rs.toomanywomen-第24章

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t　what　Naylor　had　said　to　him。　I　don't　suppose　the　Deputy　missioner　asked　him　specifically　to　call　you　off。　That　part　of　it　was　left　to　me。〃
　　〃I　wouldn't　feel　justified；〃　Wolfe　said　virtuously；　〃in　quitting　the　case　without　the　approval　of　the　client。〃
　　〃Okay；　then　get　it。　Call　him　up　now。　We'll　both　talk　to　him；　and　me　first。〃
　　Wolfe　nodded　at　me。　〃Get　Mr。　Pine；　Archie。　But　not　you　first；　Mr。　Cramer。　You　second。〃
　　I　got　the　number　from　the　book　and　dialed　it。　When；　after　a　short　wait；　there　was　a　voice　in　my　ear　that　I　recognized；　I　was　surprised　that　a　woman　with　enough　money　to　keep　pets　answered　the　phone　herself；　but　it　was　midnight　and　the　servants　probably　didn't　get　to　sleep　as　late　in　the　morning　as　she　did。　I　told　her　who　I　was　and　she　reacted　instantly。
　　〃Of　course；　I　knew　your　voice　at　once！　How　is　your　face；　Archie？〃
　　She　sounded　as　if　she　had　really　had　it　on　her　mind　and　wanted　to　know。　〃Better；　thanks；〃　I　told　her。　〃I'm　sorry　to　disturb　you　so　late　at　night；　but…〃
　　〃Oh；　it's　not　late　for　me！　I'm　never　in　bed　before　three　or　four。　The　season　tickets　aren't　available　yet；　but　they　will　be　next　week；　and　yours　will　be　sent　at　once。〃
　　〃Much　obliged。　Is　your　husband　there？　Mr。　Wolfe　would　like　to　speak　to　him。〃
　　〃Yes　he's　here　but　he　may　be　asleep。　He　goes　to　bed　much　earlier　than　I　do。　Hold　the　wire　and　I'll　find　out。　Is　it　important？〃
　　〃Not　important　enough　to　wake　him　up　if　he　hates　it　as　much　as　I　do。〃
　　〃All　right；　hold　the　wire。　I'll　see。〃
　　It　took　her　long　enough。　I　sat　and　held　it；　reflecting　that　considering　the　state　of　their　romance　her　husband's　bed　was　probably　not　just　the　other　side　of　a　door。　Finally　she　was　back。
　　〃No。；　I'm　sorry；　he's　sound　asleep。　I　thought　he　might　be　reading。　Is　it　about　what　I　came　to　see　you　about？〃
　　〃Yes；　it's　connected　with　that。　We'll　get　him　in　the　morning。　Many　thanks。〃
　　〃Maybe　I　could　help。　What　is　it？〃
　　〃I　don't　think　so；　it's　just　a　detail。　Hold　it　a　second。〃　I　covered　the　transmitter　and　announced；　〃He's　asleep　and　she　wants　to　know　if　she　can　help。　She　would　like　very　much　to　help。〃
　　〃No；〃　Wolfe　said　positively。
　　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　Cramer　began；　but　I　ignored　him　and　told　the　phone；　〃Mr。　Wolfe　thanks　you　for　your　offer；　Mrs。　Pine；　but　he　will　call　your　husband　tomorrow。〃
　　〃Then　just　tell　me　what　it　is；　Archie；　and　I　can　discuss　it　with　him　before　Mr。　Wolfe　calls。〃
　　It　took　me　a　good　three　minutes　to　get　it　concluded　without　being　impolite。
　　A　childish　wrangle　started。　Cramer　adopted　the　position　that　I　should　have　persuaded　her　to　wake　Pine　up；　and　Wolfe；　who　hates　having　his　sleep　interrupted　even　more　than　I　do；　violently　disagreed。　They　kept　at　it　as　if　it　had　been　one　of　the　world's　major　problems；　like　what　to　do　with　the　Ruhr。　Neither　of　them　budged　an　inch；　so　they　ended　where　they　began；　stalemated。
　　〃Very　well；〃　Cramer　said　finally；　still　belligerent。　〃So　I　get　nothing　for　losing　two　hours　of　my　own　sleep　and　ing　clear　over　here　to　ask　you　a　favor。〃
　　〃Nonsense。〃　Wolfe　was　belligerent　too。　〃You　haven't　asked　a　favor。　You　have　called　Mr。　Goodwin　a　liar　and　you　have　made　preposterous　demands。　Besides；　this　is　on　your　way　home　from　your　office。〃
　　That　was　the　intellectual　level　they　had　descended　to。　I　wouldn't　have　been　surprised　if　Cramer　had　produced　a　map　of　the　city；　to　prove　that　Wolfe's　house　was　not　on　a　direct　line　between　his　office　and　his　home；　but　he　skipped　that　and　concentrated　on　the　other　point…whether　he　had　asked　a　favor　or　not。　He　maintained　that　he　had；　and　that　if　it　had　sounded　like　a　demand　that　was　only　on　account　of　his　mannerisms；　with　which　we　were　well　acquainted　and　therefore　had　no　right　to　misinterpret。　At　length；　by　that　roundabout　route；　he　got　back　to　his　main　point：　would　we　or　would　we　not　break　off　relations　with　Naylor…Kerr；　Inc。？　Apparently　Deputy　missioner　O'Hara　had　really　built　a　fire　under　him。
　　〃It　isn't　as　urgent　as　all　that；　is　it？〃　Wolfe　asked　in　his　tone　of　fake　concern；　which　has　maddened　older　men　than　me；　or　even　than　Cramer。　〃For　a　long　time　Mr。　Kerr　Naylor…〃
　　The　phone　rang。　I　gave　it　a　glance　of　distaste　before　reaching　for　it；　thinking　it　was　certainly　Mrs。　Pine；　with　nothing　special　to　do　for　another　two　hours　till　bedtime；　calling　to　ask　about　my　face。　But　no。　A　gruff　male　voice　asked　to　speak　to　Inspector　Cramer　and　I　moved　out　of　my　chair　to　let　Cramer　take　the　call　at　my　desk。
　　It　was　a　one…sided　conversation；　with　Cramer　contributing　only　a　few　grunts　and；　at　the　end；　three　or　four　questions。　He　told　someone　he　would　be　there　in　five　minutes；　hung　up；　and　swiveled　to　us。
　　〃Kerr　Naylor　has　been　found　dead　on　Thirty…ninth　Street　near　Eleventh　Avenue。　Four　blocks　from　here。　Apparently　run　over　by　a　car；　with　his　head　smashed。〃　Cramer　was　on　his　feet。　〃They　got　his　name　from　papers　in　his　pocket。〃　He　growled　at　me；　〃Want　to　e　and　identify　him？〃
　　〃Indeed；〃　Wolfe　muttered。　〃Remarkable　coincidence。　Mr。　Moore　died　there　too。　It　must　be　a　dangerous　street。〃
　　〃And　now；〃　I　plained；　〃I'll　never　be　able　to　make　him　take　back　calling　me　a　liar。　Sure；　glad　to　help。　e　along；　Inspector。〃
　　
　　Chapter　Twenty
　　Since　so　far　as　I　knew　I　was　still　on　the　Naylor…Kerr　payroll；　it　was　a　good　thing　they　didn't　work　Saturdays；　because　Saturday　morning　I　didn't　get　out　of　bed　until　noon　was　in　plain　sight。　At　that　I　had　been　there　something　short　of　six　hours；　having　got　home　just　as　the　sun　was　taking　its　first　slanting　look　at　Thirty…fifth　Street。
　　Coincidence　was　right。　On　Thirty…ninth　Street　between　Tenth　and　Eleventh　Avenues；　not　thirty　feet　from　the　spot　where　the　body　of　Waldo　Wilmot　Moore　had　been　found　nearly　four　months　before；　a　car　had　run　over　Kerr　Naylor；　flattening　his　head　and　breaking　his　bones。　I　had　appreciated；　better　than　I　had　when　he　had　told　me　about　it；　the　difficulties　Kerr　Naylor　had　encountered　when　he　had　gone　to　the　morgue　to　identify　the　remains　of　Waldo　Moore；　but　there　had　been　no　doubt　about　it。　It　was　unquestionably　Naylor；　when　you　had　made　the　mental　adjustment　required　by　the　transformation　of　a　sphere　into　a　disk。
　　To　go　on　with　the　coincidence；　the　body；　which　had　been　discovered　by　a　taxi　driver　at　twelve…forty　A。M。；　had　been　there　unnoticed　for　some　time；　anyway　over　half　an　hour；　if　the　guess　of　the　Medical　Examiner　on　the　time　of　death　was　any　good。　Not　only　that…and　this　was　really　stretching　it　too　far…the　car　that　had　run　over　him　had　been　found　parked　on　Ninety…fifth　Street　just　west　of　Broadway；　in　front　of　a　branch　laundry；　in　the　identical　spot　where　the　car　that　had　finished　Moore　had　been　found。　On　that　one　I　had　to　hand　it　to　Inspector　Cramer。　One　of　his　first　barks　on　arriving　at　the　scene　had　been　at　a　squad　dick；　telling　him　to　beat　it　to　Ninety…fifth　Street　and　go　over　the　cars　parked　in　that　block。　Showing　that　an　inspector　knows　a　coincidence　when　he　sees　one。　Already；　before　I　had　left　to　go　home　for　a　nap；　the　owner　of　the　car　had　been　brought　in　from　Bedford　Hills　and　thoroughly　processed。　The　processing　was　mostly　unnecessary；　since　it　was　easily　established　that　he　had　reported　to　the　police　at　eleven…eighteen　that　his　car　had　been　stolen　from　where　he　had　parked　it　on　Forty…eighth　Street；　having　driven　to　town　to　go　to　the　theater；　and　having；　as　lots　of　boobs　do　every　day；　forgotten　to　lock　the　car　or　even　take　the　key。
　　It　had　taken　two　laboratory　men；　working　with　spotlights　on　the　tires　of　the　car　where　it　stood　on　Ninety…fifth　Street；　to　get　the　proof　that　it　was　the　one　that　had　rolled　over　Naylor；　and　that　was　one　more　detail　of　the　coincidence。
　　Part　of　the　time　I　had　been　a　kibitzer；　but　had　been　made　to　feel　wele　throughout　because　Inspector　Cramer　wanted　me　handy　to　answer　some　more　questions　when　he　got　a　chance　to　work　them　in；　between　other　chores。　During　all　the　hours　he　made　no　reference　to　Wolfe's　objectionable　behavior；　and　mine；　in　trying　to　stir　up　a　murder　stink　when　there　had　been　no　murder；　and　I；　knowing　he　was　busy　and　it　would　aggravate　him；　brought　it　up　only　eight　or　nine　times。　Even　then　he　didn't　have　me　bounced　because　he　wanted　me　around。　The　first　session　with　him　I　stalled　a　little　on　the　ground　th