Murder in the Gunroom - H. Beam Piper (digital ebook reader .TXT) 📗

were an officer in the Army Intelligence, too.⁠ ⁠… I’ll have your authorization to act for me made out immediately; to list and appraise the collection, and to negotiate with prospective purchasers. And by the way,” he continued, “did I understand you to say that you had heard some of these silly rumors to the effect that Lane Fleming had committed suicide?”

“Oh, that’s what’s always heard, under the circumstances,” Rand shrugged. “A certain type of sensation-loving mind⁠ ⁠…”

“Mr. Rand, there is not one scintilla of truth in any of these scurrilous stories!” Goode declared, pumping up a fine show of indignation. “The Premix Company is in the best possible financial condition; a glance at its books, or at its last financial statement, would show that. I ought to know, I’m chairman of the board of directors. Just because there was some talk of retrenchment, shortly before Mr. Fleming’s death⁠ ⁠…”

“Oh, no responsible person pays any attention to that sort of talk,” Rand comforted him. “My armed-guard and armored-car service brings me into contact with a lot of the local financial crowd. None of them is taking these rumors seriously.”

“Well, of course, nobody wants the responsibility of starting a panic, even a minor one, but people are talking, and it’s hurting Premix on the market,” Goode gloomed. “And now, people will hear of Mrs. Fleming’s having retained you, and will assume, just as I did at first, that you are making some kind of an investigation. I hope you will make a prompt denial, if you hear any talk like that.” He pressed a button on his desk. “And now, I’ll get a letter of authorization made out for you, Mr. Rand⁠ ⁠…”

IV

Stephen Gresham was in his early sixties, but he could have still worn his World War I uniform without anything giving at the seams, and buckled the old Sam Browne at the same hole. As Rand entered, he rose from behind his desk and advanced, smiling cordially.

“Why, hello, Jeff!” he greeted the detective, grasping his hand heartily. “You haven’t been around for months. What have you been doing, and why don’t you come out to Rosemont to see us? Dot and Irene were wondering what had become of you.”

“I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting too many of my old friends lately,” Rand admitted, sitting down and getting his pipe out. “Been busy as the devil. Fact is, it was business that finally brought me around here. I understand that you and some others are forming a pool to buy the Lane Fleming collection.”

“Yes!” Gresham became enthusiastic. “Want in on it? I’m sure the others would be glad to have you in with us. We’re going to need all the money we can scrape together, with this damned Rivers bidding against us.”

“I’m afraid you will, at that, Stephen,” Rand told him. “And not necessarily on account of Rivers. You see, the Fleming estate has just employed me to expertize the collection and handle the sale for them.” Rand got his pipe lit and drawing properly. “I hate doing this to you, but you know how it is.”

“Oh, of course. I should have known they’d get somebody like you in to sell the collection for them. Humphrey Goode isn’t competent to handle that. What we were all afraid of was a public auction at some sales-gallery.”

Rand shook his head. “Worst thing they could do; a collection like that would go for peanuts at auction. Remember the big sales in the twenties?⁠ ⁠… Why, here; I’m going to be in Rosemont, staying at the Fleming place, working on the collection, for the next week or so. I suppose your crowd wouldn’t want to make an offer until I have everything listed, but I’d like to talk to your associates, in a group, as soon as possible.”

“Well, we all know pretty much what’s in the collection,” Gresham said. “We were neighbors of his, and collectors are a gregarious lot. But we aren’t anxious to make any premature offers. We don’t want to offer more than we have to, and at the same time, we don’t want to underbid and see the collection sold elsewhere.”

“No, of course not.” Rand thought for a moment. “Tell you what; I’ll give you and your friends the best break I can in fairness to my clients. I’m not obliged to call for sealed bids, or anything like that, so when I’ve heard from everybody, I’ll give you a chance to bid against the highest offer in hand. If you want to top it, you can have the collection for any kind of an overbid that doesn’t look too suspiciously nominal.”

“Why, Jeff, I appreciate that,” Gresham said. “I think you’re entirely within your rights, but naturally, we won’t mention this outside. I can imagine Arnold Rivers, for instance, taking a very righteous view of such an arrangement.”

“Yes, so can I. Of course, if he’d call me a crook, I’d take that as a compliment,” Rand said. “I wonder if I could meet your group, say tomorrow evening? I want to be in a position to assure the Fleming family and Humphrey Goode that you’re all serious and responsible.”

“Well, we’re very serious about it,” Gresham replied, “and I think we’re all responsible. You can look us up, if you wish. Besides myself, there is Philip Cabot, of Cabot, Joyner & Teale, whom you know, and Adam Trehearne, who’s worth about a half-million in industrial shares, and Colin MacBride, who’s vice president in charge of construction and maintenance for Edison-Public Power & Light, at about twenty thousand a year, and Pierre Jarrett and his fiancée, Karen Lawrence. Pierre was a Marine captain, invalided home after being wounded on Peleliu; he writes science-fiction for the pulps. Karen has a little general-antique business in Rosemont. They intend using their share of the collection, plus such culls and duplicates as the rest of us can consign to them, to go into the arms business, with a general-antique sideline, which Karen can manage while Pierre’s writing.⁠ ⁠… Tell you what; I’ll call