Kay didn’t give up easy. “But Dad’s a gambler,” she countered. “Suppose I can get him to cover that challenge money with some of his own? That’ll get you ten grand—”
“Or,” Merlini said unhappily, “lose it. Half that challenge money was put up by the American Scientist. The other five grand is, or was, mine. I’m afraid that I had to — well, put it into the show. And now you pop up and calmly suggest still another way for me to risk losing it!”
“It’s also a chance,” Kay insisted, “your only chance to get the backing you’ve got to have.”
Merlini thought about it a minute. Then, still doubtful, he looked at me. “Ross, if you ever marry her, let this be a warning. She doesn’t seem to be able to take no for an answer.”
The way Kay had been pretending that I wasn’t there would have told a blind man that our diplomatic relations were strained. Merlini was far from blind. If he smelled a mouse and hoped, with this statement, to flush him out into the open, he succeeded. It was the chance I had been waiting for. I grabbed it.
“I’m not taking no for an answer either,” I said. “Not until I’ve got one or two things off my chest.” I vaulted the back of my seat, sat down in the row behind next to Kathryn, and talked fast.
“I’ve been trying to reach you all week. I’ve worked overtime at it. But your loving father and his trusty henchmen have sidetracked all phone calls, letters, and telegrams. Suspecting that, I went all the way to Florida hoping to break through the censorship, storm the defenses, and see you in person.
Kay frowned. She didn’t seem very convinced. “You thought I was there?”
“It looked that way. Phillips insisted you were out of town, and I discovered that your father had taken four seats on the Miami plane. Then later, when I got a wire from Miami signed with your name—”
“A wire? Signed with my name?”
“Yes. It was your father’s heavy hand trying to misdirect me. He figured that if I thought you were in Miami, I wouldn’t be looking for you in New York. The wire told me to go soak my head. You didn’t send it, but you act as if those were your sentiments. Are they?”
She seemed uncertain. “Then you didn’t get my note?”
“No. Except for that telegram, I haven’t had one single solitary—”
“But I wrote one. Sunday morning just before we left for the airport. I told you where to reach me. I said, Come back. All is forgiven. But when I didn’t get as much as a postcard in reply—”
“You thought the same things I did. You didn’t mail the note in person, did you?”
“No. I gave it to Phillips. Oh damn!”
“Damn is inadequate. Phillips merely obeyed orders. The famous Wolff efficiency never fails. Your father deserves to have ghosts in his hair. I hope they bite.”
Her hand grasped mine. “Yes, Ross, he does. Only not this one. It’s not some harmless practical joke. It’s serious, deadly serious, and I–I don’t like it at all.”
I had to agree there. “It doesn’t look much like a joke from here. It’s too elaborate. Someone is taking far too many pains.” I turned. “Merlini—”
He stood up. “If you can fix it so that I’m not thrown out on my ear the minute I set foot in the house—”
“I will,” Kay promised quickly. “I’ve got to. Can you come now?”
“No. There are a million things I’ll have to do here first. Besides, you’d better go ahead and smooth the way.”
“Smooth some for me too,” I said. “I’m sitting in on this.”
Kay objected. “Ross, be reasonable. I’m no magician. If you show up hell will pop.”
“It’s popping now. You’re afraid of what may happen out there. If you’re going to park yourself right in the line of fire, I’m coming. Then too, if I can help lay the haunt, maybe Dudley will relent a bit and stop growling at me like a cement mixer.”
“It’s impossible. You’ll never get past Phillips. And there’s no way that I can get you in. I’m no magician.”
“We’ll leave that to Merlini. He is a magician. I’ll go as his first-assistant ghost exterminator and he can insist that my services are indispensable. When the big bad wolf huffs and puffs, thinking it’s just a gag so I can get to see you, you enter on cue from left center, register surprise, disdain, and general haughtiness. Make him believe that his highhanded censorship of the mails has been successful. You haven’t heard from me and don’t care now if you never do again. He’ll like that so well he’ll let me stay just so he can watch me squirm.”
“Darling,” Kay said. “You’re crazy.”
“Sure. Crazy about you. If it doesn’t work, I’ll improvise something. Never burn your bridges until you come to them.”
Merlini made a prediction. “Tonight is going to be interesting, whatever happens. I can see that.”
I made a prediction too. “Tomorrow night is going to be even more interesting.”
Kay said, “Tomorrow night?”
“Yes. I’ve reconsidered your proposal of marriage. The answer is yes. And immediately, before you disappear again.”
“This sounds like my cue,” Merlini said quickly. “I’ll see you later, Ross. Say nine o’clock at the shop.” He started off, then, over his shoulder, added, “I don’t want to spoil your fun but there’s a four-day wait in this state after you apply for a license. Didn’t you know?”
“Damn! You would have to remember something like that.” I looked at my watch. “Come on, Kay. We’ve just got time to make City Hall before it closes.”
But Kay was not enthusiastic. “Ross,” she said quietly. “I’ve reconsidered too. The proposal has been withdrawn.”
“It’s what?”
“It’s lapsed. I’ve been thinking it over. You were right. We can’t swing it now. Dad meant it when he promised to cut me out of his will. And until you get a job—”
“That’s easy. I’ve got one. Merlini just hired me. The salary may not run to mink coats, but—”
“It wouldn’t have to. I’d rather have you than a mink. But neither your job nor mine will have any salary attached unless the show opens. It won’t open unless Dad backs it, and if he ever suspects that doing that would help us to—”
“He won’t. Not until it’s too late. In his presence we glare at each other and don’t speak. But off stage—” I leaned over and kissed her quickly. When I discovered that there were no objections, I repeated the maneuver at greater length.
“Ross,” she said finally, “you talk too much. Why didn’t you think of that argument sooner?”
“Convinced?”
“Maybe. If we catch the ghost. If Dad backs the show. If our jobs pay off.” She stood up. “And, if I’m going to sell Dad that bill of goods, I’d better begin starting now.”
“Stop iffing,” I said as we went out to where her car was parked. “It’s a cinch. Boy meets girl, boy chases ghost, boy gets girl. At least it’s different.”
“Yes,” she said, “it will be if ghost gets boy.”
She said it lightly, but she didn’t fool anyone. Underneath she was far too serious. I was myself, for that matter, though I’d been trying not to show it. I knew that any ghost that had Dudley Wolff on the ropes was going to prove to be something special. I didn’t think I was going to like the critter much when I met it. I didn’t.