Even had Gavegan done
so, the large and vague manner in which Maggie had stated the
situation would have stirred Barlow's curiosity.
"All right. I'll put a couple of my good men on the case. Where shall
I send 'em?"
"A couple of your good men won't do. I want only one of your good
men--and that man is yourself."
"Me!" growled Barlow. "What kind of floor-walker d'you think I am? I'm
too busy!"
"Too busy to take personal charge, and get personal credit, for one of
the biggest cases that ever went through this office?"
Maggie had sought only to excite his vanity. But unknowingly she had
also appealed to something else in him: his very deep concern in the
hostile activities of the District Attorney's office. If this girl
told the truth, then here might be his chance to display such devotion
to duty as to turn up some such sensational case as would make this
investigation from the District Attorney's office seem to the public
an unholy persecution and make the chagrined District Attorney, who
was very sensitive to public opinion, think it wiser to drop the whole
matter.
"How do I know you're not trying to string me?--or get me out of the
way of something bigger?--or hand me the double-cross?"
"I shall be there all the time, and if you don't like the way the
thing develops you can arrest me.
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