In the Best Families

“Also sometimes I don't think you're as far behind as you think I do.

That's possible. Anyhow, I can add. I think he got word direct from Arnold Zeck.

Did he?

“Huh? Who's Arnold Zeck? Did you just make it up?

I knew that was a mistake the instant it was out of my mouth. Then I had to try to keep it from showing on my face, the realisation that I had fumbled it, but whether that was a success or not-and I couldn't very well look in a mirror to find out-it was too late.

Cramer looked pleased. “So you've been around all these years, a working detective, meeting the people you do, and you've never heard of Arnold Zeck.

Either I've got to believe that, or I touched a tender spot.

“Sure I've heard of him. It just didn't click for a second.

“Oh, for God's sake. It's affecting you already, having Wolfe gone. That wasn't just a shot in the dark. One day two years ago I sat here in this chair. Wolfe sat there. He nodded at Wolfe's chair. “You were where you are now. A man named

Orchard had been murdered, and so had a woman named Poole. In the course of our long talk Wolfe explained in detail how an ingenious and ruthless man could operate a blackmail scheme, good for at least a million a year, without sticking his neck out. Not only could; it was being done. Wolfe refused to name him, and since he wasn't behind the murders it was out of my territory, but a thing or two I heard and a couple of things that happened gave me a pretty clear idea.

Not only me-it was whispered around: Arnold Zeck. You may perhaps remember it.

“I remember the Orchard case, certainly, I conceded. “I didn't hear the whispering.

“I did. You may also remember that a year later, last summer, Wolfe's plant rooms got shot up from a roof across the street.

“Yep. I was sitting right here and heard it.

“So I understand. Since no one was killed that never got to me officially, but naturally I heard things. Wolfe had started to investigate a man named Rony, and

Rony's activities were the kind that might lead a first-class investigator like

Wolfe in the direction of Arnold Zeck, maybe up close to Zeck, possibly even clear to him. I thought then that Wolfe had got warned off, by Zeck himself or someone near him, and he had disregarded it, and for a second warning they messed up his orchids. Then Rony got killed, and that was a break for Wolfe because it put him and Zeck on the same side.

“Gosh, I remarked, “it sounds awful complicated to me.