Duffy grinned mirthlessly. “Ain’t you working from the wrong angle?” he said. “You ain’t got to worry about me. It’s your daughter that you gotta concentrate on.”
English said, “I’m always concentrating on my daughter.”
Duffy nodded. “Sure, but not half as hard as you gotta work now. Look, suppose you let me handle this?”
English said, “You’ll be picked up by the police No, I don’t think you would be any good.”
Duffy got to his feet. He still carried the thin smile on his mouth. “Well, well,” he said, “I guessed you’d feel like that. If you think I’m taking the rap for her, you got it all wrong. I’m going right down to headquarters and I’m going to squawk so loud you’ll hear it right up here.”
English said, “You haven’t got any proof.”
Duffy shrugged. “That’s what you think,” he said. “I’ve got enough evidence to get that jane fried three times over.
English raised his hand. “Wait,” he said. “Perhaps we can think up something.”
Duffy came back to the desk. He leant over and stared hard into English’s eyes. “You’re playing it wrong. Can’t you see how they’d Fall over themselves to get Annabel indicted for a first-degree murder rap? They’re snapping round your heels already, English, and you know it. One false move from you, and you’re out. Your policy ain’t popular. I don’t like it myself. Let me tell you, it’s a goddam awful policy with a daughter like yours around.”
English pushed his chair back and stood up. Just for a second Duffy saw the fishy eyes look uneasy, then they went bland again. Duffy grinned to himself. He knew he had slipped in a hot one.