Mrs. Cool said, ‘We served papers on Morgan Birks.’
‘Oh, you served them.’
‘Of course we served them.’
‘Do you know,’ the man said, ‘I insisted all along that Donald had served them. And so did the little woman. You served them somehow in the hotel, didn’t you, Donald?’
‘Don’t answer, Donald.’
‘I’m not going to,’ I said.
The chief turned to his wife. ‘There you are, m’love,’ he said, ‘perfect teamwork. That’s what comes of doing business with people who appreciate the possibilities of a situation.
‘Well, well, well, Mrs. Cool. I don’t know just what to say. You say that we want Morgan Birks. That isn’t at all correct, and yet it’s the way it would doubtless appear to a person running a detective agency. But let’s concede, just for the sake of the argument, that we would like to have a few words with Morgan Birks — what of it?’
‘How much is it worth?’
‘Well now,’ the fat man said, stroking his chin, ‘this is a rather unusual proposition.’
‘And rather unusual circumstances,’ Bertha Cool reminded him.
‘Yes, yes, that’s right. It is for a fact — I can’t get over Donald finding this place so promptly. It’s rather uncanny, you know. I had thought that all the necessary precautions had been taken.’
Bertha Cool said, ‘I know where Morgan Birks can be found. You can’t talk with him. Is that information worth anything to you?’
The smile froze on the chief’s face. Above the curved lips, his eyes were hard and watchful.
‘You mean he’s in jail?’
‘I mean you can’t talk with him.’
‘He’s been drinking again?’
‘I can tell you where he is.’
‘How much do you want?’ the chief asked.
‘Whatever it’s worth.’
‘Why can’t I talk with him?’
Bertha Cool said, ‘I don’t want to take an unfair advantage.’
‘You mean he’s dead?’
‘I can tell you where he is.’
The fat man looked at his wife. She shook her head. The gesture was all but imperceptible.
The chief turned back to Bertha Cool. He seemed more relaxed now. ‘No,’ he said, ‘the information wouldn’t be worth anything to me. I’m sorry, Mrs. Cool, because I think you have a great deal of ability. And I’m positively fond of Lam. I really am. Perhaps some day I can hire your agency. There might be some information you could get for us.’
Cunweather turned back to his wife, and said, ‘What do you think, m’love? Don’t you think Mr. Lam is a bright young man?’
Mrs. Cunweather said, tonelessly, ‘Fred was driving the sedan when he took Lam back to his room. Lam got a look at the license number.’
Cunweather’s headshake was emphatic. ‘I don’t think he did, m’love. When I told Fred to take the sedan, I cautioned him about that. I told him to switch out the lights when he parked the car, deliver Mr. Lam to his room, and not switch on the car lights until he was certain Lam was where he couldn’t see.’
‘That’s how Lam found this place,’ Mrs. Cunweather said in a tone of flat finality.
The chief pinched his pendulous lower lip between his thumb and forefinger. ‘I hope Fred isn’t getting careless,’ he said. ‘I do, indeed. I’d hate to lose Fred. That’s the worst of a man who has a great deal of physical prowess. He underestimates men who are not as strong as he is. I think Fred always underestimates the other man’s mentality, don’t you, m’love?’
‘We’ll talk about Fred later,’ she said. ‘Right now we’re talking about hiring Mrs. Cool and Mr. Lam.’
‘Leave me out of it,’ I said.
Mrs. Cool said, ‘Don’t pay any attention to Donald. He’s working for me. I’m giving the orders. What’s your proposition?’
‘I don’t know that we have any,’ Cunweather said.
His tone lacked finality, and Bertha Cool didn’t take the answer as final. She continued to sit there, waiting. Cunweather glanced once more at his wife, twisted his underlip into a weird shape. ‘I’ll be frank with you, Mrs. Cool,’ he said. ‘We’re in a position where time is precious. Seconds may count. We need’ help to get certain information. I think you have some of the information we want. We might talk a while.’
‘You talk,’ she said. ‘I’ll listen.’
‘No, that won’t do at all. We’d have to exchange information.’
Bertha Cool said, ‘I don’t want any of your information. If, you want some of mine, it’s going to cost you money.’
‘Yes, yes. I understand,’ Cunweather said. ‘But in order to determine how extensive your information is and how much it... might be worth to us, we’d have to talk things over.’
‘Go ahead and talk,’ Bertha Cool said, shifting her weight in, the chair in search of a more comfortable position.
Cunweather said, ‘We don’t want Morgan Birks now. We do want information about Morgan’s sweetheart. My men slipped up on that, and slipped up badly. I knew that there was to be a play at the Perkins Hotel. I knew Morgan was scheduled to meet someone there. I didn’t know when. I didn’t know whom. Apparently the woman we wanted was registered as Mrs. B. F.. Morgan. Now my men were so busy looking for Morgan Birks they didn’t pay much attention to that woman. She gave us the slip.’
Cunweather paused to give Mrs. Cool a chance to talk. She didn’t say anything.
‘We’d like very much to know more about Mrs. B. F. Morgan,’ Cunweather said.
‘How much do you want to know, and what’s it worth?’
‘We’d like to know where we could find her.’
‘I could help on that,’ Bertha Cool said.
‘Could you put your finger on her?’
‘Yes.’
Cunweather glanced again at his wife. She maintained a ‘ stony stare of silent attention. When Cunweather failed to receive a signal, he turned to Mrs. Cool. ‘Well now,’ he said, ‘that would help. Of course, Mrs. Cool, I’ll be frank with you; one of our objections to hiring outside help is that they some times try to do a little chiseling on the side. We don’t like that. I think Mr. Lam has told you it isn’t healthy to try to chisel on us.’
Bertha Cool said, ‘Don’t try to frighten me. My health is very good. I have a damn strong constitution.’
‘Ha! ha! ha!’ Cunweather laughed. ‘That’s good! A strong constitution. Yes, Mrs. Cool, I’m satisfied you have. I like the way you handle yourself. I think we could offer you employment.’
Mrs. Cool said, ‘When I leave here, I’m going to see Sandra Birks. If you want me to work for you and there’s enough money in it, I’ll work for you. If Sandra Birks wants me to work for her and there’s enough money in it, I’ll work for her. I want to pick the job that offers the most money.’
‘You mean you want me to make an offer?’
‘Yes.’
‘And then you want to see Mrs. Birks and see what she has in mind?’
‘Yes.’
‘And accept the best offer?’
‘Yes.’
‘I don’t think I’d like that,’ Cunweather said. ‘I’m quite certain I wouldn’t like it. I don’t think it would be ethical.’
‘Don’t lose any sleep worrying about my ethics,’ Bertha Cool said. ‘I’m putting my cards on the table.’
‘Yes, I can see you are, Mrs. Cool — are you going to tell Sandra Birks that you had this chat with me?’
‘That depends,’ she said.
‘On what?’
‘On what Sandra Birks wants me to do, and how much money there is in it.’
‘We wouldn’t like you to mention that you were here. We’d consider it a violation of a confidence,’ Cunweather said.
‘I wouldn’t,’ Bertha Cool retorted. ‘You didn’t invite me here. I found the place.’