had told Anderson this would be unostentatious, and besides, I wasn’t in the mood for repartee with a motor cop. I was pretty well on edge. I always am like that when I’m really on my way for a man; there never seems to be quite enough air for me; I breathe quicker and everything I touch-the steering wheel, for instance-seems to be alive with blood going in it. I don’t like the feeling much but I always have it.
Anderson was waiting for me. In his office the girl at the desk tossed me a nod and got busy on the phone. In a minute Anderson came out. There were two men with him, carrying their hats and looking powerful. One of them was H.R. Corbett; the other was new to me. Anderson stopped to say something to the girl at the desk, then came over to me.
'Well?' he said.
I grinned. 'I’m ready if you are. Hello, Corbett. You going along?'
Anderson said, 'I’m taking two men. You know what the job is. Is that enough?'
I nodded. 'All we’ll need ‘em for is to hold my hat anyway. Let’s go.' The third guy opened the door and we filed out.
Anderson came with me in the roadster; the other two followed us in a closed car, official, but I noticed it wasn’t Anderson’s limousine. Going down Main Street all the traffic cops saluted my passenger, and I grinned considering how surprised they would have been if they had known how much the District Attorney was paying for that little taxi ride. I opened her up as soon as I got onto the highway, and rolled over the hills, up and down, so fast that Anderson looked at me. He didn’t know but what the speed was part of the program, so I kept going, slowing down only at the points where I had to make a turn and needed to make sure that Corbett, trailing along behind, had caught it. It took just twenty-five minutes from the White Plains courthouse to the entrance to the Kimball drive; the clock on my dash said ten-forty as I slowed up to turn in.
Durkin was there, across the road, sitting on the running board of the sedan which had been backed in as I had suggested. I waved at him but didn’t stop. Anderson asked, 'That Wolfe’s man?' I nodded and swept into the drive. I had gone about a hundred feet when Anderson said, 'Stop!' I pushed the pedals down, shifted into neutral, and pulled the hand brake.
Anderson said, 'This is E.D. Kimball’s place. You’ve got to show me right here.'
I shook my head. 'Nothing doing. You know Nero Wolfe, and that’ll do for you. I’m obeying orders. Do I go on?'
Corbett’s car had stopped right behind us. Anderson was looking at me, his mouth twisted with uncertainty. I had my ears open, straining, not for Anderson’s reply, but for what I was taking for the sound of an airplane. Even if I had been willing to get out and look up I couldn’t, on account of trees. But it was an airplane, sure. I shifted and started forward on the jump.
Anderson said, 'By God, Goodwin, I hope you know what you’re risking. If I had known-'
I stopped him, 'Shut up!'
I pulled up at the house and ran over and rang the bell. In a minute the door was opened by the fat butler.
'I’d like to speak to Mr. Manuel Kimball.'
'Yes, sir, Mr. Goodwin? He is expecting you. He told me to ask you to go to the hangar and wait for him there.'
'Isn’t he there?'
The butler hesitated, and he certainly looked worried. 'I believe he intended to go aloft in his plane.'
I nodded and ran back to the car. Corbett had got out and walked to the roadster and was talking with Anderson. As I got in Anderson turned to me an(l started, 'Look here, Goodwin-'
'Did you hear me say shut up? I’m busy. Look out, Corbett.'
I shot forward onto the back drive and headed for the graveled road that led to the hangar. On that, out from under the trees, the sound of the airplane was louder. I made the gravel fly, and whirled to a stop on the concrete platform in front of the hangar. The mechanic, Skinner, was standing there in the wide open door. I jumped out and went over to him.
'Mr. Manuel Kimball?'
Skinner pointed up, and I looked. It was Manuel Kimball’s plane, high, but not too high for me to see the red and blue. It seemed to make a lot of noise, and the next second I saw why, when I caught sight of another plane circling in from the west, higher than Manuel’s and going faster. It was helping with the noise. Both planes were circling, dark and beautiful in the sun. I brought my head down to sneeze.
Skinner said, 'He’s got company this morning.'
'So I see. Who is it?'
'I don’t know. I saw it first a little after eight o’clock and it’s been fooling around up there ever since. It’s a Burton twin-motor, it’s got a swell dip.'
I remember Wolfe saying the clouds would have eyes. There weren’t any clouds, but no doubt about the eyes.
I asked, 'What time did Mr. Kimball go up?'
'A little after ten. They came out around nine thirty, but the second seat wasn’t ready and I had to fix the straps.'
I knew what it meant as soon as he said it, but I asked him anyhow. I said, 'Oh, is there someone with him?'
'Yes, sir, his father. The old gentleman’s having a ride. It’s only his third time up. He nearly backed out when the seat wasn’t ready, but we got him in.'
