"John Gallant, Mr. Mayor," Brennan said. "Gallant is helping me on this story. You can trust him as much as you trust me." John shook hands with the mayor. "As you say, Brennan," he said. "I suppose you have an idea why I sent for you." Brennan nodded. "Whatever we say here now isn't for publication, you understand," admonished the mayor. "Perfectly." The mayor puffed at his cigar and gazed up at the ceiling. For fully a minute nothing was said. Then he jerked his feet from the desk, sat upright in the chair and leaned forward. "Brennan," he said, "am I a fool?" John almost gasped in astonishment at the mayor's question. He was about to smile when he noticed that the faded blue eyes of the mild little man at the desk were glittering with anything but an amused light. "I've never thought so," said Brennan. "Well," said the mayor, leaning back in his chair again, "everyone I've talked with here today says I am and I was beginning to think they might be right." "For appointing Gibson?" asked Brennan. "No, for thinking what I can't help thinking about him," said the mayor, rising from his chair and beginning to pace back and forth across the room, his hands thrust into his pockets, the cigar clenched between his teeth. They waited for him to continue. "Brennan," he said, stopping short in his striding, "you know what I think of you. You've helped me before and if I'm right this time you can help me again and land the biggest story you ever got in your life. If I'm wrong, then I am a fool and the sooner I get out of office the better it will be for me and the city." He went back to his chair. "Do you know what I've been thinking?" he asked. "That Gibson isn't straight," said Brennan. "Exactly," said the mayor. "And you can guess who I think is behind him." "'Gink' Cummings," said Brennan. "You're right again," the mayor thumped the desk with his fist. "It's the 'Gink,' as sure as I'm sitting here. That's what I told those who were here to see me today and everyone of them called me a fool. I may be, but I have a man-sized hunch that I'm not." "Gink" Cummings, boss of the underworld, behind Gibson? Impossible. It was nothing but a weak attempt at retaliation, John thought. The mayor's advisers were right. He was a fool! Why did Brennan sit there and listen to such stuff? "Now, get me right," continued the mayor. "I have nothing except a hunch that Gibson is backed by the 'Gink.' I haven't the slightest bit of real evidence to form a basis for my suspicion, but I believe I can see a pretty deep game in this." "Go ahead, let's see if you figure it out the way I do," said Brennan. "All right," said the mayor. "In the first place, the 'Gink' has been against me, trying to get me ever since I took office, you know that?" Brennan nodded.