Beware the Curves

thing.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I was looking up something that wasn’t connected with the murder. I didn’t know Endicott had been murdered until after I got in conversation with the people at the newspaper office.”
    “Phooey!”
    “That’s right, boys. I’m giving it to you on the square.”
    “What did you go down there on?”
    “Another matter.”
    “What was it?”
    I said, “I was looking up certain matters for a client whose name I can’t disclose. For your information, Citrus Grove is about to become the center of one of the biggest industrial developments in this part of the « country. A large eastern automotive manufacturer is looking for the proper place for a western assembly plant with adequate space, railroad facilities, a sufficient opportunity' for residential expansion and all that goes with it.
    “Citrus Grove has been tentatively selected as the spot. In order to get the spot the company wants, it became necessary to change the zoning restrictions on a piece of property adjoining holdings the company had secretly acquired. In the interests of community expansion, in the interests of adding to the industrial life of Southern California, the zoning ordinance should have been changed as a matter of course. Actually there has been a delay and the company has been concerned about that delay. There were indications that certain influential persons were trying to get a handout. The company wanted that situation investigated. Actually the company doesn’t want to invest in a city where there is corruption.”
    “We can quote you on that?” the reporters asked. “You may quote me.”
    “On this plant coming to Southern California?“
    “That’s right.”
    “What plant?”
    “I can’t divulge that information.”
    “You said it’s an eastern automobile manufacturer?“
    “I have said that,” I told them, “and you can quote me, but don’t be too surprised if it should turn out to be an establishment of similar size in some other industry.”
    Pencils were making frantic notes over the notebooks. Bertha was looking at me with startled, incredulous surprise depicted all over her face.
    “And what were you doing down in Citrus Grove looking through the back files of the newspaper?”
    “I was trying to get some personal information about a character.”
    “Subsequently you went to Susanville?”
    “Subsequently I went to Susanville.”
    “You encountered the Orange County sheriff up there and you were given the bum’s rush out of town?“
    “I was asked to leave town as a personal favor to someone on the police department down there.“
    “Why?”
    “Because, as I understand it now, the police were baiting a trap for the person they thought was the murderer of Karl Carver Endicott. At the time I didn’t know why. I was asked to withdraw as a personal favor and, because I convinced myself that the lead I was following was not going to be productive of anything, I withdrew.”
    “Is it safe to assume that the person you were investigating was in some way mixed in with the corruption you have mentioned?”
    “It depends on what you mean by it being ‘safe’ to assume that. If you want to assume it, that’s fine. If you want to publish that assumption, it could get you involved in a libel suit.”
    They thought that over. “How did you happen to get involved in this Endicott case?”
    “Quinn retained us.”
    “When?”
    “At an early hour this morning.”
    “Did he call you?”
    “We discussed the matter over the phone, yes.”
    “Where did the conference take place?”
    “In his office.”
    “Isn’t it rather a coincidence that you should get in on two matters connected with Citrus Grove within the last few days?”
    “That depends on what you mean. I think perhaps should be grateful to the Citrus Grove Clarion. It published a story to the effect that I was investigating the Endicott murder case. That story was read by Barney Quinn. I wouldn’t be too surprised if, under the circumstances, it had something to db with our employment in this Endicott case.”
    “What’s Mrs. Endicott going to do? Is she going to co-operate with the authorities?”
    “You’ll have to ask Quinn about Mrs. Endicott.“
    “How did it happen that John Ansel, who was supposed to have been killed in the Amazon jungle several years ago, never let it be known that he was alive?“
    “You’ll have to ask Quinn about that.”
    “Why did he keep under cover?”
    “I don’t