"
"You can't implicate him without getting yourself into trouble--even if
your story is true, and I still don't believe it."
"You believe it all right," jeered the crook. "And the story don't
hurt me a bit. I pretended to fall in with his plans, but I didn't do
it. The results show that."
"They show me that you tried to do murder instead."
"That's all bunk. The evidence won't prove it."
Whitford announced his decision sharply. "If you'll leave me your
telephone number, I'll let you know later in the day what we'll do."
He had told Durand that he did not believe his story. He had tried to
reject it because he did not want to accept it, but after the man had
gone and he thought it over, his judgment was that it held some germ of
truth. If so, he was bound to protect Bromfield as far as he could.
No matter what Clarendon had done, he could not throw overboard to the
sharks the man who was still engaged to his daughter. He might not
like him. In point of fact he did not. But he had to stand by him
till he was out of his trouble.
Colin Whitford went straight to his daughter.
"Honey, this man Durand has just brought me a story about Clarendon.
He says he paid him to get Clay into trouble at the Omnium Club in
order to discredit him with us."
"Oh, Dad!"
"I'm going to see Clarendon. If it's true I don't want you to see him
again. Authorize me to break the engagement for you."
They talked it over for a few minutes.
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