Graveyard Plots Read Free

the way back from there, he stopped at a parking garage that had a telephone booth. He inserted a dime and dialed a number from memory. A man's voice answered.
    "Hello?"
    Cain did not say anything.
    "Hello?" the voice repeated.
    Cain held the receiver away from his ear.
    "Hello? Hello? Who is this?"
    Cain hung up and left the garage.
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    T he distinguished-looking man who sat in James Agenrood's private office at Consolidated Trades, Incorporated, tamped the dottle from his briar pipe and said, "Let's have a look at this note, Jim."
    Wordlessly, Agenrood passed a folded sheet of paper across his marble-topped desk. The distinguished man picked it up, unfolded it, and read:
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    Agenrood:
    What happened Wednesday night can happen again, if there is a need for it. And if there is, you can be sure a garage wall will not be my primary target. Stay by your phone this weekend.
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    The distinguished man folded the paper again and laid it carefully on Agenrood's desk. "No signature," he said.
    "Did you expect there to be one?"
    "Easy, Jim."
    "I'm all right."
    The distinguished man refilled his pipe. "What do you think he means?"
    "It's obvious, isn't it?"
    "Maybe."
    "He wasn't trying to kill me the other night at all. He's not a professional assassin."
    "Unless he's freelancing."
    "That's possible, I suppose," Agenrood said. "In any case, he knows a lot about me. I don't know how, but he's got my private telephone number at home."
    "He called you?"
    "Yes."
    "When?"
    "Last night."
    "What did he say?"
    "Nothing. Nothing at all. I could hear him breathing on the other end of the line, and then he hung up."
    "How do you know it was him?"
    "It was him," Agenrood said.
    "You haven't talked to the police, have you?"
    "I'm not a fool, Len."
    "I didn't mean to imply that," the distinguished man, Len, said.
    "I've put Reilly and Pordenza on it. They're good men."
    "Sure."
    "They learned that a dark blue sedan was abandoned in the Mission District some time Wednesday night. It had been stolen earlier in the evening from a downtown parking lot. First three letters on the plate were DRD. It looks like that was the one he used."
    "That bases him in San Francisco," Agenrood said. "The envelope this note came in was postmarked there."
    Len nodded.
    Agenrood said, "Did Reilly and Pordenza learn anything else?"
    "No."
    "Well, whoever he is, he's got to be known to the National Office," Agenrood said. "Only somebody within the Circle could find out as much about me as he seems to know."
    Len rubbed his nose with an index finger. "Can you think of anybody who has a grudge against you? Anybody you pushed, no matter how lightly, at one time or another?"
    "None that would try anything like this."
    "Give me their names anyway."
    Agenrood wrote several names on a sheet of paper from his desk and gave the list to Len. He glanced at it briefly and tucked it into the pocket of his olive silk suit. "Are you staying home this week end?"
    "What else can I do?"
    "I can put a couple of men on your house in case he tries something."
    "No, Len," Agenrood said. "How would that look?"
    Len nodded slowly. "Yes, I see what you mean."
    "I don't think he'll do anything until after he talks to me," Agenrood said. "I'll be all right."
    "If he calls, you let me know right away."
    "I will."
    Len stood. "Try not to worry, will you? We'll find him before long."
    Agenrood did not speak. The two men went to the door. When Len had gone, Agenrood closed the door and stood looking at it for a long moment.
    "I hope so," he said finally, in a whispering voice. "I sincerely hope so."
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    O n Saturday night, shortly past eight, Cain left the Graceling Hotel for the first time since Thursday evening. There was an icy wind off the bay, blowing ethereal wisps of fog overhead; he walked quickly. On Pine Street, near Powell, he entered a quiet, dark cock tail lounge. He ordered a draft beer from the red-vested barman, and then carried it with him into the rear of the lounge to where