Evan Hunter - Nobody Knew They Were There

“I wanted to go straight on to Buffalo,” Steve says, “but no, had to stop off and see old Sara first”

“Damn right, you had to,” Sara says.

“Sara tells us you’re from New York,” Gloria says.

“That’s right.”

‘What do you do?”

I hesitate. I do not know how much Sara has told her, and I am frankly weary of the tractor salesman lie. Sara looks at me, and then says, “Arthur is a lawyer. A brilliant lawyer.”

“What brings you here ?” Steve asks.

“Case I’m working on.”

“Arthur defended the Baltimore Five,” Sara says. There is no mistaking the quiet pride in her voice. She says this directly to Gloria, who weighs the information and studies me with renewed interest.

“Did you?” Steve asks.

“Yes.”

“Good for you,” he says.

“Are you married?” Gloria asks.

“Yes.”

“The reason I ask is because I guess that’s a wedding ring.”

“Yes, that’s what it is.”

“Then you are married.”

“Yes.”

“Are you separated or anything?”

“No.”

Gloria nods. She looks at Sara. Sara stares back at her.

“How old are you?” Gloria asks.

“Forty-two.”

“Has a son almost my age,” Sara says.

“What are you doing?” Steve suddenly demands.

Gloria looks startled. “What?” she says. “Who?”

“You, you, what are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“Then leave the guy alone, will you?” Steve says.

“I didn’t mean anything,” Gloria says. She lowers her dark eyes.

“You see,” Sara says, slowly and gently, “he’ll be here only a little while.” Gloria raises her eyes. The two girls stare at each other across the table. “The rest doesn’t matter,” Sara says, and pauses, “Okay?”

“Okay,” Gloria says.

“Shall we order then?”

“Unless Arthur wants another drink,” Gloria says, and turns to look at me. It is her apology, and I accept it at once.

“Yes,” I say, “let’s all have another drink.”

At eleven-thirty, I take Sara back to the hotel, and then phone for a taxi. The legend on the door reads VETERANS CAB COMPANY. The driver is a man in his late forties. I give him Hester’s address, and he sets the car in motion.

“Going to be here Saturday?” he asks.

“Yes,” I answer.

“Big doings,” he says.

“Yes.”

“I admire that man,” the driver says.

“So do I.”

“Bringing it to the people, that’s what he’s doing.”

“Yes.”

“Good for the country. Too much bullshit in this country nowadays.”

“Yes.”

“Straighten it out. Once and for all.”

“I hope so.”

We are silent for the rest of the short ride to Hester’s house. I pay the cabby, watch him drive off, and then walk up the flagstone path leading to the front door. There is a light burning in the living room. It is only two minutes to midnight, it is still Halloween. I press the doorbell. I fully intend to say, “Trick or treat!” when Hester answers my ring. The carved Spanish door opens.

Professor Cornelius Augustus Raines stands there with a surprised look on his face. We are both speechless for several seconds. He nods briefly then, says, “Come in, Mr. Eisler,” and adds, over his shoulder, “Hester, we have a visitor.”

Hester joins us in the entrance hall. She is wearing a quilted robe. Her hair is loose around her shoulders. I can believe for the first time that she was once a beautiful woman, as Raines assured me during our arboretum talk. She, too, is startled to see me, but the surprise does nothing to improve her “unfortunate manner.” I am convinced that nothing can improve that.

“It’s rather late, Mr. Eisler,” she says, annoyed.

“Yes, I know. I had an idea during dinner, though, and I…

“Can’t it wait till morning?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Very well,” she says curtly, and turns, and walks into the living room. Raines and I follow her. He takes his preferred seat on the fireplace ledge, perching there like a gargoyle. Hester sits in the blue chair near the brass kettle. I remain standing.

“What is so urgent, Mr. Eisler?” Hester asks.

“I want to have a party,” I tell her.

“A what ?” she says.

“A party. Tomorrow night.”

“Are you drunk?” she asks.

“He is not drunk,” Raines says.

“You want to have a party,” Hester repeats.

“Yes.”

“In celebration?” she asks drily. “ Before the event?”

“No. Weglowski and I will be wiring the bridge tomorrow night. I want to be someplace else at the time.”

“You’re asking Weglowski to do it alone?”

“No. But I want an alibi for where I was while it was being done.”

“We’ll be happy to alibi you personally,” Raines says.

“Not good enough, Professor. If Harold and Bob come around asking questions after the event..”

“Who?”

“The agents who were looking for your friend Hollis.”

“Our friend Hollis is on his way to Chicago. No one will be talking to him, either before or after the event”

“They still won’t believe a word any of you tell them. If I know you were once involved with someone they consider a known troublemaker, so do they. I want a tighter alibi. Competent witnesses. Plenty of them. I want them all to be able to swear that I was here.”

“Here?” Hester says.

“I can’t very well give a big party in my hotel room.”

“Perhaps you’d care to tell us,” Hester asked drily, “how you expect to be in two places at the same time? We realize you’re a man of many accomplishments, Mr. Eisler, but…”

“I want a Halloween party.”

Hester looks at her wrist watch. “You’re a bit late. Halloween has come and gone.”

“On a Thursday. There’ll be Halloween parties all over town tomorrow night”

“Mr. Eisler…”

“I want a masquerade party.”

“Ah,” Raines says, and nods.

“I see,” Hester says. She is silent for only a moment She turns to Raines then and says, “Whom can we get, Connie? To stand in for Mr. Eisler until he gets here. That is your idea, isn’t it?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“All right, who?”

“Epstein,” I say immediately. “He’s about my height and weight. He’ll do fine.”

“I see you’ve given this some thought,” Raines says.

“All through dinner,” I tell him. He is smiling. I cannot resist smiling back at him.

“How many people will you want here?” Hester asks. She is all business now. She has accepted the idea and has already begun planning its execution. Perhaps she is, as Raines once said, indispensable to the plot

“Two dozen at least. Students, faculty members, whoever.” My smile widens. “If you can arrange to get Bob and Harold here, that would be perfect”

“ Please , Mr. Eisler,” Hester says, but I can tell by the flicker in her eye that she gives at least momentary consideration to the idea before rejecting it. “Will you meet with Epstein tomorrow to work out the details?”

“I will.”

“When and where? I’ll arrange it from here.”

“Tell him to pick me up at the hotel early in the morning. Nine o’clock, let’s say.”

“He’ll be there.”

“Fine. In that case…”

“Before you go…” Hester says.

“Yes?”

“Have you determined how you’ll get to the bridge Saturday morning?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Sara may wish to drive you.”

“That’s up to Sara, isn’t it?”

“ Suggest it to her.”

“I think I’d rather she suggested it to me ”