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what’re you thinking?”
    â€œMr. Willis, I have seen a lot of great books, but today I am astonished.”
    He looked gratified but only for the moment. “Your astonishment is duly noted. The question is, what do we do now?”
    â€œDepends on what you want. I can go around this room and put prices on your books…theoretical prices on the ones that are missing, real prices on what’s still here. I can do that, but I can’t testify to what I haven’t seen, and just making the appraisal will take some time. I could be in here for several weeks.”
    â€œI don’t care about the cost. But I do need it wrapped up soon.”
    â€œYou made reference to the books being stolen, maybe. If you can produce rosters and billings from Rosenbach and others, you might make that case for the insurance company.”
    â€œWhere else could they go? You think they just sprouted legs and walked out?”
    â€œI’m being cautious.”
    â€œI haven’t got time for caution.”
    â€œThen maybe, sir, with all due respect, you’d better find the time.”
    I saw instant fury in his eyes but he calmed himself and said nothing.
    â€œThey’ve been in here for what, twenty years?” I said. “Since she died they’ve been sitting here and it looks like they’ve been getting picked off one by one. Now you’ve got ’em under lock and key; you can wait till we see what we think might have happened. Let’s try doing it right, see exactly what’s missing, and work from there.”
    â€œAnd do what about it?”
    â€œWhat do you want me to do?”
    â€œCatch the bastard that did this and put him in jail, what do you think?”
    â€œAnd get the books back.”
    â€œYeah, sure. That goes without saying.”
    â€œNothing goes without saying.” Without writing, I thought. I had a sudden notion that I’d need everything defined on paper with this guy. A long moment passed.
    â€œMr. Willis, let me explain something to you. A book thief, unless he’s doing his dirty work for some personal motive, usually sells what he steals as quickly as he can. In this case, I’ve got a hunch that whoever did it knows damn little about books and cares even less. He is taking whatever he takes because he has access and somebody else told him what to get.”
    â€œHow the hell could you possibly know that?”
    â€œI told you, it’s just a hunch. But that’s how I’d proceed, till I discover something that leads me somewhere else. Whatever happened, we have no idea when the books were lifted—may have been last week, maybe ten years ago.”
    â€œWell, it wasn’t yesterday. And I’m pretty sure I know who did it.”
    â€œThen you don’t need me, you need the cops.”
    â€œIf I could prove it, maybe you’d be right.”
    â€œSo what you want me to do is get the proof.”
    Suddenly his thinking seemed to change again. “Sure. But I’ll settle for getting the books back. I don’t need to make a fuss.”
    This time the moment stretched into a long minute. I didn’t ask him who he suspected, not yet. I didn’t tweak him on the subject of Mrs. Geiger’s death. All in due time.
    â€œWhat about the insurance?” I said. “You’ll need to have everything documented. Those boys don’t just hand out big checks because I tell them to.”
    He was shaking his head and suddenly I had a sinking feeling. “Don’t tell me they weren’t insured.”
    He seethed his answer into the wallboard. Another long minute passed. I could have said a lot of things then, but what was the point? The last thing a dope wants to hear when it’s too late is what a dope he’s been.
    â€œWhat’s your best guess as to when the thefts occurred?”
    â€œI don’t know. Maybe years ago.”
    â€œThat could be a deep window of