"Not in a million years, Commissioner."
Enderby shrugged. "Well, where was I? Oh, yes, so he got an alpha-sprayer, presumably through a confederate in the plant, and had another confederate arrange the destruction of R. Sammy." His fingers drummed lightly on the desk. "No good, Lije."
"Why not?"
"Too farfetched. Too many confederates. And he has a cast-iron alibi for the night and morning of the Spacetown murder, by the way. We checked that almost right away, though I was the only one who knew the reason for checking that particular time."
Baley said, "I never said it was Clousarr, Commissioner. You did. It could be anyone in the Medievalist organization. Clousarr is just the owner of a face that Daneel happened to recognize. I don't even think he's particularly important in the organization. Though there is one queer thing about him."
"What?" asked Enderby, suspiciously.
"He did know Jessie was a member. Does he know every member in the organization, do you suppose?"
"I don't know. He knew about Jessie, anyway. Maybe she was important because she was the wife of a policeman. Maybe he remembered her for that reason."
"You say he came right out and said that Jezebel Baley was a member. Just like that? Jezebel Baley?"
Enderby nodded. "I keep telling you I heard him."
"That's the funny thing, Commissioner. Jessie hasn't used her full first name since before Bentley was born. Not once. I know that for certain. She joined the Medievalists after she dropped her full name. I know that for sure, too. How would Clousarr come to know her as Jezebel, then?"
The Commissioner flushed and said, hastily, "Oh well, if it comes to that, he probably said Jessie. I just filled it in automatically and gave her full name. In fact, I'm sure of that. He said Jessie."
"Until now you were quite sure he said Jezebel. I asked several times."
The Commissioner's voice rose. "You're not saying I'm a liar, are you?"
"I'm just wondering if Clousarr, perhaps, said nothing at all. I'm wondering if you made that up. You've known Jessie for twenty years, and you knew her name was Jezebel."
"You're off your head, man."
"Am I? Where were you after lunch today? You were out of your office for two hours at least."
"Are you questioning me?"
"I'll answer for you, too. You were in the Williamsburg power plant."
The Commissioner rose from his seat. His forehead glistened and there were dry, white flecks at the corners of his lips. "What the hell are you trying to say?"
"Weren't you?"
"Baley, you're suspended. Hand me your credentials."
"Not yet. Hear me out."
"I don't intend to. You're guilty. You're guilty as the devil, and what gets me is your cheap attempt to make me, me, look as though I were conspiring against you." He lost his voice momentarily in a squeak of indignation. He managed to gasp out, "In fact, you're under arrest."
"No," said Baley, tightly, "not yet. Commissioner, I've got a blaster on you. It's pointed straight and it's cocked. Don't fool with me, please, because I'm desperate and I will have my say. Afterward, you can do what you please."
With widening eyes, Julius Enderby stared at the wicked muzzle in Baley's hands.
He stammered, "Twenty years for this, Baley, in the deepest prison level in the City."
R. Daneel moved suddenly. His hand clamped down on Baley's wrist. He said, quietly, "I cannot permit this, partner Elijah. You must do no harm to the Commissioner."
For the first time since R. Daneel had entered the City, the Commissioner spoke directly to him. "Hold him, you. First Law!"
Baley said quickly, "I have no intention of hurting him, Daneel, if you will keep him from arresting me. You said you would help me clear this up. I have forty-five minutes."
R. Daneel, without releasing Baley's wrist, said, "Commissioner, I believe Elijah should be allowed to speak. I am in communication with Dr. Fastolfe at this moment - "
"How? How?" demanded the Commissioner, wildly.
"I possess a self-contained subethenic unit," said R. Daneel. The Commissioner stared.
"I am in communication with Dr. Fastolfe," the robot went on inexorably, "and it would make a bad impression, Commissioner, if you were to refuse to listen to Elijah. Damaging inferences might be drawn."
The Commissioner fell back in his chair, quite speechless. Baley said, "I say you were in the Williamsburg power plant today, Commissioner, and you got the alpha-sprayer and gave it to R. Sammy. You deliberately chose the Williamsburg power plant in order to incriminate me. You even seized Dr. Gerrigel's reappearance to invite him down to the Department and give him a deliberately maladjusted guide rod to lead him to the photographic supply room and allow him to find R. Sammy's remains. You counted on him to make a correct diagnosis."
Baley put away his blaster. "If you want to have me arrested now, go ahead, but Spacetown won't take that for an answer."
"Motive," spluttered Enderby breathlessly. His glasses were fogged and he removed them, looking once again curiously vague and helpless in their absence. "What motive could I have for this?"
"You got me into trouble, didn't you? It will put a spoke in the Sarton investigation, won't it? And all that aside, R. Sammy knew too much."
"About what, in Heaven's name?"
"About the way in which a Spacer was murdered five and a half days ago. You see, Commissioner, you murdered Dr. Sarton of Spacetown."
It was R. Daneel who spoke. Enderby could only clutch feverishly at his hair and shake his head.