altruistic presumption,” she conceded.
“And you never saw them before?”
“I did not say any such thing. While they did not impart a name between them, except for that unconvincifying scribble, I have seen the two of them at least once before, and if my recollection is correct—I have a memory for faces, so I know that it is—they were here some years ago in this very room.”
“Indeed. Might you recall why?”
“Be it known that on special business deals my mister gives me a high sign, which means that I am to remove myself from the office here , and go up to the house there , until such time as his special business deals are concluded. Normally I do not put up with shenanigans, but we had a talk, and he convinced me it was safer for me to not know everything that he might be required to do by certain types.”
“What types?”
“ Certain types. The ones who talk out the side of their mouth and carry bigger guns than this under their arms with the mistaken idea that nobody is gonna notice any such thing. I am a person who does notice such things, but I am not a person who would be so impolite as to remark about it. But in the interest of keeping my mister healthy and peace under the roof, when he gives me a high sign I go upstairs. This does not happen often, but the first time was a couple years ago.”
“Seven years, perhaps?” I asked.
“It could have been that long. Faces I am good at, time, not so much. It was when the old Francher house what burned to a cinder and needed a teardown. That was our first big job. Took every man we had, and the mister had to hire more. That was when I saw the certain types.”
“You hired them?”
“No, and I would not choose to do so, but in the city they were in the hauling business. The mister had to lease trucks and drivers for the teardown. Those two come in, and the mister gives me the high sign, so I cannot say what was discussed, but I expect it was to do with the leasing. Though why that should be a secret the mister did not see fit to share with me.”
“Would you have the name of the company he leased the trucks from?”
“I would, but why should I mention it to you? Certain types might get annoyed with my mister.”
“Perhaps, Mrs. Stannard,” said Barrett, “it could be arranged that certain types do not trouble you or your good husband ever again.”
She thought it over. “I would not be unpleased, but it might be bad for business. In this hard and wicked world it is often necessary to deal with certain types just to get things done.”
I raised my hand. “How does this sound: suppose you were upstairs and unaware that some other certain types broke into your mister’s office and looked through the address files you have. No one could blame you or your mister if that happened.”
Some more thought and she nodded. “I am liking how you think, though you do not look like a nosy burglar. I will not lie to my mister, but I could not mention everything to him in the interest of doing him a favor for his own good.”
“I’m sure you have his best interest at heart.”
“Which I do. In that case, a nosy burglar would find the address in that file box—not that one, that one!—under the letter B for Brogan Trucking. A nosy burglar can write the address down, but not using the note paper with our letterhead on it as that would be a bad thing.”
I wrote what I needed on an unadorned scrap and thanked the lady, putting things back as I’d found them, including the flimsy. “I’m sorry we startled you, Mrs. Stannard.”
She gave a regal nod. “Next time ring the bell. As I missed committing a perforation to Mr. Barrett’s person—do not get me wrong, I am glad of that now—I shall be devoting effort toward improving my aim.”
“Quite rightly, Mrs. Stannard,” said Barrett.
“Now if you two are done here, you will please to make an exit and I will lock up behind and proceed with my evening. The mister will want his dinner and
“And you never saw them before?”
“I did not say any such thing. While they did not impart a name between them, except for that unconvincifying scribble, I have seen the two of them at least once before, and if my recollection is correct—I have a memory for faces, so I know that it is—they were here some years ago in this very room.”
“Indeed. Might you recall why?”
“Be it known that on special business deals my mister gives me a high sign, which means that I am to remove myself from the office here , and go up to the house there , until such time as his special business deals are concluded. Normally I do not put up with shenanigans, but we had a talk, and he convinced me it was safer for me to not know everything that he might be required to do by certain types.”
“What types?”
“ Certain types. The ones who talk out the side of their mouth and carry bigger guns than this under their arms with the mistaken idea that nobody is gonna notice any such thing. I am a person who does notice such things, but I am not a person who would be so impolite as to remark about it. But in the interest of keeping my mister healthy and peace under the roof, when he gives me a high sign I go upstairs. This does not happen often, but the first time was a couple years ago.”
“Seven years, perhaps?” I asked.
“It could have been that long. Faces I am good at, time, not so much. It was when the old Francher house what burned to a cinder and needed a teardown. That was our first big job. Took every man we had, and the mister had to hire more. That was when I saw the certain types.”
“You hired them?”
“No, and I would not choose to do so, but in the city they were in the hauling business. The mister had to lease trucks and drivers for the teardown. Those two come in, and the mister gives me the high sign, so I cannot say what was discussed, but I expect it was to do with the leasing. Though why that should be a secret the mister did not see fit to share with me.”
“Would you have the name of the company he leased the trucks from?”
“I would, but why should I mention it to you? Certain types might get annoyed with my mister.”
“Perhaps, Mrs. Stannard,” said Barrett, “it could be arranged that certain types do not trouble you or your good husband ever again.”
She thought it over. “I would not be unpleased, but it might be bad for business. In this hard and wicked world it is often necessary to deal with certain types just to get things done.”
I raised my hand. “How does this sound: suppose you were upstairs and unaware that some other certain types broke into your mister’s office and looked through the address files you have. No one could blame you or your mister if that happened.”
Some more thought and she nodded. “I am liking how you think, though you do not look like a nosy burglar. I will not lie to my mister, but I could not mention everything to him in the interest of doing him a favor for his own good.”
“I’m sure you have his best interest at heart.”
“Which I do. In that case, a nosy burglar would find the address in that file box—not that one, that one!—under the letter B for Brogan Trucking. A nosy burglar can write the address down, but not using the note paper with our letterhead on it as that would be a bad thing.”
I wrote what I needed on an unadorned scrap and thanked the lady, putting things back as I’d found them, including the flimsy. “I’m sorry we startled you, Mrs. Stannard.”
She gave a regal nod. “Next time ring the bell. As I missed committing a perforation to Mr. Barrett’s person—do not get me wrong, I am glad of that now—I shall be devoting effort toward improving my aim.”
“Quite rightly, Mrs. Stannard,” said Barrett.
“Now if you two are done here, you will please to make an exit and I will lock up behind and proceed with my evening. The mister will want his dinner and
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