rs.inthebestfamelies-第16部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ere　not　known。　That　was　when　an　alarm　was　spread　for　you。　I　had　a　phone　call　from　my　man　an　hour　ago。　He　had　gone　back　to　Wolfe's　house　and　had　been　told　that　Wolfe　was　out　of　the　city；　and　that　was　all　he　could　get。〃
　　Archer　made　a　hand　into　a　fist；　resting　on　the　table。　〃I　won't　stand　for　it；　Goodwin。　This　is　the　toughest　one　I've　had　in　my　county　since　I　took　office；　and　I　won't　stand　for　it。　Whatever　else　he　is；　he's　a　fat　conceited　peacock　and　it's　time　somebody　called　him。　There's　a　phone　you　can　use。　Two　hours　from　now；　unless　he's　here　and　talking　to　me；　there'll　be　a　warrant　for　his　arrest　as　a　material　witness。　There's　the　phone。〃
　　〃I　doubt　if　you　could　paste　material　witness　on　him。　He　hasn't　been　anywhere　near　here。〃
　　〃Nuts；〃　Ben　Dykes　growled。　〃Don't　be　a　sap。　She　takes　troubles　to　him　Friday　and　gets　murdered　Saturday。〃
　　I　decided　to　take　the　plunge。　The　way　I　felt；　it　would　have　been　a　pleasure　to　let　them　go　ahead　with　a　warrant；　but　if　I　tried　to　stall　I　would　need　a　very　fancy　excuse　tomorrow　when　they　saw　the　ad　in　the　Gazette。　So　I　thought　what　the　hell；　now　is　as　good　a　time　as　any；　and　told　them。
　　〃I　can't　phone　him　because　I　don't　know　where　he　is。〃
　　〃Ha　ha；〃　Dykes　said。　〃Ha　ha　ha。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　I　admitted；　〃it　could　be　a　gag。　But　it　isn't。　I　don't　know　whether　he's　out　of　the　city　or　not。　All　I　know　is　that　he　left　the　house　last　night；　while　I　was　up　here；　and　he　hasn't　e　back…no；　that　isn't　true。　I　also　know　that　he　called　on　a　friend　of　his　named　Vukcic　and　arranged　for　his　plants　to　be　moved　out　and　his　cook　to　take　another　job。　And　he　gave　Vukcic　a　power　of　attorney。　And　he　sent　an　ad　to　the　Gazette　announcing　his　retirement　from　the　detective　business。〃
　　Dykes　did　not　ha…ha　again。　He　merely　sat　and　frowned　at　me。　Archer；　his　lips　puckered；　had　his　eyes　focused　on　me；　but　as　if　he　was　trying　to　see　not　me　but　through　me。　That　went　on　for　seconds；　and　I　got　unfortable。　I　can　meet　a　pair　of　eyes　all　right；　but　not　two　pairs　at　once；　one　in　front　and　one　off　to　the　left。
　　Finally　Dykes　turned　his　head　to　tell　Archer；　〃This　makes　it　nice。〃
　　Archer　nodded；　not　taking　his　regard　from　me。　〃It's　hard　to　believe；　Goodwin。〃
　　〃I'll　say　it　is。　For　him　to…〃
　　〃No；　no。　It's　hard　to　believe　that　Wolfe　and　you　would　try　anything　as　fantastic　as　this。　Obviously　he　was　absolutely　pelled　to。　You　phoned　him　from　Leed's　place　last　night；　as　soon　as　you　could　get　to　a　phone　after　Mrs。Rackham　was　murdered。　That　was…〃
　　〃Excuse　me；〃　I　said　firmly。　〃Not　as　soon　as　I　could　get　to　a　phone　after　Mrs。　Rackham　was　murdered。　As　soon　as　I　could　get　to　a　phone　after　I　found　out　she　had　been　murdered。〃
　　〃Very　well。　We're　not　in　court。〃　He　was　leaning　at　me。　〃That　was　shortly　after　midnight。　What　did　you　say　to　him？〃
　　〃I　told　him　what　had　happened。　I　reported；　as　fully　as　I　could　in　the　time　I　had；　everything　from　my　arrival　here　up　to　then。　If　the　operator　listened　in　you　can　check　with　her。　I　asked　if　I　should　limit　my　talk　with　the　cops　to　events　here　and　leave　the　rest　for　him　to　tell；　and　he　said　no；　I　should　withhold　nothing；　including　all　details　of　Mrs。　Rackham's　talk　with　him。　That　was　all。　As　you　know；　I　followed　instructions。〃
　　〃Jesus；〃　Dykes　said。　〃Son；　it　looks　like　your　turn　to　sweat　has　e。〃
　　Archer　ignored　him。　〃And　after　telling　you　to　withhold　nothing　from　the　police；　Wolfe　suddenly　decides；　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　that　he　has　had　enough　of　detective　work；　sends　an　ad　to　a　newspaper　announcing　his　retirement；　calls　on　a　friend　to　arrange　for　the　care　of　his　orchids…and　what　did　he　do　then？　I　was　so　engrossed　I　may　have　missed　something。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　what　he　did。　He　walked　out。　He　disappeared。〃
　　I　was　aware；　of　course；　of　how　it　sounded。　It　was　pletely　cuckoo。　It　was　all　rayon　and　a　yard　wide。　I　damn　near　made　it　even　worse　by　telling　them　about　the　sausage　and　the　tear　gas；　of　course　without　letting　on　that　we　knew　who　had　sent　it；　but　realized　in　time　how　that　would　go　over　in　the　circumstances。　That　would　have　made　a　hit。　But　I　had　to　say　or　do　something；　and　decided　to　produce　evidence；　so　I　reached　to　my　pocket　for　it。
　　〃He　left　notes　on　the　table　in　his　bedroom；〃　I　said；　〃for　Fritz　and　Theodore　and　me。　Here's　mine。〃
　　I　handed　it　to　Archer。　He　read　it　and　passed　it　to　Dykes；　Dykes　read　it　twice　and　returned　it　to　Archer；　who　stuck　it　in　his　pocket。　〃Jesus；〃　Dykes　said　again；　looking　at　me　in　a　way　I　didn't　like。　〃This　is　really　something。　I've　always　thought　Nero　Wolfe　had　a　lot　on　the　ball；　and　you　too　in　a　way；　but　this　is　about　the　worst　I　ever　saw。　Really。〃　He　turned　to　Archer。　〃It's　plain　what　happened。〃
　　〃It　certainly　is。〃　Archer　made　a　fist。　〃Goodwin；　I　don't　ask　you　to　tell　me。
　　I'll　tell　you。　When　you　found　Mrs。　Rackham　there　dead；　you　and　Leeds　agreed　on　a　tale　about　the　visit　to　Nero　Wolfe。　Leeds　came　here　to　break　the　news。　You　went　to　his　place　to　phone　Wolfe　and　report；　both　the　murder　and　the　tale　you　and　Leeds　had　agreed　on…or　maybe　Wolfe　knew　that　already；　since　you　had　pretended　to　investigate　the　dog　poisoning。　In　any　case；　Wolfe　knew　something　that　he　didn't　dare　to　try　to　cover　and　that；　equally；　he　didn't　dare　to　reveal。　What　made　it　unbearably　hot　was　the　murder。　So　he　arranged　to　disappear；　and　we　haven't　got　him；　and　it　may　take　a　day　or　a　week　to　find　him。　But　we've　got　you。〃
　　The　fist　hit　the　table；　not　hard。　〃You　know　where　Wolfe　is。　You　know　what　he　knows　that　he　had　to　run　away　from。　It　is　vital　information　required　by　me　in　my　investigation　of　a　murder。　Surely　you　must　see　that　your　position　is　untenable；　you　can't　possibly　get　away　with　it。　Twenty　Nero　Wolfes　couldn't　bring　you　out　of　this　with　a　whole　skin。　Even　if　he's　cooking　up　one　of　his　flashy　surprises；　even　if　he　walks　into　my　office　tomorrow　with　the　murderer　and　the　evidence　to　convict　him；　I　will　not　stand　for　this。　There　is　no　written　record　of　what　you　said　last　night。　I'll　get　the　stenographer　back　in　here　and　we'll　tear　up　his　notebook　and　what　he　has　typed；　and　you　can　start　from　scratch。〃
　　〃Better　grab　it；　son；〃　Dykes　said；　perfectly　friendly。　〃Loyalty　to　your　employer　is　a　fine　thing；　but　not　when　he's　got　a　screw　loose。〃
　　I　yawned。　〃My　God；　I'm　sleepy。　I　wouldn't　mind　this　so　much　if　I　was　helping　out　with　a　fix；　good　or　bad；　but　it's　a　shame　to　get　stuck　with　the　truth。　Ask　me　tomorrow；　ask　me　all　summer；　I　refuse　to　tell　a　Be。　And　I　do　not　know　where　Mr。　Wolfe　is。〃
　　Archer　stood　up。　〃Get　a　material　witness　warrant　and　lock　him　up；〃　he　said；　almost　squeaking；　and　marched　out。
　　
　　8
　　THE　jail　at　White　Plains　uses　a　gallon　of　strong　disinfectant；　diluting　it；　of　course；　every　day　including　Sunday。　I　can　back　that　statement　up　with　two　pieces　of　evidence：　the　word　of　the　turnkey　on　the　second…floor　cell　block；　whose　name　is　Wilkes；　given　to　me　personally；　and　my　sense　of　smell；　which　is　above　average。
　　I　had　no　opportunity　to　make　a　tour　of　inspection　during　the　twenty　hours　I　was　there；　that　Easter　Sunday　and　the　day　following；　but　except　for　the　smell　I　found　nothing　to　write　to　the　newspapers　about；　once　you　grant　that　society　must　protect　itself　against　characters　like　me。　My　cell…or　rather；　our　cell；　since　I　had　a　mate…was　as　clean　as　they　e。　There　was　something　about　the　blankets　that　made　you　keep　them　away　from　your　chin；　but　that　could　have　been　just　prejudice。　The　light　was　nothing　wonderful；　but　good　enough　to　read　by　for　thirty　days。
　　I　didn't　really　get　acquainted　with　my　surroundings　or　my　mate　until　Monday；　I　was　so　darned　sleepy　when　they　finally　finished　with　me　down　below　and　showed　me　up　to　my　room。　They　had　been　insistent　but　not　ferocious。　I　had　been　allowed　to　phone　Fritz　that　I　wouldn't　be　home；　which　was　a　good　thing；　as　there　was　no　telling　what　he　would　have　done　with　no　word　from　me　ing　on　top　of　Wolfe's　fadeout；　and　also　to　try　to　call　Nathaniel　Parker；　the　only　lawyer　Wolfe　has　ever　been　willing　to　invite　to　dinner；　but　that　was　no　go　because　he　was　away　for　the　weekend。　When　at　last　I　stretched　out　on　the　cot；　I　was　dead　to　the　world　ten　seconds　after　my　head　hit　the　pillow；　consisting　of　my　pants　wrapped　in　my　shirt。
　　It　was　the　pants；　or　rather　the　coat　and　vest