Gambit Read Online Free PDF Page A

had LON COHEN on the door but no title, two doors down the hall from the corner office of the publisher, Lon cradled the phone, one of three on his desk, turned to me, and said, “You may be in time for the twilight if it’s a quickie. Front page?”
    I slumped and crossed my legs, showing that there was plenty of time. I shook my head. “Not even the second section. I’m just looking for scraps that may not be fit to print. About Paul Jerin and the Gambit Club.”
    “You don’t say.” He ran a palm over his hair, which was almost black and slicked back and up over his sloping dome. I knew that gesture well, but had learned the hard way not to try to interpret it. He was next to the best of the poker players I spent one night a week with, the best being Saul Panzer, whom you will meet later on. He asked, “Doing research for a treatise on adult delinquency?”
    “All I would need for that would be a mirror. Nero Wolfe is inquiring into certain aspects of the matter.”
    “Well well. Just for curiosity?”
    “No. He has a client.”
    “The hell he has. For release when?”
    “Oh, tomorrow.”
    “Who’s the client?”
    “I don’t know. He won’t tell me.”
    “I’ll bet he won’t.” Lon leaned forward. “Now look, Archie. It’s basic. In a newspaper sentences must always be active, never passive. You can’t say “Mr.
    Kaczynski was bitten by a woman today.” You must say “Miss Mabel Flum bit Mr.
    Kaczynski today.” The lead-off on this must be, “Daniel Kalmus, attorney for Matthew Blount, has engaged Nero Wolfe to get evidence that Blount did not murder Paul Jerin.” Then further along mention the fact that Wolfe is the greatest detective this side of outer space and has never failed to deliver,
    with the invaluable assistance of the incomparable Archie Goodwin. That’s the way to do it.”
    I was grinning at him. “I like it. Then the next day you could feature Kalmus’s denial.”
    “Are you saying it’s not Kalmus?”
    “I’m not saying. What the hell, it’s just as good, even better, leaving it open who hired him, hinting that you know but you’re not telling. Next day they’ll buy a million Gazettes to find out.”
    “Are you going to fill it in any'Now?”
    “No. Not a word. Just that he’s been hired and has been paid a retainer.”
    “Can we say we have it direct from you?”
    “Sure.”
    He turned and got at a phone, the green one. It didn’t take long, since he only had enough for one short paragraph. He hung up and turned to me. “Just in time.
    Now for tomorrow’s follow-up. I don’t expect words and music, but what’s the slant that makes Wolfe think -“
    “Whoa.” I showed him a palm. “You’ve got the gall of a journalist. It’s my turn.
    I want everything about everybody that you know or guess but haven’t printed.”
    “That would take all night. First, off the record, does Wolfe actually expect to spring Blount?”
    “Off the record, that’s the idea.” I had my notebook out. “Now. Have they found a container with arsenic in it?”
    “I’ll be damned.” His head was cocked. “Does Wolfe know that Blount went down to the kitchen for the chocolate and took it up to Jerin?”
    “Yes.”
    “Does he know that after Jerin had drunk most of the chocolate Blount took the cup and pot away and rinsed them out?”
    “Yes.”
    “Does he know that Blount chased Jerin out of his apartment and told him to stay away from his daughter?”
    “No. Do you?”
    “I couldn’t prove it, but the word is that the cops can. And one of our men got it - a good man, Al Proctor - he got it from a friend of Jerin’s. Do you want to talk to Proctor?”
    “No. What for'That would only help on a motive for Blount, and since Blount’s innocent why waste time on it'Have they -“
    “I will be damned. My God, Archie this is hot! Come on, give! Off the record until you say the word. Have I ever fudged on you?”
    “No, and you won’t now. Skip it, Lon. Nothing doing.