and who the baby had come from. But there wasn’t. I’ll skip the next hour and a half, except to say that I know how to lookfor something that isn’t supposed to be found, and I did a job on that house. It takes more time when you leave everything the way it was, but I did a job. All I had when I finished was a few names and addresses, from letters and envelopes in a drawer in the bedroom, and a few phone numbers, and none of them looked promising.
I was hungry, and since I was there uninvited it would have been vulgar to help myself from her kitchen. Also it was twenty minutes to three and Saul had probably come some time ago, so I left, through the window I had entered by, took the driveway to the road and turned right, and when I rounded the bend saw Saul’s car, off the road at the wide spot. When he saw me he flopped over on the seat, and when I arrived he was snoring. He isn’t much to look at, with his big nose and square chin and wide sloping brow, and snoring with his mouth open he was a sight. I reached in the open window and twisted his nose, and in a millionth of a second he had my wrist and was twisting it. There you are. He knew I would go for his nose before I did.
“Uncle,” I said.
He let go and sat up. “What day is it?”
“Christmas. How long have you been here?”
“An hour and twenty minutes.”
“Then you should have left twenty minutes ago. Follow instructions.”
“I’m a detective. I saw the Heron. Would you care for a sandwich and raisin cake and milk? I’ve had mine.”
“Would I.” There was a carton on the back seat and I got in and opened it. Corned beef on rye, two of them. As I unwrapped one I said, “She skipped while I was gone to phone for you. She’s been gone over three hours.” I took a bite.
“That’s life. Anyone else there?”
“No.”
“Did you find anything?”
Not had I entered; that was taken for granted. I swallowed and got the carton of milk. “If any of your girl friends has twins there’s enough stuff in the cellar, in a trunk, for both of them. And in a drawer upstairs are two pairs of blue corduroy overalls with white horsehair buttons. Of course that’s why they’re not in the trunk, the buttons. Also in the cellar is the crib the baby slept in.”
When I briefed him Thursday evening I had given him the whole picture. With him we nearly always do. He took half a minute to look at this addition to it. “The clothes could be explained,” he said, “but the crib settles it.”
“Yeah.” My mouth was full.
“So the baby was there and she knows the answer. She may not know who the mother is, but she knows enough. How tough is she?”
“She’s the kind that might surprise you. I
think
she would clam up. If she came and found me there I was going to tackle her, but now I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine. Probably the best bet is to cover her for at least a couple of days.”
“Then we shouldn’t be sitting here in my car. She knows your car, doesn’t she?”
I nodded and took a swig of milk. “Okay.” I put the milk and the rest of the sandwich in the carton. “I’ll go and finish this little snack, which is saving my life, in the Heron. Stick your car in the woods and then join me. If she comes before I leave you can duck. I’ll go home and report. If he decides on the cover, either Fred or Orrie will be here by nine o’clock. You decide how you wanthim to make contact and tell me. If he decides he wants her brought in so he can tackle her himself, I’ll come instead of Fred or Orrie, and I may need your help.”
I climbed out, with the carton. Saul asked, “If she comes before I join you?”
“Stay with your car. Ill find it.” I started up the road.
Chapter 6
S aul Panzer and Fred Durkin and Orrie Cather, in shifts, had Ellen Tenzer’s house, or the approach to it, under surveillance for twenty hours—Saul from three p.m. to nine p.m. Friday, Fred from nine p.m. Friday to six a.m. Saturday, and
I was hungry, and since I was there uninvited it would have been vulgar to help myself from her kitchen. Also it was twenty minutes to three and Saul had probably come some time ago, so I left, through the window I had entered by, took the driveway to the road and turned right, and when I rounded the bend saw Saul’s car, off the road at the wide spot. When he saw me he flopped over on the seat, and when I arrived he was snoring. He isn’t much to look at, with his big nose and square chin and wide sloping brow, and snoring with his mouth open he was a sight. I reached in the open window and twisted his nose, and in a millionth of a second he had my wrist and was twisting it. There you are. He knew I would go for his nose before I did.
“Uncle,” I said.
He let go and sat up. “What day is it?”
“Christmas. How long have you been here?”
“An hour and twenty minutes.”
“Then you should have left twenty minutes ago. Follow instructions.”
“I’m a detective. I saw the Heron. Would you care for a sandwich and raisin cake and milk? I’ve had mine.”
“Would I.” There was a carton on the back seat and I got in and opened it. Corned beef on rye, two of them. As I unwrapped one I said, “She skipped while I was gone to phone for you. She’s been gone over three hours.” I took a bite.
“That’s life. Anyone else there?”
“No.”
“Did you find anything?”
Not had I entered; that was taken for granted. I swallowed and got the carton of milk. “If any of your girl friends has twins there’s enough stuff in the cellar, in a trunk, for both of them. And in a drawer upstairs are two pairs of blue corduroy overalls with white horsehair buttons. Of course that’s why they’re not in the trunk, the buttons. Also in the cellar is the crib the baby slept in.”
When I briefed him Thursday evening I had given him the whole picture. With him we nearly always do. He took half a minute to look at this addition to it. “The clothes could be explained,” he said, “but the crib settles it.”
“Yeah.” My mouth was full.
“So the baby was there and she knows the answer. She may not know who the mother is, but she knows enough. How tough is she?”
“She’s the kind that might surprise you. I
think
she would clam up. If she came and found me there I was going to tackle her, but now I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine. Probably the best bet is to cover her for at least a couple of days.”
“Then we shouldn’t be sitting here in my car. She knows your car, doesn’t she?”
I nodded and took a swig of milk. “Okay.” I put the milk and the rest of the sandwich in the carton. “I’ll go and finish this little snack, which is saving my life, in the Heron. Stick your car in the woods and then join me. If she comes before I leave you can duck. I’ll go home and report. If he decides on the cover, either Fred or Orrie will be here by nine o’clock. You decide how you wanthim to make contact and tell me. If he decides he wants her brought in so he can tackle her himself, I’ll come instead of Fred or Orrie, and I may need your help.”
I climbed out, with the carton. Saul asked, “If she comes before I join you?”
“Stay with your car. Ill find it.” I started up the road.
Chapter 6
S aul Panzer and Fred Durkin and Orrie Cather, in shifts, had Ellen Tenzer’s house, or the approach to it, under surveillance for twenty hours—Saul from three p.m. to nine p.m. Friday, Fred from nine p.m. Friday to six a.m. Saturday, and
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