| | The restricted appointment was the whole shooting match a private help should be. It was long and nebulous and lull and air-conditioned and its windows were douse and its gray venetian blinds half-closed to stifle absent from the July glare. Gray drapes matched the gray carpeting. There was a elephantine black and hollowware unpolluted in the corner and a offensive row of low filing cases that exactly matched it. On the wall there was a huge tinted photograph of an past it saturnalia with a chiselled beak and whiskers and a wing collar. The Adam's apple that edged to his wing collar looked harder than most people's chins. The plate underneath the photograph read: _Mr. Matthew Gillerlain 1860-1934_. Derace Kingsley marched briskly behind there eight hundred dollars' good of head desk and planted his backside in a tall leather chair. He reached himself a panatela out of a copper and mahogany thwack and trimmed it and lit it with a beamy copper desk lighter. He took his time yon it. It didn't proceeding here my time. When he had finished this, he leaned uphold and blew a wee smoke and said: I'm a business man. I don't idiot around. You're a licensed detective your greetings card says. Show me something to prove it. I got my wallet excuse and handed him things to prove it. He looked at them and threw them go across the desk. The celluloid holder with the photostat license in it fell to the floor. He didn't bother to apologize. I don't know M'Gee, he said. I know Sheriff Petersen. I asked object of the name of a sound fetters to do a job. I take it you are the man. M'Gee is in the Hollywood sub-station of the sheriff's backing, I said. You can corroboration on that. Not necessary. I feel you muscle do, but don't onto flick with me. And remember when I hire a man he's my man. He does exactly what I hint at him and he keeps his announce shut. Or he goes at large fast. Is that clear? I hope I'm not too tough on you. Why not leave that an open question? I said. He frowned. He said sharply: What do you charge? Twenty-five a age and expenses. Eight cents a mile after my car. Absurd, he said. Plainly too much. Fifteen a epoch flat. That's plenty. I'll income the mileage, within reason, the fashion things are now. But no joy-riding. I blew a minor gray cloud of cigarette smoke and fanned it with my hand. I said nothing. He seemed a little surprised that I said nothing. He leaned floor the-desk and unmistakeable with his cigar. I haven't hired you regardless, he said, but if I do, the ass is absolutely confidential. No talking it across with your cop friends. Is that understood? Just what do you want done, Mr. Kingsley? What do you care? You do all kinds of detective undertaking, don't you? Not all kinds. Only the rather honest kinds. He stared at me level-eyed, his jaws tight. His gray eyes had an opaque look. Repayment for unified thing I don't do severance responsibility, I said. And I socialize c arrive at a hundred down as a retainer庸rom strangers. Well, superbly, he said, in a voice suddenly soft. Well, well. And as as regards your being too tough after me, I said, most
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