rs.toomanywomen-第6部分

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　　〃Okay；　I'll　fix　it　up。〃　I　started　on　another　apple；　not　bothering　to　peel　it。　〃But　by　that　time　I　may　be　all　through　here。　In　my　opinion；　and　I　hope　Mr。　Wolfe　will　agree；　there's　only　one　thing　to　do：　tell　the　police　about　it　and　let　them　start　up　the　machinery。　An　accusation　of　murder　is　entirely　too　ticklish；　especially　for　a　bungler　like　me。〃
　　He　stopped　chewing　to　ask；　〃Who　has　made　such　an　accusation？〃
　　〃You　have。〃
　　〃I　have　not。　I　have　merely　stated　that　Moore　was　murdered。　The　police？　Pooh。　They　started　their　machinery　the　moment　the　body　was　discovered；　but　they　have　let　it　stop。　Your　intention；　of　course；　was　to　force　me　into　making　disclosures　by　threatening　to　get　the　police　after　me。　My　dear　Mr；　Goodwin；　I'm　afraid　this　affair　is　far　beyond　the　range　of　your　abilities。　A　week　ago　I　called　upon　Deputy　missioner　O'Hara；　whom　I　have　known　for　years；　and　stated　to　him　that　Moore　was　murdered。　Naturally　he　wished　me　to　elaborate；　and　naturally　I　refused。　I　told　him　that　all　I　could　furnish　was　the　bare　fact；　that　the　procurement　of　evidence　and　apprehension　of　the　criminal　were　functions　of　his　department。〃
　　Naylor　tittered。　〃I　really　believe　that　for　some　moments　the　Deputy　missioner　was　tempted　to　have　the　third　degree　tried　on　me。　At　the　end　he　merely　regarded　me　as　a　babbler。〃　He　resumed　on　the　Vitanutrita。
　　My　impulse　was　to　finish　the　milk；　shove　the　third　apple　in　my　pocket；　beat　it　to　Thirty…fifth　Street；　and　tell　Wolfe　that　Kerr　Naylor　was　a　malicious　chattering　hay…eating　beetle　and　that　was　all　there　was　to　it。　Various　considerations　restrained　me；　two　of　which　were　that　Naylor…Kerr；　Inc。；　was　good　for　any　amount　up　to　twenty　million；　and　that　I　now　knew　where　Miss　Livsey's　room　was。
　　〃Okay；〃　I　said；　pletely　friendly；　〃threats　are　out；　disclosures　are　out；　and　chess　and　bird…looking　will　keep　you　from　calling　on　Mr。　Wolfe　before　Monday。　Meanwhile；　I　noticed　that　on　that　report　to　Mr。　Pine；　the　one　about　Moore；　where　it　asked　how　he　got　hired；　you　put；　'Applied　personally'。　Who　did　he　apply　to；　the　head　of　that　section；　Mr。　Dickerson？〃
　　That　was　the　first　dent　I　made　in　the　beetle's　shell。　It　didn't　make　him　drop　his　fork；　or　even　start　the　glint　in　his　eyes　dancing；　but　he　went　on　conveying　and　chewing　far　beyond　the　limit　of　politeness。　It　was　plain　that　he　was　finding　it　necessary　to　decide　what　to　say。
　　He　swallowed　and　spoke。　〃He　applied　to　my　sister。〃
　　〃Oh。　Which　sister？〃
　　〃I　have　only　one。〃　The　glint　became　perceptible。　〃My　sister；　Mr。　Truett；　is　a　remarkable　and　interesting　woman；　but　she　is　far　more　conventional　than　I　am。　Each　of　us　was　given　one…quarter　of　the　stock　of　the　corporation　by　our　father；　who　wished　to　get　rid　of　his　burdens　and　responsibilities。　I　turned　mine　over；　without　pensation；　to　certain　old　employees　of　the　business；　because　they　had　earned　it　and　I　hadn't。　I　don't　like　to　own　things　to　which　other　people　might　conceivably　assert　a　claim；　especially　a　moral　claim。　Legal　claims　don't　interest　me。　But　my　sister；　being　more　conventional；　kept　her　stock。　That　was　lucky　for　her　husband。　Jasper　Pine；　whom　I　believe　you　have　met；　as　otherwise　it　is　unlikely　that　he　would　have　bee　president　of　the　corporation。〃
　　〃And　Moore　got　his　job　through　your　sister？〃
　　The　glint　did　a　jig。　〃You　have　a　talent；　Mr。　Goodwin；　for　making　statements　in　the　most　distasteful　manner　possible。　My　sister　likes　to　do　things　for　people。　She　sent　Moore　to　me；　and　I　spoke　with　him　and　had　him　interviewed　by　Dickerson；　and　he　was　given　a　job　in　that　section。　Now　how　about　some　pudding？　And　some　Pink　Steamer？　Hot　water　with　tangerine　juice。〃
　　He　was　through　as　an　information　bureau。　From　there　on　the　only　thing　that　appealed　to　him　as　a　topic　of　conversation　was　the　food；　and　questions　about　Moore　or　murder　or　sister　were　simply　ignored。　He　irritated　me　most　when　he　was　ignoring。　I　gave　up　and　sat　and　watched　him　sip　Pink　Steamer。
　　When　we　got　back　to　the　building　on　William　Street　I　parted　from　him　in　the　lobby；　went　to　a　phone　booth　and　dialed　the　number　of　the　Gazette；　and　asked　for　Lon　Cohen。　He　knew　more　facts　than　the　Police　Department　and　the　Public　Library　bined。
　　When　he　was　on　I　told　him；　〃It's　your　turn　on　the　favors。　What　about　a　Mrs。　Jasper　pine？　When　born　she　was　called　Naylor。　Her　husband　is　president　of　a　big　engineers'　supply　firm　with　offices　downtown。　Ever　hear　of　her？〃
　　〃Sure；　she's　meat。〃
　　〃What　kind　of　meat？〃
　　〃Oh；　that　means　anyone　who　might　make　a　meal　for　a　journalist　some　day；　strictly　as　news。　So　far　she　has　kept　herself　off　the　menu；　except　for　paragraphs　on　the　right　inside　pages；　but　not　a　sheet　in　town　has　lost　hope。〃
　　〃What　keeps　the　hope　going？〃
　　〃Where　are　you　phoning　from？　Wolfe's　office？〃
　　I　tutted　at　him。　〃Didn't　I　tell　you　my　name？　That's　all　right；　I'm　in　a　booth。〃
　　〃Okay。　The　subject　of　your　inquiry　is　a　befriender　of　young　men。　Not　promiscuous。　Discriminating；　but　chronic。　She　has　plenty　of　dough；　is　well　preserved；　and　presumably　not　a　fool　or　she　would　have　lost　her　balance　long　ago。　I　would　advise　you　to　try　for　it…now　old　are　you；　thirty？　Just　about　right　for　her！　You　have　the　looks；　and　you　could　brush　up　on　manners…〃
　　〃Yeah。　You'll　get　ten　per　cent。　I　don't　suppose　you　could　get　hold　of　a　list　of　my　predecessors　she　has　befriended？〃
　　〃Well；　we　wouldn't　have　one；　we're　not　that　thorough。　Do　you　think　this　paper　would　nose　into　people's　private　af…　Say！　Wait　a　minute！　You　and　Nero　Wolfe　and　your　homicides。　I'll　try　word　association　on　you…damn　it；　what　was　that　name？　Murray。　No。　Moore？〃
　　〃Mr。　Cohen；〃　I　said　in　awe；　〃you　have　nailed　the　head　on　the　hit　as　usual。　pared　to　you　John　Kieran　is　a　blank　page。　Moore　was　killed　by　a　hit…and…run　on　Thirty…ninth　Street　the　night　of　December　fourth。　Do　tell　me　he　was　being　or　had　been　befriended。〃
　　〃I　do。〃
　　〃By　Mrs。　Pine？〃
　　〃Restate　the　question。　Even　from　a　booth　I　don't　like　names　on　anything　as　fragile　as　this。〃
　　〃By　the　subject　of　my　inquiry？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Would　you　mind　spreading　it　out？〃
　　〃Sure；　it　looked　as　if　the　meat　might　be　on　its　way　to　the　table；　that　was　all。　With　him　mowed　down　like　that　in　the　dead　of　night；　and　with　that　connection　he　had；　we　felt　we　owed　it　to　the　munity　to　cover　all　angles　in　an　effort　to　prevent　any　breath　of　scandal…〃
　　〃My　God。　Go　on。〃
　　〃So　we　did；　and　I　suppose　the　cops　did　too；　but　it　was　a　washout。　The　details　are　hazy　by　now；　but　it　was　definitely　nothing　doing　for　the　presses。　I　remember　this；　the　most　obvious　line　only　got　us　to　a　starve…out。　The　husband　had　certainly　not　done　a　desperate　deed　to　retrieve　his　honor；　or　for　vengeance。　Moore　was　nothing　but　number　…I　don't　know…seven　or　eight…and　besides；　he　had　been　ditched　months　before　and　the　current　befriendee　was…I　forget　his　name；　it　doesn't　matter。　And　the　husband　had　known　all　about　it　for　years。　That　was　absolutely　established　by　our　research　department。　You　must　be　smothering　in　that　booth。　I've　got　to　go　to　work。　I　do　so　by　demanding　that　you　e　clean；　for　the　record　if　possible。　Who　has　hired　Wolfe？〃
　　〃Not　yet；〃　I　told　him。　〃You'll　get　it　as　soon　as　it's　ripe　if　it　hasn't　got　worms。　You　know　us；　we　return　favors　with　interest。　If　I　Pay　you　a　visit　could　I　talk　with　whoever　forked　on　it？〃
　　〃You'd　better　phone　ahead。〃
　　〃I　will。　Thanks　and　love　from　all　of　us。〃
　　I　ducked　out　through　the　lobby　to　the　street；　down　the　block　to　a　place　I　had　spotted；　bought　three　ham　sandwiches　and　a　quart　of　milk；　and　transported　them　to　the　building　and　up　to　my　place　of　employment　on　the　thirty…fourth　floor。　There　in　my　room　I　ate　my　lunch　without　being　disturbed。　By　the　time　it　was　all　down　I　had　arrived　at　a　couple　of　decisions；　the　first　one　being　that　it　was　just　as　well　I　hadn't　obeyed　my　impulse　to　walk　out　of　the　Fountain　of　Health　with　nothing　to　show　for　my　trouble　but　an　apple。
　　
　　Chapter　Ten
　　Having　two　things　to　do；　it　would　have　been　in　character　for　me　to　save　the　best　till　the　last；　and　I　had　it　programmed　that　way；　but　it　didn't　work。　The　idea　was　to　phone　Jasper　Pine　to　arrange　to　run　up　to　see　him　at　three　o'clock；　but　when　I　tried　it　all　I　got　was　the　word　from　a　Mr。　Stapleton　that　Mr。　Pine　would　not　be　available　until　four…fifteen。　That　pelled　me　to　shift。　But　before　making　a　call　on　Miss　Livsey　I　thought　it　would　be　well　to　get　in　a　piece　of　equipment　I　needed；　so　I　did　what　I　had　been　told　to　do　when　the　occasion　arose；　called　Extension　637　and　said　I　needed　a　stenographer。　In　two　minutes；　not　more；　one　entered　with　a　notebook。　She　was　nothing　like　my　non…speller；　but　neither　was　she　any　evidence　against　my　theory　that　there　was　a　strong　preference　at　Naylor…Kerr　for　females　who　were　easy　to　look　at。
　　After　I　had　got　her　name　I　told　her；　〃I　have　nothing　against　you；　quite　the　contrary。　The　trouble　is　I　don't　want　you；　just　your　typewriter。　Could　you　bring　it　in　here　and　let　me　use　it？〃
　　From　the　look　on　her　face　it　might　have　been　thought　I　had　asked　her　to　bring　Mr。　Kerr　Naylor　in　handcuffs　and　set　him　on　my　lap。　She　tried　to　be　nice　about　it；　but　what　I　had　asked　for　was　not　done　and　could　not　be　done。　I　let　her　go　and　went　to　work　on　the　phone；　and　it　wasn't　too　long　before　I　had　a　typewriter；　with　paper　and　other　accessories。　Then　I　emerged　to　the　arena；　crossed　to　the　other　side；　found　the　door　next　to　Rosenbaum's　on　the　left　standing　open；　and　entered。
　　I　pushed　the　door　shut；　crossed　to　a　chair　near　the　end　of　her　desk；　and　sat　down。　Her　room　was　twice　as　big　as　mine；　but　there　was　just　as　little　free　space　in　it　on　account　of　the　rows　of　files。　The　light　from　the　window　filtering　through　the　top　layer　of　her　fine　brown　hair　made　it　look　as　if　someone　had　crowned　her　with　a　wreath　of　shiny　silk　mesh。　She　gave　the　typewriter　a　rest　and　let　me　have　her　full　face。
　　〃It　was　simply　stinking；〃　I　said。　〃Mr。　Naylor　eats　oats　and　shredded　bark。〃
　　No　smile　for　that；　but　she　nodded。　〃Yes；　he's　famous　for　that。　Someone　should　have　warned　you。〃
　　〃But　they　didn't；　including　you。　Are　you　crowded　for　time？〃
　　〃No；　I　only　have　eight　or　nine　more　letters。〃　She　glanced　at　her　wrist。　〃It's　only　three　o'clock。〃
　　〃Good。〃　I　tipped　my　chair　back；　with　my　hands　in　my　poc