The Burglar Who Liked To Quote Kipling Part 16

"I was going to ask you that very question."

"Ah. An impa.s.se. Let me consider this."

An English inflection, an undertone of Asia or Africa. A slightly sibilant s s. Educated, soft-spoken. A pleasant voice, all in all.

"Very well, sir. I believe you may already have encountered an emissary of mine. If my guess is right, you overcharged him in a transaction recently. He paid five hundred dollars for a book priced at a dollar ninety-five."

"Not my fault. He ran off without his change."

An appreciative chuckle. "Then you are the man I a.s.sumed you to be. Very good. You have pluck, sir. The police seek you in connection with a woman's death and you persist in your efforts to sell a book. Business as usual, eh?"

"I need money right now."

"To quit the country, I would suppose. You have the book at hand? It is actually in your possession as we talk?"

"Yes. I don't believe I caught your name."

"I don't believe I've given it. Before we go further, sir, perhaps you could prove to me that you have the volume."

"I suppose I could hold it to the phone, but unless you have extraordinary powers..."

"Open it to page forty-two, sir, and read the first stanza on the page."

"Oh. Hold on a minute. 'Now if you should go to Fort Bucklow / When the moon is on the wane, / And the jackal growls while the monkey howls / Like a woman struck insane... Is that the one you mean?"

A pause. "I want that volume, sir. I want to buy it."

"Good. I want to sell it."

"And your price?"

"I haven't set it yet."

"If you will do so..."

"This is tricky business. I have to protect myself. I'm a fugitive, as you said, and that makes me vulnerable. I don't even know whom I'm dealing with."

"A visitor in your land, sir. A pa.s.sionate devotee of Mr. Kipling. My name is of little importance."

"How can I get in touch with you?"

"It's of less importance than my name. I can get in touch with you, you, sir, by calling this number." sir, by calling this number."

"No. I won't be here. It's not safe. Give me a number where I can reach you at five o'clock this afternoon."

"A telephone number?"

"Yes."

"I can't do that."

"It can be any telephone at all. Just so you'll be at it at five o'clock."

"Ah. I will call you back, sir, in ten minutes."

Rrrring!

"h.e.l.lo?"

"Sir, you have pencil and paper?"

"Go ahead."

"I will be at this number at five o'clock this afternoon. RH4-5198."

"RH4-5198. At five o'clock."

Rrrring! Rrrring!

"h.e.l.lo?"

"h.e.l.lo?"

"h.e.l.lo."

"Ah. If you could say something more elaborate than a simple h.e.l.lo h.e.l.lo ..." ..."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Very good. I'd hoped it was you. I won't use your name aloud, and I trust you won't use mine."

"Only if I want to call your club and have you paged."

"Don't do that."

"They said you weren't a member. Extraordinary, isn't it?"

"Perhaps I haven't been altogether straightforward with you, my boy. I can explain everything."

"I'm sure you can."

"The elusive item. Can I a.s.sume from your advertis.e.m.e.nt that it hasn't slipped out of your hands?"

"It's in front of me even as we speak."

"Excellent."

" 'Now if you should go to Fort Bucklow / When the moon is on the wane, / And the jackal growls while the monkey howls...' "

"For heaven's sake, don't read read it to me. Or have you committed great stretches of it to memory?" it to me. Or have you committed great stretches of it to memory?"

"No, I was reading."

"Oh, to prove possession? Hardly necessary, my boy. You'd scarcely have shot the woman and then left the book behind, would you? Now how are we going to manage this transaction?"

"We could meet someplace."

"We could. Of course neither of us would welcome the attention of the police. I wonder..."

"Give me a number where I can reach you at six o'clock."

"Why don't I simply call you?"

"Because I don't know where I'll be."

"I see. Well, my boy, at the risk of appearing to play them close to the vest, I'm not sure I'd care to give out this number."

"Any number, then."

"How's that?"

"Pick a pay phone. Give me the number and be there to answer it at six."

"Ah. I'll get back to you."

Rrrring!

"h.e.l.lo?"

"CHelsea 2-9419."

"Good."

"At six o'clock."

"Good."

Rrrring!

"h.e.l.lo?"

"h.e.l.lo. I believe you advertised-"

"Pa.s.sage to Fort Bucklow. That's correct."

"May I speak frankly? We're talking about a book, are we not?"

"Yes."

"And you wish to purchase it?"

"I have it for sale."

A pause. "I see. You actually own a copy. You have it in your possession."

" '...The jackal growls while the monkey howls / Like a woman struck insane...' "

"What did you say?"

"I'm reading from the top of page forty-two."

"That would hardly seem necessary." Another pause. "This is confusing. Perhaps I should give you my name."

"That'd be nice."

"It's Demarest. Prescott Demarest, and I don't suppose it will mean anything to you. I'm acting as agent for a wealthy collector whose name would mean something to you, but I haven't the authority to mention it. He was recently offered a copy of this book. The offer was suddenly withdrawn. I wonder if it's the same copy?"

"I couldn't say."

"The copy he was offered was represented as unique. It was our understanding that only one copy of the book exists."

"Then it must be the same copy."

"So it would seem. I don't think you gave your name."

"I'm careful about my privacy, Mr. Demarest. Like your employer."

"I see. I'd have to consult him, of course, but if you could let me know your price?"

"It hasn't been set yet."

"There are other potential buyers?"