"You and Machiavelli! But, yeh. A check with the Chicago police--he's from there, all right--would doubtless show he's got a record as long as King Kong's arm. A pro killer doesn't come out of nowhere; he starts with petty stuff and works his way up." Yamamura shook his head. "And on the other hand, a lot of good men are doing time for one slip regretted the moment it was over. Makes me wonder about our whole concept of penology. That's why I'll help you cover for Guido." Kintyre took down his bottle of Scotch and raised brows at Yamamura. The detective shook his head. Kintyre poured for himself and sat down. The other man prowled. "We haven't much time," said Yamamura. "What do we tell the cops?" "Perhaps nothing--yet," said Kintyre slowly. "Huh? How do you mean?" "They don't use the third degree around here. O'Hearn isn't going to tell them a thing, and you know it. They'll have to check with Chicago, the FBI, follow a dozen separate leads for days at least. And what do his pals do meanwhile?" Yamamura stopped in midstride. "If you have any half-cooked scheme of beating the truth out of him, forget it," he said in a chill voice. "Oh, no," said Kintyre. "But do you think we could get away with holding him, unharmed, for maybe twenty-four hours?" "It would be kidnaping." "What was he trying to do to Guido?" Yamamura stared at the sabers on the wall. "What do you want to do?" "Get his information out of him in less time than the police will need." "I think an excuse could be manufactured," said Yamamura dreamily. "If not for a whole twenty-four hours, for twelve or so. This reminds me of my days in OSS. Okay, I'll risk it." "Good," said Kintyre. "Then follow my lead." "Better explain--" Kintyre was already in the bathroom, looking down at the man on the floor. O'Hearn had a long nose and not much chin. "Who hired you, Jimmy?" said Kintyre. Hatred glared back at him. "Tough, aren't you?" said O'Hearn. "Big deal." "I asked who hired you," said Kintyre. He saw the growth of fear. "Look, I don't know," said O'Hearn. "And if I spilled anything, anything at all, they'd find out." "And kill you. I've heard that line before." Kintyre shrugged. "You are going to tell me. Think about it while I make ready." He took Yamamura out into the yard, toward the house. "My landlord left some extra keys with me, just in case," he said. "We'll borrow a soundproof room." "Hey!" Yamamura stopped. "I told you, bodily harm is out." "I've no such intention." Kintyre led him into the house and down to its basement. "We'll use the rumpus room. It has a pool table we can tie him to. The process seems to work best when the victim lies supine. I admit he might get a little stiff from the hard surface." Yamamura grabbed his shoulder. "What the blue hell are you talking about?" he growled.