Page:Arthur Stringer - The Hand of Peril.djvu/122

 police look after the woman and pass her over to the federal officers later on?"

"Because I want to get that woman myself," was Kestner's answer.

"Why?" Wilsnach pointedly inquired.

"As I've already said, for personal reasons," was Kestner's retort as he looked at his watch again and got up from his chair.

"Don't you think that in things like this the personal equation sometimes comes rather expensive?" Wilsnach asked, watching the other man as he took the receiver down from the wall-phone beside him.

Kestner, with the receiver at his ear, did not turn about to face Wilsnach as he answered him.

"The personal equation is the only thing that makes work like this worth while," was his quiet-toned retort.