t I had never seen before。 Time and again I had seen him mad at Wolfe； and me too； but never to the point where the pink left his cheeks pletely and his eyes looked absolutely mean。
He swung with his right。 I ducked。 He came up from beneath with his left； and I stopped it with my forearm。 He tried with the right again； and I jerked back； stepped aside； and dived around the er of Wolfe's desk。
I spoke。 〃You couldn't hit me in a year and I'm not going to plug you。 I'm twenty years younger； and you're an inspector。 If I'm wrong； some day I'll apologize。 If I'm wrong。〃
He turned and marched out。 I didn't go to the hall to help him on with his coat and open the door。
10
THESE weeks went by。
At first； that first night； I was thinking that word might e from Wolfe in the next hour。 Then I started thinking it might e the next day。 As the days kept creeping along they changed my whole attitude； and before the end of April I was thinking it might e next week。 By the time May had passed； and most of June； and the calendar and the heat both said summer； I was beginning to think it might never e。
But first to finish with April。 The Rackham case followed the routine of spectacular murders when they never quite get to the point of a first…degree charge against anyone。 For a week； the front page by unanimous consent； then； for a week or ten days； the front page only by cooking up an angle； and then back to the minors。 None of the papers happened to feel like using it to start a crusade in the name of justice； so it took a normal course。 It did not roll over and die； not with that all…star cast； including Nobby and Hebe； even months later a really new development would have got a three…column spread； but the development didn't e。
I made three more trips； by official request； to White Plains； with no profit to anyone； including me。 All I could do was repeat myself； and all they could do was think up new ways to ask the same questions。 For mental exercise I tried to get a line on whether Cramer's notions about Arnold Zeck had been passed on to Archer and Ben Dykes； but if so they never let on。
All I knew was what I read in the papers； until one evening I ran into Sergeant Purley Stebbins at Jake's and bought him a lobster。 From him I got two little unpublished items： two FBI men had been called in to settle an argument about the legibility of fingerprints on the crinkly silver handle of the knife； and had voted no； and at one point Barry Rackham had been held at White Plains for twenty straight hours while the battle raged over whether they had enough to charge him。 The noes won that time too。
The passing days got very little help from me。 I had decided not to start pawing the ground or rearing up until Wolfe had been gone a full month； which would be May ninth； and I caught up on a lot of personal things； including baseball games； which don't need to be itemized。 Also； with Fred Durkin； I finished up the poison…pen case and other loose ends that Wolfe had left dangling…nothing important…drove out to Long Island to see if Theodore and the plants had got settled in their new home； and put one of the cars； the big sedan； in dead storage。
One afternoon when I went to Rusterman's Restaurant to see Marko Vukcic he signed the checks I had brought； for telephone and electricity bills and my weekly salary； and then asked me what the bank balance was。 I told him a little over twenty…nine thousand dollars； but I sort of regarded Mrs。 Rackham's ten grand as being in escrow； so I would rather call it nineteen。
〃Could you bring me a check for five thousand tomorrow？ Drawn to cash。〃
〃Glad to。 But speaking as the bookkeeper； what do I charge it to？〃
〃Why…expense。〃
〃Speaking as a man who may some day have to answer questions from an internal revenue snoop； whose expense and what kind？〃
〃Call it travel expense。〃
〃Travel by whom and to where？〃
Marko made some kind of a French noise； or foreign at least； indicating impatience； I think。 〃Listen； Archie； I have a power of attorney without limit。 Bring me a check for five thousand dollars at your convenience。 I am stealing it from my old friend Nero to spend on beautiful women or olive oil。〃
So I was not entirely correct when I said that I got no word at all from Wolfe during those weeks and months； but you must admit it was pretty vague。 How far a man gets on five grand； and where he goes； depends on so many things。
When I returned to the office from a morning walk on the third day of May； a Wednesday； and called the phone…answering service as usual； I was told there had been three calls but only one message…to ring a Mount Kisco number and ask for Mrs。 Frey。 I considered the situation； told myself the thing to do was skip it； and decided that I must be hard of hearing when I became aware that I had dialed the operator and asked for the number。
Then； after I had got it and spelled my name and waited a minute； Annabel Frey's voice was in my ear。 At least the voice said it was her； but I wouldn't have recognized it。 It was sort of tired and hopeless。
〃You don't sound like you；〃 I told her。
〃I suppose not；〃 she conceded。 〃It seems like a million years since you came that day and we watched you being a detective。 You never found out who poisoned the dog； did you？〃
〃No； but don't hold it against me。 I wasn't expected to。 You may have heard that that was just a blind。〃
〃Yes； of course。 I don't suppose Nero Wolfe is back？〃
〃Nope。〃
〃You're running his office for him？〃
〃Well； I wouldn't call it running。 I'm here。〃
〃I want to see you。〃
〃Excuse me for staring； but do you mean on business？〃
*Yes。〃 A pause； then her voice got more energetic。 〃I want you to e up here and talk with us。 I don't want to go on like this； and I'm not going to。 When people look at me I can see it： in their eyes…was it me that killed my mother…in…law？…or in some of them I can see it； and that makes me think it's there with all of them。 It's been nearly a month now； and all the police are doing…but you read the papers。 She left me this place and a lot of money； and I wish I could hire Nero Wolfe。 You must know where he is。〃
〃Sorry。 I don't。〃
〃Then I want to hire you。 You're a good detective； aren't you？〃
〃Opinions vary。 I rate myself close to the top； but you have to discount that for my bias。〃
〃Could you e up here today？ This evening？〃
〃I couldn't make it today。〃 My brain was having some exercise for the first time in weeks。 〃Look； Mrs。 Frey； I wouldn't be in a hurry about this。 There's…〃
〃A hurry？〃 She sounded bitter。 〃It's been nearly a month！〃
〃I know； and that's why another few days won't matter。 There's nothing fresh about it； to get stale。 Why don't you do this； let me do a little looking around； just on my own； and then you'll hear from me。 After that you can decide whether you want to hire me or not。〃
〃I've already decided。〃
〃I haven't。 I don't want your dough if there's no chance of earning it。〃
Since her mind had been made up before she called me； she didn't like it my way but finally settled for it。
I discovered when I hung up that my mind was made up too。 It had made itself up while I was talking to her。 I couldn't go on like this forever； nothing but a damn caretaker with no telling from day to day how long it might last。 Nor could I； while drawing pay as Wolfe's assistant； take a boat for Europe or run for Mayor of New York or buy an island and build up a harem； or any of the other things on my deferred list； and certainly； while taking his pay； I couldn't personally butt into a case that he had run away from。
But there was nothing to prevent me from taking advantage of the gratitude that was still felt； even after paying the fee； by certain former clients of ours； and I took up the phone again and got the president of one of the big realty outfits； and was glad to leam that I hadn't overestimated his gratitude。 When I had explained my problem he said he would do all he could to help； starting right then。
So I spent the afternoon looking at offices in the midtown section。 All I wanted was one little room with a light that worked； but the man that the realty president sent to go around with me was more particular than I was； and he turned his nose up at two or three that I would have bought。 We finally got to one on Madison Avenue； tenth floor； in the forties； which he admitted might do。 It wouldn't be vacated until the next day； but that didn't matter much because I still had to buy furniture。 I was allowed to sign for it on a month…to…month basis。
The next couple of days I had to keep myself under control。 I had never been aware of any secret longing to have my own agency； but I had to choke off an impulse to drop in at Macgruder's Thursday morning and blow a couple of thousand of my own jack on office equipment。 Instead； I went to Second Avenue and found bargains。 Having decided not to take anything from 35th Street； I made up a shopping list of about forty items； from ash trays to a Moorhead's Directory； and shot the works。
Late Saturday afternoon； with a package under my arm； I emerged from the elevator； went down th