‘Never mind: the guy’s got a private life, hasn’t he?’ Hackett said and winked at me. ‘The fact is, Scott, I’m coming in on this New York venture. I’m putting in some of my money. When R.A. told me you were going to handle the office, I wanted to meet and talk to you. That’s about it, isn’t it, R.A.?’
Aitken scowled. He disliked anyone taking charge of the conversation just as he disliked being side-tracked, but he said in a fairly genial tone: ‘Yes, that’s it. Well, here he is for you to talk to.’ He turned to me. ‘Hackett is putting up a hundred thousand dollars, and he naturally wants to make sure you’re the man to look after his money.’
‘From what R.A. tells me, you must be okay,’ Hackett said, leaning back in his chair, ‘but there are one or two points I’d like to cover with you. You don’t mind answering a few questions, do you?’
‘Why, no,’ I said, relaxing a little. ‘I’d be glad to.’
‘They won’t touch on your private life,’ he said and smiled. ‘How a man lives outside the office is no concern of mine, unless, of course, he gets mixed up in some mess or scandal.’ The jovial face was still jovial, but the eyes were now a little too steady and searching for me to meet. I took out my cigarettes and hid behind the business of lighting up. ‘I don’t suppose you aim to mix yourself up in any scandal, do you?’ he went on.
Aitken moved impatiently.
‘There’s nothing like that about Scott,’ he growled. ‘You don’t imagine I employ men who get mixed up in scandals, do you?’
‘I’m sure you don’t,’ Hackett said and, leaning forward, he slapped me on the knee. ‘I’m a great little kidder. Don’t pay my attention to it. Now, suppose you tell me about your qualifications?’
Maybe he was a great little kidder, but he wasn’t kidding me. He knew something or suspected something. I was sure of that. Had he guessed the girl he had seen me with was Lucille?
I told him about my qualifications, and then answered a series of searching questions to do with my career. He also asked me questions about my plans for the New York office, the staff I would need, where the office would be located and so on. Finally, he seemed satisfied and he sat back, nodding his head.
‘You’ll do. You’re a regular R.A. man, and that’s good enough for me.’ He glanced over at Aitken. ‘And he’s putting up twenty thousand?’
Aitken nodded.
‘And he’s to get five per cent on the gross as well as his salary?’
‘Yes.’
Hackett brooded for a moment, and I was expecting him to say he didn’t agree with the percentage, but he didn’t.
‘Okay. They’re damn good terms, Scott, but I bet you’ll earn them. When do you put the money up?’
‘Next Thursday,’ I told him.
‘Okay, R.A. You’ll have my cheque at the same time. Okay?’
‘Suits me fine. I’ll have the whole thing fixed through Webster. You know him, don’t you?’
‘Yeah—a good man.’ Hackett got to his feet. ‘Well, we mustn’t keep Scott from his golf.’ He
offered me his hand, ‘I’m;’ sure you’re going to make a big success of the job. I wish you luck.’
‘Thank you.’ I shook his hand then turned to Aitken. ‘If that’s all…’
I broke off as Aitken stared past me down towards the long twisting drive.
‘Now what the devil is this?’ Aitken growled.
I looked in the same direction.
A dark blue car with a red flasher and a siren horn on its roof was coming fast up the drive.
I felt myself turn rigid.
There were four men in the car—all cops.
II
A big man, wearing a grey, crumpled suit and a lightweight hat pushed to the back of his head got out of the police car. His fleshy face was hard and sunburned. There was a mass of freckles across his short, flat nose. He looked what he was: a tough-cynical, suspicious cop.
He looked up at Hackett and me as we leaned over the balustrade, then he started up the steps, moving slowly as if he had plenty of time and was in no hurry to reach us.
Two uniformed cops had spilt out of the car and now stood around in the aimless way cops have. The driver remained at the wheel.
The plain-clothes man finally arrived at the top step and came over to us, moving slowly and deliberately.
I watched him came, my heart beating fast, my mouth dry. I wondered, the way all guilty people must wonder at the sight of a cop, if he had come here to arrest me.
He walked across the terrace, his big feet coming down on the hot stonework with a slight slapping sound, and he stopped in front of Aitken.
‘Detective-lieutenant West, City police, sir,’ he said. The Captain’s compliments. We are asking for your co-operation.’
Aitken stared up at him, his expression puzzled.
‘What is it? What’s the Captain want?’
‘It’s to do with this hit-and-run case. Maybe you’ve read about it in this morning’s papers.’ West’s voice was slow and heavy. ‘The Captain aims to check every car in the city for damage. If it’s okay with you, Mr. Aitken, we’d like to look your cars over.’
Aitken started to get a bloom on his face.
‘Look at my cars? Why? You don’t imagine I had anything to do with it, do you?’
I looked quickly at Hackett. He was leaning against the balustrade, his heavy face showing his interest.
West tilted his hat a little farther to the back of his head. His forehead was glistening with sweat.
‘No, sir, we don’t think that. But we’re checking every car in town. You have a chauffeur. Maybe he used one of your cars last night. I didn’t say he did, but a check would clear him. The Captain said if you objected, I wasn’t to bother you.’
Aitken’s face took on a deeper hue.
‘My chauffeur didn’t use any of my cars last night,’ he grated. West’s face became expressionless.
‘Okay, sir, the Captain said not to persist, but if your chauffeur didn’t use any of your cars, someone else might have.’
‘None of my cars have been out since I broke my leg,’ Aitken Said, his voice tight with rage. ‘You’re wasting your time.’
West lifted his heavy shoulders.
‘It’s what I get paid for. If you object to me looking at your cars, that’s okay with me. I’ll leave it and report back to the Captain.’
‘Listen to him!’ Aitken exploded and turned to Hackett. ‘This is a fine example of how these guys waste our money!’ Four men to check four cars! I’ll write to Sullivan about this! Just because some fool got himself knocked over and kill there’s all this uproar.’
‘The driver didn’t stop,’ Hackett said mildly. ‘You can blame this officer, R.A. He’s only doing his duty.’
Aitken drew in a long breath.
‘Okay, go and look at my cars! I don’t give a damn! Go ahead and waste the money I pay out in taxes. Go on: but off this terrace!’
‘Thank you,’ West said, his face expressionless. ‘Would you tell me where the garage is?’
Aitken turned to me.
‘You know where my garage is?’
I said I did.
‘Then take this man and show him, will you? And keep with him. See none of his men kick a panel in. Just watch out there’s no evidence manufactured to get my chauffeur into trouble.’
I walked to the head of the steps and West plodded after. We went down the steps to where the uniformed men were waiting. West shook his head at them, and we went past them, leaving them standing motionless in the sun.
When we were out of sight of the terrace, West said quietly: ‘Do you work for that guy?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Rather you than me.’ He took off his hat and wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket. ‘I thought my chief was the world’s worst, but I can see he’s not even trying compared to this guy Aitken.’