rs.inthebestfamelies-第20章

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　could　possibly　have　had　such　a　result。　I　have　told　them　that；　and　they　think　I'm　lying。　As　long　as　they　think　I'm　lying；　and　you　too；　they'll　have　their　minds　on　that　and　they　won't　find　out　who　killed　my　cousin　and　why…and　anyway；　I　don't　want　to　be　suspected　of　lying　when　I'm　not；　especially　not　in　connection　with　the　murder　of　my　cousin。〃
　　Leeds　paused　for　breath　and　went　on；　〃There's　only　one　way　out　that　I　can　see；　and　that's　for　you　to　tell　them　the　real　reason　for　Wolfe's　disappearance…or；　better　still；　he　ought　to　tell　them　himself。　I　want　you　to　put　this　up　to　him。　Even　if　his　own　safety　is　involved；　he　ought　to　manage　somehow。　If　it　was　something　about　some　client　that　made　him　disappear；　in　the　interest　of　some　client；　then　you　can　tell　him　from　me　that　I　saw　him　take　a　check　from　my　cousin　for　ten　thousand　dollars　and　it　seems　to　me　he's　under　obligation　to　her　as　much　as　any　other　client；　to　protect　her　interests；　and　it　surely　isn't　in　her　interest　to　have　suspicion　centered　in　the　wrong　place　about　who　killed　her…and　killed　her　dog　too。〃　His　jaw　quivered　a　little；　and　he　clamped　it　tight。
　　〃Do　you　mean；〃　I　inquired；　〃that　suspicion　is　centered　on　you？　How　e？〃
　　〃Not　on　me　as…as　a　murderer；　I　don't　suppose　so；　but　on　me　as　a　liar；　and　you　and　Wolfe。　Even　though　she　left　me　a　great　deal　of　money…I'm　not　thinking　about　being　arrested　for　murder。〃
　　〃Who　do　you　think　ought　to　be？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。〃　He　gestured。　〃You're　trying　to　change　the　subject。　It's　not　a　question　of　me　and　what　I　think；　it's　you　and　what　you're　going　to　do。　From　what　I've　heard　of　Wolfe；　I　doubt　if　it　would　help　for　you　to　tell　him　what　I've　said；　I've　got　to　see　him　and　tell　him　myself。　If　he　has　really　got　to　hide　from　somebody　or　something；　do　it　however　you　want　to。　Blindfold　me　and　put　me　face　down　in　your　car。　I've　got　to　see　him。　My　cousin　would　have　wanted　me　to；　and　he　took　her　money。〃
　　I　was　half　glad　there　for　a　moment　that　I　did　not　know　where　Wolfe　was。　I　had　no　admiration　for　Leed's　preference　in　pets；　since　I　would　put　a　woman　ahead　of　a　Doberman　pinscher　any　day；　and　there　was　room　for　improvement　in　him　in　a　few　other　respects；　but　I　couldn't　help　but　admit　he　had　a　point　and　was　not　being　at　all　unreasonable。　So　if　I　had　known　where　Wolfe　was　I　would　have　had　to　harden　my　heart；　and　as　it　was　all　I　had　to　harden　was　my　voice。　It　struck　me　then；　for　the　first　time；　that　maybe　I　shouldn't　be　so　sore　at　Wolfe　after　all。
　　Leeds　hung　on　for　another　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　I　prolonged　it　a　little　myself　by　trying　to　get　something　out　of　him　about　the　progress　the　cops　had　made；　without　success。　He　went　away　mad；　still　calling　me　a　liar；　which　kept　it　unanimous。　What　he　got　from　me　was　nothing。　What　I　got　from　him　was　that　Mrs。　Rackham's　funeral　would　be　the　next　morning；　Wednesday。　Not　a　profitable　way　to　spend　most　of　an　hour；　for　either　of　us。　I　spent　what　was　left　of　the　afternoon　looking　into　the　matter　of　sausage。
　　Within　ten　minutes　after　the　package　had　been　opened　that　day；　Wolfe　had　phoned　both　Mummiani　and　the　Fleet　Messenger　Service　and　got　a　blank　as　expected；　but　on　the　outside　chance　that　I　might　at　least　get　a　bone　for　my　curiosity　to　gnaw　on　I　made　a　trip　to　Fulton　Street　and　one　uptown。
　　At　Mummiani's　no　one　knew　anything。　Since　Wolfe　had　been　getting　Darst's　sausage　from　them　for　years；　and　in　that　time　their　personnel　had　e　and　gone；　any　number　of　outsiders　could　know　about　it　At　the　Fleet　Messenger　Service　they　were　willing　to　help　but　couldn't。　They　remembered　the　package　because　Wolfe　had　phoned　about　it；　but　all　I　learned　was　that　it　had　been　left　there　by　a　youth　who　might　have　been　playing　hookey　from　the　eighth　grade；　and　I　didn't　even　bother　to　listen　to　the　description；　such　as　it　was。
　　Fed　up　with　an　empty　house　and　the　phone　ringing　and　being　called　a　bar；　I　put　in　a　call　myself　from　a　drugstore　booth；　and　made　personal　arrangements　for　dinner　and　a　show。
　　Wednesday　morning　a　visitor　came　that　I　let　in。　I　had　formed　the　habit；　since　returning　from　jail；　of　hearing　the　doorbell　ring；　going　to　the　hall；　observing　through　the　one…way　glass　panel　who　it　was　out　on　the　stoop；　making　a　face；　and　returning　to　the　office。　If　the　bell　kept　ringing　long　enough　to　be　a　nuisance　I　flipped　the　switch　that　turned　it　off。　This　time；　around　eleven　Wednesday　morning；　instead　of　making　a　face　I　went　and　opened　the　door　and　said；　〃Well；　hello！　ing　in？〃
　　A　chunky　specimen　about　my　height；　with　wrinkled　pink　skin　and　gray　hair　and　sharp　gray…blue　eyes；　grunted　a　greeting　and　stepped　over　the　sill。
　　I　said　it　was　cold　for　April；　and　he　agreed。　As　I　hung　his　topcoat　on　the　rack　I　told　myself　that　I　must　be　more　restrained。　The　fact　that　I　was　alone　in　the　house　was　no　reason　to　give　Inspector　Cramer　of　Manhattan　Homicide　the　impression　that　I　was　glad　to　see　him。　Wolfe　or　no　Wolfe；　I　could　keep　up　appearances。
　　I　let　him　lead　the　way　to　the　office。　This　time　I　sat　at　my　own　desk。　I　was　tempted　to　take　Wolfe's　chair　again　just　to　see　how　he　would　react；　but　it　would　have　put　me　at　a　disadvantage；　I　was　so　used　to　dealing　with　him；　in　the　red　leather　chair；　from　my　own　angle。
　　He　eyed　me。　〃So　you're　holding　the　fort；〃　he　growled。
　　〃Not　exactly；〃　I　objected。　〃I'm　only　the　caretaker。　Or　maybe　I'm　going　down　with　the　ship。　Not　that　those　who　have　left　are　rats。〃
　　〃Where's　Wolfe？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　Next；　you　call　me　a　liar。　Then　I　say　I　have　been；　but　not　now。　Then　you…〃
　　〃Nuts。　Where　is　he；　Archie？〃
　　That　cleared　the　atmosphere。　Over　the　years　he　had　called　me　Goodwin　fifty　times　to　one　Archie。　He　called　me　Archie　only　when　he　wanted　something　awful　bad　or　when　he　had　something　wrapped　up　that　Wolfe　had　given　him　and　his　humanity　overcame　him。　So　we　were　to　be　mellow。
　　〃Listen；〃　I　said；　friendly　but　firm。　〃That　routine　is　all　right　for　people　like　district　attorneys　and　state　cops　and　the　representatives　of　the　press；　but　you're　above　it。　Either　I　don't　know　where　he　is；　or　I　do　know　but　I'm　sitting　on　it。　What's　the　difference？　Next　question。〃
　　He　took　a　cigar　from　his　pocket；　inspected　it；　rubbed　it　between　his　palms；　and　inspected　it　again。　〃It　must　be　quite　a　thing；〃　he　remarked；　not　growling。　〃That　ad　in　the　paper。　The　plants　gone。　Fritz　and　Theodore　gone。　Vukcic　listing　the　house　for　sale。　I'm　going　to　miss　it；　I　am；　never　dropping　in　to　see　him　sitting　there　thinking　he's　smarter　than　God　and　all　His　angels。　Quite　a　thing；　it　must　be。　What　is　it？〃
　　I　said　slowly　and　wearily；　〃Either　I　don't　know　what　it　is；　or　I　do　know　but…〃
　　〃What　about　the　sausage　that　turned　into　tear　gas？　Any　connection？〃
　　I　am　always　ready　for　Inspector　Cramer；　in　the　light　of　experience　guided　by　intelligence；　and　therefore　didn't　bat　an　eye。　I　merely　cocked　my　head　a　little；　met　his　gaze；　and　considered　the　matter　until　I　was　satisfied。　〃I　doubt　if　it　was　Fritz；〃　I　stated。　〃Mr。　Wolfe　has　him　too　well　trained。　But　in　the　excitement　Sunday　morning；　Mr。　Wolfe　being　gone；　Fritz　told　Theodore；　and　you　got　it　out　of　Theodore。〃　I　nodded。　〃That　must　be　it。〃
　　〃Did　the　tear　gas　scare　him　out　of　his　skin？　Or　out　of　his　house；　which　is　the　same　thing。　Was　that　it？〃
　　〃It　might　have；　mightn't　it？　A　coward　like　him？〃
　　〃No。〃　Cramer　put　the　cigar　between　his　teeth；　tilted　up。　〃No；　there　are　plenty　of　things　about　Wolfe　I　can　and　do　object　to；　but　he's　not　a　coward。　There　might　have　been　something　about　that　tear　gas　that　would　have　scared　anybody。　Was　there？〃
　　〃As　far　as　I　know；　it　was　just　plain　tear　gas；　nothing　fancy。〃　I　decided　to　shove　a　little。　〃You　know；　it's　nice　to　have　you　here　any　time；　just　for　pany；　but　aren't　you　spreading　out　some？　Your　job　is　homicide；　and　the　tear　gas　didn't　even　make　us　sick；　let　alone　kill　us。　Also　your　job　is　in　the　County　of　New　York；　and　Mrs。　Rackham　died　in　Westchester。　I　enjoy　talking　with　you；　but　have　you　got　credentials？〃
　　He　made　a　noise　that　could　have　been　a　chuckle。　〃That's　more　like　it；〃　he　said；　not　sarcastically。　〃You're　beginning　to　sound　natural。　I'll　tell　you。　I'm　here　at　the　request　of　Ben　Dykes；　who　would　give　all　his　teeth　and　one　ear　to　clear　up　the　Rackham　case　ahead　of　the　state　boys。　He　thinks　that　A