He conveyed theimpression that he was fully
prepared to sympathize with anythingshe might tell him.
You realize, I trust, he said,that the mysterious
package contained the security. Markham had listened attentively to Vances summary.
And the way he jumped at my suggestion bears out mytheory. AlvinBenson was alive, I
saw the major standing by the door. I did all the thinking Im going to do alongthat
line four days ago.
Paula Banning was not wholly alien tohis
inclinations. When aman like Pfyfe fails to specify the sex of a person, it is safe
toassume the feminine gender. The only logical answer was: Because the major had
suggested it. Thats what Im going to do, blithely returned Vance; but notabout the
Benson case. Youre surely not implying that I had any business dealings
withMr.
Then he handed Heath the papercontaining the names
Vance had called off to him.
Pfyfe has just given you your firstintelligent line
of investigation, and you say hes not helpful! I am all the time having to holdhim
down.
That was all my fault, she explained, with a
sigh.
The tone in which he madethe remark seemed to
establish a closer rapprochement. In what other quarters have you involved me during
my absence?
She had spoken with the sincerity of complete
assurance. Vance looked at her for a while sympathetically.
I shouldnt say that the forward movement was
entirelyimperceptible.
I beg of you,sir, not to press me as to my little
chat with Alvin. They didnt get along very well, she said.
Secondly, Benson was shot two days later, less than
a weekbefore the note fell due. Pfyfe rewarded him with a look of beaming approval.
I shouldnt say that the forward movement was entirelyimperceptible. Indeed, itwas of
a most personal and private nature. Therefore, she adopted an attitude oftolerantly
incredulous amusement. Y see, I told her it wasyou speaking; and it would be
shocking taste not to appear. I have felt all along that he knew more than
headmitted. Then he smiled at her in a spirit of appreciativegeniality and relaxed
comfortably in his chair.
Ireferred to a personal relationship between you
and Mr. With the greatest pleasure, said Pfyfe; but his voice had lost
itsassurance.
Id call it a dirty,contemptible, underhand
trick.
Heath inspected the envelope and its enclosures and
then handed themback. Otherwise, he couldnt determine what was, and what was
not,irrelevant. I let the boy get the numberand then I stood him to one side and
listened in.
Thats all, replied Vance, rising and strolling to
the window. I wantto have another talk with Pfyfe before I do anything definite.