stock on the Sabbath. We've eight for last week now, if we stick to the Bible."
"What about the Bible?" Calvin asked, aware that Ellison meant the total of murders in the city, but not understanding the rest.
"If we count Sunday the seventh day, eight last week; otherwise we've only five for last week but a great old start of three for this. I see you got yourself into the papers with the little lady in the Ketlar case," Ellison continued, without giving Boston a chance to catch breath. "Is she as good looking as she seems from the picture?"
"No," said Calvin, and then, realizing that he had denied the truth, he corrected, "Yes; I suppose she is."
"Anything more against her than the papers tell?" Ellison asked.
"Much more," replied Calvin. "But last night we had to release her."
"What's her real rôle to be, do you figure?"
"What?"
"How's the defense going to cast her, I mean?"
"She makes his alibi; but I'll break it up. I have broken it already."
"That radio alibi, 'Home, Sweet Home' in Los Angeles, you mean?"
"Exactly."
"Who thought that up, d'you suppose, Boston? He or she?"
"She I haven't a doubt."
"Clever girl, if she did; and not so easy to break, I'd say. Catches the imagination, you see; something new. Not much like swearing on the old stand, 'He was with me exactly at ten minutes to one o'clock,' to say, 'I swear he was with me, whatever the time was, when a
