In the Best Families

All I was after was to take a look, just case it from a hilltop. I had never seen Zeck, and as far as I knew Wolfe hadn't either. Now that we were headed at him for the third time, and this time it might be for keeps, I thought I should at least see Ws roof and count his chimneys. That was all. He had been too damn' remote and mysterious. Now I knew he had four chimneys, and that the one on the south wing had two loose bricks.

I turned the car around and headed down the hill, and if you care to believe it,

I kept glancing in the mirror to see if something showed up behind. That was how far gone I was on Zeck. It was not healthy for my self-respect, it was bad for my nerves, and I was good and tired of it.

Mrs Rackham's place, Birchvale, was only five miles from there, the other side of Mount Kisco, but I made a wrong turn and didn't arrive until a quarter past three. The entrance to her estate was adequate but not imposing. I went on by, and before I knew it there was a neat little sign on the left:

HILLSIDE KENNELS

Doberman Pinschers

The gate-opening was narrow and so was the drive, and I kept going on past the house to a bare rectangle in the rear, not very well gravelled, and manoeuvred into a corner close to a wooden building. As I climbed out a voice came from somewhere, and then a ferocious wild beast leaped from behind a bush and started for me like a streak of lightning. I froze except for my right arm, which sent my hand to my shoulder holster automatically.

A female voice sounded sharp in command. “Back! The beast, ten paces from me, whirled on a dime, trotted swiftly to the woman who had appeared at the edge of the rectangle, whirled again and stood facing me, concentrating with all its might on looking beautiful and dangerous. I could have plugged.it with pleasure.

I do not like dogs that assume you're guilty until you prove you're innocent. I like democratic dogs.

A man had appeared beside the woman. They advanced. She spoke. “Mr Goodwin? Mr

Leeds had to go on an errand, but he'll be back soon. I'm Annabel Frey. She came to me and offered a hand, and I took it.

This was my first check on an item of information furnished us by Mrs Rackham, and I gave her an A for accuracy. She had said that her daughter-in-law was very beautiful. Some might have been inclined to argue it, for instance those who don't like eyes so far apart or those who prefer pink skin to dark, but I'm not so finicky about details. The man stepped up, and she pronounced his name,