unusual service I will render and also any extraordinary expense I may incur. Two things must be understood: you approve the expenditure in your interest, and the express purpose is to catch the guilty person. He upturned his palms. There it is.
My God. Twenty thousand. Rackell shook his head. Thats a lot of money. You mean you want a check for that amount now'
No. To be paid if and when earned. An oral commitment will do. Mr. Goodwin hears us and has a good memory.
Rackell opened his mouth and closed it again. He looked at his wife. He looked back at Wolfe. Look here, he said earnestly, maybe Im thickheaded. It sounds to me as if what this amounts to is bribing a witness. With my money.
Dont be a fool, Ben, his wife said sharply.
I think you misunderstand, Wolfe told him. To bribe is to influence corruptly by some consideration. Anyone who receives any of your money through me will get it only as an inducement to tell the truth. Influence, yes. Corrupt, surely not.
As for the amount, I dont wonder that you hesitate. Its quite a sum, but I wouldnt undertake it for less.
Rackell looked at his wife again. What did you mean, Pauline, dont be a fool'
I meant youd be a fool not to do it, of course. She felt so strongly about it that her lips moved. It was you who wanted to come to Mr. Wolfe in the first place, and now when he really wants to do something you talk about bribing. If its the money, I have plenty of my own and Ill pay - She stopped abruptly,
tightening her lips. Ill pay half, she said.
Thats fair enough; well each pay half. She went to Wolfe.
Who is it, that Goheen woman'
Wolfe ignored her. He asked Rackell, Well, sir'How about it'
Rackell didnt like it. He avoided his wifes gaze, but he knew it was on him,
and it was pressing. He even looked at me, as if my eye might somehow help, but I was deadpan.
Then he returned to Wolfe. All right, he said.
You accept the proposal as I made it'
Yes. Only Ill pay it. Id rather not - Id rather pay it myself. You said to be paid if and when earned. Who decides whether youve earned it or not'
You do. I doubt if that will be a bone to pick.
A question my wife asked - do you know who the eyewitness is'
Your wife was witless to ask it. If I knew would I tell you'Or would you want me to'Now'
Rackell shook his head. No, I guess not. No, I can see that its better just to let you - He left it hanging. Is there anything else you want to say about it'
Wolfe said there wasnt. Rackell got up and stood there as if he would like to say something but didnt know what. I arose and moved toward the door. I didnt want to be rude to a client who had just bought a suggestion that would cost him twenty grand, but now that he had okayed it I had a job do and I wanted to get going. I still didnt know where Wolfe thought he was headed for, but the sooner I got started with my instructions the sooner I would know. They finally came,
and I went ahead and opened the front door for them.
She held his elbow going down the stoop. I shut the door and joined Wolfe in the office.
Well'I demanded. Do I proceed'
Yes.
Its nearly half-past six. If I offer to buy her a meal - I mean if thats the right approach.
You know the approaches to women, I dont.
Yeah. I sat at my desk and pulled the phone to me. If ask me this stunt youve hatched is a swell approach to the hoosegow. For both of us.
He grunted. I started dialing a number.
New York can have pleasant summer evenings when it wants to, and that was one of them - warm but not hot not muggy. I paid the taxi driver when he rolled to the cab at the address on Fifty-first Street east of Lexington, got out, and took a look. In bright sunshine the old gray brick building would probably show signs of wear and tear, but now in twilight it wasnt too bad. Entering the vestibule,
I scanned the tier of names on the wall panel. The one next to the top said Devlin-Berk. I pushed the button, shoved the door open when the click came, went in, glanced
My God. Twenty thousand. Rackell shook his head. Thats a lot of money. You mean you want a check for that amount now'
No. To be paid if and when earned. An oral commitment will do. Mr. Goodwin hears us and has a good memory.
Rackell opened his mouth and closed it again. He looked at his wife. He looked back at Wolfe. Look here, he said earnestly, maybe Im thickheaded. It sounds to me as if what this amounts to is bribing a witness. With my money.
Dont be a fool, Ben, his wife said sharply.
I think you misunderstand, Wolfe told him. To bribe is to influence corruptly by some consideration. Anyone who receives any of your money through me will get it only as an inducement to tell the truth. Influence, yes. Corrupt, surely not.
As for the amount, I dont wonder that you hesitate. Its quite a sum, but I wouldnt undertake it for less.
Rackell looked at his wife again. What did you mean, Pauline, dont be a fool'
I meant youd be a fool not to do it, of course. She felt so strongly about it that her lips moved. It was you who wanted to come to Mr. Wolfe in the first place, and now when he really wants to do something you talk about bribing. If its the money, I have plenty of my own and Ill pay - She stopped abruptly,
tightening her lips. Ill pay half, she said.
Thats fair enough; well each pay half. She went to Wolfe.
Who is it, that Goheen woman'
Wolfe ignored her. He asked Rackell, Well, sir'How about it'
Rackell didnt like it. He avoided his wifes gaze, but he knew it was on him,
and it was pressing. He even looked at me, as if my eye might somehow help, but I was deadpan.
Then he returned to Wolfe. All right, he said.
You accept the proposal as I made it'
Yes. Only Ill pay it. Id rather not - Id rather pay it myself. You said to be paid if and when earned. Who decides whether youve earned it or not'
You do. I doubt if that will be a bone to pick.
A question my wife asked - do you know who the eyewitness is'
Your wife was witless to ask it. If I knew would I tell you'Or would you want me to'Now'
Rackell shook his head. No, I guess not. No, I can see that its better just to let you - He left it hanging. Is there anything else you want to say about it'
Wolfe said there wasnt. Rackell got up and stood there as if he would like to say something but didnt know what. I arose and moved toward the door. I didnt want to be rude to a client who had just bought a suggestion that would cost him twenty grand, but now that he had okayed it I had a job do and I wanted to get going. I still didnt know where Wolfe thought he was headed for, but the sooner I got started with my instructions the sooner I would know. They finally came,
and I went ahead and opened the front door for them.
She held his elbow going down the stoop. I shut the door and joined Wolfe in the office.
Well'I demanded. Do I proceed'
Yes.
Its nearly half-past six. If I offer to buy her a meal - I mean if thats the right approach.
You know the approaches to women, I dont.
Yeah. I sat at my desk and pulled the phone to me. If ask me this stunt youve hatched is a swell approach to the hoosegow. For both of us.
He grunted. I started dialing a number.
New York can have pleasant summer evenings when it wants to, and that was one of them - warm but not hot not muggy. I paid the taxi driver when he rolled to the cab at the address on Fifty-first Street east of Lexington, got out, and took a look. In bright sunshine the old gray brick building would probably show signs of wear and tear, but now in twilight it wasnt too bad. Entering the vestibule,
I scanned the tier of names on the wall panel. The one next to the top said Devlin-Berk. I pushed the button, shoved the door open when the click came, went in, glanced