”I couldn’t recall his name,“ I said. ”I knew it wasn’t Loeffler.“
”The other one went by the name of Mike Harnisky. Ex-boxer, considered a little punchy. We’ve turned up nothing derogatory so far. We’re still checking.“
”Sure,“ I said.
”As for Louis Rosten, we’ll do what we can, in view of what you report.“
”Sure.“
”1 am instructed to commend you for a very satisfactory job. The other solution would have been acceptable, but this one, since it worked, makes everybody much happier.“
”Sure,“ I said. ”Naturally I had that in mind all along, sir. You know I just love to make people happy.“
”I know,“ he said. ”That is your most endearing trait, I think, Eric. Aside from your great respect for discipline and instant obedience to orders, I mean.“
”Yes, sir,“ I said.
He looked at me for a moment across the big desk. He said gently, ”You lucked out, didn’t you?“
I said, ”Yes. It was a mess from start to finish, but I lucked out at the end.“
”It happens like that,“ he said. ”But it’s not something an agent can count on.“
”No, sir,“ I said. ”That’s why I’m submitting my resignation, sir.“
He didn’t move. After a moment, he said, rather impatiently, ”Don’t be melodramatic. When I want your resignation, I’ll ask for it, never fear.“ I didn’t say anything. After a moment, he reached into the top desk drawer and pulled out an official-looking folder. He glanced at it, and slid it across the desk to me. ”Read that before you do anything hasty.“
I looked at the folder. The neatly typed label read:
ELLINGTON, MRS. LAURA H. Autopsy Report Cop. 3. I couldn’t remember any Mrs. Ellington. Then I remembered that Jean had used that name.
”Go on,“ Mac said. ”Read it.“
I said, ”It will be three pages of medical jargon. You tell me what it says.“
”It says you didn’t kill her.“
I looked at him. ”If I didn’t, who did?“
”She did.“
”Come again.“
”She drank herself to death.“
I grimaced. ”That’s ridiculous, sir. You don’t die of cirrhosis in the time she’d been at it, and it doesn’t hit you like that, anyway. Who’s kidding whom?“
”I didn’t say anything about cirrhosis. Did Jean down a stiff drink-six or eight ounces of straight whisky, say- a few minutes before she died? The autopsy says she did.“
I said, ”Sure, but-“
”It killed her,“ he said. ”Don’t look so surprised. It happens all the time, young people showing off how much they can drink right out of the bottle, and falling over dead. That much alcohol in one dose can be pure poison under certain circumstances. The heart just stops.“
”I see,“ I said slowly. ”I see.“
”According to your own report, you made several mistakes during the past few days. But that is one you did not make. Your hand did not slip. Under the circumstances, do you wish to reconsider the resignation you haven’t turned in yet?“
I hesitated. I’d come in with my mind made up, I thought; and there was really no reason why this should change things in any way, but somehow it did.
Mac’s voice came to me gently, ”Perhaps you’d like to take the month that is coming to you and think it over. On medical recommendations, I could make that a little longer.“
”A month should do it,“ I said.
As I said it, I tried to remember what I’d been going to do with a month’s leave. I’d had something in mind, a long time ago. Well, it would come back to me as soon as I got some sleep. If it didn’t, it couldn’t be very important.
”Oh, Eric,“ he said, as I rose and turned towards the door. I looked back. ”Try the Presidential Hotel, Room 212. The lady didn’t leave her name, but she had our number, so she must have worked for us once. The girl who took the call said the accent was from Texas.“
I stood there for a moment. Then I said, ”Thank you, sir,“ and moved quickly towards the door.
”Eric.“
”Yes, sir?“
”I still don’t approve,“ he said, but he didn’t say it very severely.
Donald Hamilton
