rs.toomanywomen-第26部分

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　in　bed　all　the　time。　Now　what　do　you　want　to　ask　me？〃
　　One　thing　I　approved　of；　she　didn't　hook　onto　my　arm　or　try　to　climb　into　my　pocket。　She　just　wanted　to　say　it　with　me　there。
　　〃This；〃　Cramer　declared　in　as　gloaty　a　tone　as　I　had　ever　heard　from　him；　〃is　really　rich。　How　long　have　you　had　her　hid　here；　Wolfe？　Wasn't　there　time　enough　to　train　her？〃
　　〃Mr。　Cramer；　you're　an　imbecile；〃　Wolfe　told　him　for　his　information。
　　I　broke　in；　thinking　the　best　thing　now　was　to　mess　it　up　good。　〃I　bolixed　it　up；〃　I　said　regretfully。　〃Like　a　damn　fool；　I　told　her　to　bust　in　when　I　sneezed；　and　then　Purley　sneezed。〃　I　glared　at　Purley。　〃How　the　hell　could　I　know　you　had　a　cold？〃
　　〃Okay。〃　Cramer　rose；　still　gloating。　〃I　suppose　you　have　some　things　here；　Miss　Bendini？　Some　clothes？〃
　　〃Yes；　but　I…〃
　　〃You　have　three　minutes　to　change；　unless　you　want　to　travel　around　like　that。　Go　and　change。〃
　　〃No；〃　Wolfe　said。　His　forefinger　was　tapping　on　the　desk；　which　meant　he　was　ready　to　pick　up　tigers　and　knock　their　heads　together。　〃Stay　here；　Miss　Bendini。〃　His　eyes　darted　to　Cramer。　〃Have　you　a　warrant？　Or　are　you　charging　her？〃
　　〃Nuts。　Murder。　Material　witness。〃
　　〃Witness　to　what？〃
　　〃I'll　tell　her；　not　you。〃
　　〃Bah。　Miss　Bendini。　I　advise　you　not　to　leave　here　unless　you　are　taken　by　force。　Make　them　carry　you。〃
　　I　intervened　for　several　reasons。　First；　Wolfe　was　not　following　a　program　but　was　simply　so　mad　he　couldn't　see。　Second；　Rosa　had　gone　so　white　and　rigid　that　I　doubted　if　she　could　walk；　especially　acpanied　by　a　cop；　and　I　didn't　regard　it　as　desirable　to　let　her　be　carried　out　of　our　house　in　the　costume　she　had　on。　Third；　while　I　hadn't　promised　her；　I　had　unquestionably　given　her　an　inducement。
　　〃Look；〃　I　said　to　Cramer；　〃why　all　the　war　paint？　If　you　do　carry　her　out；　and　if　she　proves　to　be　no　more　material　than　I　am；　with　Mr。　Wolfe　as　sore　as　he　is　you'll　get　blisters。　If　you　don't　like　conversing　with　her　here　I'll　make　an　offer；　take　it　or　leave　it。　She　changes　her　clothes；　and　Purley　and　I　drive　her　downtown　in　Mr。　Wolfe's　car；　and　I　am　present；　not　too　talkative；　during　your　talk　with　her。　I'll　stay　as　long　as　she　does。　When　the　time　es；　unless　you　are　prepared　to　charge　her；　she　leaves　with　me。　What　the　hell；　I　was　with　you　all　Friday　night；　wasn't　I？　Well？〃
　　〃You　might；〃　Wolfe　said　testily；　〃ask　my　permission；　Archie。〃
　　〃This　is　Sunday。〃　I　told　Cramer；　〃It's　no　deal　unless　you　say　yes　out　loud　so　everybody　can　hear　you。　I　would　prefer　to　see　you　carry　her　and　let　Mr。　Wolfe　see　what　the　law　can　do；　but　Miss　Bendini　is　like　a　sister　to　me。　Yes？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　Cramer　snarled。
　　I　was　thinking；　as　I　went　for　the　car；　that　one　of　the　leading　roles　had　bounced　back　to　us　again…the　last　to　see　Naylor　alive。　For　a　while　it　had　been　me。　Then　Saul　Panzer；　who　had　passed　it　on　to　the　taxi　driver。　Now　it　was　once　more　back　in　the　family；　with　Fritz　ticketed　for　it。　Who　next？
　　
　　Chapter　Twenty…Five
　　I　missed　Sunday　dinner　but　not　supper。
　　It　was　no　wonder　that　under　the　circumstances　Cramer　thought　he　had　hooked　a　real　fish　and　had　also　made　a　monkey　out　of　Wolfe。　But　after　half　an　hour　with　Rosa　and　me　in　his　office；　beginning　to　suspect　that　he　had　merely　got　caught　on　a　snag；　he　left　us　to　Lieutenant　Rowcliff　and　beat　it　for　Centre　Street。　Rowcliff　didn't　care　much　for　the　assignment；　since　his　opinion　of　me　is　a　perfect　match　for　mine　of　him。　He　shot　questions　at　Rosa　for　an　hour　or　so　in　his　correspondence…school　grammar；　meanwhile　trying　to　keep　me　from　contributing　any　kind　of　sound；　let　alone　a　word；　and　halted　only　when　he　was　interrupted　by　the　return　of　a　squad　man　who　had　been　sent　to　Washington　Heights　to　check　with　the　in…laws。
　　Not　only　had　father…in…law　and　mother…in…law　verified　Rosa's　story；　but　husband…in…law　came　back　with　the　squad　man　to　try　to　raise　some　hell。　He　wasn't　going　to　let　his　wife　be　abused　and　would　see　to　it　personally　that　she　wasn't。　Knowing　what　had　led　up　to　his　wife's　departure　from　his　parental　apartment　in　the　Sunday　dawn；　I　regarded　him　with　awe。　I　had　noticed　on　the　Naylor…Kerr　stationery　that　the　motto　of　the　firm　was　ANYTHING　IN　THE　WORLD；　ANYWHERE　IN　THE　WORLD。　It　struck　me　that　the　motto　of　the　male　personnel　of　the　stock　department　appeared　to　be　PROTECT　THE　WOMAN。　Or　if　they　wanted　it　to　have　eight　words　like　the　firm's　it　could　be　PROTECT　YOUR　WOMAN　NO　MATTER　WHOSE　SHE　IS。
　　That　left　Rowcliff　with　nothing　to　discuss　with　Rosa　except　the　time　she　had　spent　in　bed　Friday　night；　especially　the　hours　from　ten　to　twelve；　which　gave　him　limited　space　to　turn　around　in。　He　sent　a　man　down　to　Bank　Street　to　see　the　janitor　and　the　other　tenants；　but　all　they　could　say　was　that　they　hadn't　happened　to　see　Miss　Bendini　e　home　Friday　evening。　Finally；　around　seven　o'clock；　he　adjourned　sine　die；　and　I　drove　Rosa；　with　her　luggage；　to　her　home　address；　having　phoned　Wolfe　and　been　told　that　there　was　no　reason　to　suppose　she　had　saved　anything　for　him。　The　husband　went　with　us　and　then　came　away　with　me；　and　I　let　him　out　at　a　subway　station。　Knowing　by　now　that　his　wife's　relations　with　me　were　purely　on　a　business　basis；　he　even　wanted　to　buy　me　a　drink。
　　I　spent　Sunday　evening　in　the　office　with　my　typewriter。　Wolfe　was　there　too；　but　sight　was　the　only　one　of　my　five　senses　that　knew　about　it。　When　Saul　Panzer　phoned　to　make　another　classified　report　to　Wolfe　I　arranged　for　him　to　meet　me　downtown　in　the　morning　instead　of　ing　to　Wolfe's　place。　The　authorities；　looking　for　him；　had　phoned　his　home　a　few　times；　and　he　was　going　to　spend　the　night　at　a　friend's　apartment。　It　was　just　possible　that　they　were　eager　enough　about　it　to　keep　an　eye　on　our　address；　and　I　still　thought　it　would　be　polite　to　give　Hester　Livsey　a　chance　to　do　some　explaining　in　a　congenial　atmosphere。
　　I　fully　expected　Saul's　check　on　her　to　be　nothing　more　than　a　formality；　and　so　it　was。　Monday　morning　I　met　him　and　took　him　with　me　to　the　lobby　of　the　building　on　William　Street；　and　chose　a　strategic　point　for　overlooking　the　arriving　throng　and　the　stampede　for　the　elevators。　I　recognized　a　few　of　the　faces　as　the　feet　trotted；　walked；　marched；　and　click…clicked　on　the　way　to　another　week's　paycheck。　At　two　minutes　to　nine　I　was　thinking　we　had　missed　her　and　would　have　to　proceed　upstairs；　where　it　would　be　more　awkward　and　would　require　arranging；　when　Saul　suddenly　pinched　me　and　muttered　at　me：
　　〃To　the　right；　thirty　feet；　turning　now；　same　hat　and　coat；　behind　the　tall　man　with　glasses；　going　on　the　elevator…〃
　　〃Okay；〃　I　said　as　she　was　swallowed　up　in　the　elevator　and　its　door　started　to　close。　〃How　many　coats　do　you　think　she　has？　She's　an　honest　working　girl。〃
　　〃It's　none　of　my　business；〃　Saul　said。
　　〃Meaning；　not　her　honesty；　but　her　name。　Yes；　you　have　heard　the　name。　If　you　happen　to　be　phoning　Wolfe　and　he　happens　to　ask；　you　can　tell　him　yes；　and　also　tell　him　I'll　bring　her　to　see　him　but　I　don't　know　when。　I　have　to　find　out　whether　I'm　still　working　here　or　not。　There's　to　be　a　directors'　meeting…you're　not　listening。〃
　　〃I'm　looking。　Do　you　know　that　man〃…　his　eyes　were　pointing…〃gray　coat　and　hat；　big　and　broad；　fleshy　face；　now　his　back　is　to　us…he's　stepping　on　the　elevator…〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　know　him。　Why？〃
　　〃I've　seen　him。〃
　　〃I　wouldn't　doubt　it。〃　The　bination　of　Saul's　eyes　and　the　filing　equipment　in　his　skull　is　the　equal　of　any　card　system　yet　invented。　〃You　probably　saw　him　August　seventeenth；　nineteen　hundred　and　thirty…eight；　crossing　Madison　Avenue　against　a　light…〃
　　〃No。　I　saw　him　Friday；　twice。　When　Naylor　met　the　woman　at　First　Avenue　and　Fifty…second　Street　that　man　was　standing　across　the　street　in　a　doorway　looking　at　them。　An　hour　later；　when　they　parted　at　Second　Avenue　and　Fifty…seventh　Street；　he　was　standing　forty　feet　away；　again　in　a　doorway；　and　when　the　woman　walked　downtown　on　Second　Avenue　he　started　after　her。　That's　all　I　saw　because　Naylor　was　on　his　way　and　I　was　tailing　him。〃
　　〃Is　this　certified？〃
　　〃For　me　it　is。〃
　　〃Then　me　too。　In　case　this　head…flattener　is　going　on　with　his　career　and　picks　me　next；　the　man's　name　is　Sumner　Hoff。　He　works　for　Naylor…Kerr　and　his　office　is　in　the　stock　department。　File　it。〃
　　〃I　will。　Is　that　all　here？〃
　　I　said　it　was；　and　Saul　went。
　　I　took　an　elevator　to　the　thirty…fourth　floor；　not　knowing　what　to　expect。　It　was　quite　possible　that　a　delegation　of　executives　would　be　waiting　for　me；　to　tell　me　to　get　the　hell　out　and　stay　out。　But　nobody　at　all　was　waiting　for　me。　It　is　true　that　when　I　got　to　the　arena；　skirted　it；　and　started　down　the　long　aisle；　I　was　on　the　receiving　end　of　plenty　of　assorted　glances；　but　that　was　only　more　of　the　same　as　last　week。　I　left　my　coat　and　hat　in　my　room；　emerged　immediately；　crossed　to　the　other　side　of　the　arena；　opened　the　door　of　Hester　Livsey's　room；　entered；　and　shut　the　door　behind　me。
　　〃What　do　you　want？〃　she　demanded。
　　She　had　straightened　up　from　dusting　off　her　desk。　She　looked　nervous；　unhappy；　and　annoyed。　Fritz　would　have　said　that　she　did　not　have　the　appearance　of　a　good　eater。　I　did　not　entirely　lose　the　impression　that　she　was　in　some　kind　of　trouble　that　no　one　but　me　could　understand　and　no　one　but　me　could　help　her　out　of；　but　the　most　vulgar　eye　could　have　seen　at　a　glance　that　she　was　in　trouble。　That　much　of　it　I　would　have　to　share。
　　My　name；〃　I　said；　〃is　Archie　Goodwin　and　I　work　for　Nero　Wolfe。〃
　　〃I　know　that。　What　do　you　want？〃
　　Evidently　everybody　in　the　stock　department　knew　everything。　〃I'm　afraid；〃　I　told　her；　〃that　I　can't　make　my　answer　quite　as　direct　and　to　the　point　as　your　question。　I　can　tell　you　what　I　want；　but　I'll　have　to　leave　it　more　or　less　blank　why　I　want　it。　I　want　to　date　you　up…to　meet　me　at　five　o'clock　this　afternoon　and　go　to　Nero　Wolfe's　office　with　me。　He　wants　to　have　a　talk　with　you…〃
　　〃What　about？〃
　　〃You're　so　damn　gruff；〃　I　plained。　〃I　can't　tell　you　what　about　except　that　it's　connected　with　the　murder　of　Kerr　Naylor；　and　you　could　guess　that　with　both　eyes　shut。　Let　me　try　it　that　way　first；　just　ask　you；　will　you　do　it？〃
　　〃Certainly　not。　Why　should　I？〃
　　〃In　that　cas