rs.inthebestfamelies-第14部分

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　　〃I　don't　know。　I　can　say　only　what　I　was　told　to　say。　That's　all　about　the　plants。　Perhaps　Mr。　Hewitt　can　tell　you。　Second；　that　is　Fritz。　He　will　work　here；　and　I　will　pay　him　well。　I　will　see　him　today　and　arrange　the　details。　Of　course　he　is　unhappy？〃
　　〃He　thinks　Mr。　Wolfe　will　starve　to　death。〃
　　〃But　naturally。　If　not　that；　something　else。　I　have　always　thought　it　a　folly　for　him　to　be　a　detective。　Third…I　am　third。　I　have　a　power　of　attorney。　Do　you　want　to　see　it？〃
　　〃No；　thanks；　I'll　take　your　word　for　it。〃
　　〃It　is　in　there　locked　up。　Nero　said　it　is　legal；　and　he　knows。　I　can　sign　checks　for　you。　I　can　sign　anything。　I　can　do　anything　he　could　do。〃
　　〃Within　certain　limits。　You　can't…〃　I　waved　a　hand。　〃Forget　it。　Fourth？〃
　　〃Fourth　is　the　house。　I　am　to　offer　the　house　and　its　contents　for　sale。　On　that　I　have　confidential　instructions。〃
　　I　goggled　at　him。　〃Sell　the　house　and　contents？〃
　　〃Yes。　I　have　private　instructions　regarding　price　and　terms。〃
　　〃I　don't　believe　it。〃
　　His　shoulders　went　up　and　down。　〃I　told　Nero　you　would　think　I　was　lying。〃
　　〃I　don't　think　you're　lying。　I　just　don't　believe　it。　Also　the　bed　and　other　articles　in　my　room　are　my　property。　Must　I　move　them　out　today　or　can　I　wait　until　tomorrow？〃
　　Marko　made　a　noise　that　I　think　was　meant　for　sympathy。　〃My　poor　young　friend；〃　he　said　apologetically；　〃there　is　no　hurry　at　all。　Selling　a　house　is　not　like　selling　a　lamb　chop。　You　will；　I　suppose；　continue　to　live　there　for　the　present。〃
　　〃Did　he　say　I　should？〃
　　〃No；　But　why　shouldn't　you？　That　is　my　own　thought；　and　it　brings　us　to　the　fifth　and　last　thing：　the　instructions　Nero　gave　me　for　you。〃
　　〃Oh；　he　did。　That　was　thoughtful。　Such　as？〃
　　〃You　are　to　act　in　the　light　of　experience　as　guided　by　intelligence。〃
　　He　stopped。　I　nodded。　〃That's　a　cinch；　I　always　do。　And　specifically？〃
　　〃That's　all。　Those　are　your　instructions。〃　Marko　upturned　his　palMs。〃That's　all　about　everything。〃
　　〃You　call　that　instructions；　do　you？〃
　　〃I　don't。　He　did。〃　He　leaned　to　me。　〃I　told　him；　Archie；　that　his　conduct　was　inexcusable。　He　was　standing　ready　to　leave；　after　telling　me　those　five　things　and　no　more。　Having　no　reply；　he　turned　and　went：　Beyond　that　I　know　nothing；　but　nothing；〃
　　〃Where　he　went？　Where　he　is？　No　word　for　me　at　all？〃
　　〃Nothing。　Only　what　I　have　told　you。〃
　　〃Hell；　he's　gone　batty；　like　lots　of　geniuses；〃　I　declared；　and　got　up　to　go。
　　
　　7
　　I　DROVE　around　for　two　solid　hours；　mostly　in　the　park。　Now　and　then；　for　a　change　of　scene；　I　left　the　park　for　a　patrol　of　the　avenues。
　　I　hadn't　been　able　to　start　thinking　in　the　house；　and　it　might　work　better　on　the　move。　Moreover；　I　didn't　want　any　more　just　then　of　Fritz　or　Theodore；　or　in　fact　of　anybody　but　me。　So；　in　the　light　of　experience　and　guided　by　intelligence；　I　drove　around。　Somewhere　along　the　way　I　saw　clearly　what　my　trouble　was：　I　was　pletely　out　of　errands　for　the　first　time　in　years。　How　could　I　decide　what　to　do　when　I　had　nothing　to　do？　I　now　believe　that　the　reason　I　never　drove　farther　north　than　noth　Street；　nor　farther　south　than　i4th　Street　during　those　two　hours；　was　that　I　thought　Wolfe　was　probably　somewhere　within　those　limits　and　I　didn't　want　to　leave　them。
　　When　I　did　leave　them　it　wasn't　voluntary。　Rolling　down　Second　Avenue　in　the　Seventies；　I　had　stopped　for　a　red　light　abreast　of　a　police　car　on　my　left。　Just　as　the　light　was　changing；　the　cop　on　my　side　stuck　his　head　out　and　called；　〃Pull　over　to　the　curb。〃
　　Flattered　at　the　attention　as　any　motorist　would　be；　not；　I　obeyed。　The　police　car　came　alongside；　and　the　cop　got　out　and　invented　another　new　phrase。　〃Let　me　see　your　license。〃
　　I　got　it　out　and　handed　it　to　him；　and　he　took　a　look。
　　〃Yeah；　I　thought　I　recognized　you。〃　He　handed　the　license　back；　walked　around　the　front　of　my　car　to　the　other　side；　got　in　beside　me；　and　suggested；　〃Let's　go　to　the　Nineteenth　Precinct。　Sixty…seventh　east　of　Lexington。〃
　　〃That's　one　idea；〃　I　admitted。　〃Or　what's　wrong　with　the　Brooklyn　Botanical　Garden；　especially　on　Easter？　I'll　toss　you　for　it。〃
　　He　was　unmoved。　〃e　on；　Goodwin；　e　on。　I　know　you're　a　card；　I've　heard　all　about　you。　Let's　go。〃
　　〃Give　me　one　reason；　good　or　bad。　If　you　don't　mind？〃
　　〃I　don't　know　the　reason。　All　I　know　is　the　word　that　came　an　hour　ago；　to　pick　you　up　and　take　you　in。　Maybe　you　shouldn't　have　left　the　infant　on　the　church　steps　on　Easter　Day。〃
　　〃Of　course　not；〃　I　agreed。　〃We'll　go　get　it。〃
　　I　eased　away　from　the　curb　into　traffic；　with　the　police　car　trailing　behind。
　　Our　destination；　the　Nineteenth　Precinct　Station；　was　not　new　to　me。　That　was　where　I　had　once　spent　most　of　a　night；　conversing　with　Lieutenant　Rowcliff；　the　Con　Noonan　of　the　New　York　Police　Department。
　　After　escorting　me　in　to　the　desk　and　telling　the　sergeant　about　it；　my　captor　had　a　point　to　make。　His　name　was　not　John　F。　O'Brien；　it　was　John　R。　O'Brien。　He　explained　to　the　sergeant　that　he　had　to　insist　on　it　because　last　year　one　of　his　heroic　acts　had　been　credited　to　John　F。；　and　once　was　enough；　and　he　damn　well　wanted　credit　for　spotting　a　wanted　man　on　the　street。　That　attended　to；　he　bade　me　a　pleasant　goodby　and　left。　Meanwhile　the　sergeant　was　making　a　phone　call。　When　he　hung　up　he　looked　at　me　with　a　more　active　interest。
　　〃Westchester　wants　you；〃　he　announced。　〃Leaving　the　scene　of　a　crime　and　leaving　jurisdiction。　Want　to　drag　it　out？〃
　　〃It　might　be　fun；　but　I　doubt　it。　What　happens　if　I　don't？〃
　　〃There's　a　Westchester　man　downtown。　He's　on　his　way　up　here　to　take　you。〃
　　I　shook　my　head。　〃I'll　fight　like　a　cornered　rat。　I　know　fourteen　lawyers　all　told。　Ten　to　one　he　has　no　papers。　This　is　one　of　those　brotherly　acts　which　I　do　not　like。　You're　on　a　spot。　Sergeant。〃
　　〃Don't　scare　me　to　death。　If　he　has　no　papers　I'll　send　you　downtown　and　let　them　handle　it。〃
　　〃Yeah；〃　I　admitted；　〃that　would　let　you　out。　But　we　can　make　it　simpler　for　both　of　us　if　you　care　to。　Get　the　Westchester　DA　on　the　phone　and　let　me　talk　to　him。　I'll　even　pay　for　the　call。〃
　　At　first　he　didn't　like　the　idea　and　then　he　did。　I　think　what　changed　his　mind　was　the　chance　of　picking　up　a　piece　of　hot　gossip　on　the　murder　of　the　month。　He　had　to　be　persuaded；　but　when　I　told　him　the　DA　would　be　at　the　Rackham　place　and　gave　him　the　number；　that　settled　it。　He　put　the　call　in。　However；　he　covered。　When　he　got　the　number　he　made　it　clear　that　he　merely　wanted　to　offer　the　DA　an　opportunity　to　speak　to　Archie　Goodwin　if　he　wished　to。　He　did。　I　circled　the　railing　to　get　to　the　desk　and　took　the　phone。
　　〃Mr。　Archer？〃
　　〃Yes！　This　is…〃
　　〃Just　a　minute！〃　I　said　emphatically。　〃Whatever　you　were　going　to　say　this　is；　I　double　it。　It's　an　outrage。　It…〃
　　〃You　were　told　to　stay　here；　and　you　sneaked　away！　You　left…〃
　　〃I　was　not　told　to　stay　there。　You　asked　me　if　I　was　staying　at　Leed's　place；　and　I　said　my　bag　was　there；　and　you　said　you　would　want　me　today；　and　I　said　of　course。　If　I　had　stayed　at　Leed's　place　I　might　have　been　permitted　seven　hours'　sleep。　I　decided　to　do　something　else　with　seven　hours；　and　they're　not　up　yet。　But　you　see　fit　to　ring　a　bell　on　me。　I'll　do　one　of　two　things。　I'll　have　a　bite　of　lunch　and　then　drive　up　there；　unacpanied；　or　I'll　make　it　as　hard　as　I　possibly　can　for　this　man　you　sent　to　get　me　outside　the　city　limits…whichever　you　prefer。　Here　he　es　now。〃
　　〃Here　who　es？〃
　　〃Your　man。　ing　in　the　door。　If　you　decide　you　want　to　see　me　today；　tell　him　not　to　trail　along　behind　me。　It　makes　me　self…conscious。〃
　　A　silence。　Then；　〃You　were　told　not　to　leave　the　county。〃
　　〃I　was　not。　By　no　one。〃
　　〃Neither　you　nor　Wolfe　was　at　home　at　eleven　o'clock…or　if　you　were　you　wouldn't　see　my　man。〃
　　〃I　was　in　the　Easter　parade；〃
　　Another　silence；　longer。　〃What　time　will　you　be　here？　At　Birchvale。〃
　　〃I　can　make　it　by　two　o'clock。〃
　　〃My　man　is　there？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Let　me　talk　to　him。〃
　　That　was　satisfactory。　I　liked　that　all　right；　except　for　one　thing。　After　the　Westchester　dick　was　finished　on　the　phone　and　it　was　setded　that　I　would　roll　my　own；　and　the　s