t's not your fault," Kessler said. "As you know, we haven't come
up with an answer on this investigation, but at least they can't say I
didn't try."

* * * * *

Miss Schmitt waved to them from the window of her apartment as they
got in their car. "She was sweet, you know," Margaret murmured as she
waved back gaily. "Sad about them, too."

"Well, investigation's over," Kessler smiled at Margaret as he drove
away. "Results, nil. Second honeymoon, anyone? We've got nothing to
keep us now. How do we get to the highway from here?"

"Yes, dear," Margaret murmured, still bemused by Miss Schmitt. "But
wasn't it a shame they never got married? He was such an unhappy man.
She might have brought him out of it."

"I doubt that," Kessler said, adjusting the sun blind against the
evening glare of the sun.

"Like she said, he was a hard luck artist. It's a personality type, it
doesn't change."

"What?" Kessler asked, maneuvering a corner in heavy traffic.

"Accident prone. You know, everything happened to him. Like those
mushrooms he got sick on just before he left home; falling off the
porch. No wonder he didn't want to leave home."

They drove in silence for some time, Kessler intent on the evening
flood of traffic, Margaret almost drowsing in the evening sunlight and
the cool of the breeze in her hair. When Kessler pulled up at a drug
store she said, "What?" sleepily.

"Phone call I have to make. You wait here," he said. She nodded.

Kessler got through to Senator Brogan's office quickly. "Hello, Miss
Persons? I'm glad you're still there. This is Bob Kessler. Do you
have any idea where the senator is now? Good, would you put me through
to him?"

Brogan sounded anything but sleepy. "Yes Bob? Finally wind it up?"

"I think maybe I have," Kessler said. "I've seen Miss Schmitt."

"Ah, Spencer's old flame? And what did you learn?"

When Kessler was finished telling him there was a long pause. "Are you
still there, George?" he asked.

Brogan's voice was heavy. "Yes, Bob, I'm still here. Where are you
calling from? A public phone? Well, I think maybe you'd better come up
here. We have more to say than you have dimes and it won't hurt to
keep this to ourselves if we can--or till we're sure. Better bring
your complete files. Good. One point, though! Did anything I said this
afternoon help? I wondered. I couldn't really believe it myself. If
you'd said something, I wouldn't have felt I was g