A Fine and Private Place by Ellery Queen Page A

since I’m never within these sacred walls except on his orders and sufferance. And why the hell doesn’t he have that outside wall knocked out and a picture window put in so that the den gets some decent light? As well as having a new air conditioner installed; this one literally stinks, it does such a bad job on his eternal stogy smoke.
    None of this showed on Ennis’s face. He waited, a paragon among puppets.
    Importuna was pacing. There was a frown on his massive face that interested Ennis. It was not the familiar frown of the padrone , before which presidents of companies and chairmen of boards quailed. This frown was directed toward something within himself.
    Suddenly Ennis thought, Can it be fear?
    The great Importuna afraid of something?
    He was roused by Importuna’s grating voice. “What was that last, Peter?”
    â€œA memorandum to the sales forces of the E.I.S. offices in Zurich. Noting that the rate of redemptions over sales in the mutual funds has been running around $2-million a day. This trend must be reversed at once. Quote we must avoid at all costs a loss of confidence in the funds. All personnel are to redouble their efforts to restore a positive level of sales over redemptions as quickly as possible unquote.”
    â€œYes,” Importuna said. “A note to Mrs. Importuna: ‘My dear, Instruct Mrs. Longwell to have the Kashan rug in my den taken up for the summer and sent to Bazhabatyan’s for cleaning and storage. I made this request two days ago and it has not yet been done.’ Signed as usual.”
    â€œWith great love,” Ennis murmured, writing, “Nino.” When he looked up from the notebook he asked, “Is something wrong, Mr. Importuna?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    It was fascinating to watch Importuna pace. He took 9 steps in one direction, 9 steps back. Never more, or less, than 9 in these pacing episodes.
    Did he consciously count them, or had his obsession with his lucky number become part of his autonomic nervous system?
    â€œNothing, really. It’s just that I thought you seem disturbed this morning.”
    â€œI am! I had a transatlantic call from Von Slonem before you got here. The Ploesti deal has fallen through.”
    â€œBut I thought that was firm. Locked up.”
    â€œIt was! I don’t know how it could have happened. Without warning— ffft ! Up in the air. And comes down in pieces. Von Slonem was almost incoherent. Something went terribly wrong at the last moment. I wonder if my luck … Do you realize on which day?”
    â€œToday is Friday.”
    â€œToday is the 9th!”
    â€œOh,” Peter Ennis said. “Yes. Well, maybe it’s good luck in disguise, Mr. Importuna. Remember what your brother Julio used to say? The sweetest-tasting deals are the ones that turn sour first. Maybe the fact that the Ploesti deal fell through on the 9th is a sign that you shouldn’t have gone into it in the first place.”
    Importuna’s frown lightened. It was incredible. A man of his acumen. “You think so, Peter?”
    â€œWho knows, Mr. Importuna? If you have faith in any system of belief …”
    How long, O Lord?
    They resumed working.
    Importuna’s 9th step away from Ennis took him to the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on the other side of the room. Ordinarily when he reached the shelves he would turn on his heel and take the 9-step journey back. But sometimes as he dictated to Ennis he would pause to lean against a shelf in pursuit of a thought, his right hand with its four fingers raised to one of the higher shelves, his gaze directed to the Kashan rug. During one of these reflective pauses Importuna chanced to look up and about. His glance fixed on the row of books at his eye level and all thoughtfulness fled his face. It was supplanted by something very like panic.
    â€œPeter!” he cried in a rage.
    Ennis, startled, looked around. “Yes,