“You can’t talk to me that way…” he began, when Forest interrupted.
“Yes, we can, Captain,” he said. “I support what Conrad’s just said. This girl’s an important witness, and I’m going to see she gets treated right.”
“She’s an accessory after the fact!” McCann said, controlling his temper with an effort. “And there’s nothing either of you can say that’ll make her anything else!”
“Oh, skip it,” Conrad said impatiently. “Let’s go up and talk to her. We want Maurer, and this girl can give us Maurer. That’s all there is to it. So get off your high horse and calm down.”
For a moment he thought McCann was going to take a swing at him, but McCann managed to control himself.
“Okay,” he said, biting off each word. “Let’s get at her!”
The three men went up the stairs to Frances’s room.
They found Frances, white-faced with dark shadows under her eyes, standing by the window. Madge Fielding was with her.
“Miss Coleman, this is the District Attorney,” Conrad said, “and this is PoliceCaptain McCann. They have come to hear your story. Gentlemen, this is Miss Coleman.”
Forest came over and smiled at Frances.