I said, “But while they're talking, they hear Karl run downstairs as though something is up; they open the door a crack or come out on the landing and hear his conversation over the phone.”

  “Right. And he's got that four-twenty, and they know that's about the time Chester got Am home and conked him, and Chester knew—had found out afterwards—that Karl had been home, in his own room, at the time. They knew Karl had something that would lead us to Chester—as it would have.

  “Said Toby walks down the steps and just as Karl hangs up after talking to you, Toby sticks a gun in Karl's ribs, takes him back upstairs to Chester's room. Chester's scared stiff by this time and does what Toby tells them—but swears he didn't know Toby was going to kill Karl. But that's guff, not that it matters. Anyway, Toby tells Chester to go swipe a car and park it in front. Chester does. Then they take Karl downstairs—Toby with the gun in his coat pocket walking behind Karl. Toby tells Chester to get in front and drive and he and Karl get in back. They drive a block or two and then Toby tells Chester to pull in and stop. Chester does; he looks around and Karl's gone. Then he looks down and Karl's on the floor in the back seat. He said he thought Karl was only knocked out, but he was probably dead already.

  “Toby tells Chester to go home right away and establish an alibi, get with someone who'll vouch for him and stay with them. He'll take care of Karl. So Chester walks home, picking up those fish at a market en route, and offers them to Mrs. Brady, knowing she'll ask him in to help eat them. Which she does. And that's why Chester was eating dinner with Mrs. Brady at the time the car with Karl in it was being abandoned ten miles away.”

  I said, “Then Toby jammed the horn button on purpose. So Chester's alibi was solid.”

  “Right. He took a little chance walking away from a car with a stiff in it after he'd reached back in and jammed the horn button, but it made sure the car would be found right away, while Chester was alibied.”

  “It fooled us all right.” I said.

  “That it did. Say, Ed. That envelope Augie gave you. Did he really kick through with—

  I took the envelope out of my pocket and opened it. There were five new dollar bills in it—dollar bills with three zeros after the dollar. They were beautiful examples of engraving.

  I took one out and handed it to Bassett. I said, “Maybe they're counterfeit. I'd better let a policemen try to pass one first; he's less likely to get in trouble for it.”

  Bassett looked at the bill and then at me as though he didn't believe either of us. Then he looked as though he was going to cry. He said, “Jesus God, and my wife needs an operation that's going to cost six hundred bucks and I've been going nuts about it. But, Christ, Ed, you cracked the case. I was sitting on my fanny at the office when you called and told me. You don't have to split it with me.”

  I said, “Call it a bribe. Uncle Am and I are going to start our agency pretty soon. We'll need a friend at headquarters.”

  He said “Jesus God” again and it didn't sound like swearing. He put the bill in his pocket.

  He took out a cigarette and lighted it and his hand shook just a little. He said, “There's only one angle left I don't figure, and Chester can't either. Why did Toby go back to Chester's room? The jig was up anyway and he had nothing to gain. Chester was waiting for him at the airport and they'd have taken the next plane out after Toby got there. Why did he go back? To kill Am for the fun of it?”

  “Not exactly that,” I said. “But Toby was tougher than Chester. He hadn't given up yet. When Chester called him and gave him the low-down on my having been to his office, and said the game was over and they'd better lamb, Toby probably said okay and told Chester to go out to the airport and wait for him.

  “But Toby hadn't given up yet. He thought I might do just what I did, head for home to look over Chester's room. And he figured if he caught me there, he could kill Am and me both, put us in our own room—and these still wouldn't be any lead to Chester or to him. If what he had in mind to do had worked—and it damn near did—he'd have gone out to the airport and brought Chester back instead of lamming with him. And if they could have sat tight for two more days they could have lammed with four or five times as much money as they had.”

  Bassett sighed. “I should have thought of that. Say, Ed, I can't wait much longer. I'm going to check at the desk and have them phone upstairs. Wait a minute.”

  He went away and came back in a few minutes. He said, “The doc says about another half hour. I better scram instead of waiting; tell Am I'll be in to see him tomorrow morning.”

  “Sure, Frank.”

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Starlock said to give you his love and congratulations. He was there when we questioned Chester. He said he'd have to go back to the office and start catching up on some of the work he'd got behind on and you should call him after you've been able to talk to Am. And he'll be around to see Am this evening sometime.”

  Bassett left, and after half an hour—at a little after six—they told me I could go upstairs and talk to Uncle Am. That he was okay, but weak, and that I could stay up to half an hour or so, but not any longer than that.

  The doc was coming out of the room as I got there and I talked to him a minute outside. He said Uncle Am would have to stay at the hospital for four or five days and ought to rest at home for another week after that before he'd be really fit to go back to work.

  Uncle Am looked up and grinned at me as I came in. They hadn't shaved him yet; he still had over three days' growth of beard and his scraggly mustache was scragglier than ever. But his eyes and his grin were the same.

  He said, “Hi, Ed. What the hell happened? They said you'd explain it.”

  I grinned back at him. “Nothing much happened,” I said. 'You got kidnapped. We got the guy who got you. I had to kill a guy, but it wasn't the one who kidnapped you. But he'd murdered someone else. We're out three days, but we're ahead three thousand bucks, after I give a grand to Starlock.”

  He closed his eyes and then opened them again. He said, “Now I understand everything. Except what happened and where I was.”

  “You were two feet from our room, most of the time. Once I sat on you, but neither of us knew it.”

  And then, at the look on his face, I decided I'd better tell it straight. I made it as brief as I could, but it still took me nearly half an hour to tell the story. Several times he interrupted me with questions, and once I interrupted myself to ask him one:

  “Uncle Am, did you see the inscription on the flyleaf of that book in Chester's office?”

  “Sure, Ed. Chester Dagon. And the Dagon part sounded familiar to me, but damn if I could remember where I'd heard it recently. I'd plumb forgot the name of the hood who was with Augie Crane at the agency. So it didn't mean anything to me then, but it might have, later.”

  I went on, and ended up with the three grand we'd have left after I cut Starlock in. Starlock deserved cutting in more than Bassett did, because he'd put most of the agency on it for three days and, all in all, it must have cost him nearly five hundred bucks for the three days. But then, on Bassett's side, was the fact that we'd need his help when we started our agency, and Starlock would be only a competitor.

  I said, “Well, with three thousand plus what we've saved already, think we can make it?”

  “Sure, kid. How about tomorrow morning?”

  “In two weeks. You're going to rest that long, and I should give Ben that much notice and that much help; he got behind on his other work and I can't just walk out on him.”

  “Okay, kid. And I suppose we'll have to call it Hunter and Hunter.” A nurse appeared in the doorway and told me my time was up. I said “Just a second” to her and then turned back to Uncle Am, honestly puzzled. I said, “What do you mean, we'll have to call it Hunter and Hunter? What's a better name?”

  He grinned at me. “It would work only if we were going to specialize in collections, and we're not. But if we were, we could just use my first name. The Ambrose Collection Agency.”

  Uncle Am was feeling better. I didn't worry about leaving him. I started for the agency and then remembered Estelle; I hadn't had time to think about her since the excitement started. It was only seven o'clock and she might be home getting ready to go to the Blue Croc. I called and Mrs. Brady answered. I asked if Estelle was there. “Annie doesn't live here any more,” she said. “Huh? This is Ed, Mrs. Brady. I'm talking about Estelle.” Its a song, Ed. I guess you were just a kid when it was popular and don't remember it. 'Annie Doesn't Live Here Any More.' You must be the guy she waited for.”

  “Listen, Mrs. Brady, what are you talking about?”

  “She's moving, Ed. She isn't here right now. But all her stuff isn't gone, so she'll be back. Want to leave a— Wait a minute, Ed. Here she is. Just came back to get the rest of her stuff.”

  And then Estelle's voice was on the phone. “Eddie? It's wonderful. Your finding Am and everything. I'll be around to the hospital tomorrow to see him; guess they won't want visitors tonight, huh?”

  “Listen, 'Stelle, I'd like to celebrate tonight, after I see Starlock. Any chance of your getting the evening off? Or shall I pick you up after work?”

  There was a slight hesitation. Then she said, “No, Eddie. I mean, neither. I'm— not working tonight. I'm going to marry Augie. We're driving up to Waukegan.”

  For seconds I didn't say anything. She hadn't been kidding about Augie at all.

  I said, “But, 'Stelle, I—I love you.” It felt funny to say it, but I said it.

  She said, “Maybe you do, Eddie. A little. But not enough. I—I loved you for a long time, Eddie. I'm glad what happened did happen. Maybe it made those awful three days easier for you. And—well, let's not talk about it any more. Good-bye, Eddie.”

  The receiver clicked gently in my ear.

  I fumbled another nickel out of my pocket and dialed the number again.

  Mrs. Brady's voice said, “Ed?” and when I said yes, she said, “She'll be on her way back down in a minute or two. Just hold the line.”

  I held the line and pretty soon Estelle's voice said, “Yes, Eddie?”

  “Will you marry me, Estelle?”

  “Thanks, Eddie. But no. No thanks, Eddie.”

  Again the receiver clicked gently in my ear.

  It was a long walk to the agency, but I wanted to think, so I walked. I was happy and unhappy at the same time, and all mixed up. But I knew Estelle was right; I'd found too late that I loved her, and I hadn't loved her enough. If I had, I'd have thought of marrying her sooner, a long time ago.

  She was dead right.

  But knowing it didn't make me feel too much better. I felt like hell.

  Than I remembered Uncle Am and I would have our own detective agency, and I felt a little better. The stars were coming out. I looked up at them and remembered a story I'd read once in a science fiction magazine; the story was called Pi in the Sky, and in it the stars had moved across the sky and formed words. I thought they ought to do that tonight. If there was anything in astrology, they ought to get moving and spell out Hunter and Hunter, right now.

  But they didn't.

  And then, after a moment—behind my eyes if not before them—they did. And everything was all right.

  More than all right. I left the streets and walked across the building tops, and then across the sky.

 

 

  Fredric Brown, Compliments of a Fiend

 

 

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