Nothing More Than Murder

'Oh? Are you-'

'I don't blame Jimmie for trying. Those city locals only have their charters open about an hour out of the year, and only the insiders know when that is. If some floater does get the word, all they have to do is give him an examination no one could pass or put the initiation fee out of his reach.'

'I know all that, laddie.'

'Well, Blair isn't going to go to all the expense and trouble of fixing things up unless Jimmie gives him some real dirt, and Jimmie can't because he doesn't have any. He's demanding the transfer before he talks.'

'I don't know. It looks like Jimmie would have to know something. Suppose Blair gives him the transfer? What's his story going to be?'

'He won't need any. He can tell Blair to go laugh up a rope. He'd be in then, and out of Blair's jurisdiction.'

'Well, I hope you're right, laddie. I sincerely hope so. For my sake.'

'I'm right,' I said. 'By the way, don't you want me to give you a relief?'

'Oh, no. Nedry'll be along in a few minutes. He gives me a relief twice a day.'

'Oh,' I said. 'Well, that's pretty nice of him.'

'Isn't it, though?'

'Well, good night,' I said.

'Cheerio! And remember-on your toes. I'm not waiting around here forever.'

He started the off-projector, slid the port on the other one, and began unthreading the run-reel of film. I took a good long look at the back of his head and went downstairs again.

It wasn't much different from three thousand other nights. People strolling by, walking up to the box office or stopping to look at the lobby cards, asking how I was and being asked how they were. Now and then a car would pass by slow, and there'd be a light tap on the horn; and I'd turn around and wave and be waved at. A couple of bobby soxers stood up near the popcorn machine, giggling and talking to Harry, and watching me out of the corner of their eyes. Overhead, up above the marquee, the thirty-foot sign went on and off, spelled and flashed, painting the street and the cars green and red. Without looking, without even noticing, I knew when it went B-A-R-C-L-A-Y, then BARCLAY, then BARCLAY.

I remembered all the arguments Elizabeth and I had had about that sign. How I'd hated it at first, yeah, how I'd hated her, not because I wanted my own name up there but because she didn't; because she wasn't as proud of Wilmot as she was of Barclay. And what did it matter? What did it really matter, anyway? Everyone knew who'd built the house. People always know those things. And Elizabeth was the last of the Barclays, and it was the oldest family in the county.

When people haven't got anything but a name you can't blame them for leaning on it. And maybe-just maybe-that wasn't her reason. Maybe it was her way, as she'd put it, of being responsible. Of backing me up before the whole damned world.

Oh, hell…

I'd got hot up in the booth, and now I was beginning to chill. I passed a word or two with Mrs. Fletcher, and crossed the street to my car.

I got in and rolled up the windows, and lighted a cigarette. I let my head lie back against the seat and tried to rest. Maybe I dozed a little, but I don't think so. I think I was just so wrapped up in worrying about Carol and Elizabeth and Hap Chance and Andy and Sol Panzer and wondering what I was going to do that I was deaf and blind to everyone else.

I don't know how long Appleton stood outside the car looking in at me. But finally I rolled my head and there he was.

I kind of jumped, and then I opened the door and let him in.

20

'Gloating over the scene of your victory?' he said. I didn't get what he meant.

'The show here,' he said. 'I understand you put your competitor out of business.'

'Oh, yeah,' I said. 'No. I was just sitting here. Figuring on whether I wanted to eat a bite before I went home.'

'By the way, I went to your show yesterday.'

'I meant to give you some passes,' I said. 'I don't think I have any with me, but-'

'Forget it, Joe. It all goes on the expense account. But I wanted to ask you about those loges. Do you think they're safe?'

'I pay extra coverage for them,' I said.

'Well.' He laughed. 'That makes everything all right, then. As long as you're covered.'

I knew I'd made a dumb remark and that he was digging me, but I didn't particularly give a damn. My nerves were on edge. I was too sick and worried to think.

'I took a look at your exits, too, Joe. You know our state fire laws require two rear exits in a picture show.'

'I've got two,' I said.

'You've got a double door closing on the same jamb.'

'It's good enough for the fire commissioner.'

'Oh? Well, if it's good enough for him, who are we to quibble?'

He laughed again and nudged me, and I wanted to sock him. A guy can't be on his toes all the time.

'How are you getting along with your investigation?' I said. 'About wound up?'

'Well-hardly,' he said. 'Those things take a lot of time, you know.'

'I guess I don't know,' I said. 'The thing seems simple enough to me. The legal authorities are satisfied. I've been paying in premiums for ten years; and you've had plenty of time to find out if there was anything wrong. It looks to me like I'm entitled to a settlement or a damned good explanation.'

He didn't get a bit sore. At least, he didn't show it. 'Well, that's the way it looks to you,' he said. 'Now I'll tell you how it looks to us. We don't have anything more to gain from you. You won't be carrying insurance on your wife, naturally, and the chances are that you'll drop your own. We don't want to pay you. We won't if we can get out of it.'

'Thanks,' I said. 'I'm glad to know what kind of an outfit I'm dealing with.'

'Don't quote me, Joe-don't mind my calling you Joe, do you? I'd hate to have to call you a liar.'

'You may have a chance,' I said. 'I don't want anything I'm not entitled to, but-'

'Oh, sure you do. We all do. That's like saying you don't want anything more out of a thing than what you put into it. Where's the percentage in a deal like that? But you were threatening to sue us?'

'No, I wasn't threatening,' I said. 'I wouldn't want to sue unless-'

'And I don't think you will, Joe. You're too smart. There isn't a court in the land that wouldn't allow us from three months to a year to make our investigation. The chances are I'll have my report ready long before that. We haven't refused to pay the claim. We won't unless we have reason to.'

I began to get hold of myself.

'Skip it,' I said. 'There's no hurry. I guess I was just sore because you knocked the house. I know those loges and exits aren't right, but I can't do everything at once. I haven't had a lot to work with.'

'Sure. That's all right, Joe.'

'But I'm kind of curious. Would you mind telling me something?'

'My life story if you want it.'

'Maybe I'm stepping out of line and if I am, just say so. But-well, just what is there to investigate? I mean, it all looks pretty much cut and dried to me. The fire wiped out everything and-'

'Not everything, Joe.'

'Well. You know what I mean.'

'But you don't know what I mean. The most important clue to any disaster is the man who profits by it. Don't take that the wrong way. I'm not implying anything.'

'How do you work on a clue like me?'

'Well, I don't slip around, dropping sly hints and giving people the wink. Nothing so crude as that, Joe. It's more a matter of moving around, observing and listening, gathering impressions, figuring out whether you're the