Murderers' Row by Donald Hamilton Page B

driver.”
    â€œIt rings no bells.”
    â€œIt should. He was behind you all the way from the girl’s motel, our man says, trying to make up his mind to close in. No armaments in view, but that means nothing.”
    â€œNo, sir.”
    â€œI got your message.”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œIndependence is a virtue, I’m told, but there are arguments in favor of discipline. We will discuss the matter later.”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œI presume what you have in mind could be classified under the heading of atonement. Even assuming that you were at fault, which you have denied, it is a sentimental notion.”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œSentiment is rare in our line of work.” His voice was dry. “Well, Jean would have appreciated the romantic gesture. Since you seem to have a lead of sorts and nobody else has, you may as well carry on, if you feel capable—What did you say?”
    â€œNothing,” I said. “Nothing at all, sir.”
    â€œWhat did the little Michaelis girl have to propose?”
    â€œShe has hired me to assassinate Mrs. Louis Rosten in a discreet way. Twenty-five hundred down, twenty-five hundred on delivery. I’ve only collected five C’s so far, but I’m getting the rest tomorrow after she’s been to the bank.”
    It silenced him briefly. I’d hoped it might. He asked at last, “What are your plans?”
    I said, “I thought the deal was that no questions would be asked.”
    â€œThat was in another connection. You can’t very well—”
    â€œCan’t I?” I asked. “How important is this machine of Dr. Michaelis’? The last I heard, the fate of the world hung in the balance.”
    â€œBut—” I heard him swallow at the other end of the line. He thought I was needling him, but he wasn’t quite sure. Well, I wasn’t quite sure, either. He called my bluff. “Very well. Use your judgment.”
    â€œThank you, sir, but judgment-wise I’m suffering from fatigue, remember? And a superman complex. Ah, hell.” I was being childish. “I want everything anybody’s got on Michaelis, Theodora. Orcutt, William. Rosten, Robin. Rosten, Louis. And a schooner named Freya. Oh, and a man named Nick, paid hand on the schooner. Can do?”
    â€œI think we have most of that information. In a minute, I’ll switch you to the girl downstairs and she’ll read it off for you. Anything else?”
    â€œOne thing. There was a New York private detective, name unknown, who came down here to investigate for Miss Michaelis and got scared off.”
    â€œHe was taken aside by some people with impressive credentials and told to forget it.”
    â€œThat wasn’t too smart,” I said. “It would have been better, maybe, to let him keep working and have him send her innocuous reports, or maybe not. This way the little girl’s on the warpath. Maybe she’ll help us blast something loose.”
    â€œYes. It would be well, however, if the blast damage were confined to a reasonable area. Eric?”
    â€œYes, sir?”
    â€œConcerning Michaelis, senior. Keep in mind that this is a valuable man. Merely because the orders permit a certain course of action does not imply that course is mandatory. I had some high officials in here this evening—”
    I said, “Do they want him shut up or don’t they? This isn’t the search-and-rescue branch of the U.S. Coast Guard, for God’s sake! There’s only one chance in a thousand I can even reach the guy, and if I do, I may have all of ten seconds to act. Now, do I have the go-ahead or don’t I?”
    He sighed. “You have it.”
    I hesitated. “How’s Alan, sir?”
    â€œAlan is going to be all right.”
    â€œSure,” I said. “Well, give me that office girl and let me find out something about these people. A yellow Cadillac, you