Chapter 4 third chapter

The weather was hot and humid, and his skin began to develop rashes again, covering his armpits, lower body, fingers, and toes. The microbacteria developed rapidly. The doctor prescribed medicine, but it didn't work.Got this skin disease in the service, and later, a Marine Corps gunner corporal told him what to do. The corporal had taught him to scrub his whole body with the same bristle brush that was used for barrack floors, and to use foul-smelling tawny crystal soap.After he scrubbed every inch of his body, rinsed it with water, wiped it off with a towel, and then rubbed it with cornmeal, the itching was gone.

For two years after his discharge from the military, the fungal infection disappeared, and he continued to treat it with crystal soap and cornmeal when he relapsed. Once, Samantha watched him do it.He stood in the red bath, desperately brushing his body with a brush.She shook her head in disbelief. "Why don't you wear a denim shirt?" she suggested. "Or just slap yourself with a barbed wire?" After his talk with Detective Neil Davenport that night, Timothy had been thinking about the woman who had pushed Edward off the platform to his death in the Union Square underground train station.As he thought, carefully massaging the cornmeal into his skin, he asked himself:

Why did Edward go to Union Square? He had asked himself this question a few weeks ago. Obviously, Edward already knew that New World Enterprise was a short company.Clovis' head office was on East Fifty-seventh Street, and New World Enterprises was in Brooklyn. Why did Edward go to Fourteenth Street?God only knows what he was doing there?He was also wearing a three-piece suit and fedora, and was carrying an empty briefcase. When Sinai Abikela came to his office the next day, Timothy was still racking his brains over this question.The chief accountant touched his red and swollen nose in annoyance as he entered.

"Ah-ha--" Timothy said, "this time it's Lishan who came to Muhammad." "Yeah," Sinai said, frowning. "You could say that. Look, Timothy, you keep asking me about the Clovis case because you suspect there's something wrong, don't you?" "Yeah," Timothy said. "Last night, I went home and spent several hours poring through the Clovis files line by line, and found something that I hadn't seen before, and I was very confused." "Oh? What could it be?" "In addition to New World Enterprises, the Clovis Company also owns three subsidiaries that are engaged in construction related industries, such as plumbing industry, hydroelectric engineering, foundation work, and support engineering. These three companies are headquartered in New York. region. But the banks that these three companies deal with, one is in Newark (a city in eastern New Jersey, near New York), one is in Chicago, and the other is in San Diego."

The two looked at each other. "Sinai, what does this mean?" Timothy asked. "If only I knew!" Sinai Abikela said angrily. "It doesn't matter which bank you keep your money in, but it's usually a weird situation." "It's really weird," Timothy said too. "What's the mystery behind this?" "That's right, the banks that these three companies deal with are not in this state. Isn't it inconvenient to make deposits and withdrawals like this?" "I understand, but I know you will see through the mystery soon."

"certainly." "I love you, Sinai," Timothy said gravely. "I love you, too," Sinai said. "You're a nasty bastard. I spent over two hours messing with your stuff last night when I could be at home comfortably watching TV." Timothy sat in his cramped office, with his feet on the desk, thinking about everything he knew and didn't know.As Joey Washington sat listlessly in the chair next to him, he was still brooding. "I've had enough," Joey said. Timothy pushed the pack of Camels across the table for Joey to smoke, but he shook his head and smoked one of his own.

"I'd live longer smoking what I'm used to," Joy said. "Lucky for you," Timothy said. "Enough of what you say?" "How many times do I have to talk to Consta Figeria?" Joy Washington said. "Now, she goes to the bank two or three times a day." "Is she with Anthony Buehner?" "Sometimes with Anthony, sometimes with her." "Does she have a certain time to go to the bank?" "No. Timothy, do you think I'm doing a good job at this job?" "Of course you did well," Timothy said. "Joy, you know where Edward got pushed off, don't you?"

Joey Washington stared at him. "Of course I know. It's on the platform of the Union Square Underground Station." "Yes, tell me now, why is he going to Fourteenth Street?" "He's looking into the Clovis case, isn't he?" "Yes, besides making phone calls, he also follows suspicious people." "However, I don't know what he's doing in Union Square." "Joy, don't talk to Consta Figuria for now. I want you to concentrate on checking all the banks around Fourteenth Street, and try to find out the new customers who have applied in the past few months, especially Ke Lovis and New World Enterprises' accounts in those banks."

"My God!" said Joey Washington. "How am I supposed to look it up? Do I, a black person, walk into the bank, grin with my white teeth and say, 'Please show me your new client list?' Timothy, they're gonna kick me out. " "Yeah, you're right. Anyway, give it a try. Show them your papers and be tough. If that doesn't work, there's another way: go to Sinai Abikela, the accounting director, who Will tell you who to go to." Yiyi thought for a while and said: "That sounds like a good idea," he said, "but I still doubt it will work."

"Try as much as you can. If you can find out, it will be of great help to this case." "Since you say so, I'll give it a try!" After Joey left, Timothy also walked out of his office to find Louis Conan at the lawyer's office.Timothy leaned against the doorframe of his office door until Louis Conan looked up from a pile of papers. "Hi!" he said. "Louis, what the hell does Short Company mean?" Louis Conan leaned back in his chair, looking over his slipped glasses at the Wall Street detective. "Short company? Usually there is a legal business license issued by the state, but it is a fake company that does not do any legal business."

"Then why would anyone want to set up a short company?" "There are a lot of reasons. Someone just went to register a name." "Is such a company legal?" "As long as you pay your due taxes and file your due statements, it's legal. The state and federal governments are only interested in these things." "Then under what circumstances will this kind of company change from legal to illegal?" "I think if the profits are overstated and underreported, or there is tax evasion, they will be arrested." "What if this short company has a profit on its books and pays taxes?" "Better so, or the boss will go to jail." "So, anyone can set up a short company?" Timothy continued to ask. "Anyone can," Louis Conan assured him. "One thing I shouldn't tell you—if you want to set up a short company, you don't even need a lawyer, as long as all the paperwork is in place. You want to start a short company?" "Not now, thank you, Louis." Not long after that, the whole thing exploded, and Timothy decided to face it.He said to himself: This case has been deeply involved at present, and the truth may soon come to light. He, like all experienced police officers and private investigators, has a great understanding of human nature.He followed Anthony Buehner like a leech.Every morning, Anthony left his high-end house in a car, had dinner with Grace at noon, and then followed him and Consta to the bank. At night, Anthony often stayed with his group of good friends, maybe in Together they plan to kidnap the Statue of Liberty in New York and hold them for ransom. He parked the car on Fifty-second Street in the East Side, in front of a luxurious French restaurant, and sat in the rented Honda.In the dining room, Anthony and Grace were enjoying fine wine and French cuisine, while Timothy sat in the car, eating his bread and sauerkraut with a lot of pepper, which was really delicious.He bought it from a roadside vendor, along with a can of Coke. After finishing his meal, he wiped his hands clean with a paper towel, watched Anthony and Grace come out of the restaurant, and Timothy saw at a glance that something was wrong with the paradise of these two rich people. When Grace came out, her steps were shaky, like a puppet with a broken string.Anthony tried to support her, trying to drag her into his big silver sedan, which was parked in a no-parking zone.But Mrs. Grace Clovis refused to go in, and staggered almost to the ground.Anthony grabbed her, slapped her in the face, and punched her several times. She almost fell, but he held her. Timothy got out of the car, crossed the street, and approached them.At this time, six or seven passers-by had already stopped to watch—but they were all far away, and no one dared to intervene. "Can I help you?" Timothy asked slyly. "Fuck you," Anthony yelled at him, "it's none of your business." "Sir, this is exactly my business. I am a social worker for the prevention of abuse of women. If you beat this lady again, I will stop you." "What?" said Anthony, very surprised. "What do you say you are doing? This is my private matter. She drank too much, that's all." At this moment, he held Grace tightly and put his arms around her.Timothy looked at her dull-eyed and bowed his head. "Ma'am," Timothy said loudly, "do you want to leave this man? I can drive you home." "Okay," she said in a weak voice, "please." "Let her go," Timothy ordered Anthony. "I'll take her home." "Who are you?" Anthony scolded him loudly. "Let me see your papers." "Of course, sir," said Timothy, pulling up his right trouser leg so he could see the holster strapped to his ankle. "Are you satisfied?" Anthony Buner bowed his head, eyes wide.Slowly he let go of Grace, and Timothy stepped forward quickly, hugged the woman's waist, and slowly walked towards the "Honda" car with his arms around her. "I'm going to settle with you, you bastard!" Anthony Buner yelled behind him. "I'm going to find out what the hell you are, and I'm going to destroy you, you stinking piece of shit!" Timothy stopped, turned his head and said: "Why don't you come now?" he asked. "Do you think you can overpower me? Come!" The two men glared at each other, their eyes locked, and finally Anthony turned and walked away. "Crazy!" Anthony yelled after him. A group of people gathered together to watch the excitement. "Call the police, that guy is not normal at all!" Then, he got into the big silver car.Timothy takes Grace into the Honda.Although she was in a trance, she still remembered the address of her home. The car drove to Third Street, and when it was approaching Eighty-fifth Street, Grace suddenly woke up, sat up straight, looked at her face in the car rearview mirror, and carefully inspected the injury. "These bruises, tomorrow they're blue-purple bruises, and you cover them up with makeup," Timothy said. She turned her head and stared at him. "Who are you?" she asked. "Garahan," he said casually. "How did you end up with someone like that?" "I don't have any other friends," she said dully. "Thank you for saving me." She suddenly leaned forward, kissed him on the cheek, and then got out of the car, only to see her running across the street in high heels.Timothy watched her go, thinking that if he had slapped Samantha on the jaw, she would have severed his testicles.Samantha was never going to be a weak woman, she never was. Now Joey is carefully checking the banks in Union Square.After thinking about it, Timothy decided to remove Anthony first, and concentrate on pinning Consta, Stanley, and Lucinda to see what these ghosts are doing. These people have money, what else do they want to do?With so much money, I am still not satisfied.I guess Stanley and Lucinda were both greedy.What about Consta?Maybe the same!Anthony has done anything bad for money.This group of people is not a good thing, full of bad water. Sometimes, Timothy, like Dolphin, wants to clean up all the garbage.Someone had to do the job, but why him? A little sad in his heart, but he still drove the car to the Clovis headquarters on East Fifty-seventh Street, hoping to wait for Consta or Stanley or Lucinda. Timothy told Samantha the story of him, Anthony, and Grace, and she screamed. "You shouldn't be doing this!" "But I've done it!" Timothy said. "I can't just sit there and watch Grace get abused. Besides, I want to try that Anthony guy. I think Anthony is just a paper tiger and he's not that big Courage! Roaring with only one mouth!" "Will he retaliate?" "Also a possibility." "Oh," Samantha said, staring at him. "You're such a fool—you know that?" "Yeah!" Timothy said with some discomfort: "It seems that we are in some trouble." The two sat in Samantha's apartment eating goulash dinner and drinking wine.Samantha added a lot of peppers to that pot of beef stew. "Okay," she said, sighing. "Tell me, what kind of trouble will we have?" "After Anthony gets in his car, I bet he'll take a note of the number of my Honda, find out it's a rental, and then he'll bribe some people, and finally check the taxi is Hudlin's." "My God!" Samantha sighed sadly. "Don't worry," Timothy reassured her. "If Clovis has any complaints, call the boss. Holland can tell him it's because his men took the car out without the company's permission and drank a lot of alcohol." Too much wine, this person has been severely reprimanded, no problem." "That's what you said," Samantha said bitterly. "You really are the most troublesome person in the world." "But you love me!" he said, with a quick smile. "Ah," she said, "That's really bastard's eyes on mung beans. Do you have any bad news to tell me?" He told Samantha what he had heard from Neil Davenport, and that Sinai had found out that other Clovis subsidiary banks were in other states. "Joy, what did Washington find?" Samantha asked, squinting at him. "Oh," he replied awkwardly. "How did you know Joey was working with me?" "Don't I know you yet?" she cried. "Of course I know. Don't try to hide it from me, thinking that I don't know what you guys are doing in the office. If you don't make it clear in front of me, don't even think that I will protect you in the future. Don't hide it from me—— do you know?" "Know." "Now, you have to sue me. Why are you going to provoke Anthony, he will give you a good meal!" "Maybe, maybe not. Look, I just hate people who think they own the world, are busy counting bundles of bills every day, stand on top of piles of bills, make them think they're superior, buy new cars, Live in fancy houses. But I tell you, they're all empty inside. Take Anthony Buehner, he's a paper tiger!" She sighed. "Timothy, I'm really sweating for you when you do this." "These guys are all very evil," Timothy said enthusiastically. "The only thing that can hit them is to prove to them that they will suffer, just like every mortal. Maybe they can't get up again, can't fly. God, fall to the ground and die." "What are you talking about—are you an avenging angel?" "No. In fact, death is not bad. Everyone will die. But these people seem to think that they will not die and live forever." "Are you really that confident?" "Sure, like I bet you have a really cute ass. Mention your cute ass...?" "What if I say no?" "I can accept it, what do you say?" "Let's go!" She was in a wild mood, and the two of them started a new war in bed, a war in which there were no losers and no winners, but they were both very content.Suddenly, he became gentle, kissing her ribs and stroking her hard buttocks. "My God!" she gasped, "I'm sure you must be very content." "Maybe!" he admitted. "Do you want me to stop?" "No! Just now I see a new Timothy Cohn after hearing all the shit you said. Keep touching me, I like it!" They lay quietly, without speaking, without contact, deeply understanding this moment, and hugging sweetly.There was a new intimacy between them, which they both felt but refused to admit. He could imagine what his life would be like if he spent the rest of his life with such a tough woman.She also wondered what her life would be like if she dared to be with this fierce, curmudgeon and withdrawn man. Finally, the two of them were fired up again, and the two of them played together in a slow, lazy tempo, and the night seemed to go on forever. Afterwards, both parties were tired and lethargic.The two hugged each other, their sleepy eyes still barely opened, staring at each other without saying a word.Attached in my heart, reluctant to let time slip away secretly. "It's getting late," he said, "I should go too." "I have something else to give you," she said. "I don't know if I should give it to you. But after thinking about it, I'll give it to you! Maybe it will help the Clovis case." "what is that?" "I told you, you should check the social page once in a while. Do you know what a 'house tour' is? It's a charity group that arranges a tour to see the homes of rich people, usually those in the East End. People's house. You buy a ticket with a charity group, and you can go in. Today, the New York Times published the news of "House Sightseeing", including a visit to the triplex of Clovis's house, do you want to go?" "Why not? Give me a chance to see another side of their lives." "I'll get you a ticket." She put on a flannel nightgown and while he was getting dressed she grabbed two more cans of beer and watched him strap the holster over his shins. "Do you really need that thing?" she said. "Lulu can be a bluff sometimes. Besides, if I don't have a gun, it's like I'm naked." "Have you used it?" she asked. "Anthony Buehner was impressed," he said, without answering her question. They both sensed a subtle change in their relationship with each other, and he quickly kissed her. Driving through the empty streets back to his empty attic.Seeing him coming, Cleo kept rubbing his feet, but he still felt so lonely in this room. He woke up with a dry cough, got up slowly, changed Cleo's clean water, and fed her canned tomatoes and herring.Then I made myself a cup of instant coffee and lit my first cigarette of the day. Although he arrived at the office on time, unexpectedly, Joey Washington was already waiting for him in his office. "It's really rare to come to work on time." Joey asked, "Did you suffer from insomnia?" "What did you find out?" "I ran all the banks on the ten streets near Union Square, and they all kicked me out on the street. The bank treats the new customers who apply for an account as confidential, and it is impossible for me to see without the permission of the court. But, I don’t think that’s the case.” "Yes," said Timothy, "you're right. You must find out." "So, I went to Sinai again and asked him to give me the name of the bank acquaintance he knew, which you told me. But he was busy, and I pressed him again, but I don't know if it will help." "It seems to me that Edward must have discovered that New World Enterprises is a short-selling company, and that the bank that Clovis deals with is very problematic." "Did anyone mention banks?" asked Sinai Abikela.He stood in front of Timothy's office, rubbing his big red nose. He looks troubled.Timothy and Joey looked up at him in surprise, his face flushed, and his swollen nose seemed to get bigger. "Clovis has three subsidiaries," he said. "They're all headquartered in New York," he said. "A year ago, the banks were in New York, and then they moved to Newark, Chicago, and San Diego." "Oh my God!" "That's right," Sinai said, "although I'm not a detective, I also noticed a suspicious point. Since New World Enterprises was established a month or two ago, the other three subsidiaries of Clovis have transferred the bank to the bank. Other states went. Could it be a coincidence?" "I don't believe it. What about you, Sinai?" "Of course I don't believe it. Three New York companies, why did they suddenly transfer their bank to another state? Timothy, follow up and see." "it is good." "Is there anything else I can do to help, or I'm going back to work." "Yes!" said Joey Washington, standing up. "You can help me. I'll go with you to your office. Can you give me the names of people you know in various banks?" "What are you doing?" Timothy says: "We want to find out if any of the Clovis subsidiaries have opened new accounts at any of the banks around Union Square." Sinai nodded sadly. "That's where Edward was murdered. Come! Joey, I'll give you names, but don't expect a lot of names, these people have tight mouths. Ask them, they'll ask you first Why come to investigate." They left, leaving Timothy alone in the office, unpacking another pack of cigarettes and blowing smoke rings at the grimy ceiling.When the phone rang, he made it ring five times before answering it. "Hello?" he said. "Do you have to say hello?" Samantha bellowed. "Can't you just say 'Timothy Cohn's office,' or something that sounds respectable?" "I'm not a respectable guy," he said. "You know what? You're yelling like you've eaten too much chili." "Come here quickly." She ordered. "Oh—" he said "bad news?" She didn't answer, slammed the phone down, and he walked down the corridor to her office.She sat upright behind her desk, glaring at him.Her eyes were cold and hard, showing no mercy at all. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Close the door and sit down," she ordered, and he did. "Clovis case, you just let it go," she said. "Oh why?" "Because the transaction was not done. Isaac wrote registered letter this morning that he has decided not to sell the company to Clovis, so the investigation is closed." "Fine," Timothy said. "Fine?" Samantha exclaimed. "Okay? We lost a customer who paid a good price, and you still say okay?" "Anthony must have checked that 'Honda' car, which I told you before, he would have done, so he knew he was nailed. There are many problems, and they are also nervous, so they don’t want to buy Isaac’s company again.” She stared at him. "You son of a bitch, it's all your fault." "It's all my fault," he admitted. "But don't you see? We're close to choking them, so Clovis thinks the best thing to do is break their deal with Isaac's." "Well, they succeeded," Samantha said. "Horon Hudlin told me to stop the investigation." "Are you going to let him order like this?" "Forgive me Timothy, he's the boss and I have to listen to him." They stared at each other, knowing that something important was about to happen, not about the Clovis case but between them. "If you do this, I will never forgive you. I will never give up for Edward, who died so unworthily, and who at one point wanted to be my friend. If necessary, I will fight alone, and I will We must get to the bottom of it and find out the truth of this matter.” "My God!" she murmured, "you're such a tough guy." "Not necessarily," he said, "but I know what's right, so I'm going to keep doing it." She took a deep breath, took another breath, sat on her swivel chair and turned, turned, played with the ballpoint pen on her desk, rubbed her forehead in annoyance, pulled her chin and scratched her head, and finally raised her eyes come and see him. "The lease on that Honda is until the end of the month," she said. "Then extend it for another ten days, and I can drag it for you. Give you a week, can you close this case?" "I'll try it," he said, "I can't guarantee it." "If you screw up, we're both screwed." "I know, so will you still give me a ticket for the 'house tour'?" She took another deep breath. "Okay, silly boy," she said, "I'll give it to you, but Joey's going to have to assign a new job, you know?" "certainly." "Okay," she said, "remember, you only have one week." "I know." "I rather like your grateful face," she said. "Go away, you nasty thing." "Now I hate it again, today is really my lucky day." "Get out!" she said. Back at the office, he called Detective Neil Davenport, who was out, so Timothy left a message.He's filling out his weekly report--this time he's going to have to make up a little more. —Almost an hour later, Neil Davenport called back. "I heard that Hudlin's company is no longer working on this case," the New York police detective said. "My God," Timothy said, "how bad news travels so fast. Yes, the case is gone, but my job hasn't changed." "You're really admirable, aren't you?" "Yeah," said Timothy, "I think we'd better meet and I have something to tell you." "It seems that you want to ask me for help?" "That's right. How about we stop playing? I only have a week left." "A smart and capable person like you only needs one or two days. How about I go to your 'palace' around eight o'clock?" "OK." "I can drink whiskey this week, and you'll get me a bottle, okay? I'll pay the bill." "I can afford it," Timothy said. He bought a bottle of wine, drove home, fed Cleo, and ate cold noodles and leftovers himself.Sitting at the table, staring at the words scribbled on Edward's notes. "Look, I'm such a fool," Timothy told Cleo. When Davenport arrived, he was wearing a wet raincoat and hat, still dripping. "Is it raining?" Timothy asked. "No," the NYPD detective said, "I was standing under the open fire hydrant. Just kidding, of course it's raining. Where have you been for the past two hours?" "Sit here." "You didn't even look out the window?" "Why are you looking out the window?" "Good question," Davenport said. "My God, you bought such a good wine. Are you going to bribe me? If you are going to bribe me, you succeeded." They sat at the rickety table, drinking whiskey. "I've got to get back sooner," said the detective, "or my wife won't let me go. Just tell me straight up why Hudlin's didn't investigate the Clovis case." "Because they're scared." He then told the detective how he had run afoul of Anthony Buehner.Also, the Accounting Director found out that the three subsidiaries of Clovis Company were not located in the state, and Joey Washington wanted to go to Union Square to check whether there was a New World Enterprise Company among the customers who opened new accounts, but there was none. success. "Edward must have found something before he went there and was murdered. I want you to find out if there were any clients connected to Clovis Enterprises who applied for new accounts in the Union Square area on the day Edward died. .” "Why is this so important?" Neil Davenport wondered. "I think their secret lies in the bank." "Okay," the NYPD detective said. "The Edward Garver case is at a standstill right now, and our witnesses don't remember much else." "But he still thinks it was a woman who pushed Edward down." "That's not enough." Timothy thought for a while. "You don't want to start an investigation from the people at Clovis?" "I could ask my friend for help, but we're most interested in Anthony Buehner." "I think you could try to start with Grace Clovis, that woman has been broken into millions of pieces, she will admit to having an abnormal relationship with Anthony, and then you can extract from Grace what Anthony did However, Anthony may not necessarily stand firm, as stable as Mount Tai." Neil Davenport raised his head and drank the remaining wine in his glass. "This whiskey is really good, but I don't have time. I'll check the banks in Union Square for you. How will you repay me?" "I'm on a charity tour to see the Clovis house. Maybe we can get something." The detective stood up, sighing. "Bless you, my son," he said. Two days later (during which time he had been following Consta), he drove the Honda to Seventy-seventh Street on the East Side, which was the headquarters of the Tourist House Charity.He was wearing a well-worn checked suit over a plain shirt and dirty flannel trousers. The charity is not big, and it is located in a high-end residence.The donation they raised was for an American Indian tribe whose name Timothy had never heard. Those who want to visit the house first gather at the gate of the charity organization, and the charity organization's minibus is parked next to it.There was a young woman and a young man who were eager to roll their names. "I'm Timothy Cohen of Hudlin's." He reported to the young woman. "Great," she said happily, crossing out his name. "You're the last one, now we're on our way." The man also raised his voice and said: "Attention, ladies and gentlemen," he said, "Today, we are going to visit six luxurious residences. Each house will be visited for thirty minutes. The owner will be there to answer questions from all visitors. Please Remember that you are a visitor and do not cause inconvenience to the host." Everyone filed into the bus, and Timothy deliberately sat next to the driver. "When will we get to the Clovis apartment?" The driver looked at his timetable. "The Clovis's is the third in the timetable," he said. "What? Are you particularly interested in this one?" "I heard that toilet is very luxurious!" "It's gorgeous. The triplex is divided into rooms and you can see their collection of African masks." "I can't wait to see it." The first, on East Seventy-ninth Street, had nine rooms.The owner claims that his home is decorated in New York Victorian style.The man was in his sixties and was smoking a lighted cigar. The living room wall of this family's living room is covered with embossed wallpaper, which looks like a rising breast, which is really shocking.There are also many oil paintings of dead fish hanging on the walls, which seem to be more dead fish than the piles of dead fish on the pier in San Francisco.The only piece of furniture that Timothy liked was a chair made of antlers, which looked like he was going to be guillotined. The second one is on Park Road, decorated in a French style, which looks more attractive.The fabrics of the furniture are printed flowers, and the walls are covered with oriental wallpapers.The rug has so much hair that if you drop your contact lens in it, you won't be able to find it. Finally the bus stopped in front of the Clovis apartment.Stanley and Lucinda, both in silver skydiving suits, were waiting to entertain the visitors.Judging by their intimacy, they look more like a singing and dancing partner. The Clovis family's apartment was really nice, like a theater compared to Timothy's little attic.The living room is the size of a basketball court, there is a beautiful staircase to the second floor, and there is a private elevator to the top floor. The two siblings explained to everyone that the leather furniture was designed by a Brazilian, the marble stove was designed by an Italian, the murals on the wall were painted by a French, and the carved glass was carved by an Australian. "Then who is doing the overall design?" asked one of the middle-aged women. "We design it ourselves." Stanley and Lucinda replied in unison, and Timothy couldn't stand the satisfied expressions on their faces.He turned his head to look at the nineteenth-century Baroque grand piano, which was still carved with various patterns.He thought those strange patterns must have been carved by a deranged woodcarver. Instead, there were many photos on the piano, which attracted the attention of the Wall Street detective.相框有银的，皮的，贝壳的，铝的，黑木的。 提摩西偷偷走到人群边缘想凑近看看，显然全部都是家庭照片：祖父母，亲戚，朋友，还有史坦利和露辛妲小时候的照片。 “现在，”史坦利说：“我要带你们到楼上看看——那儿有许多有趣的艺术品，在别的地方，你们绝对看不到的。” “有些艺术品，希望你们看了不要吓一跳。”露辛妲加了一句，兄妹俩吃吃笑着。 一群人走到客厅边缘，提摩西很快走到钢琴旁边，更凑近看那些照片。 前面有四、五张彩色照片，内有史坦利、葛丽丝和露辛妲、安东尼及康丝妲，这些照片都用蓝皮的框子框着，显然是在海边某一个地方照的。五个人穿着游泳衣站在一排，手搂着旁边人的腰，对着摄影机大笑。 提摩西抬起眼，见没人注意他，就偷都拿了一张照片，藏在外套里，夹在手臂下面，然后又加入观光团体，跟着众人走上楼，看着楼上的主卧房，主卧房里放着一张“中国鸦片榻”。 参观完之后，他一个人悄悄开溜了，不愿再坐上小巴士。他很快朝西走，盗来的那帧照片仍然夹在腋下。他没再看一眼，一直到他钻进那辆“本田”车子里。 他们五个人全在这帧照片中，在灿烂的阳光下互相搂抱着。葛丽丝·克洛维斯穿着全世界最省布的比基尼，露辛妲穿着一截式泳装，康丝妲在泳装外面还包着什么，看来像一条绉兮兮的裙子。两个男人穿着游泳裤，五个人看来都非常健康、快乐，也许还有一些醉意。 提摩西端详这张照片，心里有了一个假设： 葛丽丝一定抓到她丈夫和小姑有染的证据，并且告诉了安东尼·布纳。因而他乘虚而入，猎取葛丽丝的芳心，并对克洛维斯家的大笔银行存款有了想头，再加上一个计算机专家康丝妲，就共同筹划出“新世界企业公司”。 跟着康丝妲这女人跑银行，发现安东尼经常和她一起去曼哈顿国际商业银行和曼哈顿中央银行，一天至少一回。星期四和星期五，她跑银行至少跑两、三回，在银行休假日前一天，她必定非常忙碌，在两家银行来来去去跑进跑出。 提摩西一直想不通这一点。 一直到星期三下午，他拿了一张哈德林公司的薪水支票，打算存进银行。 “这是本地支票，”银行行员说，“但不是我们银行的支票，先为你存入，五天后才能提款。” “本地支票得五天后才能提款吗？” “要看情形。” “什么样的情形？” “遇到周末、假日时间就要隔得更长一点，本地支票通常都要等上五天。” “要是是别州银行开出的支票呢？” “那得十天到两个星期才能提款。” 提摩西回家之前，他停了车到一家折扣商店买了一个袖珍型电子计算器，花了十块九毛五美金。那上面有很多按键他不知道有什么作用，但他只需要加减乘除而已。 回到他住的阁楼，他给克丽奥换了干净的水，又给了牠两根骨头。他拉开椅子，在书桌旁坐了下来，一边工作，一边咬着铅笔，忙着计算着。 除了吃一盒玉米花，喝一罐啤酒之外，一个钟头来，他连续不停地工作。电话响了又响，他都不接，专心用手指按着计算器的按键。 他工作做完之后，看看算出来的数字，骤然变色，简直不敢相信。他用电子计算器再算了一遍，可是算出的结果仍是一样的。他靠在椅子上，了然一笑，原来他们玩的是这个把戏，非常简单，总算让他破了这个迷团。 第二天，他又继续跟踪康丝妲，现在他明白她在搞什么鬼了。 星期四下午，银行关门之前，他把那辆“本田”停在五十七街。他看到安东尼那辆银色轿车去接康丝妲，提摩西顾不得一切，急忙掉转车头，不理会一大群汽车愤怒地按喇叭，他想他知道安东尼和康丝妲要到哪儿去，但他得证实。 果真，银色轿车开到“新世界企业公司”，并且停到栅栏里面。提摩西慢慢驾车经过，看不到他俩在里面做什么，只好又驾车驶向曼哈顿。 “这时候是计算机时间！”他大声说道。 办公室桌上有两张紧急留言，都是催他立刻打电话给尼尔·达文波特。他点了一根烟，抽了一阵子，瞪着天花板，然后拿起话筒拨号。 “达文波特。” “我是提摩西，你有话对我说？” “我开始查联合广场一带的银行，一边对自己说我实在太笨，竟然会听你这白痴的主意。结果查了第二家银行，果然查出新世界企业公司申请了新账户，就在爱德华·葛佛遇害那一天。查出这一点，喜欢吗？” "I like." “我甚至看了申请书，”达文波特说：“你猜是谁签的名？” “康丝妲·费吉利亚，那名公司秘书。”提摩西说。 “宾果！答对了，果然高竿。此外还有公司财务经理安东尼·布纳。我打算再去银行，把安东尼·布纳的照片给银行行员看，看看是否认得出他，可惜我没有康丝妲的照片。” “我有。”提摩西说。 “哦？你从哪儿弄来的？” “我偷的。告诉过你了，我参加慈善机构'观光房子'，到史坦利·克洛维斯家去参观。” 这名警探大笑。 “小子真有你的！你能否把这帧照片给我，我就好办事了？” “等一下，”提摩西说道：“让我想想……”两人沉默了一阵，他才说：“明天上午你到这儿来好吗？差不多十点？” “你又有什么要我做的吗？”达文波特问道。 “还有一个白痴主意。你最好来这儿，和我们会计主任好好谈谈，他名字叫西奈·亚比凯拉。” “这对缉捕安东尼·布纳有帮助吗？” “一定有帮助！” 华尔街侦探口气十分坚定。 “你认为是安东尼·布纳把爱德华·葛佛推下去的吗？” “不，”提摩西说：“我认为是康丝妲干的，也许安东尼是从犯。” “好吧，提摩西，明天早上我会来。你会把康丝妲的照片给我吧！” “当然会，你是哈德林公司最想巴结的一名警探。” “好儿子！”尼尔·达文波特道。 提摩西到会计主任西奈的办公室，问他是否愿意和尼尔·达文波特以及自己，一起开一个简短的会议。 西奈很不乐意，勉强答应了。 提摩西又走到珊曼莎的办公室去，朝里头看看，她正在喝水，抬起头来没有表情地看着他。 “你是谁？”她说。 “夫人，是你谦卑顺从的奴才。”他说。 “我看你像个陌生人，”她声音很低。“昨晚打电话给你，没人接，我想你出去了。” “我在家，”他说。“只是不想接电话。” “看来我们得好好谈谈。” “记得吧，你给我的时间很紧，我得尽快解决克洛维斯的案子。” 她眼睛一亮。 “你还在搞这案子？” He nodded. “抓到谋害爱德华的凶手吗？” “当然，现在还得靠点运气。星期六晚上，我把这些事告诉你如何？” “好吧！”她说：“我原谅你吧！在你的地方还是我的地方？” “我的地方，”他说：“一起吃饭如何？” 她朝他笑了。 “你是一位腐败的女士。”他告诉她。 “猜猜是谁教我的？”她说。 他们坐在会计主任西奈·亚比凯拉的办公室，提摩西叼着驼骆牌香烟，尼尔·达文波特又打开一个口香糖。西奈摸摸他肿大的酒糟鼻。三个人你看看我，我看看你。 “呃？”西奈说：“事情现在怎么样了？” “我想问问你存支票的事。”提摩西说。 “存支票？”这个会计主任瞪视着他。“难道你没有存过支票？” 提摩西有些不安地动了动。 “我只是想从根本问你，你怎么存支票？” 西奈叹了一口气。 “好吧，我就给你上最基本的一课。如果你支票存款甲存帐户有五百美金，可是你开出一张抵押支票，嗯，譬如说一千块吧，而且马上就要到期，这时你得快点存够甲存存款，否则就会退票。因此，你得再开一张一千元的支票，存入甲存户头。” “这不合法吗？”尼尔·达文波特说：“我以前也一直这么干。” “谁没这么做过？”西奈·亚比凯拉疲惫地说：“这也不能说完全不合法，只是在资金调度上冒险些。如果在本地开出支票，然后把款子拨到对方银行还有两天到五天的时间。” “这么说，可以先开一张支票出去，事实上自己账户里没有这笔钱？” “对了，”西奈说着，点了点头，“还有几天的时间，可以来得及补足银行存款，只要把账户的钱补足了，就没事了。这是最简单的一种，还有其他的情况。” “呃？”尼尔·达文波特说：“还有什么？” “还有一种情形就是透支了，”这个会计主任说道：“如果你有很多钱放在甲存支票存款却没有利息——或是很少钱，这时你开出一张支票，比银行存款更多，做短期投资，幸好在整笔钱要提出之前，又有存款补入，这期间调度，就是利用了银行的钱。幸运的话，就赚了一笔利润，不幸的话，就要坐牢了。” “现在，假设我有一百万——”提摩西说。 “有一天就会美梦成真了。”纽约警探说道。 “这只是假设，假设我有一百万，我在两个不同的银行都开了账户。一个账户我只存了开户最小额度，另一个我存了剩下来将近一百万，到这一步为止，都合法吗？” “目前都合法。”西奈说。 “在同一天中，一个账户开出支票，另一个账户存入支票，同一笔钱，在几天之内一起计息，对不对？譬如我星期四，从大额存款帐户开出一张一百万的支票，存到我小额存款帐户，有几天之内，两家银行都同时在付百分之六的利息。一百万美金，一天的利息就有六十五美元。在支票转出前那几天之间，同一笔钱却可以两边计息，你们明白了吗？因为大额存款还得隔几天才真正把钱提出，而小额存款在支票存进时已经开始计息了，这么一来，我就可以多赚五天利息。” 西奈和尼尔互相瞪着眼睛，提摩西不等他们说话又继续说： “现在我要知道：这么做犯不犯法？” “有关这方面的法令，我也不大淸楚。不过，同样一笔钱，转来转去，在两边银行生息，应该是犯法的。”西奈说。 “这犯法，”尼尔·达文波特说：“有意把一百万美金在两个银行又提又存，多盗领一份利息。” 提摩西突然笑了。 “如果不是一百万美金，是一亿美金呢？以百分之六的年利率计算，多支领一天的利息，就高达六千五百美金，五天加起来利息相当可观，难怪他们一年下来，就有那么大的利润。如果期限在十天以上，这中间利息不是更多，一年更不得了！” “哇！”警探叫道。 "I see!" 西奈搓搓鼻子。 “克洛维斯公司原来是这么搞的是吗？” “他们的确如此。” “好在艾萨克不和他们交易。”西奈说。“难道银行计算机没查出他们用这么大一笔钱提来提去？” “不会注意。银行计算机只储存数据，记下存款和提款。遇上这样的情形，计算机的红灯也不会亮起。没有一个行员去查，否则会发现这个弊端。”提摩西说。 “狗娘养的，”达文波特说，摇摇头。“克洛维斯真会发财。” “是啊，”提摩西说：“所以他们要成立一个空头的新世界企业公司，并投下这么大的资本，根本不用营业，却能赚钱。他们把钱在各子公司之间汇来汇去，而且子公司的银行都设在其他州，像芝加哥、圣地亚哥、纽瓦克。这样支票对兑，存款进入对方银行就有十天时间，可以同时收到两边银行十天的利息。我敢说，这整个计划，一定是安东尼出的点子。” “真恶心！”西奈·亚比凯拉说。 “高兴点，西奈，反正公司现在也不管这案子。” 提摩西回到自己的办公室，和达文波特面面相对。 “我并不想告诉你该怎么做。”这名华尔街的侦探说。 "But--" “你说。”纽约警探打断了他的话。 “如果我是你，我第一件事就会通知曼哈顿国际银行和曼哈顿商业银行，查一查克洛维斯公司和子公司以及新世界企业公司，这几年存款和提款的情形。如果我的判断错了，所有的都砸了。” “要是你的判断对了呢？” “那么査下去，离破案就不远了。目前关心的，虽是他们对银行的诈欺行为，但是我最终的目的，仍是要找出谋害爱德华的凶手。” “那我该怎么做，老师？”达文波特非常讽刺地说道，又拆开一包新的口香糖。 “我仍然认为关键在葛丽丝，这女人的头已经像气球一样，稍稍戳一下就会爆炸。如果你对他们诈欺银行的事，提出有力的证据，你就可以去克洛维斯家抓人，葛丽丝一定很快崩溃，把事情都抖了出来。如果她仍不松口，你就指出她和安东尼·布纳不正常的关系，我敢说她一定会承认，安东尼·布纳是她的情夫，然后你找安东尼，他一定会说，绝不是他杀了爱德华，他很快就会说出真正的凶手，是康丝妲——” 达文彼特摇摇头。 “看不出你理路淸楚，早已看破全局了。” “会成功的，”提摩西说道。“他们一个个都会像骨牌一样，接二连三倒下去。还有一件事我要求你帮忙。” “呃，还有吗？什么事？” “你抓到安东尼·布纳时，我要到场。我想，如果你行动快的话，明天就可以逮到他，我会一直在电话机旁等你的消息。你愿意打电话通知我吗？” “会的。”达文波特站了起来。 “这回我欠了你人情。” “等一等，”提摩西说，从最上面的抽屉拿出皮框的照片。“别忘了到布鲁克林，新世界企业公司的仓库里搬那个计算机，检察官需要，那儿有所有诈欺银行的证据。把康丝妲的照片给你那名证人看，告诉他这女人已经被捕了，也许他愿意作证。” “也许，”纽约警探说，审视着那张照片。“值得一试，哪一个是她？” “左边第二个。” “这个穿着比基尼的金发女郞是谁？” “是葛丽丝·克洛维斯。” “喔，”纽约警探吸了一口气。“我想我要亲自审问她。” “你真是个糟老头。”提摩西说。 “我以前也是个糟小子。”达文波特说道。“我并没有变。” 星期六早上，他没离开阁楼，甚至没有出去买份报纸，他害怕会错过达文波特的电话。所以，他一面喝着黑咖啡，一面抽着香烟，一边摸着克丽奥，一边大声地自言自语。 “也许在某些细节上我错了，”他说：“但那都是不重要的。爱德华·葛佛是个聪明的家伙，他比我更快识破了他们的诡计，只可惜他还不够聪明，没有顾到他的背后。克丽奥，在这个世界上，你绝不能信任任何一个人——甚至是你自己。 “我给你食物，给你换水，为你淸理大小便，因此你信任我，你很满足。可是，万一哪一个晚上我没回来呢？或者再也不回来了呢？到时候谁来喂你？哦！你一定会想办法跑出去。你这个小家伙，你会想活下去的。” 十二点差一点的时候，电话铃响了。他非常有把握，一定是好消息来了。慢慢走过去，这一定是他正等待的电话。 “喂？”他说。 “每一件事都非常顺利，”达文波特愉快地说：“两家本地银行漏夜工作，算出这几年来，被克洛维斯公司骗了近五千万，另外别州的三家银行正在计算他们的损失。我已经搬来了新世界企业公司的计算机，现在交给检察官，上面有一切的罪证——我是指把支票跑来跑去轧。他们利甩计算机，纪录下存款、提款和利息收入。” “那些人现在怎么样？”提摩西问。 “今天早上，我们带走康丝妲·费吉利亚。一个小时之前，我们到克洛维斯家，带走了史坦利、葛丽丝，和露辛妲。” “结果呢？找到了什么？” “在葛丽丝的手提包里，我找到一包很强烈的麻醉药品。在我们还没问话之前，她已经歇斯底里了，她现在在医院里，接受治疗和保护。我想她会把秘密都招出来。” “她一定会的。安东尼·布纳呢？” “昨晚我离开你之后，就一直钉着他，我们手下现在一直钉着他，他目前在自己的豪华宅邸里面。十二点三十分我们就要逮捕他，你要来看好戏吗？” “我绝不会错过的。”提摩西说。 “你得当一名旁观者，”达文波特警告他。“只能站在一旁观望，这是我们的工作。” “当然。”提摩西说。 这一天下着毛毛雨，提摩西穿上了他的黑雨衣。 他比达文波特早到，靠在安东尼住宅前的灯柱旁，耐心地等着，摸摸足胫上绑着的枪套，枪还在那儿。 然后，有两辆车慢慢开来，停了下来，双双停在那栋豪华住宅的前面。达文波特从警车出来，第一眼就看到提摩西，他朝他动动手指，就和其他警察到安东尼屋里去。 他在屋外紧张地等待了十分钟，然后门开了。有三名警察押着安东尼出来，他双手反绑，外套都没穿，只穿了一件银色人造丝的衬衫。其中有一名警察，紧紧抓着他的手臂。 提摩西全身血气沸腾，他有一股冲动，真想掏出枪毙了安东尼。 达文波特瞪着他，显然从提摩西的神情中已经看出了他的心思。他走过来，严肃的眼光瞪视着他。 他站了一会，什么也没说，但是他的目光和提摩西的目光锁在一起。 看到安东尼被押入警车内，达文波特才转身离去。但他走时，还回过头来看提摩西一眼。 警车开走时，提摩西仍然站在细雨中。他激动得全身颤抖，好不容易才控制住情绪，钻回他那辆“本田”车子里面。 驶到百老汇，他在一家商店前停了下来，他买了一些鸡、色拉等等，有他和克丽奥爱吃的东西，甚至还买了一瓶香槟。 五点刚过一点，珊曼莎出现了，她带了一盒好吃的蛋糕，做为餐后甜点。 “现在情况怎么样了？快快告诉我！”她问道。 “咱们先喝一杯，”他说：“我今天的第一杯。” “哈——哈——” 他在伏特加酒中加些水，坐在桌旁。他把一切情形告诉她，珊曼莎十分注意地听着，没有插嘴。在讲到安东尼·布纳被捕之前，他们已经喝了第二杯酒。 “我当时真想毙了他，”提摩西忏悔着说：“要不是达文波特及时阻止了我，我真会这么做。” “为什么是安东尼？”珊曼莎好奇地说：“你不是说是康丝妲把爱德华推下去的吗？” “当然是的。可是你看不出来吗？整件事的主谋是安东尼。他想出一个迅速致富的方法，结果毁了所有人的生命。” “你认为他还勾引葛丽丝？” “我敢打赌。再说，史坦利和露辛妲很可能不反对。显然，整个事情都是安东尼带路。他像个魔鬼一样，所以我真想毙了他。” “我很高兴你没有这么做。”珊曼莎说道。 “我也是——大概吧。可是，也许下半辈子我都会懊悔没这么做。” “你会去射杀一个没有武器，双手反绑，又戴着手铐的犯人？” “难道你没射击过一只懒洋洋躺在岩石上的响尾蛇，难道没有吗？”提摩西说。 她看了他一会儿，然后摇摇头。 “提摩西，你真吓坏了我。难道你忘了，你已经退伍成了老百姓了吗？” “好吧，我们快快乐乐来庆祝有这么圆满的结局。艾萨克算是逃过一刼，哈德林公司也算完成了任务。也许贺伦·哈德林还会得个徽章或是什么的，说他是个非常正直的市民。” “他很喜欢这一套。”她微笑着说。 “我准备了烤鸡和香槟酒，你喜欢吗？” “很好，”她说：“我们待会儿再吃吧。” 外面一直下雨，他们听到雨点打在屋顶上的声音，但是阁楼里面却温暖而舒适。 “这儿像一个洞穴，”珊曼莎说，褪下了衣服。“这种感觉非常原始。” “是啊。”提摩西说。 两个人裸体躺在床垫上，她伸手搂着他，突然他爬起身来。 “怎么啦？”她叫道。“你要干什么啊？” “我忘了一样东西。” 他到厨房的柜子里，拿了一样包好的礼物回来，上面还系着一个蝴蝶结。他躺在她的身边，把那份礼物交给她。 她低头看着那包礼物，又抬头看他，不敢置信。 “给我的？”她说：“为什么？” “看在上帝的份上，打开吧！” 她颤抖着手把包装纸拆开，打开盖子，看到一串项链，以黑檀木和水晶的浑圆珠子交错串成的。 她拿出那串项链，眼睛睁得大大的，温柔的抚摸着，围在脖子上。衬着她黑色的皮肤，显