I did not like it at all. The way Wolfe was getting set to play it, it looked to me as if we had one chance in a thousand, and while that may be good enough to go ahead on when what you're after is to nail a guy on a charge, and if you muff it the worst you get is a new start under a handicap, it's a little different when a muff means curtains. I had of course told Wolfe all I knew, including
Inspector Cramer's visit and advice, but that only made him stubborner. With
Zeck on Rackham's tail, through me, it seemed likely that the murderer of Mrs
Rackham might get his proper voltage with Zeck's blessing, and since that was all that Wolfe was committed to, why not settle for it? For now anyway, and then take a good breath. As for commitments, I had one of my own. I had promised myself to see Norway before I died.
So I didn't like it, and I either had to lump it or bow out. I tossed a coin: heads I stick, tails I quit. It landed tails, but I had to veto it because I had already talked to Orrie Gather and he was coming at noon, and I had left messages for Fred Durkin and Saul Panzer. I tossed again, tails again. I tossed once more and it was heads, which settled it. I had to stick.
The tailing of Barry Rackham was a classic, especially after the first week. It was a shame to waste the talents of Saul Panzer on what was actually a burlesque, but it was good to have him around anyhow. I briefed them all together at 1019, Wednesday evening, with Saul perched on a corner of the desk because there were only three chairs. Saul was undersized, inconspicuous all but his nose, and the best all-round man alive. Fred Durkin was big and clumsy, with a big red face, with no Doberman pinscher in him but plenty of bulldog. Orrie
Gather was slender and muscular and handsome, just the man to mingle with the guests at a swell dinner party when circumstances called for it. After I had explained the job, with details as required, I supplied a little background.
“As far as you know, I told them, “I'm only doing this for practice. Your only contact is me. There is no client.
“Geez, Fred remarked, “a hundred bucks a day and more with expenses? I guess you ought to pay in advance.
“Take it up with the N.L.R.B., I said stiffly. “As an employer, I do not invite familiarities from the help.
“Of course, Orrie stated with an understanding smile, 'it's just a coincidence that this Rackham was with you once at the scene of a murder. When you got tossed in the coop.
“That's irrelevant. Let us stick to the point, gentlemen. I want to make it clear that I do not actually care a damn where Rackham goes or what he does or who he sees. You are to hang on and report in full, since that's the proper way to handle a dry run, but I don't want anyone to get hurt. If he turns on you and starts throwing rocks, dodge and run. If you lose him, as of course you will, don't bark your shins trying to hurdle.
“You ought to have workmen's compensation insurance, Fred advised. “Then we could be serious about it.
“Do you mean, Saul Panzer asked, “that the purpose is to get on his nerves?
“No. Play it straight. I only mean it's not life and death-until further notice. I pushed my chair back and got up. “And now I wish to prove that being an employer hasn't changed me any. You may continue to call me Archie. You may come with me to Thirty-fifth Street, where we will find a poker deck, and Fritz will make five, and when we have finished I'll lend you car fare home.
For the record, I lost twelve dollars. Saul was the big winner. One hand, I had three nines and-but I'd better get on.
Rackham was living at the Churchill, in an air-conditioned suite in the tower.
During the first week we compiled quite a biography of him. He never stuck his nose outside before one o'clock, and once not until four. His ports of call included two banks, a law office, nine bars, two clubs, a barber shop, seven other shops and stores, three restaurants, three theatres, two night spots, and miscellaneous. He usually ate lunch with a man or men, and dinner with a woman.
Not the same woman; three different ones during the week. As described by my operatives, they were a credit to their sex, to the American way of life, and to the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
I took on a little of it myself, but mostly I left it to the help. Not that I loafed. There were quite a few hours with Lily Rowan, off and on, both as a substitute for the trip to Norway, indefinitely postponed, and as a check on the soundness of the estimate of her I had given Wolfe. She caused me no qualms.
Once when we were dancing she sighed for Pete, and once at her apartment she said she would love to help some more with my work, but when I tactfully made it plain that the detective business was not on our agenda she took it nicely and let it lay.
There were other things, including the reports on Rackham to be typed. Late every afternoon Max Christy called at my office to get the report of the day before, and he would sit and read it and ask questions. When he got critical, I would explain patiently that I couldn't very well post a man at the door of
Rackham's suite to take pictures of all the comers and goers, and that we were scoring better than eighty per cent on all his hours outside, which was exceptional for New York tailing.
I had the advantage, of course, of having had the situation described to me by their Pete Roeder. They were worried a little about Westchester, but more about the city. Shortly after he had become a millionaire by way of a steak knife, whoever had used it, Rackham had got word to Zeck that he was no longer available for contacts. Brownie Costigan had got to Rackham, thinking to put the bee on him, and had been tossed out on his ear. The stink being raised in
Washington on gambling and rackets, and the resulting enthusiasm in the office of the New York County District Attorney, had started an epidemic of jitters, and it was quite possible that if one of my typed reports had told of a visit by
Rackham to the D.A.'s office, or of one by an assistant D.A. to Rackham's suite,
Rackham would have had a bad accident, like getting run over or falling into the river with lead in
