میر اند میر

Chapter five

Myer and Myer

I woke up with a terrible pain in my head. I was lying on the floor outside the front door of Miss Elaine Garfield’s apartment. I looked around. The man with the gun and his red-haired friend had left.

I was alone and I had a terrible headache. I got up slowly and felt my head gently, to see if there was any blood. There wasn’t any blood, but my head was still very painful. I decided to go back to the office and go to bed.

There was no sign of the porter at the entrance to the Manson Building. I walked out of the door and across to the old grey Chrysler. I drove slowly back to the office.

The telephone was ringing when I arrived at the office. I went in quickly and answered it.

‘Samuel speaking.’

‘Listen, Samuel,’ replied a voice. ‘Forget about Elaine Garfield. We hurt you a little in her apartment. If you don’t forget all about Elaine Garfield, we’ll hurt you a lot more.’

‘Who are you’ I asked.

But there was no answer. The man had put down the telephone.

I decided to do what the man had told me. I would forget all about Elaine Garfield - for ten hours. After a good night’s sleep, I would look for Elaine Garfield. I would also try to find the man with the gun and his friend, Jo. I lay down on the hard, low bed and went straight to sleep.

I woke up the next morning at eight o’clock. I felt my head carefully, but it did not hurt so much now.

I left the office and went across the street to the cafe where I usually had breakfast. I drank a glass of orange juice, ate some fresh toast and drank several cups of coffee.

I read the morning newspapers. There was a lot of news, but nothing about Miss Elaine Garfield. I looked at my watch, left the cafe and walked over to the Chrysler.

By nine o’clock, I was outside the Title Insurance Building. At three minutes past nine, I was standing outside the door of Myer and Myer, Attorneys. At twenty past nine, I was still standing outside the door. Nobody had arrived yet to work. At nine thirty, the first secretary arrived and, at eighteen minutes to ten, I was sitting in Mr Myer’s office.

‘Well, Mr Myer,’ I said, ‘my name’s Samuel and I’m a private detective.’

‘I’m pleased to meet you,’ Mr Myer said politely. He was about fifty-five years old, with a grey suit, grey hair and a grey face.

‘Does Miss Elaine Garfield work here’ I asked.

‘Yes, she does,’ Mr Myer said, ‘But she hasn’t been to work since last Monday. Why do you want to see Elaine?’

‘Her sister has asked me to help find her,’ I replied. ‘Can you think of anything Elaine said or did which could explain her disappearance?’

Mr Myer scratched his head.

‘No,’ he said, ‘I’m afraid I can’t help you.’

‘Who did Elaine work with’ I asked.

Mr Myer looked at me.

‘Why do you say, “Who did Elaine work with” and not “Who does Elaine work with?” Elaine’s not dead, is she’ he asked.

I looked straight back at Mr Myer.

‘I don’t know if Elaine is dead or not,’ I said. ‘Would you be very sad if she was dead?’

‘Yes, of course I would be sad’ Mr Myer replied angrily. ‘Are you trying to suggest that I know where Elaine is?’

I smiled.

‘Now don’t get excited, Mr Myer,’ I said. ‘Can you tell me the name of anyone who works with Elaine - anyone who shares a desk with her or works in the same room?’

‘Yes,’ Mr Myer said, ‘that’s easy. Elaine shares a room with Suzy Graham.’

I got up.

‘Thank you very much, Mr Myer,’ I said. ‘Where is Suzy Graham’s office, please?’

‘It’s along the corridor,’ said Mr Myer ‘the third door on the left.’

I thanked Mr Myer again and walked to the door.

‘Oh, Mr Samuel,’ Mr Myer said, ‘I’m sorry that I got angry, but you understand that I don’t want.’

‘Yes, I understand,’ I interrupted. ‘You don’t want dirty private detectives in your nice, clean office.’

I walked out of Mr Myer’s office and banged the door behind me. I walked slowly down the corridor and knocked on the third door on the left.

‘Come in,’ said a voice.

So I went into the room.

‘Are you Suzy Graham’ I asked.

‘Yes,’ said the girl sitting at the desk. ‘I’m Suzy.’

I smiled at her. Suzy, was the kind of girl everyone smiled at. She was small and slim and had a pair of beautiful, brown eyes.

‘What can I do to help you’ Suzy asked.

I smiled again.

‘I’d like to ask you some questions, Miss Graham.’

‘Don’t call me Miss Graham,’ the girl said, ‘you can call me Suzy.’

‘Well, Suzy,’ I said, ‘I would like to ask you some questions about a friend of yours. Her name is Elaine Garfield.’

Suzy stopped smiling.

‘Yes, all right,’ she said. ‘But I don’t want to talk about Elaine here in the office.’

‘Right,’ I replied, ‘I’ll tell you what we’ll do. We’ll go out and find a cafe. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee and you can tell me about Elaine. All right?’

Suzy cheered up and looked much happier.

‘I’d like to have a cup of coffee,’ she said, ‘but Mr Myer might get angry if I leave the office.’

‘Don’t worry about Mr Myer,’ I said, with a big smile. ‘Mr Myer and I are great friends.’