
was going to subpoena those records, when he brought suit against
Rivers," Rand lied. "But I can explain why Cecil Gillis might have
destroyed them, after killing Rivers, if he'd been cheating Rivers and
Rivers caught him at it."

"Yeah, and that might explain why Gillis was in such a hurry to sic us
onto Gresham, too," McKenna added. "I thought of something like that. And
this high-brown girl that works for Rivers says that Gillis and Mrs.
Rivers played all kinds of games together, when Rivers was away."

"Well, who's in charge of the investigation?" Rand wanted to know. "I
heard, on the radio ..."

"You're liable to hear anything on the radio, including slanders on
Bing Crosby's horses. But for the record, I am in charge of this
investigation. And don't anybody forget it, either," he added, in
the direction of the rear seat.

"That's what I thought. Well, Stephen Gresham has just retained me to
make an independent investigation," Rand said. "It is not that he lacks
confidence in the State Police, or in you; he was afraid that other
parties might get into the act and try to make political capital out
of it. Which appears to have happened."

"Well, if Gresham retained you, I'm satisfied," McKenna said. "You can
take care of that end of it. Glad you're in with us."

"Well, I ain't satisfied!" Olsen began yelling, again. "And Mr.
Farnsworth won't be, neither. Why, this here private dick is like as
not workin' for the very man that killed Rivers!"

McKenna turned slowly in his seat, to face Olsen.

"One time, ten years ago," he began, "Jeff Rand had a client who was
guilty of the crime he hired Jeff to investigate. It was an arson case;
this guy set fire to his own factory, and then got Jeff to run down a lot
of fake clues he'd planted. I know about that; I was on the case, myself.
That's where I first met Jeff, and he saved me from making a jackass out
of myself. And what happened to this guy who'd hired Jeff was something
that oughtn't to happen even to Molotov, and it happened because Jeff
fixed it to happen. If anybody hires Jeff Rand, he's one of two things.
He's either innocent, or else he's out of luck.... I don't know why the
hell I bother telling you this."

"T