Tuesday The Rabbi Saw Red

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

District Attorney Matthew Rogers felt he ought to grumble a little. "I don't see why they can't tip us off when they set up something in our bailiwick." Bradford Ames chuckled. "Because even where the local people are completely trustworthy, there's a chance they may slip up and blow the cover of the federal operative."

"I suppose. But at least they could give us some advance warning. Not let us arrest these decent young people and keep them in jail for days on end and cause their families all kinds of grief, when by passing the word we could have just let things simmer."

"Maybe they felt that would look suspicious." suggested Ames. Rogers gnawed at the thought in silence for a moment. "I don't mind cooperating with the FBI. I'm anxious to, especially when they have secret information that people we've charged are actually innocent, we can always file a motion to quash for lack of evidence, although if you do that too much, you're suspected of being too eager to jail people. Remember that. Brad." Ames nodded dutifully. "But I like to be kept informed of developments."

"You were busy with the budget business," Ames said. "I didn't think you'd want to be bothered with the routine."

Rogers looked at him sharply. "Well, that's exactly right. Brad, but still—"

"And I don't mind admitting." Ames added, "that it occurred to me it might be better for you to have no official knowledge of this business, since it was slightly irregular."

"You're absolutely right. Brad. But you know if you got into a jam, I'd stand by you and back you up."

"I was thinking politically."

"Yes, that's true," said the district attorney. "In politics you sometimes have to disclaim knowledge of some of the things that are done in your name. But even then, you could rely on me to accept full responsibility." He scanned his assistant's face. "Precisely. So I thought I'd go ahead. If my judgment was wrong—"

"Not at all. Brad. I have every confidence in you. You know that. Now what are your plans for proceeding against the real culprit?"

"We were asked to do nothing. Matt."

"Nothing? But Brad, a serious crime has been committed in my jurisdiction, a bombing. I can't just wash my hands of it and make believe it never happened."

"Not such a serious crime. Matt." Rogers was indignant. "You don't call blowing up a school a serious crime?"

"Oh, there was some damage to the wall in the dean's office." said Ames, "some scorching, and a pane of glass in the door of an adjoining office was broken. Probably not a hundred dollars damage altogether, a smart lawyer could get a sympathetic judge to call it a misdemeanor. Besides, it was the government agent who did it."

"Good Lord!" Ames squirmed in his seat, his round head wagging as he adjusted the various portions of his body to the chair. "It's a wicked world we live in. Matt. You see, when you plant an agent in a radical organization like the Weathervanes, he— although in this case it's a she— can't just sit back and observe. It's a small, close-knit organization, and everybody is expected to pull his own weight, and if they initiate action, so much the better. You can see that."

Rogers nodded seriously.

"But in this case, they weren't planning to do much damage, just discredit the group that sent the committee to see the dean. Originally, they were only going to organize some sort of counter-demonstration. But when the government agent learned from a source on the committee that they were seeing the dean late Friday afternoon when the school is practically deserted, she seized the opportunity, she waited inside the building and when they left, set off a small charge. It wasn't expected to cause much damage but would do the job on the committee, since they'd be surely blamed for it."

"And you say this operative is a woman?"

"A mere slip of a girl, but with a heart full of patriotism." Rogers looked doubtfully at his assistant, not sure he was entirely serious. "But dammit. Brad, it did do damage, and somebody got killed."

"Oh no, we know now that the explosion had nothing to do with that."

"Oh yes, this man Fine. I hope he's not going to turn out to be a government agent or anything like that, is he?"

"Don't worry." Ames chuckled. "We've got a good case against him.""Well, that's good." Rogers rubbed his hands in satisfaction. "And this girl— after this, she must be in solid with the Weathervanes, I mean, after bringing off this caper, she'd be above suspicion?"

"Like Caesar's wife."

"What? Oh yes, yes, I see." He laughed. "And she's above suspicion with us, too."

"Well naturally..."

"Has it ever occurred to you, Matt, that we've come to a rotten state of affairs when we have to use double agents to maintain some semblance of law and order? That we have to wink at one breach of the law to prevent another? And we set ourselves up as the sole arbiters of which is more important. Now isn't that characteristic of a police state?" Rogers looked at him doubtfully, he sounded perfectly serious, as though he actually meant this radical sort of talk. But then Ames chuckled, and he knew it was all right.