rs.inthebestfamelies-第38节

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　the　phone…answering　service　because　I　wanted　my　line　free；　but　after　a　few　minutes　I　began　thinking　I　better　had；　in　case　Roeder　had　tried　for　me　before　I　arrived。　The　debate　on　that　was　getting　hot　when　the　ring　came　and　I　jumped　for　it。
　　It　was　Roeder。　He　asked　me　through　his　nose；　〃Have　you　phoned　the　Churchill？〃
　　〃No；　I　was　waiting　to　hear　from　you。〃
　　〃I　hope　you　will　have　no　trouble。　It　has　been　arranged　for　today　at　four　o'clock。〃
　　I　felt　a　tingle　in　my　spine。　My　throat　wanted　to　tighten；　but　I　wouldn't　let　it。　〃I'll　do　my　best。　In　my　car？〃
　　〃No。　I'll　have　a　car。　I'll　stop　in　front　of　your　office　building　precisely　at　two　forty…five。〃
　　〃It　might　be　better　to　make　it　the　Churchill。〃
　　〃No。　Your　building。　If　you　have　to　reach　me　I'll　be　here　until　two…thirty。　I　hope　you　won't　have　to。〃
　　〃I　do　too。〃
　　I　pressed　the　button　down；　held　it　for　three　breaths；　and　dialed　the　Churchill's　number。　It　was　only　ten　to　one；　so　surely　I　would　get　him。
　　I　did。　As　soon　as　he　heard　my　name　he　started　yapping　about　the　message　I　had　sent　him；　but　I　didn't　want　to　try　to　fix　it　on　the　phone；　so　I　merely　said　I　had　managed　to　call　off　the　trip　out　of　town　and　was　ing　to　see　him。　He　said　he　didn't　want　to　see　me。　I　said　I　didn't　want　to　see　him　either；　but　we　were　both　stuck　with　this　and　I　would　be　there　at　one…thirty。
　　At　a　fountain　service　down　on　a　side　street　I　ate　three　corned…beef　sandwiches　and　three　glasses　of　milk　without　knowing　how　they　tasted；　humed　my　tongue　on　hot　coffee；　and　then　walked　to　the　Churchill　and　took　the　elevator　to　the　tower。
　　Rackham　was　eating　lunch；　and　it　was　pitiful。　Apparently　he　had　done　all　right　with　a　big　glass　of　clam　juice；　since　the　glass　was　empty　and　I　couldn't　see　where　the　contents　had　been　thrown　at　anything；　but　all　he　did　in　my　presence　was　peck　at　things…some　wonderful　broiled　ham；　hashed　brown　potatoes；　an　artichoke　with　anchovy　sauce；　and　half　a　melon。　He　swallowed　perhaps　five　bites　altogether；　while　I　sat　at　a　distance　with　a　magazine；　not　wanting　to　disturb　his　meal。　When；　arriving；　I　had　told　him　that　the　appointment　with　Zeck　was　set　for　four　o'clock；　he　had　just　glared　at　me　with　no　ment。　Now；　as　he　sat　staring　at　his　coffee　without　lifting　the　cup；　I　got　up　and　crossed　to　a　chair　near　him　and　remarked　that　we　would　ride　up　to　Westchester　with　Roeder。
　　I　don't　think　I　handled　it　very　well；　that　talk　with　Barry　Rackham；　as　he　sat　and　let　his　coffee　get　cold　and　tried　to　pretend　to　himself　that　he　still　intended　to　eat　the　melon。　It　happened　that　he　had　already　decided　that　his　only　way　out　was　to　e　to　some　kind　of　an　understanding　with　Arnold　Zeck；　but　if　he　had　been　balky　I　doubt　if　I　would　have　been　able　to　manage　it。　I　was　so　damned　edgy　that　it　was　all　I　could　do　to　sit　still。　It　had　been　a　long　spring　and　summer；　those　five　months；　and　here　was　the　day　that　would　give　us　the　answer。　So　there　are　two　reasons　why　I　don't　report　in　detail　what　Rackham　and　I　said　there　that　afternoon：　first；　I　doubt　if　it　affected　the　oute　any；　one　way　or　another；　and　second；　I　don't　remember　a　word　of　it。　Except　that　I　finally　said　it　was　time　to　go；　and　he　got　himself　a　man…sized　straight　bourbon　and　poured　it　down。
　　We　walked　the　few　blocks　to　my　building。　As　we　waited　at　the　curb　I　kept　my　eyes　peeled　for　a　Chewy　sedan；　but　apparently　Roeder　had　been　promoted；　either　that　or　the　Chewy　wasn't　used　for　important　guests；　for　when　a　car　nosed　in　to　us　it　was　a　shiny　black　Cadillac。　I　got　in　front　with　the　driver　and　Rackham　joined　Roeder　in　the　rear。　They　didn't　shake　hands　when　I　pronounced　names。　The　driver　was　new　to　me…a　stocky　middleaged　number　with　black　hair　and　squinty　black　eyes。　He　had　nothing　whatever　to　say　to　anyone；　and　for　that　matter　neither　did　anybody　else；　all　the　way　to　our　destination。　Once　on　the　Taconic　State　Parkway　a　car　passed　and　cut　in　ahead　of　us　so　short　that　it　damn　near　grazed　our　bumper；　and　the　driver　muttered　something；　and　I　went　so　far　as　to　glance　at　him　but　ventured　no　words。　Anyway；　my　mind　was　occupied。
　　Evidently　Rackham　had　been　there　before　with　his　eyes　open；　for　there　was　no　suggestion　that　he　should　take　to　the　floor；　and　of　course　I　was　now　a　B。　We　left　the　parkway　a　couple　of　miles　south　of　Millwood；　to　the　right；　followed　a　curving　secondary　road　a　while；　turned　onto　another　main　route；　soon　left　it　for　another　secondary　road；　and　after　some　more　curves　hit　concrete　again。　The　garage　was　at　a　four…ers　a　little　out　of　Mount　Kisco；　and　I　never　did　know　what　the　idea　was　of　that　roundabout　way　of　getting　there。　In　front　it　looked　like　any　other　garage；　with　gas…pumps　and　a　graveled　plaza；　and　cars　and　miscellaneous　objects　around；　except　that　it　seemed　a　little　large　for　its　location。　Two　men　were　there　in　front；　one　dressed　like　a　mechanic　and　the　other　in　a　summer　suit；　even　a　necktie；　and　they　exchanged　nods　with　our　driver　as　we　headed　in。
　　The　big　room　we　drove　into　was　normal　too；　like　a　thousand　others　anywhere；　but　a　variation　was　ing。　Our　car　rolled　across；　past　pillars；　to　the　far　end；　and　stopped　just　in　front　of　a　big　closed　door；　and　our　driver　stuck　his　head　out；　but　said　nothing。　Nothing　happened　for　thirty　seconds；　then　the　big　door　slowly　opened；　rising；　the　driver　pulled　his　head　in；　and　the　car　went　forward。　As　we　cleared　the　entrance　the　door　started　back　down；　and　by　the　time　we　had　eased　across　to　a　stop　the　door　was　shut　again；　and　our　reception　mittee　was　right　there…two　on　one　side　and　one　on　the　other。　I　had　seen　two　of　them　before；　but　one　was　a　stranger。　The　stranger　was　in　shirt　sleeves；　with　his　gun　in　a　belt　holster。
　　Stepping　out；　I　announced；　〃I've　got　that　same　gun　under　my　armpit。〃
　　〃Okay；　Goodwin；〃　the　tenor　said。　'We'll　take　care　of　it。〃
　　They　did。　I　may　have　been　a　B；　but　there　was　no　discernible　difference　between　inspection　of　a　B　and　of　an　unknown。　In　fact；　it　seemed　to　me　that　they　were　slightly　more　thorough　than　they　had　been　on　Sunday；　which　may　have　been　because　there　were　three　of　us。　They　did　us　one　at　a　time；　with　me　first；　then　Rackham；　then　Roeder。　With　Roeder　they　were　a　little　more　superficial。　They　went　over　him；　but　not　so　enthusiastically；　and　all　they　did　with　the　brief　case　was　open　it　and　glance　inside　and　let　Roeder　himself　shut　it　again。
　　One　change　from　Sunday　was　that　two　of　them；　not　one；　acpanied　us　to　the　door　in　the　rear　wall；　and　through；　across　the　vestibule；　and　down　the　fourteen　steps　to　the　first　metal　door。　The　sentinel　who　opened　and　let　us　in　was　the　same　pasty…faced　bird　with　a　pointed　chin…Schwartz。　This　time　the　other　sentinel　did　not　stay　at　the　table　with　his　book　work。　He　was　right　there　with　Schwartz；　and　interested　in　the　callers；　especially　Rackham。
　　〃We're　a　little　early；〃　Roeder　said；　〃but　they　sent　us　on　in。〃
　　〃That's　all　right；〃　Schwartz　rumbled。　〃He's　ahead　of　schedule　today。　One　didn't　e。〃
　　He　went　to　the　big　metal　door　at　the　other　end；　pulled　it　open；　and　jerked　his　head。　〃On　in。〃
　　Entering；　Roeder　took　the　lead；　then　Rackham；　then　me。　Schwartz　brought　up　the　rear。　He　came　in　three　paces　and　stood。　Arnold　Zeck；　from　behind　his　desk；　told　him；　in　the　cold　precise　tone　that　he　used　for　everything；　〃All　right；　Schwartz。〃
　　Schwartz　left　us。　As　the　door　closed　I　hoped　to　heaven　it　was　as　soundproof　as　it　was　supposed　to　be。
　　Zeck　spoke。　〃The　last　time　you　were　here；　Rackham；　you　lost　control　of　yourself　and　you　know　what　happened。〃
　　Rackham　did　not　reply。　He　stood　with　his　hands　behind　him　like　a　man　ready　to　begin　a　speech；　but　his　trap　stayed　shut；　and　from　the　expression　of　his　face　it　was　a　good　guess　that　his　hands；　out　of　sight；　were　making　a　tight　knot。
　　〃Sit　down；〃　Zeck　told　him。
　　Since　the　seating　was　an　important　item　of　the　staging；　I　had　stepped　up　ahead　after　we　entered　and　made　for　the　chair　farthest　front；　a　little　to　the　left　of　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　organization；　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