Part 65 (1/2)
”Yes! Yes! Yes!” He was seething with anger but had no choice but to respond. He shook his head violently from left to right.
”Boy,” he said in calmer tones, 'you don't know the half of what you're asking. Yes, d.a.m.n you, they worked together!
For a short while, very closely.”
”What did they do?”
Zenger's face took on a dyspeptic look.
”What the h.e.l.l do you think they did? They made money. Take that literally.”
Thomas eased back in his chair slightly and ma.s.saged the side of his skull with his hand and Leslie's handkerchief.
”What about the war?” Thomas asked.
”World War Two.”
”The Allies beat the Axis ' ”I'm talking about De Septio' ”He was in the army.”
”That's not a good enough answer. De Septio doesn't have an army record.”
”He certainly does-,” said Zenger quickly, in a response that Thomas believed.
”But maybe he was a little embarra.s.sed to tell anyone about it.” A faint smile returned to Zenger. He laid his cane aside.
”Know what his job was for five years?”
”That was my next question.”
”Trash collection, ”said Zengtr casually. Thomas voiced no response, so Zenger, almost merrily, repeated.
”That's right. Trash collection” ”I don't understand' ”Of course not”
said Zenger.
”There's nothing to understand. De Septio collected trash for five years in the army. Imagine. Pearl Harbor. Iwojima. The Bulge.
Berlin. Stalingrad. And Vincent De Septio was busy picking up trash.”
The old man laughed like an elf.
”something's missing' ”You don't believe me?” Zenger's eyebrows shot upward, as if recoiling from an affront.
”No,” said Thomas crisply.
”Then you can ask Mr. De Septio yourself.”
Leslie leaned forward, as if suddenly absorbed in what Zenger was saying. Thomas noted her movement.
”What do you mean?” asked Thomas.
”That was your next question, wasn't it? You've done your homework, I can see that. You were going to ask me where De Septio went after 1954, weren't you? You wanted to know why his case got tossed out and where he went. Didn't you?”