He took the instrument from her and said, "Mr. Segal? How are you? ... Fine ... No, not yet. I tried to contact him a couple of times and was unable to reach him ... Yeah, I understand ... I'll get hold of him in the next day or two ... Oh sure, I'll let you know as soon as I hear ... Fine ... Fine ... Bye now."

He replaced the receiver and explained, "About the house lot on the Point. These big shot financiers, they want something, and they think you get it"-he snapped his fingers-"just like that."

"And did you try to contact Ellsworth Jordon?"

"Of course not, but I don't have to tell him that."

"Are you worried that-"

"I'm worried that Ellsworth Jordon might not want to deal with me and will say that the land is not for sale. Or he might ask some ridiculous price that even Ben Segal wouldn't be willing to pay."

"Maybe you could get somebody else, Dalton Realty maybe, to front for you?"

"And split the commission? Like hell."

"So what are you planning to do?"

"I don't know. I'll have to think about it. I might see Larry Gore, who handles some of his business. He's a reasonable guy, and I know he thinks well of me because he recommended me to Segal. I could talk to him and lay my cards on the table and maybe-"

"Maybe you're just imagining things, Henry," said his wife. "Maybe you're just working yourself up like the man in that story who goes to borrow a lawn mower from his neighbor. Jordon might be anxious to sell. At least, you ought to ask him."

He pursed his lips as he considered. "You know, Laura, you got a point. I'll call that sonofabitch right now and lay it on the line. Hand me the phone."

"Why don't you wait until tomorrow to call?" she urged.

He stared at her. "Tomorrow? Saturday? Why tomorrow?"

"Well, you know you always feel better, more relaxed after-after-"

"I feel relaxed enough right now. Give me that Goddam phone."

17.

When Billy opened the door to admit Lawrence Gore, Jordon called out from the living room, "You're late, Larry." A moment later, when Gore joined him, he pointed to the carriage clock on the mantelpiece.

Gore looked at his wristwatch. "Are you sure, Ellsworth? Mine says just six."

"You bet I'm sure. That clock is absolutely right. I check it every day with the radio time signals. You're five minutes late."

"Well, I'm sorry, Ellsworth." He slid the bracelet off his wrist and, peering at the clock, made a show of resetting his watch.

"All right, all right, let's not waste any more time," said the old man, as though conceding a major point. "Martha's got a date for tonight and wants to leave early, so let's not keep her waiting." And waving his arms, he shooed Gore and Billy into the dining room.

As Gore spread his napkin, he remarked, "Albert Megrim was in this morning. He said you were planning to blackball someone I proposed for the Agathon, Ben Segal."

Jordon chortled. "That's right. And not half an hour ago, Henry Maltzman called me about buying my land on the Point for this same Ben Segal."

"He told you who his principal was? That doesn't sound like Henry Maltzman."

"I told him I wouldn't even discuss it with him unless he did."

"Well, I guess he figures you wouldn't do him out of his commission."

"No commission."

"But-"

"I turned him down." He smiled broadly.

Gore looked mystified. "You know this man, Segal?"

"Nope. Never laid eyes on him."

"Then ..." Gore took a swallow of water. "This Ben Segal is from Chicago. He's big financier. He's taking over the Rohrbough Corporation and plans to operate it. Now the last time I went over your holdings with you, that land on the Point was one of the properties you said you wanted to sell. Considering the price you're asking, you're not likely to get a buyer in a hurry. I'd say Ben Segal is the best chance you're going to have in a long time."

"That so? Big financier, is he?" He drummed the table.

"That's right. There was an article on him in Business Week about a month ago. I took him to the Agathon for lunch, and he liked what he saw and what he had to eat. And asked me to put him up for membership. Just like that. Didn't ask what the dues were or the initiation fee. And it isn't as though he's interested in yachts, or in any of the facilities the club has to offer. It was just that it seemed to him a nice place to dine. A man like that isn't apt to haggle over the price of a piece of land he's set his heart on."

"Well," said Jordon with a sour grin, "I didn't actually close the door. This Maltzman figured I was being cozy, or maybe I didn't like to talk figures over the phone, because he asked if he could come and see me and talk about it. So I told him he could come at half past eight tonight."

"Oh, well, that's all right then." Gore was much relieved.

"I told him," the old man went on, "that I knew he was president of the temple and that since there is a service there at half past eight on Friday nights, according to the bulletin outside, I wanted to see which counted more with him, his commission or his religion." The old man put his head back and laughed obscenely.

Billy looked doubtfully at the old man as though wondering if he were joking. Gore pretended to be amused. "And what did he say to that?" he asked.

"He said if he did come it would be to put a bullet through my head."

"There!" Gore smiled his satisfaction. "You blew it, and now you'll be lucky if you find another buyer who'll pay you half of what you're asking."

"You think so?" Jordon put down his soup spoon and reaching back, took out his wallet from his back pocket. From it he drew a dollar bill and laid it on the table beside his plate. "You want to bet Maltzman won't show at half past eight?"

"Sure."

"Then let's see your money."

"You mean you want me too-" Gore drew a dollar bill from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"That's fine. Now we'll let Billy hold the stakes. It will give him a sense of responsibility."

Martha came in to clear away the soup plates. She waited while the old man hastily tilted his plate, the better to take the last few spoonfuls. "You kind of hurrying us, Martha?" he asked.

"I saw you weren't eating."

"Well, I just stopped to make a financial transaction. All right, I'm done now. Heavy date tonight?"

"Just a date," she said and went out to bring in the main course.

Later, when she came back to clear the table, Jordon asked teasingly, "Who is he, Martha? Who's your date tonight?"

"None of your business," she answered tartly.

The old man roared with laughter. "Now that's a girl with spirit," he exclaimed approvingly. "Cummon, let's go into the living room. We'll have our coffee there, and it will give her a chance to clean up in here."

When Martha served the coffee a few minutes later, she had already changed to her street clothes.

"You going now?" Jordon asked.

"Pretty soon," she replied. "I'm waiting for my date."

"You mean he's going to call you?"

"He's picking me up here. My car is in the garage."

"So he's coming here, is he? What did you say his name was?"

"I didn't say."

"Well now, Martha, let's understand each other," he said pleasantly. "Whom you go out with is your business, but who comes to my house is my business."

His voice had taken on an edge, and because she didn't think it worth fighting about, she shrugged, "It's Stanley Doble. I guess you know him."

"Yes, I know him," he said grimly. "And I won't have it."

"What do you mean you won't have it?"

"I mean, I won't have him in my house."

She smiled thinly. "I guess he don't care any more for you than you do for him. So when he rings the bell-"

"He'll still be trespassing on my land. You want to meet him, you can go down and meet him at the gate, Missy."

"Why, you ..." She stared at him in disbelief. Then she turned and strode swiftly out of the room. She was back a moment later, in her coat and clutching her handbag. She held a key which she shook under his nose. "Here's your key." She opened her hand and let the key drop in his lap. "I won't need it anymore. I'm not coming back. You can get yourself another girl." She walked to the front door, jerked it open and then slammed it to behind her.

Billy looked from Jordon to Gore as if seeking an attitude to emulate. Ellsworth Jordon, while obviously taken aback, did not seem too upset. Gore had an enigmatic smile on his lips.

"Now you've done it, Ellsworth," he said with quiet satisfaction. "There's a limit to how much you can push people around. Now you're going to have to find yourself another housekeeper."

"That shows how little you know about people, Larry," said Jordon contemptuously. "She'll be back."

Gore was puzzled-and interested. "How do you figure?"

The older man smiled. "Today is the thirty-first, isn't it? Well, I haven't given her her monthly check yet. So maybe she'll wait until Monday or Tuesday to see if she gets it in the mail. Or she may come for it, probably tomorrow. Maybe even tonight after you folks have gone. And there'll be remarks made that will lead to a rip-roaring argument. And after the air has cleared, we'll both admit to having acted a bit hastily."

"You really are a nasty old curmudgeon," said Gore, not without a touch of admiration.

The older man preened himself, and Billy thought it tactful to remark, "Martha blows up quick, but she gets over it quick, too."

"Well, there you are, Larry," said Jordon. "Now, let's get to important matters. Let's take a look at the quarterly report-"

"Oh, I didn't bring it with me," said Gore easily. "It wasn't finished when I left."

"That report is due today," said Jordon in a dry, flat voice.

"No, Ellsworth. We're supposed to send it out today. That means any time before midnight-"

The old man pounded the arm of his chair. His face grew red. "Goddammit, I talked to you about it on the phone, and then I suggested you come here for dinner. You knew I meant for you to bring it with you."

The doorbell rang.

Instantly Jordon's mood changed. He rubbed his hands in satisfaction. "That will be Martha come back. Go to the door, Billy. But if she has that scallywag Doble with her, tell her I won't see her and I won't talk to her."

Billy opened the door and saw Stanley alone framed in the doorway. He was obviously embarrassed and uneasy. "Martha Peterson?" he asked.

"Gee, she's not here-"

"Is that you, Doble?" Jordon rose from his chair and walked toward the entrance hall. In a loud hectoring voice, he said, "I told you I didn't want you setting foot in this house again. Now get out or I'll call the police."

"I come for Martha Peterson," Stanley said doggedly.

"Well, she's not here. She doesn't work here anymore."

"That's right," said Billy. "She quit when he told her he wouldn't allow you to come here."

"Why ..." Stanley pushed past Billy, his arms raised, his hands outstretched as though he were going to grab the old man by the neck. Gore, who had followed Jordon into the hall, came between them. He put his hands against Doble's chest. In a low voice, he said, "Don't be a damn fool, Doble. You can get yourself in a mess of trouble. Martha is waiting for you down by the gate."

"I didn't see her."

"You probably didn't notice her as you swung into the drive," Gore said soothingly. "But she's down there waiting. You better go. She might not wait too long."

Stanley permitted himself to be eased toward the door. On the threshold, he stopped and shook his fist. "You're a miserable old sonofabitch, Jordon, and if you're lying, don't think I won't come back."

When he had finally closed the door on Stanley Doble, Gore asked, "What did he ever do to you, Ellsworth, that you're so down on him?"

The old man waved a hand negligently. "Oh, it was over a job of work I hired him for some months back. That front door was sticking, and I engaged him to fix it. He took it off its hinges and planed it down. He rehung it, and it still wasn't right. And he wouldn't fix it without I paid him extra."

"It seems to work all right."

"No, the lock doesn't catch right. She won't close unless you pull her to real hard."