CARDONA closed his eyes. He was visualizing the scene in that room on East Eightieth Street, where he had observed the lone body of Joel Caulkins. He pictured the bullet-ridden form.
“Wentworth thinks that some gangsters coaxed Caulkins up there,” he said. “Wentworth may be wrong.
Let’s see that paper he brought you, Inspector.”
Reluctantly Fennimann pulled a paper from the desk drawer. Cardona studied it and read it aloud:
“You have one week to live!”
He passed the note to Ward, who stared at the cryptic Double Z signature in amazement. Fennimann looked questioningly at Cardona, who signaled that all would be well.
“Where did you find this?” asked Ward.
“In the dead man’s hand,” said Fennimann.
“This ties up Double Z with the murder,” was the city editor’s comment. “But where does Judge Tolland come in?”
“That’s the question,” said Cardona.