Rand gave them a general good-afternoon, then turned to Gladys. "I had a
talk with Goode, yesterday afternoon," he said. "I have his authorization
to handle all the details. As soon as I get an itemized list, I'll
circularize dealers and other possible buyers and ask for offers."
"Is that all?" Nelda demanded angrily of Gladys. "Why Fred's done all
that already!"
"Is that correct, Mrs. Fleming?" Rand asked, for the record.
"I told you, yesterday, what's been done," Gladys replied. "Fred has
talked to one dealer, Arnold Rivers. There has been no inventory of any
sort made."
"Mr. Rivers is offering us ten thousand dollars," Nelda retorted. "I
don't see why you had to bring this Colonel What's-his-name into it, at
all. You think he can get us a better offer? If you do, you're crazy!"
"Ten thousand dollars, for a collection that ought to sell for five times
that, in Macy's basement!" Geraldine hooted. "How much is Rivers slipping
Fred, on the side?"
"Oh, go back to your bottle!" Nelda cried. "You're too drunk to know what
you're talking about!"
"They tell me Colonel Rand is a detective, too," Geraldine continued.
"Maybe he can find out why Fred never talked to Stephen Gresham, or Carl
Gwinnett, or anybody else except this Rivers.
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