«I oughta have pulled his mush off,» he said, «but I went soft.» He drove rapidly the rest of the way to Hollywood and the Chateau Moraine and we went up to my apartment and sat down with large glasses in our hands.
«We got better than a quart and a half of hooch,» Henry said, looking at the two bottles which he had placed on the table beside others which had long since been emptied. «That oughta be good for an idea.»
«If it isn’t enough, Henry, there is an abundant further supply where it came from,» I drained my glass cheerfully.
«You seem a right guy,» Henry said. «What makes you always talk so funny?»
«I cannot seem to change my speech, Henry. My father and mother were both severe purists in the New England tradition, and the vernacular has never come naturally to my lips, even while I was in college.»
Henry made an attempt to digest this remark, but I could see that it lay somewhat heavily on his stomach.
We talked for a time concerning Gandesi and the doubtful quality of his advice, and thus passed perhaps half an hour. Then rather suddenly the white telephone on my desk began to ring. I hurried over to it, hoping that it was Ellen Macintosh and that she had recovered from her ill humor. But it proved to be a male voice and a strange one to me. It spoke crisply, with an unpleasant metallic quality of tone.
«You Walter Gage?»
«This is Mister Gage speaking.»
«Well, Mister Gage, I understand you’re in the market for some jewelry.»
I held the phone very tightly and turned my body and made grimaces to Henry over the top of the instrument. But he was moodily pouring himself another large portion of Old Plantation.
«That is so,» I said into the telephone, trying to keep my voice steady, although my excitement was almost too much for me. «If by jewelry you mean pearls.»
«Forty-nine in a rope, brother. And five grand is the price.»
«Why that is entirely absurd,» I gasped. «Five thousand dollars for those —»
The voice broke in on me rudely. «You heard me, brother. Five grand. Just hold up the hand and count the fingers. No more, no less. Think it over. I’ll call you later.»
The phone clicked dryly and I replaced the instrument shakily in its cradle. I was trembling. I walked back to my chair and sat down and wiped my face with my handkerchief.
«Henry,» I said in a low tense voice, «it worked. But how strangely.»
Henry put his empty glass down on the floor. It was the first time that I had ever seen him put an empty glass down and leave it empty. He stared at me closely with his tight unblinking green eyes.
«Yeah?» he said gently. «What worked, kid?» He licked his lips slowly with the tip of his tongue.
«What we accomplished down at Gandesi’s place, Henry. A man just called me on the telephone and asked me if I was in the market for pearls.»
«Geez.» Henry pursed his lips and whistled gently. «That damn dago had something after all.»
«But the price is five thousand dollars, Henry. That seems beyond reasonable explanation.»
«Huh?» Henry’s eyes seemed to bulge as if they were about to depart from their orbits. «Five grand for them ringers? The guy’s nuts. They cost two C’s, you said. Bugs completely is what the guy is. Five grand? Why, for five grand I could buy me enough phony pearls to cover an elephant’s caboose.»
I could see that Henry seemed puzzled. He refilled our glasses silently and we stared at each other over them. «Well, what the heck can you do with that, Walter?» he asked after a long silence.
«Henry,» I said firmly, «there is only one thing to do. It is true that Ellen Macintosh spoke to me in confidence, and as she did not have Mrs. Penruddock’s express permission to tell me about the pearls, I suppose I should respect that confidence. But Ellen is now angry with me and does not wish to speak to me, for the reason that I am drinking whiskey in considerable quantities, although my speech and brain are still reasonably clear. This last is a very strange development and I think, in spite of everything, some close friend of the family should be consulted. Preferably of course, a man, someone of large business experience, and in addition to that a man who understands about jewels. There is such a man, Henry, and tomorrow morning I shall call upon him,»
«Geez,» Henry said. «You coulda said all that in nine words, bo. Who is this guy?»
«His name is Mr. Lansing Gallemore, and he is president of the Gallemore Jewelry Company on Seventh Street. He is a very old friend of Mrs. Penruddock — Ellen has often mentioned him — and is, in fact, the very man who procured for her the imitation pearls.»
«But this guy will tip the bulls,» Henry objected.
«I do not think so, Henry. I do not think he will do anything to embarrass Mrs. Penruddock in any way.»
Henry shrugged. «Phonies are phonies,» he said. «You can’t make nothing else outa them. Not even no president of no jewlery store can’t.»
«Nevertheless, there must be a reason why so large a sum is demanded, Henry. The only reason that occurs to me is blackmail and, frankly, that is a little too much for me to handle alone, because I do not know enough about the background of the Penruddock family.»
«Okey,» Henry said, sighing. «If that’s your hunch, you better follow it, Walter. And I better breeze on home and flop so as to be in good shape for the rough work, if any.»
«You would not care to pass the night here, Henry?»
«Thanks, pal, but I’m O.K. back at the hotel. I’ll just take this spare bottle of the tiger sweat to put me to sleep. I might happen to get a call from the agency in the A.M. and would have to brush my teeth and go after it. And I guess I better change my duds back to where I can mix with the common people.»
So saying he went into the bathroom and in a short time emerged wearing his own blue serge suite. I urged him to take my car, but he said it would not be safe in his neighborhood. He did, however, consent to use the topcoat he had been wearing and, placing in it carefully the unopened quart of whiskey, he shook me warmly by the hand.
«One moment, Henry,» I said and took out my wallet. I extended a twenty-dollar bill to him.
«What’s that in favor of?» he growled.
«You are temporarily out of employment, Henry, and you have done a noble piece of work this evening, puzzling as are the results. You should be rewarded and I can well afford this small token.»
«Well, thanks, pal,» Henry said. «But it’s just a loan.» His voice was gruff with emotion. «Should I give you a buzz in the A.M.?
«By all means. And there is one thing more that has occurred to me. Would it not be advisable for you to change your hotel? Suppose, through no fault of mine, the police learn of this theft. Would they not at least suspect you?»
«Hell, they’d bounce me up and down for hours,» Henry said. «But what’ll it get them? I ain’t no ripe peach.»
«It is for you to decide, of course, Henry.»
«Yeah. Good night, pal, and don’t have no nightmares.»
He left me then and I felt suddenly very depressed and lonely. Henry’s company had been very stimulating to me, in spite of his rough way of talking. He was very much of a man. I poured myself a rather large drink of whiskey from the remaining bottle and drank it quickly but gloomily.
The effect was such that I had an overmastering desire to speak to Ellen Macintosh at all costs. I went to the telephone and called her number. After a long wait a sleepy maid answered. But Ellen, upon hearing my name, refused to come to the telephone. That depressed me still further and I finished the rest of the whiskey almost without noticing what I was doing. I then lay down on the bed and fell into fitful slumber.