Mrs. Russo grew angry. “I suppose you think I’m lying again, but I’m not!” she screamed. “I tell you I heard with my own ears Ben Morgan tell Monte Sunday night that he’d put him away!” The Inspector was grave, but undisturbed. “I don’t doubt your word in the least, Mrs. Russo. Are you sure it was Sunday night?” “Sure?” she shrilled. “I’ll say I’m sure!” “And where did this happen?” “Right in Monte Field’s own apartment, that’s where!” she said bitingly. “I was with Monte all evening Sunday, and as far I know he wasn’t expecting company, because we didn’t usually have company when we spent the evening together.... Monte himself jumped when the door-bell rang about eleven o’clock and said, ‘Who in hell could that be?’ We were in the living-room at the time. But he got up and went to the door, and right after that I heard a man’s voice outside. I figured Monte wouldn’t want me to be seen by anybody, so I went into the bedroom and closed the door, just leaving a crack open. I could hear Monte trying to stall the man off. Anyway, they finally came into the living-room. Through the crack in the door I saw it was this fellow Morgan—I didn’t know who he was at the time, but later on I got it during the talk they had. And afterward Monte told me.” She stopped. The Inspector listened imperturbably and Ellery was paying not the slightest attention to her words. She went on desperately. “For about a half hour they talked till I could have howled. Morgan was sort of cold and set; he didn’t get excited till the last. From which I gathered, Monte had asked Morgan not long before for a big wad of dough in return for some papers; and Morgan said he didn’t have the money, couldn’t raise it. Said he’d decided to drop into Monte’s place for one last reckoning. Monte was kind of sarcastic and mean—he could be awfully mean when he wanted to. Morgan kept getting madder and madder, and I could see he was holding his temper in....” The Inspector interrupted. “Just what was the reason for Field’s demand for money?” “I wish I knew, Inspector,” she returned savagely. “But both of ’em were mighty careful not to mention the reason.... Anyway, it was something about those papers that Monte wanted Morgan to buy. It wouldn’t take much brains to guess that Monte had something on Morgan and was pushing it to the limit.” At the mention of the word “papers” Ellery’s interest in Mrs. Russo’s story had revived. He had put the book down and begun to listen intently. The Inspector gave him a fleeting glance as he addressed the woman. “Just how much money was Field demanding, Mrs. Russo?” “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she said, laughing disdainfully. “Monte was no piker. All he wanted was—fifty thousand dollars!” The Inspector seemed unmoved. “Go on.”