Free The Father Hunt by Rex Stout

daughter.”
    “My daughter'You’re a liar.”
    “Not Catherine. Amy. Amy Denovo.” I glanced at the man who had left the house and was coming. “It’s very- personal.”
    “You’re not only a liar, you’re an idiot.”
    “I’ll be glad to discuss that, but I’d rather do it privately.”
    The man arrived. He stopped two steps from Jarrett’s chair and stood. “You called, sir?”
    Jarrett, not looking at him, said, “I thought I wanted something, but I don’t. Leave.”
    The man turned and went. I said, “I didn’t know that was still being done. What have you got on him?”
    He said, “Who are you?”
    “I gave my name on the phone, Archie Goodwin. I work for a private detective named Nero Wolfe. The message from Amy is that now, since her mother is dead, she would like to know something about her father.”
    “I could have you kicked out,” he said, “but I prefer to let you commit yourself so I can have the police come and get you. I called you an idiot because anybody with any sense would know how I would treat a blackmailer and you must be one. Go ahead, commit yourself.”
    “I already have.” I was leaning back, comfortable. “It would be a spot for a little fancy blackmailing, but Amy has paid Mr. Wolfe a good big retainer and we’re committed to her. Of course it’s your money, or it was. It came out of what you sent her mother, for her.”
    “Go ahead.”
    “Look, Mr. Jarrett.” I was meeting the frozen eyes and it wasn’t easy to talk to them. “We didn’t have to handle it like this. We could have let you wait and started digging away back for details. But that would have taken time and money, and all Amy wanted was to find you. I can’t give you a written guarantee, but I doubt very much if she wants to start any fuss, try to make you acknowledge her, or anything like that. She might possibly want some money, but what the hell, you’ve got ten times more than you need. And don’t get the idea that I’m just out fishing. We know all about the checks. We know they came from you, two hundred and sixty-four of them; that’s on the record. We know they were endorsed by Elinor Denovo.” I flipped a hand. “Now you talk a while.”
    “Go ahead, go ahead. What do you want'What does this Nero Wolfe want?”
    “Mr. Wolfe wants nothing. As for me, what would
    please me most would be something like this: you have Oscar call the cops and tell them to come and get me. When they come you tell them I tried to blackmail you, and I clam up, and they take me somewhere for questioning-the sheriff’s office or a state barracks. It will be a pipe to handle it so they hold me, and then look out for the dust. For a start, our lawyer and a newspaperman I know-the Gazette. Today’s Wednesday. By Friday ten million people will be sympathizing with you-all this trouble after twenty-two years. Of course we won’t give them Amy’s name, but that won’t matter, it’s your name that’s newsworthy. Do you want me to call Oscar, or would you rather?”
    The goddam eyes hadn’t even blinked, I swear they hadn’t, but the bony jaw had flicked once or twice. I was beginning to understand why a lot of people didn’t like him. People want people to react. He did finally say something. He said, “Those checks are in the files of the Seaboard Bank and Trust Company. Who told you about them?”
    I shook my head. Ballou had said he didn’t give a damn if it became known that he had helped us find him, but I was giving this character nothing. “That’s beside the point,” I said. “The checks, endorsed by Elinor Denovo, are the point. I have a suggestion. You and I aren’t hitting it off very well. I’ll bring Amy tomorrow, and that may work better. She’s okay. She’s a very nice girl. As you probably know, she graduated from Smith, she has good looks and good manners, she wouldn’t-“
    I stopped because he was moving. He took his time getting his feet around and on the grass, turning on his