rc.theladyinthelake-第2章

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d　finished　this；　he　leaned　back　and　blew　a　little　smoke　and　said：　〃I'm　a　business　man。　I　don't　fool　around。　You're　a　licensed　detective　your　card　says。　Show　me　something　to　prove　it。〃　I　got　my　wallet　out　and　handed　him　things　to　prove　it。　He　looked　at　them　and　threw　them　back　across　the　desk。　The　celluloid　holder　with　the　photostat　license　in　it　fell　to　the　floor。　He　didn't　bother　to　apologize。
　　〃I　don't　know　M'Gee；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　Sheriff　Petersen。　I　asked　for　the　name　of　a　reliable　man　to　do　a　job。　I　suppose　you　are　the　man。〃
　　〃M'Gee　is　in　the　Hollywood　sub…station　of　the　sheriff's　office；〃　I　said。　〃You　can　check　on　that。〃
　　〃Not　necessary。　I　guess　you　might　do；　but　don't　get　flip　with　me。　And　remember　when　I　hire　a　man　he's　my　man。　He　does　exactly　what　I　tell　him　and　he　keeps　his　mouth　shut。　Or　he　goes　out　fast。　Is　that　clear？　I　hope　I'm　not　too　tough　for　you。〃
　　〃Why　not　leave　that　an　open　question？〃　I　said。
　　He　frowned。　He　said　sharply：　〃What　do　you　charge？〃
　　〃Twenty…five　a　day　and　expenses。　Eight　cents　a　mile　for　my　car。〃
　　〃Absurd；〃　he　said。　〃Far　too　much。　Fifteen　a　day　flat。　That's　plenty。　I'll　pay　the　mileage；　within　reason；　the　way　things　are　now。　But　no　joy…riding。〃　I　blew　a　little　gray　cloud　of　cigarette　smoke　and　fanned　it　with　my　hand。　I　said　nothing。　He　seemed　a　little　surprised　that　I　said　nothing。
　　He　leaned　over　the…desk　and　pointed　with　his　cigar。　〃I　haven't　hired　you　yet；〃　he　said；　〃but　if　I　do；　the　job　is　absolutely　confidential。　No　talking　it　over　with　your　cop　friends。　Is　that　understood？〃
　　〃Just　what　do　you　want　done；　Mr。　Kingsley？〃
　　〃What　do　you　care？　You　do　all　kinds　of　detective　work；　don't　you？〃
　　〃Not　all　kinds。　Only　the　fairly　honest　kinds。〃　He　stared　at　me　level…eyed；　his　jaws　tight。　His　gray　eyes　had　an　opaque　look。
　　〃For　one　thing　I　don't　do　divorce　business；〃　I　said。　〃And　I　get　a　hundred　down　as　a　retainer…from　strangers。〃
　　〃Well；　well；〃　he　said；　in　a　voice　suddenly　soft。　〃Well；　well。〃
　　〃And　as　for　your　being　too　tough　for　me；〃　I　said；　〃most　of　the　clients　start　out　either　by　weeping　down　my　shirt　or　bawling　me　out　to　show　who's　boss。　But　usually　they　end　up　very　reasonable…if　they're　still　alive。〃
　　〃Well；　well；〃　he　said　again；　in　the　same　soft　voice；　and　went　on　staring　at　me。　〃Do　you　lose　very　many　of　them？'　he　asked。
　　〃Not　if　they　treat　me　right；〃　I　said。
　　〃Have　a　cigar；〃　he　said。
　　I　took　a　cigar　and　put　it　in　my　pocket。
　　〃I　want　you　to　find　my　wife；〃　he　said。　〃She's　been　missing　for　a　month。〃
　　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　find　your　wife。〃　He　patted　his　desk　with　both　hands。　He　stared　at　me　solidly。　〃I　think　you　will　at　that；〃　he　said。　Then　he　grinned。　〃I　haven't　been　called　down　like　that　in　four　years；〃　he　said。
　　I　didn't　say　anything。
　　〃Damn　it　all；〃　he　said；　〃I　liked　it。　I　liked　it　fine。〃　He　ran　a　hand　through　his　thick　dark　hair。　〃She's　been　gone　a　whole　month；〃　he　said。　〃From　a　cabin　we　have　in　the　mountains。　Near　Puma　Point。　Do　you　know　Puma　Point？〃　I　said　I　knew　Puma　Point。
　　〃Our　place　is　three　miles　from　the　village；〃　he　said；　〃partly　over　a　private　road。　It's　on　a　private　lake。　Little　Fawn　Lake。　There's　a　dam　three　of　us　put　up　to　improve　the　property。　I　own　the　tract　with　two　other　men。　It's　quite　large；　but　undeveloped　and　won't　be　developed　now　for　some　time；　of　course。　My　friends　have　cabins；　I　have　a　cabin　and　a　man　named　Bifi　Chess　lives　with　his　wife　in　another　cabin　rent　free　and　looks　after　the　place。　He's　a　disabled　veteran　with　a　pension。　That's　all　there　is　up　there。　My　wife　went　up　the　middle　of　May；　came　down　twice　for　weekends；　was　due　down　the　12th　of　June　for　a　party　and　never　showed　up。　I　haven't　seen　her　since。〃
　　〃What　have　you　done　about　it？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Nothing。　Not　a　thing。　I　haven't　even　been　up　there。〃　He　waited；　wanting　me　to　ask　why。
　　I　said：　〃Why？〃　He　pushed　his　chair　back　to　get　a　locked　drawer　open。　He　took　out　a　folded　paper　and　passed　it　over；　I　unfolded　it　and　saw　it　was　a　Postal　Telegraph　form。　The　wire　had　been　ified　at　El　Paso　on　June　14th　at　9：19　A。M。　It　was　addressed　to　Derace　Kingsley；　965　Carson　Drive；　Beverly　Hills；　and　read：
　　
　　〃AM　CROSSING　TO　GET　MEXICAN　DIVORCE　。　STOP　WILL　MARRY　CHRIS　STOP　GOOD　LUCK　AND　GOODBY　CRYSTAL。〃
　　
　　I　put　this　down　on　my　side　of　the　desk　and　he　was　handing　me　a　large　and　very　clear　snapshot　on　glazed　paper　which　showed　a　man　and　a　woman　sitting　on　the　sand　under　a　beach　umbrella。　The　man　wore　trunks　and　the　woman　what　looked　like　a　very　daring　white　sharkskin　bathing　suit。　She　was　a　slim　blonde；　young　and　shapely　and　smiling。　The　man　was　a　hefty　dark　handsome　lad　with　fine　shoulders　and　legs；　sleek　dark　hair　and　white　teeth。　Six　feet　of　a　standard　type　of　homewrecker。　Arms　to　hold　you　close　and　all　his　brains　in　his　face。　He　was　holding　a　pair　of　dark　glasses　in　his　hand　and　smiling　at　the　camera　with　a　practised　and　easy　smile。
　　〃That's　Crystal；〃　Kingsley　said；　〃and　that's　Chris　Layery。　She　can　have　him　and　he　can　have　her　and　to　hell　with　them　both。〃　I　put　the　photo　down　on　the　telegram。　〃All　right；　what's　the　catch？〃　I　asked　him。
　　〃There's　no　telephone　up　there；〃　he　said；　〃and　there　was　nothing　important　about　the　affair　she　was　ing　down　for。　So　I　got　the　wire　before　I　gave　much　thought　to　it。　The　wire　surprised　me　only　mildly。　Crystal　and　I　have　been　washed　up　for　years。　She　lives　her　life　and　I　live　mine。　She　has　her　own　money　and　plenty　of　it。　About　twenty　thousand　a　year　from　a　family　holding　corporation　that　owns　valuable　oil　leases　in　Texas。　She　plays　around　and　I　knew　Lavery　was　one　of　her　playmates。　I　might　have　been　a　little　surprised　that　she　would　actually　marry　him；　because　the　man　is　nothing　but　a　professional　chaser。　But　the　picture　looked　ail　right　so　far；　you　understand？〃
　　〃And　then？〃
　　〃Nothing　for　two　weeks。　Then　the　Prescott　Hotel　in　San　Bernardino　got　in　touch　with　me　and　said　a　Packard　Clipper　registered　to　Crystal　Grace　Kingsley　at　my　address　was　unclaimed　in　their　garage　and　what　about　it。　I　told　them　to　keep　it　and　I　sent　them　a　check。　There　was　nothing　much　in　that　either。　I　figured　she　was　still　out　of　the　state　and　that　if　they　had　gone　in　a　car　at　all；　they　had　gone　in　Lavery's　car。　The　day　before　yesterday；　however；　I　met　Lavery　in　front　of　the　Athletic　Club　down　on　the　corner　here。　He　said　he　didn't　know　where　Crystal　was。〃　Kingsley　gave　me　a　quick　look　and　reached　a　bottle　and　two　tinted　glasses　up　on　the　desk。　He　poured　a　couple　of　drinks　and　pushed　one　over。　He　held　his　against　the　light　and　said　slowly：　〃Lavery　said　he　hadn't　gone　away　with　her；　hadn't　seen　her　in　two　months；　hadn't　had　any　munications　with　her　of　any　kind。〃　I　said；　〃You　believed　him？〃　He　nodded；　frowning；　and　drank　his　'drink　and　pushed　the　glass　to　one　side。　I　tasted　mine。　It　was　Scotch。　Not　very　good　Scotch。
　　〃If　I　believed　him；〃　Kingsley　said；。　〃…and　I　was　probably　wrong　to　do　it…it　wasn't　because　he's　a　fellow　you　have　to　believe。　Far　from　it。　It's　because　he's　a　no　good　son　of　a　bitch　who　thinks　it　is　smart　to　lay　his　friends'　wives　and　brag　about　it。　I　feel　he　would　have　been　tickled　pink　to　stick'　it　into　me　and　break　it　off　that　'he　had　got　my　wife　to　run　away　with　him　and　leave　me　flat。　I　know　these　tomcats　and　I　know　this　one　too　well。　He　rode　a　route　for　us　for　a　while　and　he　was　in　trouble　all　the　time。　He　couldn't　keep　his　hands　off　the　office　help。　And　apart　from　all　that　there　was　this　wire　from　El　Paso　and　I　told　him　about　it　and　why　would　he　think　it　worth　while　to　lie　about　it？〃
　　〃She　might　have　tossed　him　out　on　his　can；〃　I　said。　〃That　would　have　hurt　him　in　his　deep　place…his　Casanova　plex。〃　Kingsley　brightened　up　a　little；　but　not　very　much。　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　still　more　than　half　way　believe　him；〃　he　said。　〃You'll　have　to　prove　me　wrong。　That's　part　of　why　I　wanted　you。　But　there's　another　and　very　worrying　angle。　I　have　a　good　job　here；　but　a　job　is　all　it　is。　I　can't　stand　scandal。　I'd　be　out　of　here　in　a　hurry　if　my　wife　got　mixed　up　with　the　police。〃
　　〃Police？〃
　　〃Among　her　other　activities；〃　Kingsley　said　grimly；　〃my　wife　occasionally　finds　time　to　lift　things　in　department　stores。　I　think　it's　just　a　sort　of　delusion　of　grandeur　she　gets　when　she　has