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.It was aprejudice that many a wife has indulged and usually denied against the otherwoman in her husband's office."Helping a lame dog over a stile is supposed to be good boy-scoutChristianity," Simon remarked judiciously."Although per-sonally I've alwaysthought it was one of the silliest precepts ever coined.Did you ever look ata stile? I never saw one yet that a lame dog couldn't wriggle over much fasterthan you could lift him over it.""Are you being symbolic or just smart?""Could be either.""I suppose you don't believe in women's intuition.""I pass."She caught Simon glancing at his watch."Am I boring you?" she enquired with some acidity."No, you're not, but if you've finished your coffee I'd like to get out ofhere."Her reply was to push her empty cup away and pick up her bag from the seatbeside her.As he walked with her to the door, Simon noted that the samegroups were round the pool tables, and that the seal and the football tacklewatched him as he left the bar.Carole slumped disconsolately as he drove her back towards the New Sylvania."We were having such a good time," she pouted."What's wrong? Did I sayPage 47ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlsomething? Are you just upset because you thought that man back there wassomebody you knew?"Seeing her stripped of her protective irony, admitting that her relationshipwith him meant enough to depress her, Simon felt that he owed her an honestanswer."All right," he" said."I'll tell you.It has nothing to do with you, and Idon't think you could bore me if you recited the tele-phone directory.I'mstill kicking myself because of that imbecilic thing I did back in that bar.""What's imbecilic about mistaken identity?" she demanded."I'm surprised a manlike you would worry about a thing like that.Male vanity?""It wasn't a case of mistaken identity," said the Saint."It was a case of themouth outrunning the brain.That man I spoke to really is named Brad Ryner.Atleast he was a couple of years ago when I met him out in California.And sincehe had a wife named Doris Ryner, and three kids with the same surname, I don'tthink I need his birth certificate to prove the point.""Then why did he say his name was Joe?""Because Brad Ryner is a cop.A detective.Figure it out for yourself."Carole pondered, then said: "I think it would be faster if you explained it tome."The muscles of his face were tense."I'm afraid that Brad Ryner is involved in some kind of un-der-cover job,using a phoney name, Joe Something, and I just walked in and possibly blew thewhole thing for him.""You mean he's collecting information or something for the police?""Yes, and because I spilled the beans he may end up collect-ing bullets in theback.""Well," Carole said, "I wouldn't necessarily call it spilling the beans.Evenif he was infiltrating a gang, or whatever he's do-ing, how would the crooksknow that somebody named Brad Ryner was a detective?""I'm hoping they won't," Simon said."Ryner had a routine job in a fairlysmall town on the other side of the continent.There's no reason anybody inPhiladelphia should ever have heard his name."Carole put a hand on Simon's shoulder and smiled."Then it wasn't quite like walking in and saying, 'Well, Sher-lock Holmes, asI live and breathe!' ""Not quite," he admitted."But I'm worried that I might have done just enoughto rouse somebody's suspicions, and make them start checking out the nameRyner.Eventually that could mean real trouble.""At least he's warned," she said."I mean, before anybody can find out thatBrad Ryner is a cop he can get out of the pic-ture.""And that's my contribution to law and order," said the Saint grimly."I'll bet nobody thought a thing about it after we went and sat down," Caroleasserted."They've forgotten the whole thing by now.""I hope so."She sensed his lack of conviction, but did not pursue it."We're almost there," she said."Would you like to came up for a nightcap?""I'd enjoy it, but we've had a pretty full evening." His con-cern for BradRyner showed clearly in his face and his voice."Maybe another time.""I won't chain myself to your bumper if you'll promise to see me tomorrow.Here's my private phone number."As Simon pulled his car to a halt in the garage, Carole scribbled the numberon a scrap of paper from her handbag and gave it to him.Simon went with heras far as the elevator."Well?" she said."Well?" Simon echoed.Carole leaned against the wall next to the elevator buttons."Well, are you going to go out with me tomorrow, and well, are you going tokiss me good night?""Keep it up and you'll make drill sergeant.""Would you rather I used womanly wiles? I'm just telling you what I want [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]