rs.inthebestfamelies-第18部分

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　　〃Just　forgot；　perhaps。〃
　　〃I　suppose　so。　Another　thing；　those　five　exceptions　that　Mr。　Wolfe　made　out　of　his　three　thousand　acquaintances；　he　didn't　say　who　they　were；　but　I　was　pretty　sure　I　could　name　three　of　them。　I　thought　probably　one　of　the　other　two　was　you；　but　I　could　have　been　wrong。　You　have　made　a　point　of　how　you　would　hate　to　see　him　break　his　neck　where　he　hasn't　got　a　chance。　You　took　the　trouble　to　e　here　with　a　personal　message　but　don't　want　to　be　quoted；　which　means　that　if　I　mention　this　conversation　to　anyone　but　Mr。　Wolfe　you'll　call　me　a　liar。　And　what's　the　message？　That　he　should　lay　off　of　Zeck；　that's　what　it　amounts　to。　If　in　earning　the　fee　Mrs。　Rackham　paid　him　he　is　liable　to　hurt　somebody　Zeck　doesn't　want　hurt；　he　should　return　the　fee。　The　way　it　looks　from　here；　sending　a　message　like　that　to　the　best　and　toughest　detective　on　earth　is　exactly　the　kind　of　service　Zeck　would　pay　good　money　for。　I　wouldn't　say…〃
　　I　didn't　get　to　say　what　I　wouldn't　say。　Cramer；　out　of　his　chair　and　ing；　had　a　look　on　his　face　that　I　had　never　seen　before。　Time　and　again　I　had　seen　him　mad　at　Wolfe；　and　me　too；　but　never　to　the　point　where　the　pink　left　his　cheeks　pletely　and　his　eyes　looked　absolutely　mean。
　　He　swung　with　his　right。　I　ducked。　He　came　up　from　beneath　with　his　left；　and　I　stopped　it　with　my　forearm。　He　tried　with　the　right　again；　and　I　jerked　back；　stepped　aside；　and　dived　around　the　er　of　Wolfe's　desk。
　　I　spoke。　〃You　couldn't　hit　me　in　a　year　and　I'm　not　going　to　plug　you。　I'm　twenty　years　younger；　and　you're　an　inspector。　If　I'm　wrong；　some　day　I'll　apologize。　If　I'm　wrong。〃
　　He　turned　and　marched　out。　I　didn't　go　to　the　hall　to　help　him　on　with　his　coat　and　open　the　door。
　　
　　10
　　THESE　weeks　went　by。
　　At　first；　that　first　night；　I　was　thinking　that　word　might　e　from　Wolfe　in　the　next　hour。　Then　I　started　thinking　it　might　e　the　next　day。　As　the　days　kept　creeping　along　they　changed　my　whole　attitude；　and　before　the　end　of　April　I　was　thinking　it　might　e　next　week。　By　the　time　May　had　passed；　and　most　of　June；　and　the　calendar　and　the　heat　both　said　summer；　I　was　beginning　to　think　it　might　never　e。
　　But　first　to　finish　with　April。　The　Rackham　case　followed　the　routine　of　spectacular　murders　when　they　never　quite　get　to　the　point　of　a　first…degree　charge　against　anyone。　For　a　week；　the　front　page　by　unanimous　consent；　then；　for　a　week　or　ten　days；　the　front　page　only　by　cooking　up　an　angle；　and　then　back　to　the　minors。　None　of　the　papers　happened　to　feel　like　using　it　to　start　a　crusade　in　the　name　of　justice；　so　it　took　a　normal　course。　It　did　not　roll　over　and　die；　not　with　that　all…star　cast；　including　Nobby　and　Hebe；　even　months　later　a　really　new　development　would　have　got　a　three…column　spread；　but　the　development　didn't　e。
　　I　made　three　more　trips；　by　official　request；　to　White　Plains；　with　no　profit　to　anyone；　including　me。　All　I　could　do　was　repeat　myself；　and　all　they　could　do　was　think　up　new　ways　to　ask　the　same　questions。　For　mental　exercise　I　tried　to　get　a　line　on　whether　Cramer's　notions　about　Arnold　Zeck　had　been　passed　on　to　Archer　and　Ben　Dykes；　but　if　so　they　never　let　on。
　　All　I　knew　was　what　I　read　in　the　papers；　until　one　evening　I　ran　into　Sergeant　Purley　Stebbins　at　Jake's　and　bought　him　a　lobster。　From　him　I　got　two　little　unpublished　items：　two　FBI　men　had　been　called　in　to　settle　an　argument　about　the　legibility　of　fingerprints　on　the　crinkly　silver　handle　of　the　knife；　and　had　voted　no；　and　at　one　point　Barry　Rackham　had　been　held　at　White　Plains　for　twenty　straight　hours　while　the　battle　raged　over　whether　they　had　enough　to　charge　him。　The　noes　won　that　time　too。
　　The　passing　days　got　very　little　help　from　me。　I　had　decided　not　to　start　pawing　the　ground　or　rearing　up　until　Wolfe　had　been　gone　a　full　month；　which　would　be　May　ninth；　and　I　caught　up　on　a　lot　of　personal　things；　including　baseball　games；　which　don't　need　to　be　itemized。　Also；　with　Fred　Durkin；　I　finished　up　the　poison…pen　case　and　other　loose　ends　that　Wolfe　had　left　dangling…nothing　important…drove　out　to　Long　Island　to　see　if　Theodore　and　the　plants　had　got　settled　in　their　new　home；　and　put　one　of　the　cars；　the　big　sedan；　in　dead　storage。
　　One　afternoon　when　I　went　to　Rusterman's　Restaurant　to　see　Marko　Vukcic　he　signed　the　checks　I　had　brought；　for　telephone　and　electricity　bills　and　my　weekly　salary；　and　then　asked　me　what　the　bank　balance　was。　I　told　him　a　little　over　twenty…nine　thousand　dollars；　but　I　sort　of　regarded　Mrs。　Rackham's　ten　grand　as　being　in　escrow；　so　I　would　rather　call　it　nineteen。
　　〃Could　you　bring　me　a　check　for　five　thousand　tomorrow？　Drawn　to　cash。〃
　　〃Glad　to。　But　speaking　as　the　bookkeeper；　what　do　I　charge　it　to？〃
　　〃Why…expense。〃
　　〃Speaking　as　a　man　who　may　some　day　have　to　answer　questions　from　an　internal　revenue　snoop；　whose　expense　and　what　kind？〃
　　〃Call　it　travel　expense。〃
　　〃Travel　by　whom　and　to　where？〃
　　Marko　made　some　kind　of　a　French　noise；　or　foreign　at　least；　indicating　impatience；　I　think。　〃Listen；　Archie；　I　have　a　power　of　attorney　without　limit。　Bring　me　a　check　for　five　thousand　dollars　at　your　convenience。　I　am　stealing　it　from　my　old　friend　Nero　to　spend　on　beautiful　women　or　olive　oil。〃
　　So　I　was　not　entirely　correct　when　I　said　that　I　got　no　word　at　all　from　Wolfe　during　those　weeks　and　months；　but　you　must　admit　it　was　pretty　vague。　How　far　a　man　gets　on　five　grand；　and　where　he　goes；　depends　on　so　many　things。
　　When　I　returned　to　the　office　from　a　morning　walk　on　the　third　day　of　May；　a　Wednesday；　and　called　the　phone…answering　service　as　usual；　I　was　told　there　had　been　three　calls　but　only　one　message…to　ring　a　Mount　Kisco　number　and　ask　for　Mrs。　Frey。　I　considered　the　situation；　told　myself　the　thing　to　do　was　skip　it；　and　decided　that　I　must　be　hard　of　hearing　when　I　became　aware　that　I　had　dialed　the　operator　and　asked　for　the　number。
　　Then；　after　I　had　got　it　and　spelled　my　name　and　waited　a　minute；　Annabel　Frey's　voice　was　in　my　ear。　At　least　the　voice　said　it　was　her；　but　I　wouldn't　have　recognized　it。　It　was　sort　of　tired　and　hopeless。
　　〃You　don't　sound　like　you；〃　I　told　her。
　　〃I　suppose　not；〃　she　conceded。　〃It　seems　like　a　million　years　since　you　came　that　day　and　we　watched　you　being　a　detective。　You　never　found　out　who　poisoned　the　dog；　did　you？〃
　　〃No；　but　don't　hold　it　against　me。　I　wasn't　expected　to。　You　may　have　heard　that　that　was　just　a　blind。〃
　　〃Yes；　of　course。　I　don't　suppose　Nero　Wolfe　is　back？〃
　　〃Nope。〃
　　〃You're　running　his　office　for　him？〃
　　〃Well；　I　wouldn't　call　it　running。　I'm　here。〃
　　〃I　want　to　see　you。〃
　　〃Excuse　me　for　staring；　but　do　you　mean　on　business？〃
　　*Yes。〃　A　pause；　then　her　voice　got　more　energetic。　〃I　want　you　to　e　up　here　and　talk　with　us。　I　don't　want　to　go　on　like　this；　and　I'm　not　going　to。　When　people　look　at　me　I　can　see　it：　in　their　eyes…was　it　me　that　killed　my　mother…in…law？…or　in　some　of　them　I　can　see　it；　and　that　makes　me　think　it's　there　with　all　of　them。　It's　been　nearly　a　month　now；　and　all　the　police　are　doing…but　you　read　the　papers。　She　left　me　this　place　and　a　lot　of　money；　and　I　wish　I　could　hire　Nero　Wolfe。　You　must　know　where　he　is。〃
　　〃Sorry。　I　don't。〃
　　〃Then　I　want　to　hire　you。　You're　a　good　detective；　aren't　you？〃
　　〃Opinions　vary。　I　rate　myself　close　to　the　top；　but　you　have　to　discount　that　for　my　bias。〃
　　〃Could　you　e　up　here　today？　This　evening？〃
　　〃I　couldn't　make　it　today。〃　My　brain　was　having　some　exercise　for　the　first　time　in　weeks。　〃Look；　Mrs。　Frey；　I　wouldn't　be　in　a　hurry　about　this。　There's…〃
　　〃A　hurry？〃　She　sounded　bitter。　〃It's　been　nearly　a　month！〃
　　〃I　know；　and　that's　why　another　few　days　won't　matter。　There's　nothing　fresh　about　it；　to　get　stale。　Why　don't　you　do　this；　let　me　do　a　little　looking　around；　just　on　my　own；　and　then　you'll　hear　from　me。　After　that　you　can　decide　whether　you　want　to　hire　me　or　not。〃
　　〃I've　already　decided。〃
　　〃I　haven't。　I　don't　want　your　dough　if　there's　no　chance　of　earning　it。〃
　　Since　her　mind　had　been　made　up　before　she　called　me；　she　didn't　like　it　my　way　but　finally　settled　for　it。
　　I　discovered　when　I　hung　up　that　my　mind　was　made　up　too。　It　had　made　itself　up　while　I　was　talking　to　her。　I　couldn't　go　on　like　this　forever；　nothing　but　a　damn　caretaker　with　no　telling　from　day　to　day　how　long　it　might　last。　Nor　could　I；　while　drawing　pay　as　Wolfe's　assistant；　take　a　boat　for　Europe　or　run　for　Mayor　of　New　York　or　buy　an　island　and　build　up　a　harem；　or　any　of　the　other　things　on　my　deferred　list；　and　certainly；　while　taking　his　pay；　I　couldn't　personally　butt　into　a　case　that　he　had　run　away　from。
　　But　there　was　nothing　to　prevent　me　from　taking　advantage　of　the　gratitude　that　was　still　felt；　even　after　paying　the　fee；　by　certain　former　clients　of　ours；　and　I　took　up　the　phone　again　and　got　the　president　of　one　of　the　big　realty　outfits；　and　was　glad　to　leam　that　I　hadn't　overestimated　his　gratitude。　When　I　had　explained　my　problem　he　said　he　would　do　all　he　could　to　help；　starting　right　then。
　　So　I　spent　the　afternoon　looking　at　offices　in　the　midtown　section。　All　I　wanted　was　one　little　room　with　a　light　that　worked；　but　the　man　that　the　realty　president　sent　to　go　around　with　me　was　more　particular　than　I　was；　and　he　turned　his　nose　up　at　two　or　three　that　I　would　have　bought。　We　finally　got　to　one　on　Madison　Avenue；　tenth　floor；　in　the　forties；　which　he　admitted　might　do。　It　wouldn't　be　vacated　until　the　next　day；　but　that　didn't　matter　much　because　I　still　had　to　buy　furniture。　I　was　allowed　to　sign　for　it　on　a　month…to…month　basis。
　　The　next　couple　of　days　I　had　to　keep　myself　under　control。　I　had　never　been　aware　of　any　secret　longing　to　have　my　own　agency；　but　I　had　to　choke　off　an　impulse　to　drop　in　at　Macgruder's　Thursday　morning　and　blow　a　couple　of　thousand　of　my　own　jack　on　office　equipment。　Instead；　I　went　to　Second　Avenue　and　found　bargains。　Having　decided　not　to　take　anything　from　35th　Street；　I　made　up　a　shopping　list　of　about　forty　items；　from　ash　trays　to　a　Moorhead's　Directory；　and　shot　the　works。
　　Late　Saturday　afternoon；　with　a　package　under