Rex Stout - In the Best Families

Zeck's desk and about even with it, and Roeder had taken the one nearest me, to my right. That left, for Rackham, of the chairs near the desk, the one on the other side, and he went to it. He was about twelve feet from Zeck, Roeder about the same, and I was slightly closer.

Zeck asked Roeder, “Have you had a talk?

Roeder shook his head. “Since Mr Rackham had never met me before, I thought it might be better for you to explain the proposal to him. Naturally he will want to know exactly how it is to be handled before deciding whether to help with it. He reached to get his brief-case from the floor, put it on his lap, and opened it.

“I think, Zeck said, “that you should describe the operation, since you conceived it and will manage it. But you were right to wait. He turned to

Rackham. “You remember our last talk some time ago.

Rackham said nothing.

“You remember it? Zeck demanded. He made it a demand by the faintest possible sharpening of his tone.

“I remember it, Rackham stated, not much above a whisper.

“You know the position you took. Ordinarily that course is not permitted to any man who has been given a place in my organisation, and I made an exception of you only because the death of your wife had changed your circumstances. I thought it better to await an opportunity to take advantage of that change, and now it has come-through Roeder here. We want your help and we are prepared to insist on getting it. How do you feel about it?

“I don't know. Rackham licked his lips. “I'd have to know more about what you want.

Zeck nodded. “But first your attitude. You will need to recognise the existence of mutual interests-yours and mine.

Rackham said nothing.

“Well? The faint sharpening.

“Damn it, of course I recognise them!

“Good. Go ahead, Roeder.

Roeder had got some papers from his brief-case. One of them fluttered away from him, and I left my chair to retrieve it for him. I believe he did that on purpose. I believe he knew that now that the moment had come every nerve and muscle in me was on a hair trigger, and he was giving me an excuse to loosen them up.

“As I understand it, he said, “we're going to give Rackham a cut, and before I tell him about it I wish you'd take a look at this revised list of percentages.

Yours is of course fixed, and I don't like to reduce mine unless it's absolutely unavoidable…

He had a sheet of paper in his hand. With his brief-case on his lap, and loose papers, it was awkward for him to get up, so I obliged. I reached, and he handed me the paper, and I had to leave my chair to get it to Zeck. On my way I took a glance at the paper because I thought it was in character to do that, and if I ever needed my character to stay put for another four seconds I did right then.

When I extended my hand to Zeck I released the paper an instant too soon and it started to drop. I grabbed at it and missed, and that made me take another step and bend over, which put me in exactly the right position to take him away from there before he could possibly get a toe on one of the buttons under his desk.

Not wanting to knock his chair over, I used my left knee to push him back, chair and all, my right knee to land on his thighs and keep him there, and my hands for his throat.

There was only one thing in my mind at that precise instant, the instant I had him away from the desk, and that was the fear that I would break his neck. Since

I was in front of him I had to make absolutely sure, not only that he didn't yap, but also that he was too uncomfortable to try things like jabbing his thumbs in my eyes, but God knows I didn't want to overdo it, and bones and tendons are by no means all alike. What will be merely an inconvenience for one man will finish another one for good.

His mouth was open wide and his shark eyes were popping. With my knee on him he couldn't kick, and his arms were just flopping around. And Roeder was there by me, with a wadded handkerchief in one hand and a piece of cord in the other. As soon as he had the handkerchief stuffed tight in the open mouth he moved to the rear of the chair, taking Zeck's right hand with him, and reached around for the left hand. It tried to elude him, and I increased the pressure of my fingers a little, and then he got it.

“Hurry up, I growled, “or I'll kill him sure as hell.

It took him a year. It took him forever. But finally he straightened up, came around to take another look at the handkerchief and poke it in a little tighter, backed up, and muttered, “All right, Archie.

When I took my hands away my fingers ached like the devil, but that was nerves, not muscles. I leaned over to get my ear an inch away from his nose; there was no question about his breathing.

“His pulse is all right, Roeder said, not through his nose.

“You're crazy, Rackham said hoarsely. “Good God! You're crazy!

He was out of his chair, standing there in front of it, trembling all over.

Roeder's hand went to his side pocket for the Carson Snub Thirty, which he had got from the briefcase along with the piece of cord. I took it and aimed it at

Rackham.

“Sit down, I said, “and stay.

He sank down into the chair. I moved to the end of the desk so as to have him in a corner of my eye while looking at Zeck. Roeder, at my left elbow, spoke rapidly but distinctly.

“Mr Zeck, he said, “you told me on the telephone two years ago that you had great admiration for me. I hope that what has just happened here has increased it. I'm Nero Wolfe, of course. There are many things it would give me satisfaction to say to you, and perhaps I shall some day, but not now. It is true that if one of your men suddenly opened the door Mr Goodwin would kill you first, but I'm afraid you'd have company. So I'll get on. Having by your admission matched you in intellect, it's a question of will, and mine has not failed me, as you thought. Confound it, I wish you could speak.

The expression of Zeck's eyes, no longer popping, indicated that Wolfe had nothing on him there.

“Here's the situation, Wolfe went on. “During the two months I've been here in this outlandish guise I have collected enough evidence to get you charged on thirty counts under Federal law. I assure you that the evidence is sound and sufficient, and is in the hands of a man whom you cannot stop or deflect. You'll have to take my word for it that if that evidence is produced and used you are done for, and that it will be immediately produced and used if anything untoward happens to Mr Goodwin or me. I fancy you will take my word since you admit that

I match you in intellect, and to climax these five frightful months with such a bluff as this, if it were one, would be witless. However, if you think I'm bluffing there's no point in going on. If you think I'm bluffing, please shake your head meaning no, you don't believe me.

No shake.

“If you think I have the evidence as described, please nod your head.

No nod.

“I warn you, Wolfe said sharply, “that Mr Goodwin and I are both ready for anything whatever.