Free The Copper Frame by Ellery Queen

that idea. All he had accomplished was to verify Morrison’s story and tighten the web about himself.
    There was a knock on the door. When he called an invitation to enter, the door opened and District Attorney Arnold Kettle pushed his large stomach into the room. Unbuttoning his overcoat but not removing it, he seated himself with his hat in his lap and looked at Saxon with an expression of sadness.
    â€œYou look as if you had more bad news,” Saxon said.
    â€œAfraid so. Doc Harmon phoned just as I was leaving home. The lab test was positive.”
    Saxon gazed at him with his mouth open. “It couldn’t be! They made a mistake.”
    Kettle slowly shook his head. “Bruce says not. You can’t argue with a microscope, Ted.”
    â€œBut it’s absolutely impossible! I never touched the woman.”
    The district attorney cocked one eyebrow. “Are you accusing Doc Harmon of being in on the conspiracy too?”
    Saxon let his wide shoulders slump in defeat. After a long silence he said tonelessly, “So am I under arrest, Mr. District Attorney?”
    A look of irritation formed on Kettle’s face. “I don’t know what you’re sore about, Ted. If you weren’t the chief of police and a lifelong friend of mine, you would have been in jail last night. You ought to appreciate the way you’ve been handled.”
    He was being unfair, Saxon realized. There was no point in taking his resentment out on Kettle, who obviously had no liking for this distasteful job and was performing his duty solely because he had no choice. The man had leaned over backward to make it as easy as possible for Saxon.
    â€œSorry, Arn,” he said wearily. “Hereafter I’ll try to aim my temper at the people who set me up. I have another bit of evidence for you to make the case against me even tighter. I just phoned Erie. Morrison told the truth about the time he left there with Grace Emmet. And a detective who witnessed the transfer says he noticed nothing to indicate they had ever seen each other before.”
    The district attorney regarded him strangely. “Why are you telling me this?”
    â€œBecause, good or bad, I want the whole truth to come out. I’m not interested in eventual acquittal for lack of evidence.”
    For a few moments the district attorney gazed down at the hat in his lap. Without looking up, he said tentatively, “Before I came in here, I stopped to talk to Vic Burns. He has a kind of interesting theory.”
    â€œI heard it,” Saxon said shortly. “No, thanks.”
    Kettle raised his eyes to look at him. “Forced rape is a felony, Ted. Actually, adultery is a crime too in this state, punishable with up to a year in prison, but I never heard of the law being enforced. If you could establish that it was her idea and she only yelled rape because Morrison caught you together, the worst that would probably happen would be a charge of misuse of your office.”
    â€œYou mean I could resign from the force,” Saxon said. “No, thanks. I have no intention of pleading guilty to a lesser offense when I’m not guilty of any. Can’t you get it through your head that I didn’t do anything?”
    The district attorney sighed. “Okay, Ted. You don’t leave me much choice but to ask the grand jury for an indictment for first-degree rape.”
    â€œThen I’m under arrest?”
    Kettle moved his head back and forth wearily. “I’m going to stick my neck out. If you run, I’ll have to resign as D.A., but I’m sure you won’t. We’ll hold off formal charges until tomorrow morning, so you’ll be free to arrange bail. You be here at headquarters at nine A.M . to be booked. Then we’ll immediately go upstairs to City Court for a preliminary hearing. I’m sure the judge will fix bail at the lowest amount he can under the law, because we’re all as upset about having to do