rs.toomanywomen-第13部分

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of　Waldo　Wilmot　Moore；　it　took　him　only　a　minute　to　decide　that　his　best　line　was　full　and　frank　co…operation　if　he　wanted　any　help　from　us　in　keeping　his　wife　out　of　it　as　far　as　possible。　At　least　that　was　the　way　it　looked　to　me；　and　by　the　time　we　got　to　his　alibi　for　December　4　I　was　almost　ready　to　regard　him　as　a　fellow　being。
　　Around　a　quarter　to　ten　he　left；　not　because　the　bottle　was　empty　or　Wolfe　had　run　out　of　questions；　but　because　Saul　Panzer　arrived。　I　let　Saul　in；　and　as　he　headed　for　the　office　the　husband　came　out；　got　his　things　from　the　rack；　and　grunted　and　groaned　without　any　false　modesty　as　he　got　into　his　coat。　He　offered　a　hand。
　　〃Christ；　I'll　be　a　cripple　for　a　week；〃　he　admitted。　〃That　right　of　yours　would　dent　a　tank。〃
　　I　acknowledged　the　pliment；　closed　the　door　after　him；　and　returned　to　the　office。
　　Saul　Panzer；　who　was　under　size；　who　had　a　nose　which　could　be　accounted　for　only　on　the　theory　that　a　nose　is　all　a　face　needs；　and　who　always　looked　as　if　he　had　shaved　the　day　before；　was　the　best　free…lance　operative　in　New　York。　He　was　the　only　colleague　I　knew　that　I　would　give　a　blank　check　to　and　forget　it。　He　had　e　to　make　a　report；　and；　judging　from　the　ground　it　covered；　Wolfe　must　have　got　in　touch　with　him　and　put　him　to　work　that　morning　as　soon　as　I　had　left　the　house。
　　But　that　was　about　all　you　could　say　for　it；　that　it　covered　lots　of　ground。　He　had　talked　with　squad　men　who　had　worked　on　the　case；　had　gone　through　three　newspaper　files；　had　been　shown　the　record　by　Captain　Bowen　downtown；　and　had　even　seen　the　owner　of　the　car；　and　all　he　had　harvested　was　one　of　the　most　plete　collections　of　negatives　I　had　ever　seen。　No　fingerprints　from　the　car；　nobody　had　any　idea　what　Moore　had　been　doing　on　Thirty…ninth　Street；　no　one　had　seen　the　car　being　parked；　afterwards；　on　Ninety…fifth　Street；　not　a　single　lead　had　been　picked　up　anywhere。　The　police　knew　about　Moore's　friendship　with　Mrs。　Pine；　and　his　romantic　career　at　Naylor…Kerr；　and　a　few　other　things　about　him　that　were　news　to　me；　but　none　of　them　had　turned　on　a　light　they　could　see　by。　It　was　now；　for　them；　past　history；　and　they　had　other　things　to　do；　except　that　a　hit…and…run　manslaughter　was　never　finished　business　until　they　collared　him。
　　〃One　little　thing；〃　said　Saul；　who　wasn't　pleased　with　himself。　〃The　body　was　found　at　one…ten　in　the　morning。　An　M。E。　arrived　at　one…forty…two。　His　quick　guess　was　that　Moore　had　been　dead　about　two　hours；　and　the　final　report　more　or　less　agreed　with　him。　So　we　have　these　alternatives：　first；　the　body　was　there　on　the　street；　from　around　midnight　until　ten　after　one；　with　nobody　seeing　it。　Second；　the　M。E。　report　is　a　bad　guess　and　he　hadn't　been　dead　so　long。　Third；　the　body　wasn't　there　all　that　time　but　was　somewhere　else。　I　mentioned　it　downtown；　and　they　don't　think　it's　a　thing　at　all；　not　even　a　little　one。　They　have　settled　for　either　number　one　or　number　two；　or　a　bination。　They　say　Thirty…ninth　Street　between　Tenth　and　Eleventh　might　easily　be　that　empty　from　midnight　on。〃
　　Saul　turned　his　palms　up。　〃You　can　pay　me　expenses　and　forget　it。〃
　　〃Nonsense；〃　Wolfe　said。　〃I'm　not　paying　you；　the　client　is。　A　tiger's　eyes　can't　make　light；　Saul；　they　can　only　reflect　it。　You've　spent　the　day　in　the　dark。　e　back　in　the　morning。　I　may　have　some　suggestions。〃
　　Saul　went。
　　I　yawned。　Or　rather；　I　started　to；　and　stopped。　It　is　true　that　wine　always　makes　me　yawn；　but　it　is　also　true　that　the　after…effect　of　a　series　of　socks　on　my　jaw　and　the　side　of　my　neck　makes　me　stop　yawning。　I　swiveled　my　chair　around　with　a　swing　of　my　body；　not　bothering　to　put　my　hand　on　the　edge　of　my　desk　for　an　assist。　A　simultaneous　protest　came　from　at　least　forty　muscles；　and；　since　Harry　was　no　longer　there；　I　groaned　without　restraint。
　　〃I　guess　I'll　go　to　bed；〃　I　stated。
　　〃Not　yet；〃　Wolfe　objected。　〃It's　only　half…past　ten。　You　have　to　go　to　your　job　in　the　morning　and　I　haven't　heard　your　report。〃　He　leaned　back　and　closed　his　eyes。　〃Go　ahead。〃
　　And　three　hours　later；　at　half…past　one　in　the　morning；　we　were　still　there　and　I　was　still　reporting。　I　have　never　known　him　to　be　more　thorough；　wanting　every　detail　and　every　little　word。　My　face　felt　stiff　as　a　board；　and　I　hurt　further　down；　especially　my　left　side；　but　I　wasn't　going　to　give　him　the　satisfaction　and　pleasure　of　hearing　me　groan　again；　and　I　didn't。　After　I　had　given　him　everything　he　kept　ing　back　for　more；　and　when　it　was　no　longer　possible　to　continue　that　without　making　it　perfectly　plain　that　he　was　merely　trying　to　see　how　long　it　would　take　me　to　collapse　on　the　floor　there　in　front　of　him；　he　asked：
　　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　　I　tried　to　grin　at　him；　but　I　doubt　if　I　put　it　over。
　　〃I　think；〃　I　said；　〃that　the　crucial　point　in　this　case　will　e　in　about　a　month　or　six　weeks；　when　we'll　have　to　decide　whether　to　stop　and　send　in　our　bill　or　go　on　a　while　longer。　It　will　depend　on　two　things…how　much　we　need　the　money；　and　how　much　Naylor…Kerr　will　pay　for　nothing。　That's　the　problem　that　confronts　us　and　we　must　somehow　solve　it。〃
　　〃Then　you　don't　think　Mr。　Moore　was　murdered。〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　There　are　at　least　two　hundred　people　who　might　have　murdered　him。　If　one　of　them　did；　and　if　there　were　any　possible　way　of　finding　out　which　one；　naturally　I　have　my　favorites。　I　have　mentioned　Pine。　I　like　the　idea　of　him　because　it　is　always　gratifying　to　call　a　bullheaded　bluff；　and　if　it　was　him　he　certainly　tried　one　when　he　hired　you。　But　if　he's　the　sort　of　bird　who　takes　it　in　his　stride　when　his　wife　keeps　two…legged　pets　on　account　of　her　owning　stock　in　the　pany　that　pays　his　salary；　what　would　ever　work　him　up　to　murder？　Anyhow；　she　had　given　Moore　the　boot。　My　real　favorite　is　Kerr　Naylor。〃
　　〃Indeed。〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。　On　account　of　psychology。　Wait　till　you　see　him　Monday。　His　last　ten　incarnations　he　was　a　cat；　and　he　always　held　the　world's　record　for　mouse…playing。　Add　that　to　the　well…known　impulse　of　a　murderer　to　confess；　and　what　have　you　got？　Although　it　has　all　been　filed　away　as　a　hit…and…run；　with　the　hit…runner　not　found　and　not　likely　to　be　at　this　late　day；　he　has　got　that　impulse；　so　he　tells　the　world；　including　a　Deputy　missioner　of　Police；　that　it　was　murder。　That　satisfies　the　impulse　without　costing　him　anything；　and　also　it　carries　on　the　tradition　of　his　cat　ancestry。　Baby；　what　fun！　In　this　case　the　mouse　is　the　people　in　his　department；　the　president　of　the　firm　and　the　Board　of　Directors；　the　cops…everybody　but　him。　〃Yep；　he's　my　favorite。〃
　　〃Any　others？〃
　　I　started　to　wave　a　hand　but　called　it　back　on　a　word　from　my　shoulder。　〃Plenty。　Dickerson；　for　the　honor　of　the　Section。　Rosenbaum；　hipped　on　Miss　Livsey　and　wanting　to　save　her　from　a　two…bit　Casanova。　And　so　on。　But　this　is　all　academic。　We　might　reach　some　kind　of　a　conclusion；　but　what　if　we　do？　The　waves　have　washed　all　the　foot…prints　away；　and　as　I　said　before；　all　we'll　be　able　to　solve　is　the　question　when　to　quit　and　render　a　bill。　The　only　consolation　is　that　I'll　get　a　wife　out　of　it。　I'm　going　to　make　Miss　Livsey　forget　Waldo。〃
　　〃Confound　it。〃　Wolfe　reached　for　his　beer　glass　and　saw　that　it　was　empty；　lifted　the　bottle　and　found　it　empty　too；　and　glared　at　both　of　them。　〃I　suppose　we'd　better　go　to　bed。　Are　you　in　pain？〃
　　〃Pain？　Why？　I　thought　we　might　sit　and　talk　a　while。　This　is　a　very　difficult　case。〃
　　〃It　may　be。　Tomorrow　I'd　like　to　see　Mrs。　Pine。　She　can　e　at　eleven　in　the　morning；　or　right　after　lunch。　You　can　arrange　it　through　Mr。　Pine。〃　He　gripped　the　edge　of　his　desk　with　both　hands；　the　customary　preliminary　to　getting　to　his　feet。
　　The　phone　rang。　I　swiveled　my　chair；　not　groaning；　and　lifted　the　instrument。
　　〃Nero　Wolfe's　office；　Archie　Goodwin　speaking。〃
　　〃Oh；　Mr。　Goodwin？　My　husband　has　told　me　about　you。　This　is　Cecily　Pine；　Mrs。　Jasper　Pine。〃
　　〃Yes；　Mrs。　Pine。〃
　　〃I　just　got　home　from　a　theater　supper；　and　my　husband　told　me　about　your　inquiry　regarding　Waldo　Moore。　I　would　like　to　help；　if　I　can　in　any　way；　and　I　don't　think　these　things　should　be　put　off；　so　I'll　drive　down　there　now。　I　have　the　address。〃
　　I　tried　to　keep　my　voice　friendly　and　sociable。　〃I'm　afraid　it　would　be　better　to　make　it　tomorrow；　Mrs。　Pine。　It's　pretty　late；　and　Mr。　Wolfe…〃
　　But　he　ruined　it。　He　had　got　on　his　extension；　and　broke　in；　〃This　is　Mr。　Wolfe；　Mrs。　Pine。　I　think　it　would　be　better　to　e　now。　An　excellent　idea。　You　have　the　address？〃
　　She　said　she　had　and　would　leave　right　away；　and　only　had　to　e　from　Sixty…seventh　Street。　Wolfe　and　I　hung　up。
　　〃It's　unfortunate；〃　Wolfe　said。　〃You　should　be　in　bed；　but　it　may　be　necessary　for　you　to　take　notes。〃
　　〃I'm　not　sleepy；〃　I　said　through　my　teeth。　〃I　was　hoping　she　would　call。〃
　　
　　Chapter　Fourteen
　　Considering　what　I　knew　of　her；　I　could　hardly　believe　my　eyes　when　I　opened　the　door　and　let　her　in。　Probably　I　had　unconsciously　been　expecting　something　on　the　order　of　Hedy　Lamarr　as　she　would　be　with　the　wrinkles　of　age；　and　therefore　the　sight　of　her　pink　smooth…skinned　wholesome　face　and　her　medium…sized　housewife's　chassis；　a　little　plump　maybe；　but　certainly　not