She shook her head.
Rooney became belligerent. “You two heels!” he said. “What are you trying to pull? I know damn well where that watch came from. I tell you, I bought it from Coontz Cutter. You’ve probably seen Margie wearing that watch someplace and tried to pull a fast one!”
Mason said wearily, “Okay, brother, we go to police headquarters.”
“No, we don’t go to police headquarters!” Rooney said. “You two guys get out of here, and get out fast.”
“Or else?” Mason inquired.
Rooney tried to think of an alternative, and the thought took some of the color from his face.
“There’s one thing we can do,” Drake suggested, his manner that of an impartial conciliator. “We can go down to Coontz Cutter’s and take the watch along. You can’t tell. Maybe the thief was slick enough to put up some stall that Coontz Cutter fell for. After all, these big jewelry stores are always willing to pick up a little dough on the deal which looks right.”
“I don’t think I like that idea too much,” Rooney said. “After all, you folks are prying into a lot of my private affairs.”
“I didn’t think you’d like the idea,” Mason said pointedly.
“So you did get it at a pawnshop!” Marjory accused.