three o'clock in the
morning
Every detail of how the mayor , Murphy , Brennan and he had succeeded in overhearing a conversation between Gibson and `` Gink '' Cummings was fresh in his mind . His nerves tingled as he again felt the thrill of those breathless minutes when Benton photographed Gibson and the `` Gink '' by flashlight and Cummings rained shots after them as they escaped in the mayor 's automobile . It was only a matter of a few hours now before the conspiracy between the police commissioner and candidate for mayor and the notorious king of the underworld to seize control of the city government would be exposed , broadcast throughout Los Angeles as the most sensational news story of the year . Before he returned home , after three o'clock in the morning , John , with Brennan , had informed P. Q. of their success in obtaining evidence to prove the Cummings-Gibson conspiracy . The city editor told them he would communicate with the `` chief '' Sunday and instructed them to report for duty earlier than usual Monday morning . `` We 'll probably break the story Monday , '' said P. Q. `` We 'll shoot everything we have : Gallant 's story of the framed raid on the Spring street bookmakers , how the ` Gink ' regulated crime to give Gibson a reputation ; the affidavits of ` Big Jim ' Hatch and his wife and give it the finishing touch with Benton 's photograph . Of course , we 'll have Smith 's verbatim report .