In the Best Families

“I'm in the market for more. I'll take it all.

I frowned at him. “Now I guess I'll have to do some talking. You comfortable?

“No.

“Listen anyway. I'm taking Zeck's money and I'm crossing him. How do you know I won't cross you?

“I don't. But I'll top him.

That's the point exactly; you don't. Who is Zeck and who are you? You know the answer to that. You were taking his money too, up to five months ago, and you know for what. When your wife hired Nero Wolfe to take the lid off of you for a look, you yapped to Zeck and he took aim at Wolfe, and when your wife got it with that steak knife Wolfe took a powder, and for all I know he is now in

Egypt, where he owns a house, talking it over with the Sphinx. It was Zeck and you, between you, that broke up our happy home on Thirty-fifth Street, and you can have three guesses how I feel about it. I may like it fine this way, with my own office and my time my own. I may figure to work close to Zeck and get in the big dough, which would mean I'm poison to you, or I may be loving a chance to stick one between Zeck's ribs and incidentally get a nice helping from your pile, or I may even be kidding both of you along with the loony idea of trying to earn the ten grand your wife paid Nero Wolfe. Zeck can guess and you can guess. Do I make myself clear?

“I don't know. Are you just warning me not to trust you? Is that it?

“Well, yes.

“Then save your breath. I've never trusted anybody since I started shaving. As for a nice helping from my pile, that depends, How do you earn it?

I shrugged. “Maybe I don't want it. Guess. I got the impression that I have something you want.

“I think you have. Who hired you and what were you told to do?

“I told you, Zeck.

“Zeck himself?

“I would be risking my neck and you know it. Five grand now, and beyond that we can decide as we go along.

It was a mistake, though not fatal. He was surprised. I should have made it ten.

He said, “I haven't got that much here.

“Tut. Send downstairs for it.

He hesitated a moment, regarding me, then got up and went to a phone on a side table. It occurred to me that it would be of no advantage for a clerk or assistant manager to see whose presence in Rackham's suite required the delivery of so much cash, so I asked where the bathroom was and went there. After a sufficient interval I returned, and the delivery had been made.

“I said I don't trust anybody, Rackham told me, handing me the engravings. “But

I don't like to be gypped.