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everyone in town will think it.”
    â€œMaybe you’d better sit down and tell me about it,” she said. “I’ll get us a couple of cups of coffee.”
    Rising, she dropped dimes in a coffee vendor in the corner beyond the desk and filled two paper cups. Setting them on the desk, she reseated herself. Saxon took the extra chair and dropped his hat on the floor next to it.
    â€œWhere are the other nurses?” he asked.
    â€œLouise is checking the tents and intravenouses. Beth is sitting with a terminal case. We won’t be disturbed for a while.”
    He took a sip of his coffee. Then he started at the beginning and described the events of the evening. When he finished, her eyes were blazing with anger even greater than his.
    â€œThe beasts!” she said indignantly. “Of course all three of them were in on it.” Suddenly leaning forward, she cupped his chin in her hands and kissed him fiercely on the mouth. “Poor darling. Why do you imagine they did such a thing?”
    He hadn’t really expected that Emily would even for a moment have any doubts of his innocence. Nevertheless, her immediate and unquestioning acceptance that it couldn’t have been anything but a deliberate frame sent a warm feeling through him. For the first time in two hours he smiled.
    â€œYou know you’re quite a doll?” he said.
    She colored. “Sometimes you make me feel like one. But why have they done this to you?”
    Ted shook his head. “I can’t even begin to conceive of a reason. When I think about it, it doesn’t seem possible that it could be a frame. And I know it was. You can hardly blame Arn Kettle for thinking I’m guilty.”
    â€œI can,” she said loyally. “He ought to know you couldn’t be guilty simply because you’re you.”
    â€œYour prejudice is showing again,” he said with a grin. “I even boggle myself at believing it was a deliberate conspiracy when I think about it too hard. Maybe Grace Emmet planned it alone for some neurotic reason; maybe Coombs wasn’t deliberately planted there and only went along with her story to get even with me for jailing him; maybe Sergeant Morrison actually thinks he saw a raping. How could it have been planned so elaborately if Morrison never saw that Emmet woman before he picked her up in Erie?”
    â€œPerhaps he promised her leniency if she co-operated,” Emily suggested doubtfully.
    â€œThen you have to assume that Coombs got himself jailed on the off-chance that Morrison could talk her into co-operating during the hour-and-a-half drive from Erie. He couldn’t even have gotten in contact with Morrison to find out if he was going through with the plan.”
    â€œPerhaps Morrison lied about never seeing her before,” Emily said. “Perhaps she was an ex-mistress or something, and he knew she would do as he wished.”
    â€œThat would be an even more unlikely coincidence.” Draining his coffee cup, he picked up his hat and climbed to his feet. “I’m not going to think about it any more tonight. Good night, doll.”
    â€œDo you have to leave so soon?”
    â€œYou’ll get fired, entertaining a boy friend on duty. I’d better get out of here before the chief nurse comes along.”
    Leaning down, he kissed her lightly, turned, and walked toward the elevator.

chapter 9
    On New Year’s Day, Saxon came into headquarters half an hour ahead of his appointment with the district attorney. It was Sam Lennox’s day off and Vic Burns was on the desk.
    Burns said with obvious self-consciousness, “Morning, Chief.”
    â€œYou’ve heard about it, huh?”
    â€œI guess everybody has by now,” Burns admitted. “What the devil happened? She lure you on, then scream rape when the sergeant walked in and caught you in the act?”
    Ted gazed at him coldly.
    â€œI’m just trying to figure why,”