“Speaking of dollars, you didn't deposit what you took from Rackham?
“No. It's in the safe.
“Leave it there for the present. It's Mrs Rackham's money, and we may decide we've earned it. Heaven knows no imaginable sum could repay me for these months.
I was thinking-
He cut it off, tilted his head a little, and regarded me with eyes narrowed to slits.
“Well? I said aggressively. “More bright ideas?
“I was thinking, Archie. August is gone. The risk would be negligible. Get Mr
Haskins on the phone to-morrow and tell him to start a dozen chicks on blueberries. Uh-two dozen. You can tell him they are for gifts to your friends.
“No, sir.
“Yes. To-morrow.
“I say no. He would know damn' well who they were for. My God, is your stomach more important than your neck? Not to mention mine. You can't help it if you were born greedy, but you can try to control-
“Archie. His voice was thin and cold with fury. “Nearly five months now. Look at me.
“Yes, sir. He had me. “You're right. I beg your pardon. But I am not going to phone Haskins. You just had a moment of weakness. Let's change the subject. Does
Rackham's biting on the first try change the schedule any?
“You could tell Mr Haskins-
“No.
He gave up. After sitting a while with his eyes closed, he sighed so deep it made him shudder, and then came back to black reality. Only a quarter of his hour was left, and we used it to review the situation and programme. The strategy was unchanged. At midnight he arose.
“Please thank Miss Rowan for me?
“Sure. She thinks you ought to call her Lily.
“You shouldn't leave on my heels.
“I won't. She's sore and wants to have a scene.
I went ahead to open the door for him. As I did so he asked, “What is this stuff called?
“Houri de Perse.
“Great heavens, he muttered, and went.
Chapter Sixteen
Having my own office was giving me a new slant on some of the advantages of the set-up I had long enjoyed at Wolfe's place. With a tailing job on, Sunday was like any other day, and I had to be at 1019 at the usual hour, both to type the report and to take calls from the man on the job in case he needed advice or help. It was no longer just burlesque, at least not for me. Even though Rackham knew we were on him, those were three good men, particularly Saul, and I stood a fair chance of being informed if he strayed anywhere out of bounds to keep an appointment. To some extent the tail now served a purpose: to warn me if the subject and the client made a contact, which was somewhat bassackwards but convenient for me.
After a leisurely Sunday dinner at Rusterman's Restaurant, where I couldn't make up my mind whether Marko Vukcic knew that I had my old job back, I returned to
1019 to find Max Christy waiting at the door. He seemed a little upset. I glanced at my wrist and told him he was early.
This one-man business is no good, he complained. “You ought to have someone here. I tried to get you on the phone nearly two hours ago.
Unlocking the door and entering, I explained that I had dawdled over tournedos а la Bйarnaise, which I thought would impress him. He didn't seem' to hear me.
When I unlocked a desk drawer to get the report, and handed it to him, he stuffed it in his pocket without glancing at it.
I raised the brows. “Don't you want to read it?
Til read it in the car. You're coming along.
“Yeah? Where to?
“Pete Roeder wants to see you.
“Well, here I am. As you say, this is a one-man business. I've got to stick here, damn
