The Nothing Man Read Free Page A

know.
    I gave Mr. Lovelace a big smile, including her in the corner of it. I complimented him on his previous day's editorial and asked him if he hadn't been losing weight and admired the new necktie he was wearing.
    "I wish I had your taste, sir," I said. "I guess it's something you have to be born with."
    No, I'm not overdrawing it. It doubtless seems that I am, but I'm not. He couldn't be kidded. However good you said he was, it wasn't ever quite so good as he thought he was.
    I poured it on, and he stood beaming and rocking on the balls of his feet, nodding at the woman as if to say, "Now, here's a man who knows the score." Even when she burst out laughing, he didn't catch on.
    He looked at her a little startled. Then the beam came back to his face and he chuckled. "Uh-just finished telling Mrs. Chasen a little story. Kind of a delayed punch, eh, Mrs. Chasen?"
    She nodded, holding a handkerchief over her mouth. "I'm s-sorry, but-"
    "Nothing to be sorry about. Often affect people that way… Uh, by the way, Mrs. Chasen, this is the Mr. Brown I spoke to you about. Come along with us, eh, Brown?"
    I followed them out into the reception room. "Mrs. Chasen," he explained, "is a very dear friend of ours- uh-of Mrs. Lovelace and myself. Unfortunately-uh- we did not expect Mrs. Chasen's visit and Mrs. Lovelace is out of town, and-uh-well, you know my situation, Brown."
    "Tied up every second of the day," I said promptly. "Not a moment to call your own. Perhaps it's not my place to say it, Mrs. Chasen, but there isn't a busier man in Pacific City than Mr. Lovelace. The whole town leans on him. Because he is strong and wise, they-"
    She started laughing again, staring at him with narrowed, unblinking eyes. And it was a nice laugh to hear, despite the undertone of contempt. And the way it made her tremble-what it trembled-was pleasant to watch.
    Mr. Lovelace waited, smiling, of course, but with a nervous glance at the foyer clock. "So if you'll-uh-take over, Brown," he resumed. "You know. Show Mrs. Chasen our local points of interest, and-uh-play the host, eh?"
    I knew what he meant. I knew exactly where Mrs. Chasen stood. She was an acquaintance of his and his wife's, a friend, perhaps, of a friend of theirs. And as such, she could not be given the fast brush-off. But she was certainly not their very dear friend. She wasn't because Mrs. Lovelace was not out of town, and he, Mr. Lovelace, was about as busy as the zipper on an old maid's drawers.
    The Grade-C Tour. That was what Mrs. Chasen was supposed to get. A drive around the city, a highball or two, a meal in a not-too-expensive place, and a firm shove onto her train.
    "I understand, sir," I said. "I'll show Mrs. Chasen what we mean when we call this the Friendly City! Just leave everything to me, Mr. Lovelace, and don't worry about a thing. You have far too many cares as it is."
    "Uh-ha, ha-excellent, Brown. Oh, don't bother to come back today. Make a holiday of it. You can make the time up some other day."
    "Do you see?" I turned to Mrs. Chasen, spreading my hands. "Is it any wonder we all love Mr. Lovelace?"
    "Let's go," she said. "I need some fresh air."
    If she'd been balancing a glass of water on her head, she wouldn't have spilled a drop with the nod she gave him. She turned abruptly and stepped onto the elevator.
    I studied her, as best I could, on the way down to the street. And I liked what I saw, but I couldn't say why I liked it.
    She wasn't any youngster-around thirty-five, I'd say. Added up feature by feature, she was anything but pretty. Corn-colored, almost-coarse hair, pulled back from her head in a horse's tail; green eyes that were just a shade off center; mouth a little too big. Assessed individually, the parts were all wrong, but when you put them all together you had a knock-out. There was something inside of her, some quality of, well, fullness, of liveness, that reached out and took hold of you.
    When she stepped from the elevator, I saw that she toedin a