Death of a Doxy (Crime Line)

"On the telephone. One evening in September, at my home, I was told that a man who gave his name as Robert Service Kipling wished to speak to me. Of course I took the phone. He told me that he didn't have to explain why he used that name and told me to go to a nearby drugstore and be at the booth at ten o'clock and answer the phone when it rang. You will understand why I went. At ten o'clock the phone rang in the booth, and I answered it. It was the same voice. It isn't necessary to tell you what he said. He said enough to convince me that he knew of my visits to that apartment and their purpose. He said he had no desire to interfere with them, and he thought I should show my appreciation for his cooperation. He told me to mail him ten hundred-dollar bills the next day, and the same amount on the fifteenth of each month. I said I would."

He rubbed his brow with a palm. "I know it is wrong, on principle, to submit to blackmail. But the threat was not exposure, he didn't say he had evidence in his possession, he merely made it plain that I would have to pay him or stop going there. He wouldn't answer my questions, how had he learned my name, but obviously he hadn't merely seen me and recognized me, from things he said. Just his giving his name as Robert Service Kipling would have been enough for that. I mailed the money the next day, and each month since. I simply preferred to pay him rather than give it up. Now I know. Unquestionably it was Cather. Miss Kerr had told him."

Wolfe nodded. "A reasonable conjecture, but that's all. His name and address, for mailing?"

"It was a fake name, naturally. The address was General Delivery, Grand Central Station, Lexington Avenue and Forty-fifth Street. The name was Milton Thales."

"Thales? T,H,A,L,E,S?"

"Yes."

"Indeed. Interesting." Wolfe closed his eyes and in a moment opened them. "You made no effort to learn who he was?"

"No. What for? What good would that do?"

"If it was Mr. Cather, it might have prevented this. Did you tell Miss Kerr about it?"

"Yes. I asked if she had told anyone, anyone, my name, and she said she hadn't. She lied. She was very – well, she was indignant. I was a little surprised at her reaction. It didn't seem to be -" He stopped. He pursed his lips and frowned, and then he nodded. "I see. Of course. I said I don't know why he killed her, but it's obvious. She knew it must be Cather, and she told him, and she told him he had to stop, and he killed her. My God, if I had known – damn him. Damn him!"