In the Best Families

It's always worth trying, though it can never be done, especially not with a layout as tricky as that one.

Then the next morning, Tuesday, a monkey wrench, thrown all the way from White

Plains, flew into the machinery and stopped it. I had just finished breakfast, with Fritz, when the phone rang and I went to the office to get it. It was the

Westchester D.A.'s office.

The talk was brief. When I had hung up I sat a while, glaring at the phone, then with an exasperated finger dialled the Churchill's number. That talk was brief too. Finished with it, I held the button down for a moment and dialled another number.

There had been only two buzzes when a voice came through a nose to me. “Yes?

“I'd like to speak to Mr Roeder.

Talking.

“This is Goodwin. I've just had a call from White Plains to come to the D.A.'s office at once. I asked if I could count on keeping a two o'clock appointment and was told no. I phoned the Churchill and left a message that I had been called out of town for the day. I hope it can be to-morrow. I'll let you know as soon as I can.

Silence.

“Did you hear me?

“Yes. Good luck, Goodwin.

The connection went.

Chapter Eighteen

I had once sat and cooled my heels for three hours on one of the wooden benches in the big anteroom of the D.A.'s office in the White Plains courthouse, but this time I didn't sit at all. I didn't even give my name. I entered and was crossing to the table in the fenced-off corner when a man with a limp intercepted me and said, “Come with me, Mr Goodwin.

He took me down a long corridor, past rows of doors on either side, and into a room that I was acquainted with. I had been entertained there for an hour or so the evening of Sunday, April ninth. No one was in it. It had two big windows for the morning sun, and I sat and watched the dust dance. I was blowing at it, seeing what patterns I could make, when the door opened and Cleveland Archer, the D.A. himself, appeared, followed by Ben Dykes. I have never glanced at faces with a deeper interest. If they had looked pleased and cocky it would probably have meant that they had cracked the case, and in that event all our nifty plans for taking care of Arnold Zeck were up the flue and God help us.

I was so glad to see that they were far from cocky that I had to see to it that my face didn't beam. I responded to their curt greeting in kind, and when they arranged the seating with me across a table from them I said grumpily as I sat,