Triple Jeopardy (5 page)

In what mind'

Im not sure. She had Carol Berk hid in a closet. After that had been attended to and we were alone I followed the script, and she was impressed. Im so good at explaining things that she didnt have to ask questions. The light wasnt very good, but as far as I could tell the prospect of collecting ten grand wasnt absolutely repulsive to her, and neither was the idea of flipping Miss Goheen into the soup. She was torn. She told me to go, and I thought it wise to oblige. When I left she was in a clinch with herself.

What is she going to do'

Dont quote me. But I told her wed have to discuss exactly what she would tell the cops, so well hear from her if she decides to play. Do you want my guesses'

Yes.

Well. On her spilling it to the cops, the one thing that would spoil it, forty to one against. That isnt how her mind will work. On her deciding to play ball with us, twenty to one against. Shes not tough enough. On her just keeping it to herself, fifteen to one against. On general principles. On her felling Miss Goheen, ten to one against. She hates her too much. On her telling Carol Berk,

two to one against, but I wouldnt dig deep on that one either way. On her telling Mr. H, even money, no matter who is a Commie and who isnt. It would show him, how fine and big-hearted and noble she is. She could be, at that. It has been done. Is Saul there'

Yes. I never spent anybodys money, not even my own, on a slimmer chance.

Especially your own. And incidentally sticking my neck out. You dont know the meaning of fear when it comes to sticking my neck out. Do we proceed'

What alternative is there'

None. Has Saul got his men there'

Yes.

Tell him to step on it and meet me at the northeast corner of Sixty-ninth and Fifth Avenue. She could be phoning Heath right now.

Very well. Then youll come home'

I said I would, hung up, and got out of the oven. Nothing would have been more appreciated right then than a large coke-and-lime with the ice brushing my lips,

but it was possible that Delia was already phoning him and he was at home to get the call, so I marched on by the fountain and out.

A taxi got me to the corner of Sixty-ninth and Fifth in six minutes. My watch said 9:42.

I strolled east on Sixty-ninth and stopped across the street from the canopied entrance of the towering tenement of which Henry Jameson Heath was a tenant. It was no casing problem for me, since Saul Panzer had been there in the afternoon to make a survey and spot foxholes. That was elaborate but desirable, because it was to be a very fancy tail, using three shifts of three men each, with Saul in charge of one, Fred Durkin of the second, and Orrie Cather of the third. Fifteen skins an hour that setup would cost, which was quite a disbursement on what Wolfe had admitted was a one-in-twenty chance. Seeing no one but a uniformed doorman in evidence around the canopy, I moseyed back to the corner.

A taxi pulled up, and three men got out. Two of them were just men whose names I knew and with whose records I was fairly familiar, but the third was Saul Panzer, the one guy I want within hearing the day I get hung on the face of a cliff with jet eagles zooming at me. With his saggy shoulders and his face all nose, he looks one-fifth as strong and hardy, and one-tenth as smart, as he really is. I shook hands with him, not having seen him for a week or so, and nodded to the other two.

Is there anything to say'I asked him.

I dont think so. Mr. Wolfe filled me in.

Okay, take it. You know the Homicide boys may be on him too'

Sure. Well try not to trip on em.

You know its a long shot and the only bet weve got'So lose him quick, what do we care.

Well lose him or die.

Thats the spirit. Thats what puts statues of private detectives in the park.

See you on the witness stand.

I left them. My immediate and urgent objective was Madison Avenue for a coke-and-lime, but I went a block north to Seventieth Street. Sixty-ninth Street now belonged to Saul and his squad.

At eleven oclock the next morning, Friday, I sat in the office listening to the clank of Wolfes elevator as it brought him down from the plant rooms.

There had been no cheep from Delia Devlin, but we hadnt wanted one anyway. What we wanted we had got, at least the first installment. At 12:42 Thursday night Saul had phoned that Heath had checked in at Sixty-ninth Street, arriving in a taxi, alone. That was all for the night. At 6:20 in the morning he had phoned that Fred Durkin and his two men had taken over and had been briefed on the terrain. And at 10:23 Fred had phoned that Heath had left his tenement and taken a taxi to 719 East Fifty-first Street and entered the building. That was the gray brick house I had visited the day before. Fred said they had seen no sign of an official tail. They were deployed. I told him he was my favorite mick and still would be if he hung on, and buzzed Wolfe in the plant rooms to inform him.

Wolfe entered, got at his desk, looked over the morning mail, signed a couple of checks, dictated a letter of inquiry about sausage to a man in Wisconsin, and settled down with the crossword puzzle in the London Times. I carried on my routine neatly and normally, making it perfectly plain that I could be just as placid as him, no matter how tense and ticklish it got. I had just finished typing the envelope for the letter and was twirling it out of the machine when the doorbell rang. I went to the hall to answer it, took one look through the one-way glass panel, wheeled and returned to the office, and spoke.

I guess Im through as a bookie. I said forty to one she wouldnt spill it.

Wengert and Cramer want in. We can sneak out the back way and head for Mexico.

He finished putting in a letter, with precision, before he looked up. Is this flummery'

No, sir. Its them.

Indeed. His brows went up a trifle. Bring them in.

I went out and to the door, turned the knob, and pulled it open. Hello hello,

I said brightly. Mr. Wolfe was saying only a minute ago that he would like to see Mr. Cramer and Mr. Wengert, and here you are.

Bright as it was, it didnt go over so well because they stepped in with the first hello and were well along the hall by the time I finished. I shut the door and followed. Entering the office, it struck me as encouraging that Wengert and Wolfe were shaking hands, but then I remembered the District Attorney who always shook hands with the defendant before he opened up, to show there was no personal feeling.

Cramer usually took the red leather chair at the end of Wolfes desk, but this time he let Wengert have it, and I moved up one of the yellow ones for him.

I sent you my regards the other day by Goodwin, Wengert said. I hope he remembered.

Wolfe inclined his head. He did. Thank you.

I didnt know then Id be seeing you so soon.

Nor did I.

No, I suppose not. Wengert crossed his legs and leaned back. Goodwin said you had taken on a job for Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Rackell.

Thats right. Wolfe was casual. To investigate the death of their nephew.

They said he had been working for the FBI. It would have been impolitic to wander into your line of fire, so I sent Mr. Goodwin to see you.

Lets cut the blah. You sent him to get information you could use.

Wolfe shrugged. Confronted with omniscience, I bow. My motives are often obscure to myself, but you know all about them. Your advantage. If that was his errand, he failed. You told him nothing.

Right. Our files are for us, not for private operators. My coming here tells you that weve got a hand in this case, but thats not for publication. If you didnt want to get into our line of fire you certainly stumbled. But officially its a Manhattan homicide, so Im here to listen. He nodded at Cramer. Go ahead, Inspector.

Cramer had been holding in with difficulty. Holding in is a chronic problem with him, and it shows in various ways, chiefly by his big red face getting redder,

with the color spreading lower on his thick muscular neck. He blurted at Wolfe,

Honest to God, Im surprised! Not at Goodwin so much, but you! Subornation of perjury. Attempting to bribe a witness to give false testimony. Ive known you to take some fat risks, but holy saints, this aint risking it, its yelling for it!

Wolfe was frowning. Are you saying that Mr. Goodwin and I have suborned perjury'

Youve tried to!

Good heavens, thats a serious charge. You must have warrants. Serve them, by all means.

Just give it to him, Inspector, Wengert advised.

Cramers head jerked to me. Did you go last evening to the apartment of Delia Devlin on Fifty-first Street'

Its hotter than yesterday, I stated.

I asked you a question!

This is infantile, Wolfe told him. You must know the legal procedure with suspected felons. We do.

Just give it to him, Wengert repeated.

Cramer was glaring at Wolfe. What you know about legal procedures. Okay.

Yesterday you sent Goodwin to see Delia Devlin. In your name he offered her ten thousand dollars to testify falsely that she saw Fifi Goheen take the pillbox from the table, remove a capsule and replace it with another, and put the box back on the table. He said the money would be supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Rackell and would be handed her in currency after she had so testified. I shouldnt have said subornation of perjury, I should have said attempt. Now do I ask Goodwin some questions'

Id like to ask him one myself. Wolfes eyes moved.

Archie. Is what Mr. Cramer just said true'

No, sir.

Then dont answer questions. A policeman has no right to make an inaccurate statement to a citizen about his actions and then order him to answer questions about it. He went to Cramer. We could drag this out interminably. Why not resolve it sensibly and conclusively'He came to me. Archie, get Miss Devlin on the phone and ask her to come down here at once.

I turned and started to dial.

Cut it, Goodwin, Wengert snapped. I went on dialing.

Cramer, who can move when he wants to, left his chair and was by me, pushing down the button. I cocked my head to look up at him. He scowled down at me. I put it back in the cradle. He returned to his chair.

Then well have to change the subject, Wolfe said dryly. Surely your position is untenable. You want to bullyrag us for what Mr. Goodwin, as my agent, said to Miss Devlin; the first thing to establish is what was actually said; and the only satisfactory way to establish it is to have them both here. Yet you not only didnt bring her with you, you are even determined that we shall not communicate with her. Obviously you dont want her to know whats going on. Its quite preposterous, but I draw no conclusion. Its hard to believe that the New York police and the FBI would conspire to bamboozle a citizen, even me.

Cramer was reddening up again.

Wengert cleared his throat. Look, Wolfe, he said, not belligerently, were here to talk sense.

Good. Why not start'

I am. The interest of the people and government of the United States is involved in this case. My job is to protect that interest. I know you and Goodwin can keep your mouths shut when you want to. I am now talking off the record. Is that understood'

Yes, sir.

Goodwin'

Good here.

See that you keep it good. Arthur Rackell told his aunt that he was working with the FBI. That was a lie. He was either a member of the Communist party or a fellow traveler, were not sure which. We dont know who he told, besides his aunt, that he was with the FBI, but were working on it and so are the police.

He may have been killed by a Communist who heard it somehow and believed it.

There were other motives, personal ones, but the Communist angle comes first until and unless its ruled out. So you can see why were in on it. The public interest is involved, not only of this city and state but the whole country. You see that'

I saw it, Wolfe muttered, when I sent Mr. Goodwin to see you day before yesterday.

Well skip that. Wengert didnt want to offend. The point is, what about you'

I concede that all youre after is to catch the murderer and collect a fee. But we know you sent Goodwin to Miss Devlin yesterday to offer to pay her to say she saw Miss Goheen in the act. We also know that you likely to pull such a stunt just for the hell of it. You knew exactly what you were doing and why you were doing say you have regard for the public interest. All right, inspector here represents it, and so do I, and we want you up for us. We confidently expect you to. What and are you after, and where does that stunt get you'

Wolfe was regarding him sympathetically through half eyes. Youre not a nincompoop, Mr. Wengert I’m moved.

Nor you, Mr. Cramer.

Thats something, Cramer growled.

It is indeed, considering the average. But your coming to put this to me,

either peremptorily or politely, was I considered. Shall I explain'

If its not too much bother.

Ill be as brief as possible. Let us make a complex supposion - that I got Mr.

and Mrs. Rackells permission for an extraordinary disbursement for a stated purpose; that I sent Mr. Goodwin to see Miss Devlin; that he told her I had concluded that Miss Goheen had murdered Arthur Rackell and she had seen the act;

that I suggested that she should inform the police of that fact; and that, as compensation for her embarrassment and distress, I engaged to pay her a large sum of money which would be provided by Mr. and Mrs. Rackell.

Wolfe upturned a palm. Supposing I did that, it was not an attempt to suborn perjury, since it cannot be shown that I intended her to swear falsely, but certainly I was exposing myself to a claim for damages from Miss Goheen. That was a calculated risk I had to take, and whether the calculation was sound depended on the event. There was also a risk of being charged with obstruction of justice, and that too depended on the event. Should it prove to serve justice instead of obstructing it, and should Miss Goheen suffer no unmerited damage, I would be fully justified. I hope to be. I expect to be.

Then you can -

If you please. But suppose, having done all that, I now admit it to you and tell you my calculations and intentions. Then youll either have to try to head me off or be in it with me. It would be jackassery for you to head me off - take my word for it; it would be unthinkable. But it would also be unthinkable for you to be in it, either actively or passively. Whatever the outcome may be, you cannot afford to be associated with an offer to pay a large sum of money to a person involved in a murder case for disclosing a fact, even an authentic one.