“I’m going to answer that as soon as I’ve had a little confidential chat with Miss Cartwright.”
He broke off to turn to the doorway through which Gibbs’ head protruded.
“Can I see you now, Chief?” Gibbs asked.
“What is it?” Taylor snapped.
“There’s a deaf and dumb chicken out here,” Gibbs replied anxiously.
“A what?” the other demanded.
“A girl that can’t hear or speak or write. They say she’s smuggled a bracelet in but they’ve searched her eight times and can’t get a trace of it, so they sent her to you.”
“They don’t expect me to make the ninth attempt, do they?” the Chief queries.
“Why, no,” Gibbs told him, “but they thought you might hand her the third degree.”
“Bring her in,” the autocrat commanded. When Gibbs had closed the door Taylor turned to Duncan. “She’s probably bluffing. Put that chair here. We’ll try the gun gag on her. There’s a revolver in my second drawer. When I say ‘Go,’ you shoot. Got it?”