have I ever warned you?
“Why did you play him?
“It's all there in the report. He knew he had a tail, how could he help it, already on guard, after eight days of it? I thought I might as well chat with him and see what was on his mind. He could have said something interesting, and maybe he did, I don't know, because I don't know what you and your friends would call interesting. Anyway, there it is. As for his money, he practically stuffed it in my ear, and if I had refused to take it he would have lost all respect for me.
Christy put the report in his pocket, got up, rested his fingertips on the desk, and leaned over at me. “Goodwin, he asked, “do you know who you're dealing with?
“Oh, for God's sake, I said impatiently. “Have I impressed you as the sort of boob who would jump off a building just to hear his spine crack? Yes, brother, I know who I'm dealing with, and I expect to live to ninety at least.
He straightened up. “Your chief trouble, he said, not offensively, “is that you think you've got a sense of humour. It confuses people, and you ought to get over it. Things strike you as funny. You thought it would be funny to have a talk with Rackham, and it may be all right this time, but some day something that you think is funny will blow your goddam head right off your shoulders.
Only after he had gone did it occur to me that that wouldn't prove it wasn't funny.
I had a date that Saturday evening with Lily Rowan, but decided to call it off.
Evidently I wasn't tactful enough about it, for she took on. I calmed her down by promising to drown myself as soon as the present crisis was past, went home and got my dinner out of the refrigerator, and settled down in the office for another evening of not reading magazines. A little after nine the minutes were beginning to get too damn' long entirely when the phone rang. It was Lily.
“All right, she said briskly, “come on up here.
“I told you-
“I know, but now I'm telling you. I'm going to have company around eleven, and as I understand it you're supposed to get here first. Get started.
“Phooey. I'm flattered that you bothered to try it, but-
“I wouldn't have dreamed of trying it. The company just phoned, and I'm following instructions. My God, are you conceited!
Til be there in twenty minutes.
It took twenty-two, to her door. She was vindictive enough to insist that there were three television programmes she wouldn't miss for anything, which was just as well, considering my disposition. I suppose I might have adjusted to it in time, say ten years, but I was so used to having Wolfe right at hand any minute of the day or night when difficulties were being met that this business of having to sit it out until word came, and then rushing up to a friend's penthouse and waiting another hour and a half, was too much of a strain.
He finally arrived. I must admit that when the bell rang, Lily having promised to behave like a lady, did so. She insisted on opening the door for him, but having got him into the living-room, she excused herself and left us.
He sat. I stood and looked at him. Eleven days had passed since our reunion, and
I hadn't properly remembered how grotesque he was. Except for the eyes, he was no one I had ever seen or cared to see.
“What's the matter? I asked peevishly. “You look as if you hadn't slept for a week.
“I'm a little tired, that's all, he growled. “I have too much to watch, and I'm starving to death. So far as I know everything at my end is satisfactory. What about Miss Rowan?
“She's all right. As you may remember, every week or so I used to send her a couple of orchids of a kind that couldn't be bought. I have told her that the custom may be resumed some day provided we get this difficulty ironed out, and that it depends on her. Women like to have things depend on them.
He grunted. “I don't like to have things depend on them. He sighed. “It can't be helped. I can only stay an hour. Bring me some of Miss Rowan's perfume.
I went and tapped on a door, got no answer, opened it and crossed a room to another door, tapped again, was told to enter, and did so. Lily was on a divan with a book. I told her what I wanted.
“Take the Houri de Perse, she advised. “Pete likes it. I had it on that night.
I got it from the dressing-table, returned to the living-room, aimed it at him from the proper distance, and squeezed the bulb. He shut his eyes and tightened his lips to a thin line.
“Now the other side, I said gently. “What's worth doing-
But he opened his eyes, and their expression was enough. I put the sprayer on a table and went to a chair.
He looked at his wrist-watch. “I read the report of your talk with Rackham. How did it go?
“Fine. You might have thought he had rehearsed it with us.
Tell me about it.
I obeyed. It felt good, giving him a communiquй again, and since it needed no apologies I enjoyed it. What I always tried for was to present it so that few or no questions were required, and though I was a little out of practice I did well enough.
When I was through he muttered, “Satisfactory. Confound this smell.
“It'll go away in time. Sixty dollars an ounce.
