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nce。 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