ng--nothing at all."

"Thank you, Mr. Glutz. And now this lady--"

"Turn it off," Joy snapped. "The blonde's pulling up."

* * * * *

This was evident to all three of us. "And by a cop yet," Bag Ears
marveled. "Looks like they're going to give theirselves up."

It was Uncle Peter who got out of the car and approached the traffic
officer standing at the intersection.

"What'll we do?" Joy asked. "Do you want to try and keep the old goat
out of jail or shall we let him go to the chair as he deserves?"

The possibility stunned me to a point where it was hard to think
clearly. "Good Lord, Joy! Think of the scandal! I don't care about
myself, but Aunt Gretchen would never live it down! She'd be
black-balled at all her clubs and--"

"Then," Joy replied sweetly, "I'd suggest you get out and slug that cop
quick and grab Uncle Peter before he makes a confession."

I had come to the cross-roads, so to speak. The necessity of a weighty
decision lay upon my shoulders. Was blood thicker than water? Was I
justified in breaking the law--assaulting an officer in order to keep my
uncle from becoming a blot on the family name?

I decided, grimly, that one owed all to one's relatives and I was
halfway out of the car. Then I paused. Uncle Peter did not seem to be
making a confession at all. He chatted easily with the officer and
indicated my Cadillac with a movement of his thumb. Something passed
from his hand to the hand of the policeman and the latter looked toward
us and scowled.

"Uncle Peter is pulling a fast one," Joy said. "The cop's coming after
_us_!"

I was uncertain as how to proceed now. I watched the scowling policeman
approach our car while Uncle Peter got back in with the blonde Cora and
drove away.

"Are you going to hang one on him, sweetheart?" Joy asked.

"What--what do you recommend?"

"I've got a hunch that if you don't, we go to the pokey and Uncle Peter
will be left free to blow up everybody in town."

I don't believe the officer meant to arrest us but at the moment my mind
wasn't too clear and I accepted Joy's point of view.

I doubled my fist as the officer approached. He wasted no time in
getting acquainted. He said, "How come you guys are tailing those guys?
You figuring a stickup or something?"

It was now or never. I hunched my right shoulder and aimed a stiff
knockout jolt at the officer's jaw. It wasn't too good a target because
he had a lantern jaw and it