rs.toomanywomen-第12章

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　　She　swallowed　some　grapefruit。　〃How　did　I　know　it　would　be　all　right　if　you　held　me　and　kissed　me？〃
　　〃Anybody　would　know　that　from　looking　at　me。　Thanks　for　the　passing　mark；　anyway。　You　couldn't　tell　Moore　was　murdered　just　by　looking　at　him；　with　his　head　smashed　flat。　Even　the　cops　and　the　city　scientists　couldn't。〃
　　Her　spoon　had　stopped　in　mid…air。　〃That's　an　awful　thing　to　say。〃
　　〃Sure。　Also　it's　fairly　awful　to　say　a　guy　was　murdered；　especially　when　he　was　your　friend。　How　good　a　friend？〃
　　She　ate　some　grapefruit；　but；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　not　to　gain　time　for　deciding　what　to　say；　but　just　because　she　felt　like　eating。　After　three　more　sections　had　been　disposed　of　she　spoke。
　　〃I　called　him　Wally；　because　I　didn't　like　Waldo；　it　sounds　too　intellectual；　and　anyway　I　often　use　nicknames；　I　just　like　to。　My　husband's　name　is　Harold；　but　I　call　him　Harry。　Wally　and　I　were　very　close　friends。　We　still　were　when　he…got　murdered。　Didn't　I　say　I　could　tell　you　anything？〃　She　spooned　for　grapefruit。
　　〃Your　husband？〃　I　tuned　the　surprise　out。　〃Bendini？〃
　　〃No；　his　name　is　Anthony；　Harold　Anthony。　I　was　working　at　Naylor…Kerr　when　I　was　married；　nearly　three　years　ago；　and　I　didn't　bother　to　change　my　name　there。　I'm　glad　I　didn't；　because　he'll　let　me　get　a　divorce　sooner　or　later。　When　he　got　out　of　the　Army　he　seemed　to　think　he　had　left　me　put　away　in　moth　balls。　Wally　would　never　have　been　silly　enough　to　think　that　about　me。　Neither　would　you。〃
　　〃Never；〃　I　declared。　〃Does　your　husband　work　at　Naylor…Kerr？〃
　　〃No；　he's　a　broker…I　mean　he　works　for　a　broker；　on　Nassau　Street。　He's　educated；　some　college；　I　can　never　remember　which　one。　I　haven't　been　living　with　him　for　quite　some　months；　but　he　isn't　reconciled　to　losing　me；　and　I　don't　seem　to　be　able　to　persuade　him　that　we're　inpatible；　no　matter　how　much　I　explain　that　it　wasn't　true　love；　it　was　just　an　impulse。〃
　　She　put　her　spoon　down。　〃Let　me　tell　you　something；　Mr。　Truett。　I　really　and　truly　loved　Wally　Moore。　One　way　I　know　I　did；　I　have　never　been　jealous　of　anyone　in　my　life；　but　I　was　with　him。　I　was　so　jealous　of　all　his　other　girls　I　would　think　of　ways　they　might　die。　You　wouldn't　think　I　could　be　like　that；　would　you？　I　wouldn't。〃
　　My　reply　was　nonmittal　because　the　waiter　arrived　with　the　steak。　After　he　had　served　it；　with　grilled　sweet　potatoes　and　endive　and　the　wine；　and　left　the　reserve　there　on　our　table　over　a　brazier　of　charcoal；　I　picked　up　my　knife　and　fork　but　was　interrupted　by　Rosa。
　　〃This　looks　wonderful。　I'll　bet　that　curtain's　stuck　so　you　couldn't　close　it　again。〃
　　I　went　and　closed　the　curtain。　This　time　she　left　her　seat　too；　and　we　had　panionship　standing。　All　the　time　it　lasted　the　warm　inviting　smell　of　the　steak　came　floating　up　to　us；　with　a　tang　in　it　that　came　from　the　poured　Burgundy；　and　the　bination　of　everything　made　it　a　very　pleasant　experience。
　　〃We　mustn't　let　it　get　cold；〃　I　said　finally。
　　She　agreed；　with　good　mon　sense；　and　I　pulled　the　curtain　open　for　air。
　　That　wrecked　most　of　the　remaining　barriers。　By　the　time　the　meal　was　finished　I　had　enough　to　fill　six　pages；　single…spaced。　She　gave　me　most　of　it　in　straight　English；　but　on　the　two　or　three　points　where　she　merely　implied　I　am　supplying　my　own　translation。　Beginning　with　the　day　he　started　to　work；　Waldo　Wilmot　Moore　had　gone　through　the　personnel　of　the　stock　department　like　a　dolphin　through　waves。　There　could　be　no　conservative　estimate　of　the　total　score　he　had　piled　up；　because　there　had　been　nothing　conservative　about　it。　I　got　the　impression　that　he　had　tallied　up　into　the　dozens；　but　Rosa　was　probably　exaggerating　through　loyalty　to　his　memory；　and　only　four　names　stood　out…and　two　of　those　were　men。
　　GWYNNE　FERRIS；　according　to　Rosa；　was　a　Perfect　bitch。　Being　a　born　beckoner　and　promiser；　she　had　tried　her　routine　on　Moore；　had　been　caught　off　balance；　and　had　had　her　beckoning　and　promising　career　abruptly　terminated；　or　at　least　temporarily　interrupted。　She　was　about　Rosa's　age；　in　her　early　twenties；　and　was　still　a　stenographer　in　the　reserve　pool　after　nearly　two　years。
　　BENJAMIN　FRENKEL；　a　serious　and　intense　young　man　who　was　assistant　head　of　a　section；　and　who　was　generally　regarded　as　the　third…best　letter　dictator　in　the　whole　department；　had　been　beckoned　and　promised　by　Gwynne　Ferris　until　he　didn't　know　which　way　was　south。　He　had　hated　Waldo　Moore　with　all　the　seriousness　and　intensity　he　had；　or　even　a　little　extra。
　　HESTER　LIVSEY　was　a　phony；　a　heel；　and　a　halfwit。　Moore　had　kidded　her　along　and　had　never　had　the　faintest　intention　of　marrying　her。　He　would　never　have　married　anyone；　but　she　was　too　dumb　to　know　it。　For　a　while　she　had　actually　believed　that　Moore　was　her　private　property；　and　when　she　had　learned　that　he　was　still　enjoying　the　panionship　of　Rosa；　not　to　mention　any　others；　she　had　gone　pletely　crazy　and　had　not　recovered　to　date。
　　SUMNER　HOFF　was　something　special；　being　a　civil　engineer　and　a　technical　adviser　to　the　whole　stock　department。　He　had　been　the　hero…or　the　villain；　depending　On　where　you　stood…of　the　most　dramatic　episode　of　the　whole　Moore　story。　On　a　day　in　October；　just　before　quitting　time；　at　the　edge　of　the　arena　outside　Dickerson's　office；　he　had　plugged　Moore　in　the　jaw　and　knocked　him　into　the　lap　of　a　girl　at　a　near…by　desk；　ruining　a　letter　she　was　typing。　He　had　implied；　just　before　he　swung；　that　what　was　biting　him　was　a　checker's　report　Moore　had　made　on　a　letter　he　had　dictated；　but　according　to　Rosa　that　was　only　a　cover　and　what　was　really　biting　him　was　Moore's　conquest　of　Hester　Livsey。　Sumner　Hoff　had　been　after　Hester　Livsey；　strictly　honorable；　for　over　a　year。
　　I　was　beginning　to　understand　why　Pine　had　said　that　Moore　was　the　type　that　stirs　up　gossip。
　　For　nearly　two　hours；　sitting　there　working　on　the　steak　and　its　accessories；　and　another　bottle　of　wine；　and　then　pastry　and　coffee　and　brandy；　Rosa　told　me　things。　When　she　got　through　I　had　a　bushel　of　details；　but　fundamentally　I　didn't　know　anything　I　hadn't　known　before。　It　was　no　news　that　Moore　had　made　various　people　sore　in　his　capacity　as　a　correspondence　checker；　or　that　his　own　section　head　hadn't　liked　him　or　wanted　him；　or　even　that　he　was　death　on　dames。　All　Rosa　had　done　was　fill　in。；　and　when　we　got　right　down　to　it；　how　did　she　know　Moore　had　been　murdered　and　who　did　it；　all　she　had　was　loose　feathers。　She　knew　he　had　been　murdered　because　she　knew　who　wanted　him　dead。　Okay；　who？　On　that　she　reminded　me　of　the　old　gag　about　which　one　would　he　save；　his　wife　or　his　son？　She　would　have　rooted　for　Hester　Livsey　if　it　hadn't　been　for　Gwynne　Ferris；　and　she　would　have　rooted　for　Ferris　if　it　hadn't　been　for　Livsey。　As　for　the　actual　circumstances　of　Moore's　death；　she　had　plenty　of　gossip；　unshakable　opinions；　and　a　fine　healthy　set　of　suspicions　and　prejudices；　but　no　facts　I　didn't　already　know。
　　I　wasn't　greatly　disappointed；　since　in　the　detective　business　you　always　draw　ten　times　as　many　blanks　as　you　do　paying　numbers；　but　with　all　her　pouring　it　out　I　had　an　uneasy　feeling　that　she　might　have　something　I　wasn't　getting。　It　was　plausible　that　she　had　waylaid　me　just　to　give　me　moral　support　and　a　friendly　shove　in　what　she　regarded　as　the　right　direction；　she　was　quite　capable　of　that；　but　by　the　time　we　finished　with　the　brandy　I　had　decided　that　she　was　also　capable　of　hiding　an　ace。　And　I　seemed　to　be　stymied。　So　I　told　her：
　　〃It's　only　a　little　after　eight。　We　could　go　somewhere　and　dance；　or　take　in　a　show；　or　I　could　get　my　car　and　we　could　ride　around；　but　that　can　wait。　I　think　for　tonight　we　ought　to　concentrate　on　Wally　Moore；　Did　you　ever　hear　of　Nero　Wolfe？〃
　　〃Nero　Wolfe　the　detective？　Certainly。〃
　　〃Good。　I　know　him　quite　well。　As　I　said。　I'm　not　a　cop；　but　I'm　a　sort　of　a　detective　myself；　and　I　often　consult　Nero　Wolfe。　His　office　is　in　his　house　on　Thirty…fifth　Street。　What　do　you　say　we　go　down　there　and　talk　it　over　with　him？　He　knows　how　to　fit　things　together。〃
　　She　had　got　pletely　relaxed；　but　now　she　darted　a　glance　at　me。
　　〃What　is　it；　just　a　house？〃
　　〃Sure；　with　a　room　in　it　he