rs.toomanywomen-第17章

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　　〃Yeah；〃　I　agreed。　〃He　doesn't　do　it　deliberately。　His　mind　jumps　the　track。〃
　　〃The　suggestion；〃　Wolfe　told　her；　ignoring　me；　〃is　a　contingent　one。　It's　no　good　unless　you've　been　telling　the　truth。　If　you　have　no　knowledge　of　facts　the　disclosure　of　which　would　cause　a　sensation；　and　all　you're　after　is　insurance　against　a　risk；　why　not　trust　to　my　discretion？　I　have　some；　and　I　would　gain　neither　pleasure　nor　profit　from　starting　a　public　uproar　unnecessarily。　Why　not　help　me　get　it　over　with？　Its　kernel　is　your　brother's　tenacity；　his　fondness　for　the　notion　of　murder…or　at　least　for　the　word。　I　suppose　you　know　your　brother　better　than　anyone　else　does。　Why　not　help　with　him？　Why　not　start　now　by　telling　us　about　him？　For　instance；　I　understand　that　you　asked　him　to　give　Mr。　Moore　a　job。　Did　he　have　any　objection　to　that？〃
　　It　was　a　fair　try；　but　it　didn't　work。　Apparently　Wolfe　hadn't　noticed　that　she　was　allergic　to　talk　of　her　brother；　but　that　doesn't　seem　likely；　since　he　notices　everything。　At　any　rate；　it　was　no　go。　She　didn't　abruptly　end　the　interview…on　the　contrary；　she　seemed　quite　willing　to　sit　and　chat　all　night　…but　she　was　utterly　disinclined　to　furnish　us　with　a　biography　of　her　brother。　The　most　specific　statement　Wolfe　could　drag　out　of　her　was　that　her　brother　was　peculiar；　and　she　had　already　told　us　that；　and　we　knew　it　anyway。
　　Finally　Wolfe　got　hold　of　the　edge　of　his　desk；　pushed　his　chair　back；　and　stood　up。　Mrs。　Pine　arose　too；　and　I　went　and　helped　her　on　with　her　coat。
　　In　the　hall；　with　my　hand　on　the　knob　of　the　front　door；　she　stood　where　I　couldn't　open　it　without　banging　her　toe；　and　told　me　sympathetically；　〃I　hope　your　face　is　better　tomorrow。〃
　　〃Thanks。　So　do　I。〃
　　〃And　you　didn't　answer　my　question　about　how　much　it　would　take　for　you　to　start　your　own　business。〃
　　〃That's　right；　I　didn't。　I'll　figure　it　up。〃
　　〃Do　you　like　symphony　concerts？〃
　　〃Yes；　some；　when　I'm　lying　down。　I　mean　on　the　radio。〃
　　She　laughed。　〃Anyway；　it's　nearly　April。　Boating？　Golf？　Baseball？〃
　　〃Baseball。　I　go　as　often　as　I　can　get　away。〃
　　〃It's　a　wonderful　game；　isn't　it？　Yankees　or　Giants？〃
　　〃Both。　Either　one；　whichever's　in　town。〃
　　〃I'll　send　you　season　tickets。　Frankly；　Archie；　I　think　my　brother　is　crazy。　Don't　tell　Mr。　Wolfe　I　said　that。〃
　　〃I　never　tell　him　anything。〃
　　〃Then　that's　our　first　secret。　Good　night。〃
　　I　escorted　her　out；　down　the　stoop　and　to　the　curb；　but　didn't　get　to　open　the　car　door　for　her　because　her　chauffeur　was　already　attending　to　that。　As　I　descended　the　steps　I　was　telling　myself　that　I　mustn't　forget　to　phone　Lon　Cohen　in　the　morning　and　inform　him　that　the　job　was　practically　mine　but　nothing　doing　on　his　ten　per　cent　because　I　was　landing　it　strictly　on　merit。
　　Back　in　the　house　I　made　a　beeline　for　the　stairs；　taking　no　chances；　but　found　it　desirable　to　mount　one　step　at　a　time。　My　room　was　two　flights　up。　On　the　first　landing　I　turned　and　yelled　back　down；　〃I'm　going　up　and　figure　how　much　it　will　set　her　back　to　furnish　my　office！　Good　night！〃
　　
　　Chapter　Fifteen
　　The　next　morning；　Thursday；　the　arena　of　the　stock　department　was　a　different　place　as　far　as　I　was　concerned。　Whenever　I　showed　my　face；　ing　and　going；　the　change　could　be　seen；　felt；　and　tasted。　Wednesday　morning　I　had　been　a　bination　of　a　new　male；　to　be　given　the　once　over　and　labeled；　and　an　intruder　from　outside　who　could　be　expected　to　regard　the　lovely　little　darlings　merely　as　units　of　personnel。　Thursday　morning　I　was　a　detective　after　a　murderer。　That's　what　they　all　thought；　and　they　all　showed　it。　Whether　Kerr　Naylor　had　started　another　ball　rolling；　or　whether　it　was　just　seepage　from　various　leaks；　I　didn't　know；　but　the　reaction　that　greeted　me　wherever　I　went　left　no　doubt　of　the　fact。
　　The　bits　of　tobacco　in　the　folder　had　not　been　disturbed。　That　was　no　great　disappointment；　since　I　had　no　good　reason　to　suppose　that　anyone　in　the　place　was　sitting　on　tacks；　and　I　left　the　set…up　intact。　At　ten　o'clock　I　got　Jasper　Pine　on　the　phone　and　gave　him　a　report　of　the　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Harold　Anthony　episode。
　　I　also　said；　〃Your　wife　came　to　see　us　last　night。〃
　　〃I　know　she　did；〃　he　replied；　and　let　it　go　at　that。　It　was　a　fair　guess　that　his　position　was　that　there　was　no　point　in　asking　what　she　had　said　because　she　had　already　said　everything　to　him　about　everything。　When　I　told　him　that　the　whole　department　apparently　had　me　tagged　as　a　bloodhound　he　said　grimly　that　in　that　case　I　might　as　well　act　like　one　and　gave　me　the　run　of　the　pasture。
　　My　first　gallop　was　out　of　the　pasture　entirely；　up　to　the　Gazetee　office　to　see　Lon　Cohen；　having　first　called　him。　I　had　a　healthy　curiosity　not　only　about　Pine's　attitude　toward　his　wife's　fondness　for　pets；　but　also　about　her　and　Moore。　Wanting　the　low…down；　I　came　away；　after　a　session　with　Lon　and　talks　with　a　couple　of　legmen；　satisfied　that　I　had　it。　Either　Pine　had　years　ago　adopted　the　philosophy　that　a　wife's　personal　habits　are　none　of　a　husband's　business；　and　really　didn't　give　a　damn；　and　Mrs。　Pine　had　pletely　lost　interest　in　Moore　early　in　1946；　except　to　see　that　he　got　a　job；　or　the　Gazetee　boys　were　living　in　a　dream　world；　which　didn't　seem　likely。
　　I　bought　them　a　lunch　at　Pietro's　and　then　returned　to　William　Street。　There　was　nothing　in　my　office　for　me；　no　message　from　Wolfe　or　Pine　or　even　Kerr　Naylor；　and　the　drawer　of　the　cabinet　hadn't　been　touched。　I　was　still　without　a　bridle　and　could　pick　my　own　directions。　Across　the　arena　to　Miss　Livsey's　room　was；　I　thought；　as　good　as　any。
　　Her　door　was　open　and　she　was　inside；　typing。　I　entered；　shut　the　door；　lowered　myself　onto　the　chair　at　the　end　of　her　desk；　and　inquired；　〃What　thoughts　have　you　got　about　Rosa　Bendini？〃
　　〃What　on　earth；〃　she　inquired　back；　〃have　you　been　doing　with　your　face？〃　She　was　gazing　at　it。
　　〃You　may　think；〃　I　said；　〃that　you're　changing　the　subject；　but　actually　you're　not。　There's　a　connection。　It　was　Rosa's　husband　who　embroidered　my　face。　What's　your　opinion　of　her　in　ten　thousand　words？〃
　　〃Does　it　hurt？〃
　　〃e　on；　e　on。　Being　sweet　and　womanly　when　you　haven't　even　started　to　forget　that　Moore？　Quit　stalling。〃
　　She　showed　a　hint　of　color；　very　faint；　but　the　first　I　had　seen　of　it。　〃I'm　not　stalling；〃　she　denied。　〃If　you　can't　feel　it　you　ought　to　look　in　a　mirror　and　see　it。　What　about　Rosa　Bendini？〃
　　I　grinned　at　her　to　show　her　that　the　muscles　worked；　no　matter　how　it　looked。　〃So　you're　asking　me　instead。　Okay。　She　calls　Moore　Wally。　She　says　that　he　never　had　any　intention　of　marrying　you；　and　that　you　went　crazy…these　are　her　words…when　you　found　out　that　he　was　still　seeing　her；　and　that　you　have　never　recovered。　I　may　add　that　I　don't　believe　everything　I　hear；　because　if　you　have　never　recovered　you　must　be　crazy　now；　and　on　that　I　vote　no。〃
　　The　color　had　gone。　She　had　held　her　working　pose　in　front　of　her　typewriter；　her　fingertips　resting　on　the　frame　of　the　machine；　implying　that　I　had　just　dropped　in　to　say　hello　and　would　soon　drop　out　again；　but　now　her　torso　and　head　came　square　to　me　to　meet　my　eyes　straight。　The　tone　of　her　voice　matched　the　expression　of　her　eyes。
　　〃You　should　have　asked　me　to　give　you　a　list　of　the　best　ones　to　go　to　for　gossip；　but　maybe　you　didn't　need　to；　because；　if　you　had；　Rosa　would　have　been　near　the　top；　and　you've　already　found　her　yourself。　When　you've　found　the　others；　please　don't　bother　repeating　it　to　me。　I　have　a　lot　of　work　to　do。〃　Her　body　pivoted　back　to　its　working　position；　she　looked　at　the　paper　in　the　machine　and　then　at　her　notebook；　and　her　fingers　hit　the　keys。
　　I　had　my　choice　of　several　remarks；　among　them　being　that　Rosa　had　found　me；　not　me　her；　but　it　would　have　had　to　be　a　loud　yawp　to　carry　over　the　din　of　the　typewriter；　so　I　saved　my　breath　and　departed。
　　The　day　was　more　than　half　gone　and　I　hadn't　made　a　beginning　on　the　names　I　had　got　from　Rosa。　I　returned　to　my　room；　got　the　head　of　the　reserve　pool　on　the　phone；　said　I　would　like　to　have　a　talk　with　Miss　Gwynne　Ferris　of　his　section；　and　asked　if　he　would　send　her　to　see　me。　He　said　he　was　sorry；