your real reason, at last. Let's examine it and see how it stands up. Your parents were divorced and your mother remarried. From then on, until you ran away, you lived in hell. The experience gave you an undying hatred of divorce. You made up your mind that you'd never do what your parents had done. All right. I can understand that attitude. But,'-he pointed with his pipe stem-'it's ridiculous to maintain it in this present case. You're married to a virtual maniac. You haven't any children. Now stop living with the past, and use that intelligence I know you have.'
'I-' Toddy shook his head. 'What did you mean, Doc, when you said the marriage, Elaine's and mine, could only end in one way?'
'I don't think I'll tell you. I think it would make a greater impression if you told yourself.'
'How do I go about doing that?'
'Well, let's start back with the time you ran away from home. Your reason for leaving, as I remember, was that one of the barn rafters had broken and struck your stepfather. You were afraid you might be held responsible for the accident, so you ran away.'
'Well?' said Toddy.
'It was an accident,' said the psychiatrist, 'and yet you had a package of sandwiches, a lunch, all prepared. You were able to get away just in time to catch the evening freight out of town. – .. That, Toddy, is just about the most opportune accident I ever heard of.'
Toddy looked blank for a moment; then he grinned.
'And so on down the line,' the psychiatrist sighed. 'You're easy to get along with; you'll suffer a great deal before you act. If you'd been treated fairly by your stepfather or the county attorney or that gambling house proprietor in Reno or the detective in Fort Worth or… But that isn't important. It's not what I'm talking about.'
'What are you talking about?'
'You must know, Toddy: the fact that you can't admit the things you've done, even to yourself. At heart you're what you'd call a Square John. You're peaceful. You don't ask much but to be left alone and leave others alone. That's your basic pattern-and life hasn't let you follow that pattern. You've been forced into one situation after another where your strong sense of justice has impelled you to acts which were hateful to you…
'Get away from Elaine, Toddy. Get away and stay away. Before you kill her.'
11
The chinless man chuckled softly and massaged his hands. 'I present my proposition a little too fast, eh? It was not what you expected. I must apologize, incidentally, for the manner in which you were induced to return here. It seemed necessary. It was important that I talk to you, and I felt you might not respond to a simple request to call…'
He waited, beaming, apparently for Toddy to make some polite disclaimer. Toddy didn't. For the moment, at least, he was incapable of saying or doing anything.
'As you can see,' Chinless continued, 'I mean you no harm. Quite the contrary, in fact. Despite the perhaps regrettable preliminaries of our meeting, I mean to benefit you-and, of course, to benefit myself. I would like to have you believe that, Mr. Kent; that I hold nothing but the friendliest feelings toward you.'
He paused again, his beady black eyes fixed on Toddy's.
'Well…' said Toddy; and his head moved in a vague half-nod.
'Good!' said the man promptly. 'Now we will go into the matter in detail, take up details in their proper order. First of all, my name is Alvarado; I am known by that name. You, of course, are Todd or Toddy Kent… also known as T. Jameson Kent, Toddmore Kent, Kent Todd and various other aliases. As you can see, I took the liberty of looking into your record after your visit here this afternoon. It interested me very much. It is largely why I have prevailed upon you to make this second visit.'
'I-' Toddy swallowed. 'I see.'
'As you have probably observed,' Alvarado went on, leaning forward earnestly, 'extra-legal careers seldom attract the type of men which their successful pursuit demands. A willingness to flout often-foolish laws, yes-that characteristic is so common as to be unnoteworthy. But much more than that is required. Such men as yourself are indeed rare. I do not flatter you, Mr. Kent, when I say that some episodes in your past reflect positive genius.'
Toddy nodded again, his tense nerves relaxing a little.
'You find the dog disturbing, Mr. Kent? You need not. He is a working dog-quite harmless, actually, unless ordered to be otherwise.'
'I was just wondering,' said Toddy, 'how you found out so much about me so fast.'
'Nothing could have been simpler. A description of you, and a generous retainer, naturally, to one of the better private detectives. A brief check at the city license bureau. Then a few cautious long-distance calls here and there. By the way, Mr. Kent'-Alvarado chuckled-'I should not show myself around Chicago, if I were you.'
'I don't intend to,' said Toddy. 'Now, about this proposition of yours-you'd better not tell me about it. I don't think I can take it.'
'But… I do not understand.'
'The police are looking for me. Or they will be before long. My wife was murdered tonight-strangled in our room at the hotel.'
'Murdered?' Alvarado frowned. 'Strangled in your hotel room? What time was this, Mr. Kent?'
'Early this evening. Between six-thirty and seven, approximately.' Toddy forced a smile. 'To tell the truth, I thought you did it.'
'I? Why did you think that?'
'Whoever killed her took the watch. Since it was your watch and you were the only one who knew I had it, I naturally thought you'd done it.'
Alvarado stared at him in dead silence, the frown on his fish-pale face deepening. Then, unaccountably, the beady eyes twinkled and he laughed with genuine amusement.
'The watch was taken, eh? That is very funny. Ha, ha. You are very amusing, Mr. Kent. Like me you have a sense of humor. I am glad to know it!'
'But-now, wait a minute!' Toddy protested. 'I-'
'I understand. Ha, ha. I understand very well. Perhaps for the moment, however, we had better continue with our business.'
'But you-'
'As I was about to explain,' Alvarado said firmly, 'my original motive in having you investigated was precautionary. I wished to discover whether you were of the type to take the watch-with all it would reveal to the knowing- to the police. Happily, I found you were not. You have every reason to avoid contact with the police. That is right, is it not?'
'Yes, but-' Toddy gave up. He couldn't see why Alvarado thought the murder so funny. But since he did, that was that. For the moment, he wasn't in a position to question the chinless man. Right now, he was on the receiving end of the questions.
'Yes,' he said, 'that's right. I can't go to the police.'
'As I so ascertained,' Alvarado nodded. 'And having done so, I invited you here. For some time, Mr. Kent, a change in the personnel of this organization-of one of the personnel-has been strongly indicated. In fact, I have recommended such a change. But since no substitute for the incumbent was available, the recommendation did not carry much weight. In you, I think, I have found that long-needed replacement.'
'You say you recommended the change?' Toddy asked. 'Yes. My superiors are not in this country, and it is necessary to consult them on such matters. Within reasonable bounds, however, they will act on my recommendations.'
'I don't know,' said Toddy, casually. 'I can't see any big money in running gold across the border. Not for the individual runner.'
