that's all."
"What did you do before you were married?"
"I was a receptionist at an hotel."
"What hotel?"
"The Connaught Anns in Los Angeles."
"Was it a respectable hotel? It wasn't a room by the hour and no questions asked?"
"Of course not!"
"Before that?"
Again she hesitated before saying, "I was a night club hostess."
Anson became alert.
"What did you do?"
"The usual thing; partnered men, persuaded them to buy drinks."
"Now watch this, Meg. Did you go home with them? You know what I mean."
"I didn't."
He studied her. Her eyes were now angry.
"Sure?"
"I tell you I didn't!" She was now sitting bolt upright. "Is this man going to ask me these kind of questions before he'll pay out?"
Anson shook his head.
"Oh, no. But if he doesn't like the look of your claim, he'll turn one of his smart investigators on to you. Without your knowing anything about it, he'll dig up your whole history. He'll then decide when he has your dossier in front of him if he'll fight your claim or not. If your dossier is bad, he'll fight you."
She lay back, her expression showing how worried she was.
"If I'd known it was going to be like this, I wouldn't have agreed to do it with you."
"There's still time to back out," Anson said. "You can't expect, to pick up fifty thousand dollars for nothing. You have nothing to worry about so long as you are telling the truth. What did you do before you became a night club hostess?"
"I lived with my mother," she said, not looking at him.
"You have been married nearly a year. This is vitally important, Meg. I must have the truth. While you have been Barlowe's wife, have you had a lover?"
"I've had you," Meg said and made a face at him.
"I don't mean me," Anson said, staring at her. "We've been careful, and we're going to remain careful. I mean someone else ... someone you haven't been so careful about."
"No ... there's been no one."
"Sure? If Maddox finds there has been someone, he'll go after him. There's nothing he likes better than to find out the wife of the insured husband who suddenly dies has a lover. He thrives on a situation like that."
"There's been no one."
"Would there be anyone who would know hpw you really feel about your husband? Anyone who might have overheard you quarrelling if you do quarrel? Anyone who might say you weren't happily married?"
She shook her head.
"No one ever comes here."
"Would your husband discuss you with anyone?"
She shook her head emphatically.
"No ... I'm sure of that."
Anson leaned back in the chair and thought for a long moment while Meg watched him.
"Okay," he said finally. "I think that covers it. You're sure you've told me the truth? You may not think so now, but all these questions are important. Once Maddox investigates you, and you can bet your life that's what he will do, you have to be above reproach. You are sure you have told me the truth?"
"Yes ... don't keep on and on! I have told you the truth!"
"Okay." He relaxed and took out a packet of cigarettes. He tossed her one and took one himself. As they lit up, he went on, "Now for the next step. Will your husband be home tomorrow night?"
"He's always home except on Mondays and Thursdays."
"I'll be here around eight thirty. Make sure you answer the door. I've got to get into this room if I'm to sell him. If he comes to the door, he may keep me on the doorstep and you don't sell insurance on a doorstep."
"Don't think you are going to have an easy time with Phil... you won't."
Anson got to his feet.
"Your job is to open the front door and let me in. I'll do the rest. Tomorrow night then."
She stood up.
"John ... I want to know ... did you shoot that policeman?"
Anson picked up his brief-case.
"I told you not to ask questions." He paused and looked directly at her. "I have the money to pay for the premium ...
that's all you need know."
He made no attempt to kiss her, but went out of the house and down the drive to his car.
As soon as the sound of his car engine had died
"What did you do before you were married?"
"I was a receptionist at an hotel."
"What hotel?"
"The Connaught Anns in Los Angeles."
"Was it a respectable hotel? It wasn't a room by the hour and no questions asked?"
"Of course not!"
"Before that?"
Again she hesitated before saying, "I was a night club hostess."
Anson became alert.
"What did you do?"
"The usual thing; partnered men, persuaded them to buy drinks."
"Now watch this, Meg. Did you go home with them? You know what I mean."
"I didn't."
He studied her. Her eyes were now angry.
"Sure?"
"I tell you I didn't!" She was now sitting bolt upright. "Is this man going to ask me these kind of questions before he'll pay out?"
Anson shook his head.
"Oh, no. But if he doesn't like the look of your claim, he'll turn one of his smart investigators on to you. Without your knowing anything about it, he'll dig up your whole history. He'll then decide when he has your dossier in front of him if he'll fight your claim or not. If your dossier is bad, he'll fight you."
She lay back, her expression showing how worried she was.
"If I'd known it was going to be like this, I wouldn't have agreed to do it with you."
"There's still time to back out," Anson said. "You can't expect, to pick up fifty thousand dollars for nothing. You have nothing to worry about so long as you are telling the truth. What did you do before you became a night club hostess?"
"I lived with my mother," she said, not looking at him.
"You have been married nearly a year. This is vitally important, Meg. I must have the truth. While you have been Barlowe's wife, have you had a lover?"
"I've had you," Meg said and made a face at him.
"I don't mean me," Anson said, staring at her. "We've been careful, and we're going to remain careful. I mean someone else ... someone you haven't been so careful about."
"No ... there's been no one."
"Sure? If Maddox finds there has been someone, he'll go after him. There's nothing he likes better than to find out the wife of the insured husband who suddenly dies has a lover. He thrives on a situation like that."
"There's been no one."
"Would there be anyone who would know hpw you really feel about your husband? Anyone who might have overheard you quarrelling if you do quarrel? Anyone who might say you weren't happily married?"
She shook her head.
"No one ever comes here."
"Would your husband discuss you with anyone?"
She shook her head emphatically.
"No ... I'm sure of that."
Anson leaned back in the chair and thought for a long moment while Meg watched him.
"Okay," he said finally. "I think that covers it. You're sure you've told me the truth? You may not think so now, but all these questions are important. Once Maddox investigates you, and you can bet your life that's what he will do, you have to be above reproach. You are sure you have told me the truth?"
"Yes ... don't keep on and on! I have told you the truth!"
"Okay." He relaxed and took out a packet of cigarettes. He tossed her one and took one himself. As they lit up, he went on, "Now for the next step. Will your husband be home tomorrow night?"
"He's always home except on Mondays and Thursdays."
"I'll be here around eight thirty. Make sure you answer the door. I've got to get into this room if I'm to sell him. If he comes to the door, he may keep me on the doorstep and you don't sell insurance on a doorstep."
"Don't think you are going to have an easy time with Phil... you won't."
Anson got to his feet.
"Your job is to open the front door and let me in. I'll do the rest. Tomorrow night then."
She stood up.
"John ... I want to know ... did you shoot that policeman?"
Anson picked up his brief-case.
"I told you not to ask questions." He paused and looked directly at her. "I have the money to pay for the premium ...
that's all you need know."
He made no attempt to kiss her, but went out of the house and down the drive to his car.
As soon as the sound of his car engine had died
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