234
PARTISAN REVIEW
word
Intelligence
carried me into a world of organized wit and de–
ception where my own faculties of detection were being challenged.
"Do
you have any credentia1s?" I asked cleverly.
He handed me a card, on top of which was printed in bold type
ARMY INTELUGENCE.
I went through the motions of carefully ex–
amining both sides of the card. But the light was bad, and I was
already more interested in the "case" itself than in such legalistic
trivialities as credentia1s. To tell the truth,
all
I could make out on
the card was some nondescript name, something like George Wilson,
ostensibly the name of the bearer typed out on it, which simply made
no
imp~ion
on my memory. The rest of the card was just a blur
of type. But, after all, what better proof could I have of the
im–
portance and mystery of
his
mission than the very
indistinctn~
of
his
credentia1s.
I was ready for the interrogation.
"Won't you come in?" I said, leading
him
to a chair free-stand–
ing in the middle of my living room, that suggested the openness of
a witness chair. I took a more secure seat against a wall, with a coffee
table between us.
But it was I who immediately assumed the role of the witness,
and I began to explain my strange midday
dress.
"I work late into the night and often rest during the day," I
said, casually pointing to my red bathrobe.
I had no sooner finished my apologetic description of my habits,
than I realized it was bad strategy on my part to take a defensive
attitude. The right note to strike was obviously to let Intelligence
explain what it was up to.
I offered
him
a cigarette, lit one myself, and waited.
"How long have you known Miss Caruso?" he finally asked.
"I did not know her, that
is,
I had no relations with her other
than the obvious neighborly exchanges, hello how are you. We merely
lived in the same house, and I don't usually confuse friends with
neighbors."
"How long has she lived in
this
house?"
"Oh, I don't know, three or four years I think. I've
been
living
here only two years."
"Do you know her address in California?"
"No, but can't you get it from the Post Office?" I asked.
