rs.toomanywomen-第37部分

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ut　sure。　No；　not　for　him。　He　was　going　to　bull　it　through　with　only　one　shot　in　his　gun；　and　that　one　possibly　a　blank。　If　Hester　hadn't　been　sitting　there　I　would　have　put　up　an　argument；　and　a　hot　one；　but　she　had　already　heard　more　than　was　good　for　her。　So　I　dialed　the　number。
　　I　have　since　wondered　what　he　would　have　done　if　Mrs。　Pine　had　been　out　shopping　or　looking　over　the　pet　situation　on　Fifth　Avenue；　but　that　was　a　contingency　he　did　not　have　to　meet。　An　impersonal　male　voice　answered　the　phone。　I　told　it　that　Mr。　Wolfe　wished　to　speak　with　Mrs。　Pine；　and　in　a　moment　she　was　on　and　I　signaled　to　Wolfe。
　　〃Good　afternoon；　Mrs。　Pine。〃　Wolfe　was　making　it　bland。　〃I　find　myself　in　a　disagreeable　position。　Certain　information　has　e　to　me；　and　the　proper　thing　for　me　to　do　would　be　to　municate　with　Mr。　Cramer　…you　know；　the　Police　Inspector…and　suggest　that　he　should　send　immediately　for　your　personal　staff　of　servants；　and　also　for　all　members　of　the　staff　of　the　apartment　building　where　you　live　who　were　on　duty　Friday　evening；　March　twenty…first…the　evening　your　brother　was　killed。…Please　let　me　finish。　I　realize　that　would　be　a　frightful　annoyance　for　you。　So　there　is　this　alternative。　Why　don't　you　bring　them；　yourself；　to　me？　At　my　office。　Your　own　servants；　all　of　them；　and　also　those　of　the　apartment…〃
　　Her　voice；　incisive；　pushed　in。　〃What　for？　What　on　earth　are　you　talking　about？〃
　　〃Don't　you　know？〃
　　〃No！〃
　　〃Nonsense。　Certainly　you　know。　Unless　I've　underrated　you；　and　I　don't　think　I　have。　Doesn't　my　request　make　it　plain　that　I　have　everything　I　need　but　a　few　details？　I　intend　to　get　them　without　delay；　and　I'm　giving　you　this　chance　to　furnish　them。〃　Wolfe's　voice　suddenly　went　sharp　and　started　to　cut。　〃Either　that　or　Mr。　Cramer　gets　them；　and　that　will　be　a　different　matter。　You　know　what　that　would　mean。　Your　husband　lost　his　head。　He　sent　for　Miss　Livsey；　twice；　and　she　refused　to　go。　She　came　here　instead。　She　is　sitting　here　now　under　my　eyes。　Mr。　Cramer's　first　step；　of　course；　would　be　to　get　your　husband；　after　I　turned　Miss　Livsey　over　to　him。　I　prefer　to　be　more　direct　about　it。　I　e　straight　to　you。〃
　　〃Where　is　my　husband？〃
　　〃At　his　office。　He　hasn't　been　disturbed　yet。〃
　　〃And　Miss　Livsey　is　there　with　you？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃I　don't　believe　it。〃
　　〃Very　well；　madam。　Good…by。　I　thought　it　fair　to　give　you　this　opportunity；　since　you　own　a　large　share　of　the　corporation　I'm　working　for…〃
　　〃Wait。　Will　you　wait？〃
　　〃Not　long。　If　you　want　a　minute　to　decide；　take　it。〃
　　She　took　more　than　a　minute；　at　least　three。　Wolfe　and　I　sat　with　the　receivers　to　our　ears。　I　had　my　chair　turned　so　as　to　have　an　eye　on　Hester；　in　case　she　took　a　notion　to　bounce　over　and　do　some　yelling　loud　enough　for　the　transmitter　to　pick　it　up。　I　still　thought　Wolfe　was　wrong；　and　I　was　pressing　the　receiver　against　my　ear　so　hard　it　was　a　wonder　I　didn't　crush　a　cartilage。　Finally　Cecily's　voice　came：
　　〃I'll　be　there　in　half　an　hour。〃
　　Wolfe；　having　her；　pressed；　〃With　the　others？　The　servants？〃
　　〃No。　You　won't　need　them。〃
　　〃It　shouldn't　take　you　half　an　hour。〃
　　〃I　have　to　dress。　I'll　get　there　as　soon　as　I　can。　You　won't　do　anything？〃
　　〃Not　until　you　get　here；　no。〃
　　Wolfe　hung　up　and　turned　to　Hester。　〃Mrs。　Pine　is　going　to　e　and　tell　me　all　about　it。　Do　you　want　to　go　upstairs？〃
　　Hester　didn't　speak。　Nor　did　she　move；　not　even　her　eyes。　She　was　inspecting　a　rug。　She　was　sitting　straight；　her　coat　still　on；　her　hands　grasping　the　ends　of　her　leather　bag。　and　the　rug　was　evidently　the　most　enthralling　object　she　had　ever　gazed　at　in　her　life。
　　What　I　wanted　to　say　to　Wolfe　would　not　have　been　fitting　with　a　guest　present；　so　I　didn't　say　it。
　　I　still　hadn't　said　it　thirty　minutes　later；　when　Mrs。　Pine　arrived。
　　
　　Chapter　Thirty…Four
　　She　sat　in　the　red　leather　chair。　That　day　her　coat　was　mink　and　her　dress　was　tightly　woven　brown　wool　with　an　elegant　black　check。　She　had　never　met　Miss　Livsey；　she　had　said；　and　had　offered　a　hand　which　Hester　had　not　taken。　That　had　not　disconcerted　her。　Nothing；　as　far　as　could　be　told　from　her　appearance；　had　disconcerted　her；　though　her　mind　was　sufficiently　occupied　to　keep　her　from　making　any　personal　remarks　to　me。　She　sat　in　the　red　leather　chair　and　told　Wolfe：
　　〃This　would　not　have　happened　if　you　had　done　what　I　asked　you　to。　My　brother　would　not　have　been　killed。　He　would　have　stopped　his　foolishness。　Everything　would　have　been　all　right。〃
　　〃No；〃　Wolfe　said；　〃it　wouldn't。　It　seems　clear　that　your　brother　would　never　have　abandoned　his　determination　to　bee　president　of　the　firm。　Nor　would　the　death　of　Mr。　Moore　have　been　cleared　up；　but　that　didn't　interest　you。　I　wish　you　would　start　with　that　Friday　evening。　Why　did　you　tell　me　your　husband　was　home　in　bed　when　he　wasn't？〃
　　〃Because　I　saw　no…what　are　you　doing　there；　Archie？〃
　　〃Shorthand；〃　I　told　her。　〃I'm　good　at　it。〃
　　〃Then　stop　it。　I　won't　have　any　record　of　this。〃
　　〃I　will；〃　Wolfe　said　curtly。　He　wiggled　a　finger　at　her。　〃I　intend；　madam；　to　be　in　a　position　to　satisfy　your　Board　of　Directors　that　I　have　done　the　job　they　hired　me　for。　As　far　as　I'm　concerned　that's　all　the　record　will　be　used　for；　but　I'm　going　to　have　it。　And　I　don't　need　to　make　any　pretenses　to　you。　At　this　moment　I　know　barely　what　I　need　to　know　and　that's　all。　For　example；　I　had　nothing　but　a　surmise；　a　mere　assumption；　that　your　husband　was　not　in　bed　asleep　when　you　said　he　was；　until　you　reacted　as　you　did　to　my　request　to　speak　with　your　servants。　That　of　course　made　the　surmise　a　certainty。　Why　did　you　lie　about　it？〃
　　〃I　didn't。〃
　　〃Pah。　You　didn't？〃
　　〃I　didn't　intend　to。〃　Cecily　kept　glancing　in　my　direction；　but　at　the　notebook；　not　at　me。　〃When　you　phoned　I　was　in　my　sitting…room。　My　husband's　room　is　some　distance　away；　and　I　thought　he　had　gone　to　bed。　When　I　went　to　see；　he　wasn't　there。　I　didn't　know　he　had　gone　out。　I　merely　didn't　care　to　tell　you　that；　not　that　it　mattered；　not　at　the　time；　so　I　said　he　was　asleep。　He　came　in　a　little　while　after　you　phoned…〃
　　〃How　long　after？〃
　　〃I　don't　know…twenty　minutes　or　half　an　hour。　Then；　later；　when　the　news　came　that　my　brother　had　been　killed；　I　knew　that　my　husband　had　killed　him。〃
　　〃How　did　you　know？　Did　he　tell　you？〃
　　〃Not　that　night。　But　I　knew；　and　the　next　day　I　talked　with　him　and　he　told　me。〃　Her　hand　fluttered。　〃My　husband　told　me　everything　sooner　or　later；　after　he　learned　that　that　was　the　best　way。〃
　　〃When　did　he　tell　you　that　he　killed　Mr。　Moore？〃
　　She　shook　her　head。　〃I'm　not　going　to　talk　about　that。　I　have　decided　that　I　don't　have　to。〃　She　had　stopped　glancing　at　my　notebook　and　was　sticking　to　Wolfe。　〃I　know　what　this　is　for　and　I'm　willing　to　say　enough　to　satisfy　you。　I　realize　there　are　some　things　I　have　to　tell　you　or　you　will　turn　it　over　to　the　police；　but　I　don't　have　to　go　beyond　that。　It　is　true　that　my　husband　killed　Waldo；　but　that　had　nothing　to　do　with　me。　He　killed　him　because　Miss　Livsey　had　fallen　in　love　with　him　and　was　going　to　marry　him。〃
　　I　wasn't　as　good　as　Wolfe　was。　I　jerked　my　head　up　at　her。　Wolfe　merely　murmured　at　her；　〃Jealousy。〃
　　She　nodded。　〃My　husband　had　pletely　lost　his　head　about　her…but　I　suppose　she　has　told　you　all　about　that？〃
　　〃Not　all。　I　need　your　version。　Go　ahead。〃
　　〃He　met　her　at　the　pany's　annual　dinner　and　dance　for　employees　over　a　year　ago　now；　and　he　was　a　very　passionate　man。　He　told　me　about　it；　and　he　wanted　to　get　a　divorce。　As　time　went　on　it　got　worse　with　him。　She　wouldn't　let　him　see　her　much；　and　not　at　all　openly。　She　was　extremely　clever　about　it；　she　wouldn't　let　him　give　her　a　better　position　at　the　office；　and　when　I　insisted　that　the　only　thing　to　do　was　to　make　her　his　mistress；　he　said　she　wouldn't。〃
　　Cecily　twisted　around　in　her　chair　to　look　at　Hester。　〃That　was　very　clever　of　you；　Miss　Livsey；〃　she　said　without　resentment；　〃but　it　made　it　very　difficult　for　me。〃
　　Hester　stayed　motionless　and　had　nothing　to　say。
　　〃He　wanted　a　divorce；〃　Wolfe　prompted。
　　〃Yes；　and　I　wouldn't　give　him　one。　It　would　have　upset　all　my　life's　arrangements…among　other　things；　I　had　made　him　president　of　the　firm。　He　was　even　willing　to　forfeit　his　career　for　her。　So　I　persuaded　Waldo　Moore　to　take　a　job　there。〃
　　She　nodded；　to　herself。　〃You　didn't　know　Waldo。　He　was　the　most　charming　person　I　have　ever　known；　until　he　got　tiresome；　which　of　course　everyone　does　in　time。　I　doubt　if　there　was　a　woman　on　earth　who　could　have　resisted　him。　So　I　got　him　to　take　a　job　in　the　stock　department；　where　Miss　Livsey　worked；　and　to…well；　to　divert　her。　It　worked　splendidly；　as　I　was　sure　it　would。　He　had　her　pletely　in　hand　within…I　forget；　but　it　couldn't　have　been…〃
　　〃You're　lying！〃
　　Hester　had　spoken。
　　Cecily　twisted　to　her。　〃Oh；　you　have　nothing　to　be　ashamed　of；　Miss　Livsey！　No；　indeed！　You're　the　only　woman　he　ever　asked　to　marry　him。〃　She　went　back　to　Wolfe。　〃So　there　was　no　longer　any　reason　for　my　husband　to　want　a　divorce；　or　so　I　thought；　but　I　might　have　known；　with　the　drive　he　had　to　get　anything　he　wanted　enough；　that　he　wouldn't　accept　defeat　as　easily　as　that。　What　happened　was　that　Waldo　Moore　was　killed。　I'm　not　going　to　talk　about　that。　It　wouldn't　do　you　any　good；　and　I　don't　have　to。　Anyway；　the　blame　was　not　mine；　it　didn't　happen　because　of　any　mistake　of　mine。〃
　　〃Merely　bad　luck；〃　Wolfe　murmured。
　　She　nodded。　〃But　I　had　made　a　mistake；　a　very　bad　one。　I　had　confided　in　my　brother。　He　was　older　than　me；　and　I　had　formed　the　habit　in　childhood；　and　I　kept　it　even　after　we　had　grown　up　and　I　had　bee　aware　that　he　was　a　peculiar　man　and　not　to　be　taken　seriously。　That　was　a　mistake　too；　to　think　he　was　not　to　be　taken　seriously。　I　didn't　realize　how　much；　clear　to　the　bottom　of　his　soul；　he　wanted　to　be　the　head　of　the　business　our　father　had　founded。　I　was　shocked　when　I　learned　he　was　using　things；　things　I　had　told　him　in　confidence　from　a　sister　to　a　brother；　to　put　pressure　on　my　husband　to　let　him　bee　president。　I　had　taken　possession　of　some　letters　my　husband　had　received　from　Miss　Livsey；　and　my　brother　stole　them　fro