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bout my request for sixty…five dollars but paid it。
June。 Spent two full weeks handling a hot insurance case for Del Bas and damn near got my skull cracked for good。 Cleaned it up。 Del had the nerve to offer me three Cs； demanded a grand and got it。 My idea was to net more per week than I had been getting from Wolfe； not that I cared for the money； but as a matter of principle。 Found a crooked bookie for a man from Meadville； Pa。 A hundred and fifty dollars。 Man wanted me to find his vanished wife； but it looked dim and he could pay only twenty bucks a day； so I passed it。 Girl unjustly accused； she said； of giving secret business dope to a rival firm； and fired from her job； pestered me into tackling it。 Proved she was right and got her job back； doing five hundred dollars' worth of work for a measly hundred and twenty； paid in installments。 Her face wasn't much； but she had a nice voice and good legs。 Got an offer of a job from the FBI； my ninth offer from various sources in six weeks； and turned it down。
July。 Took a whirl at supervising ten men for a bunch of concessionaires at Coney Island； caught one of them taking a cut from doobey stands； he jumped me with a cooler and I broke his arm。 Got tired of looking at a thousand acres of bare skin； mostly peeling； practically all nonseductive； and quit。 Eight fifty for seventeen days。 Had passed up at least two thousand worth of little chores。 Screwball woman on Long Island had had jewelry stolen； uninsured； thought cops were in on it and stalling。 Two things happened； I got some breaks； and I did a damn good piece of work。
It took me into August。 I got all the jewelry back； hung it on an interior decorator's assistant with proof； billed her for thirty…five hundred gross； and collected。
August。 I had drawn no pay from Wolfe's checkbook since May sixth； I had not gone near my personal safe deposit box； and my personal bank balance had not only not sunk； it had lifted。 I decided I had a vacation ing。 The most I had ever been able to talk Wolfe out of was two weeks； and I thought I should double that at least。 A friend of mine； whose name has appeared in print in connection with one of Wolfe's cases； had the idea that we should take a look at Norway； and her point of view seemed sound。
Slow but sure； I was working myself around to an attitude toward life without Nero Wolfe on a permanent basis。 One thing that kept it slow was the fact that early in July Marko Vukcic had asked me to bring him another check for five grand drawn to cash。 Since if you wanted to eat in his restaurant you had to reserve a table a day in advance； and then pay six bucks for one helping of guinea hen； I knew he wasn't using it himself； so who was？ Another thing； the house hadn't been sold； and； doing a little snooping on my own account； I had learned that the asking price was a hundred and twenty thousand； which was plain silly。 On the other hand； if Marko was getting money to Wolfe； that didn't prove that I was ever going to see him again； and there was no hurry about selling the house until the bank balance began to sag； and also there was Wolfe's safe deposit box。 Visiting his safe deposit box was one item on the select list of purposes for which Wolfe had been willing to leave his house。
I did not really want to leave New York； especially to go as far as Norway。
I had a feeling that I would about be passing Sandy Hook when word would e somehow； wire or phone or letter or messenger； to 35th Street or 1019； in a code that I would understand…if I was there to get it。 And if it did e I wanted to be there； or I might be left out of the biggest charade Wolfe had ever staged。 But it hadn't been days or weeks； it had been months； and my friend was pretty good at several things； including riding me about hanging on forever to the short end of the stick； so we had reservations on a ship that sailed August twenty…sixth。
Four days before that； August twenty…second； a Tuesday afternoon； I was sitting at my desk at 1019； to keep an appointment with a man who had phoned。 I had told him I was soon leaving for a month's vacation； and he hadn't felt like giving a name； but I thought I recognized the voice and had agreed to see him。 When he walked in on the dot； at 3：15；I was glad to know that my memory for voices was holding up。 It was my old cellmate； Max Christy。
I got up and we shook。 He put his panama on the desk and glanced around。 His black mop was cut a little shorter than it had been in April； but the jungle of his eyebrows hadn't been touched； and his shoulders looked just as broad in gray tropical worsted。 I invited him to sit and he did。
〃I must apologize；〃 I said； 〃for never settling for that breakfast。 It was a life…saver。〃
He waved it away。 〃The pleasure was mine。 How's it going？〃
〃Oh…no plaints。 You？〃
〃I've been extremely busy。〃 He got out a handkerchief and dabbed at his face and neck。 〃I certainly sweat。 Sometimes I think it's stupid； this constant back and forth； push and shove。〃
〃I hear you mentioned around。〃
〃Yes； I suppose so。 You never phoned me。 Did you？〃 〃The number；〃 I said； 〃is Churchill five； three two three two。〃
〃But you never called it。〃
〃No； sir；〃 I admitted； ''I didn't。 One thing and another kept ing up； and then I didn't care much for your line about if I got taken in and my being given a trial。 I am by no means a punk； and the ink on my license dried long ago。 Here； look behind my ears。〃
He threw back his head and haw…hawed； then shut it off and told me soberly； 〃You got me wrong； Goodwin。 I only meant we'd have to go slow on account of your record。〃 He used the handkerchief on his forehead。 〃I certainly do sweat。 Since then your name has been discussed a little； and I assure you； you are not regarded as a punk。 We have noticed that you seem to have plenty of jobs since you opened this office； but so trivial for a man like you。 Why did you turn down the offer from the Feds？〃
〃Oh； they keep such long hours。〃
He nodded。 〃And you don't like harness； do you？〃
〃I've never tried it and don't intend to。〃
〃What have you got on hand now？ Anything important？〃
〃Nothing whatever； important or otherwise。 I told you on the phone； I'm taking a vacation。 Sailing Saturday。〃
He regarded me disapprovingly。 〃You don't need a vacation。 If anybody needs a vacation it's me； but I don't get one。 I've got a job for you。〃
I shook my head。 〃Not right now。 When I get back maybe。〃
〃It won't wait till you get back。 There's a man we want tailed and we're short of personnel； and he's tough。 We had two good men on him； and he spotted both of them。 You would need at least two helpers； three would be better。 You use men you know； handle that yourself； and pay them and expenses out of the five hundred a day you'll get。〃
I whistled。 〃What's so hot about it？〃
〃Nothing。 It's not hot。〃
〃Then who's the subject； the Mayor？〃
〃I'm not naming him。 Perhaps I don't even know。 It's merely a straight tailing job； but it has to be watertight and no leaks。 You can net three hundred a day easy。〃
〃Not without a hint who he is or what he looks like。〃 I waved it away。
〃Forget it。 I'd lik