rs.toomanywomen-第18节

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h　Pine　but　would　like　to　have　one　minute　with　him　to　hand　him　something。　She　said　he　was　in　a　meeting　and　wouldn't　be　free　for　an　hour　or　more。　I　thought　if　Pine　could　trust　her　I　could　too；　got　an　envelope　from　her　and　put　the　report　in　it　and　sealed　it　and　left　it　with　her　for　Pine。
　　On　the　way　back　to　the　stock　department　I　had　a　bright　idea。　I　still　hadn't　seen　Gwynne　Ferris。　If　a　unit　of　personnel　could　waylay　me　on　Wednesday；　why　couldn't　I　return　the　pliment　on　Thursday？　Not　by　waylaying；　but　through　channels。　I　would　wait　until　I　saw　her　to　decide　whether　to　invite　her　to　Rusterman's　or　take　her　home　with　me　and　let　Wolfe　do　some　work。
　　But　I　didn't　see　her。　Using　my　phone；　I　was　told　by　the　head　of　the　reserve　pool　that　he　was　sorry；　but　Miss　Ferris　had　so　much　in　her　book　that　she　would　have　to　stay　overtime；　and　he　would　greatly　appreciate　it　if　I　could　wait　till　morning。　I　told　him　sure。
　　I　knocked　off　with　the　bunch；　at　quitting　time；　and　going　down　in　the　elevator　I　couldn't　plain　of　lack　of　attention。　Some　stared　at　me　openly；　some　glanced　when　they　thought　I　wasn't　looking；　and　some　used　the　corner…of…the…eye　technique；　but　for　each　and　all　I　was　certainly　it。
　　
　　Chapter　Sixteen
　　Wolfe　was　reading　three　books　at　once。　He　had　been　doing　that；　off　and　on；　all　the　years　I　had　been　with　him；　and　it　always　annoyed　me　because　it　seemed　ostentatious。　The　three　current　items　were　The　Sudden　Guest　by　Christopher　La　Farge；　Love　from　London　by　Gilbert　Gabriel；　and　A　Survey　of　Symbolic　Logic　by　C。　I。　Lewis。　He　would　take　turns　with　them；　reading　twenty　or　thirty　pages　in　each　at　a　time。　In　the　office　after　dinner　that　evening　he　sat　at　his　desk；　having　a　wonderful　time　with　his　literary　ring…around…a…rosy。
　　I　had　already；　before　dinner；　reported　to　him　on　the　day's　events；　and　presumably　he　had　listened；　but　he　had　not　asked　a　single　question　or　made　a　single　ment。　For　table　conversation　business　was　of　course　taboo；　but　it　might　have　been　supposed　that　with　digestion　proceeding　under　control　and　according　to　plan　he　would　have　one　or　two　suggestions　to　offer。　Not　so。
　　I　was　at　my　own　desk；　cleaning　and　oiling　my　arsenal…two　revolvers　and　an　automatic。　When　he　finished　the　second　heat　with　A　Survey　of　Symbolic　Logic；　dogeared　it；　put　it　down；　and　reached　for　Love　from　London；　I　inquired　respectfully；　〃Where's　Saul？〃
　　〃Saul？〃　You　might　have　thought　he　was　trying　to　decide　whether　I　meant　Saul　of　Tarsus　or　Saul　Soda。　〃Oh。　It　seemed　pointless　to　waste　a　client's　money。　Did　you　want　him　for　something？　I　believe　he's　working　on　a　forgery　case　for　Mr。　Bas。〃
　　〃So　I'm　doing　a　solo。　Shall　I　go　up　and　start　catching　up　on　sleep；　or　would　you　care　to　pretend　we　both　earn　money？〃
　　〃Archie。〃　He　picked　up　the　book。　〃I　do　not　propose　to　start　sorting　out　chaos。　At　present　this　case　is　merely　a　guggle　of　unintelligible　babel。　If　Mr。　Naylor　killed　Mr。　Moore；　it　is　quite　possible　that　he　will　carry　his　joke　too　far。　If　he　didn't；　and　he　knows　that　someone　else　did；　the　same　ment　can　be　made。　If　neither；　the　corporation　is　spending　money　foolishly　but　we　are　not　stockholders。　We'll　probably　know　more　about　it　after　my　talk　with　Mr。　Naylor　Monday　evening。　Until　then　it　would　be　futile　to　bother　my　head　about　it。　Besides；　you　don't　really　want　me　to。　You　are　wallowing　in　clover；　with　hundreds　of　young　women　accessible；　unguarded；　and　utterly　at　your　mercy。〃
　　〃I　do　not；〃　I　said；　closing　the　drawer　where　I　kept　the　arsenal　and　getting　to　my　feet；　〃like　clover。〃　I　walked　to　the　door　to　the　hall；　where　I　turned。　〃It　is　not　my　mercy　they're　at。　And　if　I　stick　my　foot　in　something　down　there　that　you　have　to　pull　it　out　of；　don't　blame　me。〃
　　
　　Chapter　Seventeen
　　At　nine…thirty…five　A。M。　Friday；　the　next　morning；　I　stood　in　front　of　the　filing　cabinet　in　my　room　in　the　Naylor…Kerr　stock　department；　gazing　down　into　the　drawer　I　had　opened　with　a　feeling　of　real　satisfaction。　Not　only　were　the　tobacco　crumbs　nowhere　visible；　but　the　edge　of　the　Thursday　report　was　a　good　half　inch　down　from　the　Wednesday　report；　and　I　had　left　them　precisely　even。
　　I　enjoyed　the　satisfied　feeling　for　a　few　seconds　and　then　could　have　kicked　myself。　Thursday　I　had　brought　paraphernalia　with　me；　but　had　taken　it　home　again；　not　wanting　to　leave　it　around；　and　this　morning　I　hadn't　brought　it。　That　cost　me　an　extra　forty　minutes。　I　closed　the　drawer　and　locked　it。　Down　on　the　street　I　had　no　trouble　finding　a　taxi；　since　it　was　the　time　of　day　that　the　carriage　trade　gets　to　work　in　that　part　of　town。　At　Wolfe's　house　I　popped　in　and　right　out　again；　with　the　cab　waiting；　and　no　encounter　with　Wolfe　since　his　morning　hours　in　the　plant　rooms　are　from　nine　to　eleven；　and　headed　back　for　William　Street。
　　I　would　have　liked　to　lock　my　door；　since　the　custom　there　was　to　enter　without　knocking；　but　there　was　no　key；　so　I　barricaded　it　by　shoving　the　desk　against　it。　With　the　folders　from　the　drawer　carefully　and　lovingly　transported　to　the　desk；　I　opened　my　kit　and　started　to　work。　It　was　like　picking　peaches　off　a　tree　with　all　the　branches　loaded。　Any　schoolboy　could　have　harvested　that　crop。　Within　twenty　minutes　I　had　three　dozen　beauts；　some　on　the　slick　cardboard　of　the　top　folder；　a　few　on　the　second；　more　on　the　third；　and　a　whole　flock　on　the　coated　stock　of　the　two　reports。
　　My　feeling　of　satisfaction　had　tapered　off　a　little。　The　total　bulk　of　curiosity　out　in　the　arena；　not　to　mention　the　two　rows　of　offices；　regarding　me　and　my　activities；　would　easily　have　filled　a　ten…ton　truck；　and　mon　curiosity　has　led　people　into　more　plicated　and　perilous　ventures　than　sneaking　into　a　room　and　looking　over　the　contents　of　a　filing　cabinet。　But　even　at　the　biggest　discount　I　was　doing　something；　getting　something　you　could　see　and　show　around；　instead　of　hopping　around　bobbing　the　chin。
　　The　next　step；　presumably；　was　to　acquire　additional　equipment；　preferably　at　wholesale；　and　proceed　to　take　the　prints　of　everyone　on　the　floor。　Granted　that　they　would　all　be　eager　to　co…operate；　it　would　keep　me　busy　for　four　or　five　eight…hour　days；　working　alone。　That　had　drawbacks。　I　went　and　stooped　for　the　phone；　having　deposited　it　on　the　floor　when　I　moved　the　desk；　and　told　it　I　wished　to　speak　to　Mr。　Pine。
　　It　took　a　while　to　get　him。　When　he　was　on　I　said；　〃I　need　an　answer　to　a　question　I　don't　like　to　ask　anyone　else。　I　know　some　of　the　big　corporations　have　adopted　the　custom　of　getting　fingerprints　of　all　their　employees；　and　I　wonder　if　Naylor…Kerr　is　one　of　them。　Is　it？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃we　started　that　during　the　war。　Why？〃
　　〃I'd　like　to　have　permission　to　take　a　look　at　them。　I　mean　go　over　them。〃
　　〃What　for？〃
　　〃Someone　has　been　monkeying　around　my　room；　nosing　into　my　papers；　and　it　would　be　fun　to　know　who。〃
　　〃That　seems　a　little　farfetched；　doesn't　it？　By　the　way；　I　got　that　report。　It　will　be　discussed　at　a　meeting　of　some　of　the　executives　this　afternoon。　And　Mr。　Hoff　insisted　on　seeing　me；　he　just　left　a　few　minutes　ago。　He　says　your　presence　is　demoralizing　the　whole　department。　Damn　it；　I　tell　you　frankly；　I　could　run　a　car　over　Mr。　Naylor　myself。　At　least　you　have　prodded　him　along　a　little。　Perhaps　you　should　have　a　talk　with　Mr。　Hoff　whether　he　likes　it　or　not。〃
　　〃I'd　love　to。　What　about　the　fingerprints？〃
　　〃Certainly；　if　you　think　it's　worth　the　trouble。　See　Mr。　Gushing　and　tell　him　I　said　so。〃
　　Mr。　Gushing　was　the　assistant　vice…president　who　had　introduced　me　around　when　I　started　to　work。　I　got　him　on　the　phone。　It　might　have　been　expected　that　he　would　show　some　curiosity　as　to　what　a　personnel　expert　expected　to　acplish　by　inspecting　fingerprints；　but　he　didn't；　so　evidently　the　news　of　my　real　status　had　got　beyond　the　stock　department。　He　was　anxious　to　please；　even　to　the　extent　of　sending　me　a　boy　with　an　empty　carton　and　a　supply　of　tissue　paper　for　the　safe　transport　of　my　specimens。
　　I　wasn't　left　alone　with　the　prints；　which　were　filed　in　a　locked　cabinet　of　their　own　in　a　room　on　the　thirty…fifth　floor。　A　middle…aged　woman　with　dyed　brown　hair　and　a　flat　chest　who　had　apparently　eaten　onions　for　breakfast　never　got　more　than　ten　feet　from　me。　She　had　an　uncertain　moment　when　I　sent　for　the　boy　and　asked　him　to　bring　me　sandwiches　and　milk；　but　she　fielded　it　nicely　by　phoning　a　pal　to　e　and　relieve　her　for　a　lunch　period。
　　I　knew　what　I　was　doing；　but　was　by　no　means　an　expert；　and　I　had　to　go　slow　if　I　didn't　want　to　miss　it　and　have　to　start　all　over　again。　I　had　the　advantage　of　having　an　ample　collection　of　good　specimens；　but　even　so　it　was　a　long　uphill　climb。　A　couple　of　times　during　the　afternoon　the　onion　eater　offered　to　help；　but　I　politely　declined；　with　my　eyes　smarting　and　my　neck　developing　a　crick。
　　It　was　well　past　four　o'clock　when　I　rang　the　bell。　Even　before　I　put　it　under　the　magnifying　glass　I　knew　that　was　it；　and　five　minutes　with　the　glass；　paring　it　with　a　dozen　of　the　best　specimens　on　the　folders　and　reports；　settled　it　good　enough　for　any　jury。　Either　I　had　let　out　a　grunt　of　triumph　or　my　manner　had　betrayed　me；　for　the　onion　eater　came　to　my　elbow　and　asked：
　　〃Found　what　you　were　after；　didn't　you？〃