rs.inthebestfamelies-第16章

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gainst　Arnold　Zeck　in　both　the　Orchard　case　and　the　Rony　case；　and　now　what　happens？　Not　long　after　Mrs。　Rackham　calls　on　him　and　hires　him　to　check　on　her　husband's　ine；　someone　sends　him　a　cylinder　of　tear　gas…not　a　bomb　to　blow　out　his　guts；　which　it　could　have　been；　just　tear　gas；　so　of　course　it　was　for　a　warning。　And　that　night　Mrs。　Rackham　gets　murdered。　You　tell　him　about　it　on　the　phone；　and　when　you　get　home　he's　gone。〃
　　Cramer　took　the　cigar　from　his　mouth　and　pointed　it　at　me。　〃I'll　tell　you　what　I　believe；　Archie。　I　believe　that　if　Wolfe　had　stayed　and　helped；　the　murderer　of　Mrs。　Rackham　would　be　locked　up　by　now。　I　believe　that　he　had　reason　to　think　that　if　he　did　that；　helped　to　catch　the　murderer；　he　would　have　to　spend　the　rest　of　his　life　trying　to　keep　Arnold　Zeck　from　getting　him。　I　believe　that　he　decided　that　the　only　way　out　was　for　him　to　get　Zeck。　How's　that？〃　〃No　ment；〃　I　said　politely。　〃If　you're　right　you're　right；　and　if　you're　wrong　I　wouldn't　want　to　hurt　your　feelings。〃
　　〃Much　obliged。　But　he　did　get　a　warning　from　Zeck…the　tear　gas。〃
　　〃No　ment。〃
　　〃I　wouldn't　expect　any。　Now　here's　what　I　came　for。　I　want　you　to　give　Wolfe　a　personal　message　from　me；　not　as　a　police　officer　but　as　a　friend。　This　is　between　you　and　me…and　him。　Zeck　is　out　of　his　reach。　He　is　out　of　anybody's　reach。　It's　a　goddam　crime　for　an　officer　of　the　law　to　have　to　say　a　thing　like　that；　even　privately；　but　it's　true。　Here's　a　murder　case；　and　thank　God　it's　not　mine。　I'm　not　pointing　at　Ben　Dykes　or　the　DA　up　there；　I'm　not　pointing　at　any　person　or　persons；　but　if　the　setup　is　that　Barry　Rackham　is　tied　in　with　one　or　more　of　Zeck's　operations；　and　if　Rackham　killed　his　wife；　I　say　he　will　never　burn；　I　don't　say　at　what　point　Zeck　will　get　his　hand　in；　or　who　or　what　he　will　use；　but　Rackham　will　never　burn。〃
　　Cramer　hurled　his　cigar　at　my　wastebasket　and　missed　it　a　foot。　Since　it　wasn't　lit　I　ignored　it。　〃Hooray　for　justice；〃　I　cheered。
　　He　snarled；　but　apparently　not　at　me。　〃I　want　you　to　tell　Wolfe　that。　Zeck　is　out　of　his　reach。　He　can't　get　him。〃
　　〃But；〃　I　objected；　〃granting　that　you've　got　it　all　straight；　which　I　haven't；　that's　a　hell　of　a　message。　Look　at　it　from　the　other　end。　He　is　not　out　of　Zeck's　reach；　not　if　he　es　home。　I　know　he　doesn't　go　out　much；　but　even　if　he　never　did　people　have　to　e　in…and　things；　like　packages　of　sausage。　Not　to　mention　that　the　damage　they　did　to　the　plants　and　equipment　last　year　came　to　thirty…eight　thousand　bucks。　I　get　the　idea　that　he　is　to　lay　off　of　Zeck；　but　that's　only　what　he　doesn't　do。　What　does　he　do？〃
　　Cramer　nodded。　〃I　know。　That's　it。　He's　so　damn　bullheaded。　I　want　you　to　understand；　Archie；　why　I　came　here。　Wolfe　is　too　cocky　to　live。　He　has　enough　brass　and　bluster　to　outfit　a　thousand　sergeants。　Sure；　I　know　him；　I　ought　to。　I　would　love　to　bloody　his　nose　for　him；　I've　tried　to　often　enough；　and　some　day　I　will　and　enjoy　it。　But　I　would　hate　to　see　him　break　his　neck　on　a　deal　like　this　where　he　hasn't　got　a　chance。　It's　a　good　guess　that　in　the　past　ten　years　there　have　been　over　a　hundred　homicides　in　this　town　that　were　connected　in　one　way　or　another　with　one　of　the　operations　Arnold　Zeck　has　a　hand　in。　But　not　in　a　single　case　was　there　the　remotest　hope　of　tying　Zeck　up　with　it。　We　couldn't　possibly　have　touched　him。〃
　　〃You're　back　where　you　started；〃　I　plained。　〃He　can't　be　reached。　So　what？〃
　　〃So　Wolfe　should　e　back　where　he　belongs；　return　what　Mrs。　Rackham　paid　him　to　her　estate；　let　the　Westchester　people　take　care　of　the　murder；　which　is　their　job　anyhow；　and　go　on　as　before。　You　can　tell　him　I　said　that；　but　by　God　don't　quote　me　around。　I'm　not　responsible　for　a　man　like　Zeck　being　out　of　reach。〃
　　〃But　you　never　strained　a　muscle　stretching　for　him。〃
　　〃Nuts。　Facts　are　facts。〃
　　〃Yeah；　like　sausage　is　tear　gas。〃　I　stood　up　so　as　to　look　down　my　nose　at　him。　〃There　are　two　reasons　why　your　message　will　not　get　to　Mr。　Wolfe。　First；　he　is　to　me　as　Zeck　is　to　him。　He's　out　of　my　reach。　I　don't　know　where　he　is；〃
　　〃Oh；　keep　it　up。〃
　　〃I　will。　Second；　I　don't　like　the　message。　I　admit　that　I　have　known　Mr。　Wolfe　to　discuss　Arnold　Zeck。　I　once　heard　him　tell　a　whole　family　about　him；　only　he　was　calling　him　X。　He　was　describing　the　difficulties　he　would　be　in　if　he　ever　found　himself　tangled　with　X　for　a　showdown；　and　he　told　them　that　he　was　acquainted；　more　or　less；　with　some　three　thousand　people　living　or　working　in　New　York；　and　there　weren't　more　than　five　of　them　of　whom　he　could　say　with　certainty　that　they　were　in　no　way　involved　in　X's　activities。　He　said　that　none　might　be　or　that　any　might　be。　On　another　occasion　I　happened　to　be　inquiring　about　Zeck　of　a　newspaperman；　and　he　had　extravagant　notions　about　Zeck's　payroll。　He　mentioned；　not　by　name；　politicians；　barBies；　cops；　chambermaids；　lawyers；　private　ops；　crooks　of　all　types；　including　gunmen…maybe　housewives；　I　forget。　He　did　not　specifically　mention　police　inspectors。〃
　　〃Just　forgot；　perhaps。〃
　　〃I　suppose　so。　Another　thing；　those　five　exceptions　that　Mr。　Wolfe　made　out　of　his　three　thousand　acquaintances；　he　didn't　say　who　they　were；　but　I　was　pretty　sure　I　could　name　three　of　them。　I　thought　probably　one　of　the　other　two　was　you；　but　I　could　have　been　wrong。　You　have　made　a　point　of　how　you　would　hate　to　see　him　break　his　neck　where　he　hasn't　got　a　chance。　You　took　the　trouble　to　e　here　with　a　personal　message　but　don't　want　to　be　quoted；　which　means　that　if　I　mention　this　conversation　to　anyone　but　Mr。　Wolfe　you'll　call　me　a　liar。　And　what's　the　message？　That　he　should　lay　off　of　Zeck；　that's　what　it　amounts　to。　If　in　earning　the　fee　Mrs。　Rackham　paid　him　he　is　liable　to　hurt　somebody　Zeck　doesn't　want　hurt；　he　should　return　the　fee。　The　way　it　looks　from　here；　sending　a　message　like　that　to　the　best　and　toughest　detective　on　earth　is　exactly　the　kind　of　service　Zeck　would　pay　good　money　for。　I　wouldn't　say…〃
　　I　didn't　get　to　say　what　I　wouldn't　say。　Cramer；　out　of　his　chair　and　ing；　had　a　look　on　his　face　that　I　had　never　seen　before。　Time　and　again　I　had　seen　him　mad　at　Wolfe；　and　me　too；　but　never　to　the　point　where　the　pink　left　his　cheeks　pletely　and　his　eyes　looked　absolutely　mean。
　　He　swung　with　his　right。　I　ducked。　He　came　up　from　beneath　with　his　left；　and　I　stopped　it　with　my　forearm。　He　tried　with　the　right　again；　and　I　jerked　back；　stepped　aside；　and　dived　around　the　er　of　Wolfe's　desk。
　　I　spoke。　〃You　couldn't　hit　me　in　a　year　and　I'm　not　going　to　plug　you。　I'm　twenty　years　younger；　and　you're　an　inspector。　If　I'm　wrong；　some　day　I'll　apologize。　If　I'm　wrong。〃
　　He　turned　and　marched　out。　I　didn't　go　to　the　hall　to　help　him　on　with　his　coat　and　open　the　door。
　　
　　10
　　THESE　weeks　went　by。
　　At　first；　that　first　night；　I　was　thinking　that　word　might　e　from　Wolfe　in　the　next　hour。　Then　I　started　thinking　it　might　e　the　next　day。　As　the　days　kept　creeping　along　they　changed　my　whole　attitude；　and　before　the　end　of　April　I　was　thinking　it　might　e　next　week。　By　the　time　May　had　passed；　and　most　of　June；　and　the　calendar　and　the　heat　both　said　summer；　I　was　beginning　to　think　it　might　never　e。
　　But　first　to　finish　with　April。　The　Rackham　case　followed　the　routine　of　spectacular　murders　when　they　never　quite　get　to　the　point　of　a　first…degree　charge　against　anyone。　For　a　week；　the　front　page　by　unanimous　consent；　then；　for　a　week　or　ten　days；　the　front　page　only　by　cooking　up　an　angle；　and　then　back　to　the　minors。　None　of　the　papers　happened　to　feel　like　using　it　to　start　a　crusade　in　the　name　of　justice；　so　it　took　a　normal　course。　It　did　not　roll　over　and　die；　not　with　that　all…star　cast；　including　Nobby　and　Hebe；　even　months　later　a　really　new　development　would　have　got　a　three…column　spread；　but　the　development　didn't　e。
　　I　made　three　more　trips；　by　official　request；　to　White　Plains；　with　no　profit　to　anyone；　including　me。　All　I　could　do　was　repeat　myself；　and　all　they　could　do　was　think　up　new　ways　to　ask　the　same　questions。　For　mental　exercise　I　tried　to　get　a　line　on　whether　Cramer's　notions　about　Arnold　Zeck　had　been　passed　on　to　Archer　and　Ben　Dykes；　but　if　so　they　never　let　on。
　　All　I　knew　was　what　I　read　in　the　papers；　until　one　evening　I　ran　into　Sergeant　Purley　Stebbins　at　Jake's　and　bought　him　a　lobster。　From　him　I　got　two　little　unpublished　items：　two　FBI　men　had　been　called　in　to　settle　an　argument　about　the　legibility　of　fingerprints　on　the　crinkly　silver　handle　of　the　knife；　and　had　voted　no；　and　at　one　point　Barry　Rackham　had　been　held　at　White　Plains　for　twenty　straight　hours　while　the　battle　raged　over　whether　they　had　enough　to　charge　him。　The　noes　won　that　time　too。
　　The　passing　days　got　very　little　help　from　me。　I　had　decided　not　to　start　pawing　the　ground　or　rearing　up　until　Wolfe　had　been　gone　a　full　month；　which　would　be　May　ninth；　and　I　caught　up　on　a　lot　of　personal　things；　including　baseball　games；　which　don't　need　to　be　itemized。　Also；　with　Fred　Durkin；　I　finished　up　the　poison…pen　case　and　other　loose　ends　that　Wolfe　had　left　dangling…nothing　important…drove　out　to　Long　Island　to　see　if　Theodore　and　the　plants　had　got　settled　in　their　new　home；　and　put　one　of　the　cars；　the　big　sedan；　in　dead　storage。
　　One　afternoon　when　I　went　to　Rusterman's　Restaurant　to　see　Marko　Vukcic　he　signed　the　checks　I　had　brought；　for　telephone　and　electricity　bills　and　my　weekly　salary；　and　then　asked　me　what　the　bank　balance　was。　I　told　him　a　little　over　twenty…nine　thousand　dollars；　but　I　sort　of　regarded　Mrs。　Rackham's　ten　grand　as　being　in　escrow；　so　I　would　rather　call　it　nineteen。
　　〃Could　you　bring　me　a　check　for　five　thousand　tomorrow？　Drawn　to　cash。〃
　　〃Glad　to。　But　speaking　as　the　bookkeeper；　what　do　I　charge　it　to？〃
　　〃Why…expense。〃
　　〃Speaking　as　a　man　who　may　some　day　have　to　answer　questions　from　an　internal　revenue　snoop；　whose　expense　and　what　kind？〃
　　〃Call　it　travel　expense。〃
　　〃Travel　by　whom　and　to　where？〃
　　Marko　made　some　kind　of　a　French　noise；　or　foreign　at　least；　indicating　impatience；　I　think。　〃Listen；　Archie；　I　have　a　power　of　attorney　without　limit。　Bring　me　a　check　for　five　thousand　dollars　at　your　convenience。　I　am　stealing　it　from　my　old　friend　Nero　to　spend　on　beautiful　women　or　olive　oil。〃
　　So　I　was　not　entirely　correct　when　I　said　that　I　got　no　word　at　all　from　Wolfe　during　those　weeks　and　months；　but　you　must　admit　it　was　pretty　vague。　How　far　a　man　gets　on　five　grand；　and　where　he　goes；　depends　on　so　many　things。
　　When　I　returned　to　the　office　from　a　morning　walk　on　the　third　day　of　May；　a　Wednesday；　and　called　the　phone…answering　service　as　usual；　I　was　told　there　had　been　three　calls　but　only　one　message…to　ring　a　Mount　Kisco　number　and　ask　for　Mrs。　Frey。　I　considered　the　situation；　told　myself　the　thing　to　do　was　skip　it；　and　decided　that　I　must　be　hard　of　hearing　when　I　became　aware　that　I　had　dialed　the　operator　and　asked　for　the　number。
　　Then；　after　I　had　got　it　and　spelled　my　name　and　waited　a　minute；　Annabel　Frey's　voice　was　in　my　ear。　At　least　the　voice　said　it　was　her；　but　I　wouldn't　have　recognized　it。　It　was　sort　of　tired　and　hopeless。
　　〃You　don't　sound　like　you；〃　I　told　her。
　　〃I　sup