rs.inthebestfamelies-第28部分

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　had　rolled　off　the　desk　when　I　pushed　it　back　in　place；　he　spoke　to　my　back。
　　〃I　see　you　have　my　dictionary　here。〃
　　Not　through　his　nose。　I　whirled　and　went　rigid；　gaping　at　him。　The　eyes　again…and　now　other　items　too；　especially　the　forehead　and　ears。　I　had　every　right　to　stare；　but　I　also　had　a　right　to　my　own　opinion　of　the　fitness　of　things。　So　while　staring　at　him　I　got　myself　under　control；　and　then　circled　the　end　of　my　desk；　sat　down　and　leaned　back；　and　told　him；　〃I　knew　you　all…〃
　　〃Don't　talk　so　loud。〃
　　〃Very　well。　I　knew　you　all　the　rime；　but　with　that　damn　driver　there　I　had　to…〃
　　〃Pfui。　You　hadn't　the　slightest　inkling。〃
　　I　shrugged。　〃That's　one　we'll　never　settle。　As　for　the　dictionary；　it's　the　one　from　my　room　which　you　gave　roe　for　Christmas　nineteen　thirty…nine。　How　much　do　you　weight〃
　　〃I've　lost　a　hundred　and　seventeen　pounds。〃
　　〃Do　you　know　what　you　look　like？〃
　　He　made　a　face。　With　the　pleats　and　whiskers；　he　didn't　really　have　to　make　one；　but　of　course　it　was　an　old　habit　which　had　probably　been　suppressed　for　months。
　　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　do。　I　look　like　a　sixteenth…century　prince　of　Savoy　named　Philibert。〃　He　flipped　a　hand　impatiently。　〃This　can　wait；　surely；　until　we're　home　again？〃
　　〃I　should　think　so；〃　I　conceded。　〃What's　the　difference；　another　year　or　two？　It　won't　be　as　much　fun；　though；　because　now　I'll　know　what　I'm　waiting　for。　What　I　really　enjoyed　was　the　suspense。　Were　you　dead　or　alive　or　what？　A　perfect　picnic。〃
　　He　grunted。　〃I　expected　this；　of　course。　It　is　you；　and　since　I　decided　long　ago　to　put　up　with　you；　I　even　wele　it。　But　you；　also　long　ago；　decided　to　put　up　with　me。　Are　we　going　to　shake　hands　or　not？〃
　　I　got　up　and　went　halfway。　He　got　up　and　came　halfway。　As　we　shook；　our　eyes　met；　and　I　deliberately　focused　on　his　eyes；　because　otherwise　I　would　have　been　shaking　with　a　stranger；　and　one　hell　of　a　specimen　to　boot。　We　returned　to　our　chairs。
　　As　I　sat　down　I　told　him　courteously；　〃You'll　have　to　excuse　me　if　I　shut　my　eyes　or　look　away　from　time　to　time。　It'll　take　a　while　to　get　adjusted。〃
　　
　　13
　　〃NO　OTHER　course；〃　Wolfe　said；　〃was　possible。　I　had　accepted　money　from　Mrs。　Rackham　and　she　had　been　murdered。　I　was　mitted　in　her　interest；　and　therefore　against　Arnold　Zeck；　and　I　was　no　match　for　him。　I　had　to　ambush　him。　With　me　gone；　how　should　you　act？　You　should　act　as　if　I　had　disappeared　and　you　knew　nothing。　Under　what　circumstances　would　you　do　that　most　convincingly？　You　are　capable　of　dissimulation；　but　why　try　you　so　severely？　Why　not　merely…〃
　　〃Skip　it；〃　I　told　him。　〃Save　it　for　later。　Where　do　we　stand　now；　and　what　chance　have　we　got？　Any　at　all？〃
　　〃I　think　so；　yes。　If　the　purpose　were　merely　to　expose　one　or　more　of　Zeck's　operations；　it　could　be　done　like　that。〃　He　snapped　his　fingers。　〃But　since　he　must　himself　be　destroyed…all　I　can　say　is　that　I　have　reached　the　point　where　you　can　help。　I　have　talked　with　him　three　times。〃
　　〃Exactly　who　and　what　are　you？〃
　　〃I　e　from　Los　Angeles。　When　I　left　here；　on　April　ninth；　I　went　to　southern　Texas；　on　the　Gulf；　and　spent　there　the　most　painful　month　of　my　life…except　one；　long　ago。　At　its　end　I　was　not　recognizable。〃　He　shuddered。
　　〃I　then　went　to　Los　Angeles；　because　a　man　of　importance　there　considers　himself　more　deeply　in　my　debt　even　than　he　is。　He　is　important　but　not　reputable。　The　terms　are　not　interchangeable。〃
　　〃I　never　said　they　were。〃
　　〃Through　him　I　met　people　and　I　engaged　in　certain　activities。　In　appearance　I　was　monstrous；　but　in　the　circles　I　frequented　my　stubble　was　accepted　as　a　masquerade；　which　indeed　it　was；　and　I　displayed　myself　publicly　as　little　as　possible。　With　my　two　invaluable　assets；　my　brains　and　my　important　debtor；　and　with　a　temporary　abandonment　of　scruple；　I　made　a　substantial　impression　in　the　shortest　possible　rime；　especially　with　a　device　which　I　conceived　for　getting　considerable　sums　of　money　from　ten　different　people　simultaneously；　with　a　minimum　of　risk。　Luck　had　a　hand　in　it　too；　but　without　luck　no　man　can　keep　himself　alive；　let　alone　prevail　over　an　Arnold　Zeck。〃
　　〃So　then　Los　Angeles　was　too　hot　for　you。〃
　　〃It　was　not。　But　I　was　ready　to　return　east；　both　physically　and　psychologically；　and　knowing　that　inquiries　sent　to　Los　Angeles　would　get　a　sarisfactory　response。　I　arrived　on　July　twelfth。　You　remember　that　I　once　spoke　of　Arnold　Zeck；　calling　him　X；　to　the　Spelling　family？〃
　　〃I　do。〃
　　〃And　I　described　brieQy　the　echelons　of　crime。　First；　the　criminal　himself　…or　gang。　In　the　problem　of　disposal　of　the　loot；　or　of　protection　against　discovery　and　prosecution；　he　can　seldom　avoid　dealing　with　others。　He　will　need　a　fence；　a　lawyer；　witnesses　for　an　alibi；　a　channel　to　police　or　political　influence…no　matter　what；　he　nearly　always　needs　someone　or　something。　He　goes　to　one　he　knows；　or　knows　about；　one　named　A。　A；　finding　a　little　difficulty；　consults　B。　B　may　be　able　to　handle　it；　if　not；　he　takes　it　on　to　C。　C　is　usually　able　to　oblige；　but　when　he　isn't　he　municates　with　D。　Here　we　are　getting　close。　D　has　access　to　Arnold　Zeck；　not　only　for　the　purpose　described；　but　also　in　connection　with　one　or　more　of　the　enterprises　which　Zeck　controls。〃
　　Wolfe　tapped　his　chest　with　a　forefinger；　a　gesture　I　had　never　before　seen　him　use；　acquired　evidently　along　with　his　pleats　and　whiskers。　〃I　am　a　D；　Archie。〃
　　〃Congratulations。〃
　　〃Thank　you。　Having　earned　them；　I　accept　them。　Look　at　me。〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　am。　Wait　till　Fritz　sees　you。〃
　　〃If　he　ever　does；〃　Wolfe　said　grimly。　〃We　have　a　chance；　and　that's　all。　If　all　we　needed　were　evidence　of　Zeck's　plicity　in　felonies；　there　would　be　no　problem；　I　know　where　it　is　and　I　could　get　it。　But　his　defenses　are　everywhere；　making　him　next　to　invulnerable。　It　would　be　fatuous　to　suppose　that　he　could　ever　be　convicted；　and　even　if　he　were；　he　would　still　be　living；　so　that　wouldn't　help　any。　Now　that　I　am　mitted　against　him；　and　he　knows　it；　there　are　only　two　possible　outes…〃
　　〃How　does　he　know　it？〃
　　〃He　knows　me。　Knowing　me；　he　knows　that　I　intend　to　get　the　murderer　of　Mrs。　Rackham。　He　intends　to　prevent　me。　Neither…〃
　　〃Wait　a　minute。　Admitting　he　knows　that　about　Nero　Wolfe；　what　about　you　as　Roeder？　You　say　you're　a　D。　Then　you're　on　Zeck's　payroll。〃
　　〃Not　on　his　payroll。　I　have　been　placed　in　charge　of　the　operation　here　of　the　device　which　I　conceived　and　used　in　Los　Angeles。　My　handling　of　it　has　so　impressed　him　that　I　am　being　trusted　with　other　responsibilities。〃
　　〃And　Max　Christy　and　that　driver　downstairs…they're　Zeck　men？〃
　　〃Yes…at　a　distance。〃
　　〃Then　how　e　salting　Barry　Rackham？　Wasn't　it　Zeck　money　that　Rackham　was　getting？〃
　　Wolfe　sighed。　〃Archie；　if　we　had　more　dme　I　would　let　you　go　on　and　on。　I　could　shut　my　eyes　and　pretend　I'm　back　home。〃　He　shook　his　head　vigorously。　〃But　we　must　get　down　to　business。　I　said　that　driver　is　a　Zeck　man　at　a　distance；　but　that　is　mere　surmise。　Being　new　and　by　no　means　firmly　established　in　confidence；　I　am　certainly　being　watched；　and　that　driver　might　even　report　to　Zeck　himself。　That　was　why　I　prolonged　our　talk　in　the　car　before　suggesting　that　we　e　here。　We　shouldn't　be　more　than　an　hour；　so　you'd　better　let　me…〃
　　He　stopped　as　I　grasped　the　knob　and　pulled　the　door　open。　I　had　tiptoed　across　to　it　as　he　talked。　Seeing　an　empty　hall　in　both　directions；　I　dosed　the　door　and　went　back　to　my　chair。
　　〃I　was　only　asking；〃　I　protested；　〃why　the　play　on　Rackham？〃
　　〃How　long；〃　Wolfe　asked；　〃have　you　and　I　spent；　there　in　the　office；　discussing　some　simple　affair　such　as　the　forging　of　a　check？〃
　　〃Oh；　anywhere　from　four　minutes　to　tour　hours。〃
　　〃Then　what　should　we　take　for　this？　By　the　way；　you　will　resume　drawing　your　pay　check　this　week。　How　much　have　you　taken　from　the　safe　deposit　box　in　New　Jersey？〃
　　〃Nothing…　Not　a　cent。〃
　　〃You　should　have。　That　was　put　there　for　the　express　purpose　of　financing　this　eventuality　if　it　arose。　You　have　been　using　your　personal　savings？〃
　　〃Only　to　buy　these　little　items。〃　I　waved　a　hand。　〃Put　it　back　long　ago。　I've　been　taking　it　easy；　so　my　ine　from　detective　wo