“If you do, come to Los Angeles.”
“Don’t go to Los Angeles until I tell you to.”
Endicott laughed. “My dear sir, if you want to ask me any more questions, you’d better ask them now, because within two hours I’ll be headed for Los Angeles.”
“Being independent?” Kleinsmidt inquired.
“Not a bit of it, Lieutenant. I simply happen to have a deep-seated aversion to letting an important business get at sixes and sevens merely because you want to hold everyone here in Las Vegas until you’ve finished your investigation. I can quite understand your position, Lieutenant, and I don’t blame you in the least, but I have my own responsibilities.”
“I can have you subpoenaed as a witness before the coroner’s jury.”
Endicott thought it over, nodded slowly, and said, “My mistake, Lieutenant, you can.”
“And then you couldn’t leave until the case was cleaned up.”
“That’s right — and the aftermath might be unpleasant. This is important business to you, Lieutenant. To me it’s merely an unpleasant Interruption, and I propose to see it causes me the least inconvenience.”
“Suppose we compromise,” Kleinsmidt suggested. “If I do nothing to interfere with your going, will you come back of your own accord if I send for you?”