rs.toomanywomen-第17部分

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partment。　Damn　it；　I　tell　you　frankly；　I　could　run　a　car　over　Mr。　Naylor　myself。　At　least　you　have　prodded　him　along　a　little。　Perhaps　you　should　have　a　talk　with　Mr。　Hoff　whether　he　likes　it　or　not。〃
　　〃I'd　love　to。　What　about　the　fingerprints？〃
　　〃Certainly；　if　you　think　it's　worth　the　trouble。　See　Mr。　Gushing　and　tell　him　I　said　so。〃
　　Mr。　Gushing　was　the　assistant　vice…president　who　had　introduced　me　around　when　I　started　to　work。　I　got　him　on　the　phone。　It　might　have　been　expected　that　he　would　show　some　curiosity　as　to　what　a　personnel　expert　expected　to　acplish　by　inspecting　fingerprints；　but　he　didn't；　so　evidently　the　news　of　my　real　status　had　got　beyond　the　stock　department。　He　was　anxious　to　please；　even　to　the　extent　of　sending　me　a　boy　with　an　empty　carton　and　a　supply　of　tissue　paper　for　the　safe　transport　of　my　specimens。
　　I　wasn't　left　alone　with　the　prints；　which　were　filed　in　a　locked　cabinet　of　their　own　in　a　room　on　the　thirty…fifth　floor。　A　middle…aged　woman　with　dyed　brown　hair　and　a　flat　chest　who　had　apparently　eaten　onions　for　breakfast　never　got　more　than　ten　feet　from　me。　She　had　an　uncertain　moment　when　I　sent　for　the　boy　and　asked　him　to　bring　me　sandwiches　and　milk；　but　she　fielded　it　nicely　by　phoning　a　pal　to　e　and　relieve　her　for　a　lunch　period。
　　I　knew　what　I　was　doing；　but　was　by　no　means　an　expert；　and　I　had　to　go　slow　if　I　didn't　want　to　miss　it　and　have　to　start　all　over　again。　I　had　the　advantage　of　having　an　ample　collection　of　good　specimens；　but　even　so　it　was　a　long　uphill　climb。　A　couple　of　times　during　the　afternoon　the　onion　eater　offered　to　help；　but　I　politely　declined；　with　my　eyes　smarting　and　my　neck　developing　a　crick。
　　It　was　well　past　four　o'clock　when　I　rang　the　bell。　Even　before　I　put　it　under　the　magnifying　glass　I　knew　that　was　it；　and　five　minutes　with　the　glass；　paring　it　with　a　dozen　of　the　best　specimens　on　the　folders　and　reports；　settled　it　good　enough　for　any　jury。　Either　I　had　let　out　a　grunt　of　triumph　or　my　manner　had　betrayed　me；　for　the　onion　eater　came　to　my　elbow　and　asked：
　　〃Found　what　you　were　after；　didn't　you？〃
　　Not　to　waste　a　lie　I　told　her　yes；　which　was　feasible　since　my　hand　was　covering　the　name　on　the　card。　When　she　had　backed　off　again　I　returned　the　card　to　the　file；　closed　the　drawer；　repacked　my　stuff　in　the　carton　with　the　tissue　paper；　told　her　I　was　through　for　the　day　and　was　grateful　for　the　pleasant　hours　I　had　spent　with　her；　and　went　back　to　the　thirty…fourth　floor　and　my　office　with　the　carton　under　my　arm。　I　put　the　carton　on　the　floor　between　the　window　and　the　desk；　which　was　back　in　place；　got　the　head　of　the　reserve　pool　on　the　phone；　and　asked　him：
　　〃How　about　Miss　Gwynne　Ferris？　Can　I　see　her　now？〃
　　〃I'm　afraid　not。〃　He　was　apologetic。　〃I'm　terribly　sorry；　Mr。　Truett；　but　she　still　has　a　lot…〃
　　〃Excuse　me；〃　I　broke　in。　〃I'm　sorry　too；　but　so　have　I　got　a　lot。　I　have　asked　for　her　three　times　now；　and　of　course　if　I　have　to　go　to　Mr。　Naylor　or　Mr。　Pine…〃
　　〃Not　at　all！　Certainly　not！　I　didn't　know　it　was　important！〃
　　〃It　may　be。〃
　　〃Then　I'll　send　her　right　in！　She'll　be　there　right　away！〃
　　I　told　him　I　appreciated　it；　hung　up；　arose　to　move　the　visitor's　chair　to　a　better　position　at　the　end　of　the　desk；　and　resumed　my　seat。　The　door　was　closed。　I　was　idly　considering　getting　up　to　open　it；　to　save　her　the　trouble；　when　it　swung　open　itself　and　she　entered；　shut　the　door　behind　her；　and　approached。
　　I　haven't　Wolfe's　stock　excuse；　over　three　hundred　pounds　to　manipulate；　for　not　rising　to　my　feet　when　a　caller　enters　the　room；　and　besides；　I　am　not　a　lout。　But　that　time　I　was　glued　to　my　chair　at　least　three　seconds　beyond　the　courtesy　limit；　until　after　she　had　asked　in　a　sweet　musical　voice：　〃Did　you　want　me？　I'm　Gwynne　Ferris。〃　It　was　the　non…speller　who　had　rested　her　lovely　fingers　on　my　knee　before　I　had　been　in　the　place　an　hour。
　　
　　Chapter　Eighteen
　　The　psychological　moment　had　passed　for　rising　on　the　entrance　of　a　lady；　so　I　skipped　it　and　told　her；　〃There's　a　chair。　C…H…A…I…R。　Sit　down。　D…O…W…N。〃
　　She　did　so　gracefully；　with　no　flutter；　got　one　knee　over　the　other　with　the　nylons　nearly　parallel；　the　twentieth…century　classic　pose；　gave　the　ordained　tug　to　the　hem　of　her　green　woolen　skirt；　covering　an　additional　sector　of　knee　the　width　of　a　matchstick；　and　smiled　at　me　both　with　her　pretty　red　lips　and　her　clear　blue　eyes。
　　〃This　is　Friday；〃　I　stated。　〃So　this　is　your　fifth　and　last　day　here。　Huh？〃
　　〃Well…〃　She　looked　demure。
　　〃I　am　naturally　magnanimous；〃　I　went　on；　〃and　how　would　you　like　to　spell　that　one？　And　I　don't　mind　a　little　kidding；　some　of　my　best　friends　are　kidders；　including　me。　Besides；　my　suddenly　sitting　on　the　corner　of　your　desk　and　firing　questions　at　you　about　Waldo　Moore　must　have　given　you　a　jolt；　considering　that　you　had　been…well；　I　don't　want　to　be　outspoken　about　it…say　you　and　he　had　been　propinquitous。　P…R…O…P…I…〃
　　〃Don't　spell　it；〃　she　said；　with　her　voice　a　little　less　musical　and　not　at　all　sweet。　〃Just　tell　me　what　it　means。　If　it　means　what　I　think　it　does　it's　a　lie　and　I　know　who　told　you。〃
　　〃Prove　it。　Who？〃
　　〃Hester　Livsey。　And　you　believed　her！　You　wouldn't　stop　to　consider　my　reputation；　a　girl's　reputation；　oh　no；　that　wouldn't　matter！　Not　if　Hester　Livsey　told　you；　because　she's　a　section　head's　secretary　and　she　wouldn't　lie；　oh　no！　What　did　she　say？　Exactly　what　words　did　she　say？〃
　　I　was　shaking　my　head。　〃Nope。　Bad　guess。　Miss　Livsey　hasn't　mentioned　you；　and　anyhow　I　want　no　part　of　the　idea　that　a　section　head's　secretary　never　tells　a　lie。〃　I　looked　at　her　as　man　to　woman。　〃Why　don't　I　forget　that　anyone　has　told　me　anything；　and　let　you　straighten　me　out？　You　did　know　Moore；　didn't　you？〃
　　〃Certainly；　everybody　did。〃　Her　voice　was　back　to　normal。　It　changed　as　often　and　as　fast　as　the　weather。　〃No　matter　what　a　girl's　character　was　she　stood　a　fat　chance　of　not　knowing　him！〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　understand　he　was　very　sociable。　Did　you　go　out　with　him　much？〃
　　〃No；　not…〃　She　bit　that　off。　A　tiny　wrinkle　appeared　on　her　lovely　smooth　forehead。　〃Oh；　he　took　me　to　a　couple　of　shows；　that　was　about　all。　Once　we　were　out　in　his　car；　out　on　Long　Island；　and　there　was　an　accident　and　I　got　a　little　cut　on　a　part　of　my　body。　Of　course　everyone　heard　about　that。〃
　　〃I'll　bet　they　did。　But　you　weren't　especially　intimate　with　him？〃
　　〃Good　lord　no；　intimate？　I　should　say　not！〃
　　〃Then　I　suppose　his　death　wasn't　a　particularly　hard　blow　for　you。〃
　　〃No；　I　scarcely　noticed　it。〃　She　caught　herself　up。　〃Of　course　I　don't　mean…I　mean；　I　noticed　it。　But　more　on　account　of　my　character　than　on　account　of　him。　What　I　mean　about　my　character；　I　mean　I　don't　like　death。　I　just　don't　like　it；　no　matter　who　it　is。〃
　　I　nodded。　〃I　feel　the　same　way　about　it。　You　mean　it　would　have　been　a　much　harder　blow　if　it　had　been；　for　instance；　Ben　Frenkel。〃
　　She　jerked　her　chin　up；　and；　as　though　it　had　been　synchronized；　her　skirt　simultaneously　jerked　itself　back　above　the　knee。　She　demanded；　〃Who　the　hell　mentioned　Ben　Frenkel？〃
　　〃I　did。　Just　now。　He　came　to　see　me　yesterday　and　we　had　a　talk。　Isn't　he　a　friend　of　yours？〃
　　〃We're　not　intimate；〃　she　said　defiantly。　〃Did　he　say　we　are？〃
　　〃No　no；　he's　not　that　kind　of　guy。　I　was　just　using　him　as　an　illustration　of　how　little　you　noticed　the　death　of　Moore。　What's　your　opinion　of　this　gossip　that's　going　around；　about　Moore　being　murdered？〃
　　〃I　think　it's　terrible　and　I　won't　listen　to　it。　Gossip　is　so　cheap！〃
　　〃But　of　course　you've　heard　it？〃
　　〃Mighty　little。　I　just　won't　listen！〃
　　〃Aren't　you　interested？　Or　curious？　I　thought　intelligent　women　were　curious　about　everything；　even　murder。〃
　　She　shook　her　angelic　head。　〃Not　me。　I　guess　it　isn't　a　part　of　my　character。〃
　　〃That's　funny。　It　really　surprises　me；　because　when　I　found　out　it　was　you　who　came　in　here　on　the　sly　and　went　through　that　cabinet；　and　looked　through　my　folders；　and　read　my　reports　about　Moore；　I　said　to　myself；　sure；　I　might　have　expected　that；　all　it　means　is　that　Gwynne　Ferris　is　a　beautiful　and　intelligent　young　woman　who　got　so　curious　about　it　that　she　couldn't　resist　the　temptation。　And　now　you　say　you're　not　curious　at　all。　It　certainly　is　funny。〃
　　I　am　no　Nero　Wolfe　at　reading　faces；　but　I　know　what　I　see；　and　it　was　a　bet　that　during　my　brief　speech　she　had　decided　three　times　to　call　me　a　liar；　and　had　thrice　changed　her　mind　and　made　a　grab　for　some　better　idea。　When　I　stopped　purposely　without　asking　a　question；　and　sat　and　waited　for　her　to　bat　it　back；　what　she　said　was：
　　〃It　certainly　is。〃
　　I　nodded。　〃So　since　you're　not　curious　I　suppose　you　had　some　special　reason　for　wanting　to　know　how　far　I　had　got。　The　reason　I'm　speaking　to　you　about　it　like　this；　alone　with　you；　is　because　I　think　it's　much　better　this　way　than　it　would　be　if　I　made　a　report　of　it　and　you　got　a　bunch　of　nitwits　barking　at　you…you　know　what　the　police　are　like。。。〃
　　I　let　it　fade　out　because　she　had　made　up　her　mind。　With　a　charming　impulsive　movement　she　was　out　of　her　chair　and　standing　in　front　of　me；　leaning　over；　getting　my　hands　in　hers。　In　the　close　little　room　with　the　door　shut　she　smelled　like　a　new　name　for　a　perfume；　but　there　was　no　time　to　invent　one　then　and　there。
　　〃You　don't　believe　that；〃　she　said；　not　much　more　than　a　whisper；　into　my　face。　〃Do　you　honestly　think　I'm　that　sort　of　girl；　honestly？　Do　my　hands　feel　like　the　kind　of　hands　that　would　do　mean　things　like　that？　Are　you　going　to　believe　everything　mean　you　hear　about　me？　Just　because　someone　says　they　saw　me　ing　in　your　room　or　going　out　again…can　you　honestly　look　at　me　and　tell　me　you　believe　it？　Can　you？〃
　　〃No；〃　I　said。　〃Impossible。〃
　　I　was　going　on；　but　couldn't　for　the　moment；　because　she　thought　I　had　earned　a　citation　and　was　proceeding　to　bestow　it　when　the　door　of　the　room　swung　open；　and　with　my　right　eye；　the　only　one　that　could　see　anything　past　her　ear；　I　observed　Kerr　Naylor　walking　in。
　　At　the　sound　my　seducer　jerked　away　and　whirled　to　face　the　door。
　　〃It's　past　quitting　time；　Miss　Ferris；〃　Naylor　said。
　　I　batted　for　he