rs.inthebestfamelies-第33章

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　　〃By　Roeder？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　The　frown　was　gone。　〃If　this　is　straight；　Goodwin；　I've　made　a　good　buy。〃
　　〃It's　straight　all　right；　but　don't　trust　me。　I　warned　you。　Those　are　the　facts；　but　you　can　have　a　guess　without　any　additional　charge　it　you　want　it。〃
　　〃A　guess　about　what？〃
　　〃About　them　and　you。　This　guess　is　why　I'm　here。　This　guess　is　why　I　went　into　that　bar　so　you　would　see　me；　and　followed　you　out　like　a　halfwit　to　give　you　a　chance　to　Hag　me。〃
　　〃Oh。　So　you　staged　this。〃
　　〃Certainly。　I　wanted　to　tell　you　about　this　guess；　and　if　you　were　in　a　mood　to　buy　something　first；　why　not？〃
　　He　looked　aloof。　〃Let's　have　the　guess；〃
　　〃Well…〃　I　considered。　〃It　really　is　a　guess；　but　with　a　background。　Do　you　want　the　background　first？〃
　　〃No；　the　guess。〃
　　〃Right。　That　Zeck　is　getting　set　to　frame　you　for　the　murder　of　your　wife。〃
　　I　think　Rackham　would　have　thrown　another　glass　if　he　had　happened　to　have　it　in　his　hand；　possibly　at　me　this　time。　His　blood　moved　fast。　The　color　came　up　in　his　neck　and　face；　and　he　sort　of　swelled　all　over；　then　his　jaw　clamped。
　　〃Go　on；〃　he　mumbled。
　　〃That's　all　the　guess　amounts　to。　Do　you　want　the　background？〃
　　He　didn't　answer。　I　went　on。　〃It　won't　cost　you　a　cent。　Take　the　way　I　was　approached。　If　it's　a　plain　tailing　job　with　no　frills；　why　all　the　folderol？　Why　couldn't　Christy　just　put　it　to　me？　And　why　pay　me　double　the　market　of　the　highest…priced　agencies？　Item。　If　Zeck　has　his　friends　at　White　Plains；　which　is　far　from　incredible；　and　if　the　current　furore　is　upsetting　their　stomachs；　there's　nothing　they　would　appreciate　more　than　having　their　toughest　unsolved　murder　case　wrapped　up　for　them。　Item。　Hiring　me　is　purely　defensive；　and　Zeck　and　his　staff　don't　function　that　way；　especially　not　when　the　enemy　is　a　former　colleague　and　they've　got　a　grudge。〃
　　I　shook　my　head。　〃I　can't　see　it　with　that　background。　But　listen　to　this。　Roeder　came　up　to　my　office　and　stayed　an　hour；　and　do　you　know　what　he　spent　most　of　it　doing？　Asking　me　questions　about　the　evening　of　April　eighth！　What　has　that　got　to　do　with　my　handling　a　tailing　job？　Nothing！　Why　should　they　be　interested　in　April　eighth　at　all？　I　think　they　brought　me　this　job；　at　double　pay；　just　to　start　a　conversation　with　me　and　soften　me　up。　It　has　already　been　hinted　that　Zeck　might　like　to　meet　me。　I　think　that　to　frame　you　for　murder　they've　got　to　have　first…hand　dope　from　someone　who　was　there；　and　I'm　elected。　I　think　they're　probably　sizing　me　up；　to　decide　whether　I'm　qualified　to　be　asked　to　remember　something　that　happened　that　night　which　has　slipped　my　mind　up　to　now；　at　a　nice　juicy　price。〃
　　I　turned　my　palms　up。　〃It's　just　a　guess。〃
　　He　still　had　nothing　to　say。　His　blood　had　apparently　eased　up　a　little。
　　He　was　staring　at　my　face；　but　I　doubted　if　he　was　seeing　it。
　　〃If　you　care　to　know　why　I　wanted　you　to　hear　it；〃　I　went　on；　〃you　can　have　that　too。　1　have　my　weak　spots；　and　one　of　them　is　my　professional　pride。　It　got　a　hard　blow　when　Nero　Wolfe　scooted　instead　of　staying　to　fight　it　out；　with　your　wife's　check　for　ten　grand　deposited　barely　in　time　to　get　through　before　she　was　croaked。　If　the　ten　grand　is　returned　to　her　estate；　who　gets　it？　You。　And　it　could　be　that　you　killed　her。　I　prefer　to　leave　it　where　it　is　and　earn　it。　Among　other　things；　she　was　killed　while　I　was　there；　and　I　helped　find　the　body。　That's　a　fine　goddam　mess　for　a　good　detective；　and　I　was　thinking　I　was　one。〃
　　He　found　his　tongue。　〃I　didn't　kill　her。　I　swear　to　you；　Goodwin；　I　didn't　kill　her。〃
　　〃Oh；　skip　it。　Whether　you　did　or　didn't；　not　only　do　I　not　want　to　help　frame　you；　I　don't　want　anyone　to　frame　anybody；　not　on　this　one。　I've　got　a　personal　interest　in　it。　I　intend　to　earn　that　ten　grand；　and　I　don't　want　Zeck　to　bitch　it　up　by　getting　you　burned；　even　if　you're　the　right　one；　on　a　fix。　Therefore　I　wanted　you　to　know　about　this。　As　I　told　you；　I　haven't　got　it　spelled　out；　it's　only　a　guess　with　background；　and　I　admit　it　may　be　a　bum　one。　What　do　you　think？　Am　I　hearing　noises？〃
　　Rackham　picked　up　his　drink；　which　hadn't　been　touched；　took　a　little　sip；　about　enough　for　a　sparrow；　and　put　it　down　again。　He　sat　a　while；　licking　his　lips。　〃I　don't　get　you；〃　he　said　wistfully。
　　〃Then　forget　it。　You're　all　paid　up。　I've　been　known　to　guess　wrong　before。〃
　　〃I　don't　mean　that；　I　mean　you。　Why？　What's　your　play？〃
　　〃I　told　you；　professional　pride。　If　that's　too　fancy　for　you；　consider　how　I　was　getting　boxed　in；　with　Zeck　on　my　right　and　you　on　my　left。　I　wanted　a　window　open。　If　you　don't　like　that　either；　just　cross　me　off　as　screwy。　You　don't　trust　me　anyhow。　I　merely　thought　that　if　my　guess　is　good；　and　if　I　get　approached　with　an　offer　of　a　leading　part；　and　maybe　even　asked　to　help　with　the　script；　and　if　I　decided　I　would　like　to　consult　you　about　it；　it　would　be　nice　if　we'd　already　met　and　got　a　little　acquainted。〃　I　flipped　a　hand。　〃If　you　don't　get　me；　what　the　hell；　I'm　ahead　six　thousand　bucks。〃
　　I　stood　up。　〃One　way　to　settle　it；　you　could　phone　Zeck　and　ask　him。　That　would　be　hard　on　me；　but　what　can　a　double…crosser　expect？　So　I'll　trot　along。〃
　　I　moved　toward　the　door　and　was　navigating　a　course　through　the　scattered　fragments　of　glass　in　the　path　when　he　decided　to　speak。
　　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　he　said；　still　wistful。　〃You　mentioned　when　you　get　approached。〃
　　〃If　I　get　approached。〃
　　'You　will。　That's　the　way　they　work。　Whatever　they　offer；　I'll　top　it。　e　straight　to　me　and　I'll　top　it。　I　want　to　see　you　anyhow；　every　day…wait　a　minute。　e　back　and　sit　down。　We　can　make　a　deal　right　now；　for　you　to…〃
　　〃No；〃　I　said；　kind　but　firm。　〃You're　so　damn　scared　it　would　be　a　temptation　to　bargain　you　out　of　your　last　pair　of　pants。　Wait　till　you　cool　off　a　little　and　get　some　spunk　back。　Ring　me　any　time。　You　understand；　of　course；　we're　still　tailing　you。〃
　　I　left　him。
　　Several　times；　walking　downtown；　I　had　to　rein　myself　in。　I　would　slow　down　to　a　normal　gait；　and　in　another　block　or　so　there　I　would　be　again；　pounding　along　as　fast　as　I　could　swing　it；　though　all　I　had　ahead　was　an　open　evening。　I　grinned　at　myself　indulgently。　I　was　excited；　that　was　all。
　　The　game　was　on；　I　had　pitched　the　first　ball；　and　it　had　cut　the　inside　er　above　his　knees。　Not　only　that；　it　was　a　game　with　no　rules。　It　was　hard　to　believe　that　Rackham　could　possibly　go　to　Zeck　or　any　of　his　men　with　it；　but　if　he　did　I　was　on　a　spot　hot　enough　to　fry　an　egg；　and　Wolfe　was　as　good　as　gone。　That　was　why　I　had　tried　to　talk　Wolfe　out　of　it。　But　now　that　I　had　started　it　rolling　and　there　was　no　more　argument；　I　was　merely　so　excited　that　I　couldn't　walk　slow　if　you　paid　me。
　　I　had　had　it　in　mind　to　drop　in　at　Rusterman's　Restaurant　for　dinner　and　say　hello　to　Marko　that　evening；　but　now　I　didn't　feel　like　sitting　through　all　the　motions；　so　I　kept　going　to　Eleventh　Avenue；　to　Mart's　Diner；　and　perched　on　a　stool　while　I　cleaned　up　a　plate　of　beef　stew；　three　ripe　tomatoes　sliced　by　me；　and　two　pieces　of　blueberry　pie。　Even　with　a　full　stomach　I　was　still　excited。　It　must　have　shown；　I　suppose　in　my　eyes；　for　Mart　asked　me　what　the　glow　was　about；　and　though　I　had　never　had　any　tendency　to　discuss　my　business　with　him；　I　had　to　resist　an　impulse　to　remark　casually　that　Wolfe　and　I　had　finally　mixed　it　up　with　the　most　dangerous　baby　on　two　legs；　one　so　tough　that　even　Inspector　Cramer　had　said　he　was　out　of　reach。
　　I　went　home　and　sat　in　the　office　all　evening；　holding　magazines　open　as　if　I　were　reading　them。　All　I　really　did　was　listen　for　the　phone　or　doorbell。　When　the　phone　rang　at　ten　o'clock　and　it　was　only　Fred　Durkin　wanting　to　know　where　Saul　and　the　subject　were；　I　was　so　rude　that　I　hurt　his　feelings　and　had　to　apologize。　I　told　him　to　cover　the　Churchill　as　usual；　which　was　one　of　the　factors　that　made　it　a　burlesque；　since　that　would　have　required　four　men　at　least。　What　I　wanted　to　do　so　bad　I　could　taste　i￡　was　call　the　number　Wolfe　had　given　me；　but　that　had　been　for　emergency　only。　I　looked　emergency　up　in　the　dictionary；　and　got　〃an　unforeseen　bination　of　circumstances　which　calls　for　immediate　actio