The Father Hunt

'No. If I had known the day Goodwin came…'He decided to let the if go. 'I'll expect you here in the morning.'

'I handle business only in my office. I am showing you more consideration than you deserve, sir. Will you be here tomorrow at eleven or not?'

'In the afternoon. Late afternoon.'

'No. At eleven or not at all.'

'At my age mornings are often difficult.'

'Start it earlier. Rise earlier. At eleven or don't come.'

'Damn you. I'll be there.'

The connection went. I pushed the phone back, turned, and said, 'I suppose you didn't lose an ounce. I lost ten pounds.'

He grunted. 'I'm not as phlegmatic as you think I am. It was that or nothing.'

'Well, it's that. He's not only hooked, he's boated. Have you decided what the tie is? Him and Vance?'

'No.'

'He's Vance's father.'

He nodded. 'That would be the most serviceable, for our purpose. Is there a noticeable resemblance?'

'Noticeable, no.'

'That point isn't vital, but it would help to know. We will. On another point I need your opinion. Should Miss Denovo be here?'

'That is a point. She has been on my mind the last two days. I want to make a speech.'

'Go ahead.'

'She's a nice girl and a good client, and for a week I've been sorry we were going to have to tell her that Floyd Vance is her father. And since Tuesday morning I have been even sorrier. It's a damn shame that she has to know not only that such a character as Vance is her father but also that he killed her mother. I have thought of three possible ways to handle it without telling her, but none of them is really neat. I invite suggestions.'

'I have none. I have an argument.'

'Go ahead.'

'I too have had reflections, if not identical with yours at least similar. It's desirable for a client to be satisfied not only with our performance but also with its result

With Miss Denovo that's impossible. Circumstances forbid it. So the question is, What will dissatisfy her least? There are very few questions about any woman that I would undertake to answer with confidence, but you don't have that restraint and you know Miss Denovo. If she were offered the alternative, which would she choose? To know definitely that Floyd Vance, with all his grievous flaws, is her father? Or to remain all her life in the state of ignorance that brought her here three weeks ago with that money? Not how do you feel about her, but how would she feel?'

I didn't need to take a full minute to look at it, but I did, for the sake of appearances. 'She would rather know,' I said.

'Then she should be here tomorrow morning. In the alcove. Arrange it. Make certain that she will not intrude, no matter what she hears. You know her. Perhaps Saul should come to be with her. You will see him this evening?'

'I hope to. Depending on how long it takes to get her. She's loose now.' I swung around to get the phone.

That was why I was late for poker. It was going on ten o'clock when I finally got Amy, at her apartment. Again I couldn't tell her anything, except to be at the office at half past ten in the morning, but at least that indicated that something was stirring. I told Saul ten-thirty too. The shape New York is in, you had better allow half an hour even with a Saul Panzer if you want to be sure.

16

I looked it up once. To eavesdrop means to stand under the eaves to listen to what is said inside a house. But to listen to what is said inside Wolfe's office you don't stand under the eaves; you stand in the alcove, which is at the rear end of the hall, to the left as you approach the kitchen. At eye level, if you are about the height of Wolfe or me, there is a rectangular hole in the wall, seven inches high and twelve inches wide. On the alcove side of the hole there is a panel which slides open silently, and on the office side there is a trick picture of a waterfall; 'trick' because through the one-way picture you can not only eaves-hear from the alcove but also eaves-see nearly all of the office.

In arranging for Amy Denovo, who was eight inches shorter than me, to hear and see from the alcove I could have put phone books for her to stand on, but the show might last an hour or more, and for her price of admission, of twenty grand she deserved something better than standing room. So after breakfast Friday