Rex Stout - In the Best Families

“No. That's what got-

“Wait a minute. As I said, this is on my own. I'm not going to tell you what

Zeck said to me yesterday, but I advise you to take my suggestion. Let me arrange for you to see him. You don't have to take up where you left off, a lot of dirty little errands; you're a man of wealth now and can act accordingly. But also you're a man who is suspected by thirty million people of killing his wife, and that calls for concessions. Come with me to see Zeck, let him know you're willing to discuss things, and if he mentions Roeder's operation let him describe it and then decide what you want to do. I told you why I don't want to see you or anyone else framed for that murder, and I don't think Zeck will either if it looks as though you might be useful.

“I hate him, Rackham said hoarsely. “I'm afraid of him and I hate him!

“I don't like him myself. I told him so. What about tomorrow? Say four o'clock to-morrow, call for you here at a quarter to three?

“I don't-not to-morrow-

“Get it over with! Would you rather keep on listening for the phone and the doorbell? Get it over with!

He reached for his straight drink, which he hadn't touched, swallowed it at a gulp, shuddered all over, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I'll ring you around noon to confirm it, I said, and stood up to go. He didn't come with me to the door, but under the circumstances I didn't hold it against him.

So that evening when Wolfe came to 1019 it appeared to be high time for getting the false bottom in the brief-case ready, and we went on until midnight, discussing the programme from every angle and trying to cover every contingency.

It's always worth trying, though it can never be done, especially not with a layout as tricky as that one.

Then the next morning, Tuesday, a monkey wrench, thrown all the way from White

Plains, flew into the machinery and stopped it. I had just finished breakfast, with Fritz, when the phone rang and I went to the office to get it. It was the

Westchester D.A.'s office.

The talk was brief. When I had hung up I sat a while, glaring at the phone, then with an exasperated finger dialled the Churchill's number. That talk was brief too. Finished with it, I held the button down for a moment and dialled another number.

There had been only two buzzes when a voice came through a nose to me. “Yes?

“I'd like to speak to Mr Roeder.

Talking.

“This is Goodwin. I've just had a call from White Plains to come to the D.A.'s office at once. I asked if I could count on keeping a two o'clock appointment and was told no. I phoned the Churchill and left a message that I had been called out of town for the day. I hope it can be to-morrow. I'll let you know as soon as I can.

Silence.

“Did you hear me?

“Yes. Good luck, Goodwin.

The connection went.

Chapter Eighteen

I had once sat and cooled my heels for three hours on one of the wooden benches in the big anteroom of the D.A.'s office in the White Plains courthouse, but this time I didn't sit at all. I didn't even give my name. I entered and was crossing to the table in the fenced-off corner when a man with a limp intercepted me and said, “Come with me, Mr Goodwin.

He took me down a long corridor, past rows of doors on either side, and into a room that I was acquainted with. I had been entertained there for an hour or so the evening of Sunday, April ninth. No one was in it. It had two big windows for the morning sun, and I sat and watched the dust dance. I was blowing at it, seeing what patterns I could make, when the door opened and Cleveland Archer, the D.A. himself, appeared, followed by Ben Dykes. I have never glanced at faces with a deeper interest. If they had looked pleased and cocky it would probably have meant that they had cracked the case, and in that event all our nifty plans for taking care of Arnold Zeck were up the flue and God help us.

I was so glad to see that they were far from cocky that I had to see to it that my face didn't beam. I responded to their curt greeting in kind, and when they arranged the seating with me across a table from them I said grumpily as I sat,

“I hope this is going to get somebody something. I had a full day ahead, and now look at it.

Dykes grunted, not with sympathy and not with enmity, just a grunt. Archer opened a folder he had brought, selected from its contents some sheets of paper stapled in a corner, glanced at the top sheet, and gave me his eyes, which had swollen lids.

“This is that statement you made, Goodwin.

“About what? Oh, the Rackham case?

“For God's sake, Dykes said gloomily, “forget lo try to be cute just once. I've been up all night.

“It was so long ago, I said apologetically, “and I've been pretty busy.

Archer slid the statement across the table to me. “I think you had better read it over. I want to ask some questions about it.

I couldn't have asked for a better chance to get my mind arranged, but I didn't see that that would help matters any, since I hadn't the vaguest notion from which direction the blow was coming.

“May I save it for later? I inquired. “If you get me up a tree and I need time out for study, I can pretend I want to check with what I said here. I tapped the statement with a forefinger.

“I would prefer that you read it.

“I don't need to, really. I know what I said and what I signed. I slid it back to him. “Test me on any part of it.

Archer closed the folder and rested his clasped hands on it. “I'm not as interested in what is in that statement as I am in what isn't in it. I think you ought to read it because I want to ask you what you left out-of the happenings of that day, Saturday, April eighth.

“I can answer that without reading it. I left nothing out that was connected with Mrs Rackham.

“I want you to read what you said and signed and then repeat that statement.

“I don't need to read it. I left out nothing.

Archer and Dykes exchanged looks, and then Dykes spoke. “Look, Goodwin, we're not trying to sneak up on you. We've got something, that's all. Someone has loosened up. It looks like this is the day for it.

“Not for me. I was firm. “I loosened up long ago.

Archer told Dykes, “Bring her in. Dykes arose and left the room. Archer took the statement and returned it to the folder and pushed the folder to one side, then pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. The door opened and Dykes escorted Lina Darrow in. He pulled a chair up to the end of the table for her, to my left and Archer's right, so that the window was at her back. She looked as if she might have spent the night in jail, with red eyes and a general air of being pooped, but judging from the clamp she had on her jaw, she was darned determined about something. I got a glance from her but nothing more, not even a nod, as she took the chair Dykes pulled up.

“Miss Darrow, Archer told her, gently but firmly, “you understand that there is probably no chance of getting your story corroborated except through Mr Goodwin.