Kells went on, swiftly: “When I open the door at Perry’s, somebody lets Doc have it and goes out through the kitchen. Maybe. The back door slammed but it might have been the draft when I opened the front door. Dave is cold with an egg over his ear and Ruth Perry says that a little queen with glasses shot Doc and sapped Dave when he spoke out of turn...”
Cullen said: “You’re not making this up as you go along, are you?”
Kells paid no attention to Cullen’s interruption. “The rod is on the floor. I tell Ruth to stick to her story... Cullen raised one eyebrow, smiled faintly with his lips. Kells said: “She will,” went on: ”... and try to keep Dave quiet while I figure an alibi, try to find out what it’s all about. I smack her to make it look good and then I get the bright idea that if I leave the gun there they’ll hold both of them, no matter what story they tell. They’d have to hold somebody; Doc had a lot of friends downtown.”
Kells finished his drink, picked up his hat and put it on. “I figured Ruth to office Dave that I was working on it and that he might keep his mouth shut if he wasn’t in on the plant.” Cullen sighed heavily.
Kells said: “He was. Shep tells me that Dave says I had an argument with Doc, shot him, and clipped Dave when he tried to stop me. Shep can’t get a line on Ruth’s story, but I’ll lay six, two, and even that she’s still telling the one about the little guy.” He stood up. “They’re both being held incommunicado. And here’s one for the book: Reilly made the pinch. Now what the hell was Reilly doing out here if it wasn’t tipped?”
Cullen said: “It’s a set-up. It was the girl.” Kells shook his head slowly. “Dave knows it and is trying to cover for her,” Cullen went on. “She told you a fast one about the little guy and I’ll bet she’s telling the same story as Dave right now.”
“Wrong.”
Cullen laughed. “If you didn’t think it was possible you wouldn’t look that way.”
“You’re crazy. If she wanted to frame me she wouldn’t’ve put on that act. She wouldn’t’ve...”
“Oh, yes, she would. She’d let you go and put the finger on you from a distance.” Cullen scratched his side, under the arm, yawned.