“Oh, editions. Yes, we’ve advertised some firsts, but—detective stories, I—don’t—believe—What was the title?”
“I forget. About a crime.”
“About a crime. I have—well, I have ‘The Crimes of the Borgias’—full morocco, London 1769, beautifully—”
“Naw,” interrupted the chauffeur, “this was one fella did this crime. She seen you had it for sale in the paper.” He rejected several possible titles with the air of connoisseur.
“‘Silver Bones,’” he announced suddenly out of a slight pause.
“What?” demanded Merlin, suspecting that the stiffness of his sinews were being commented on.
“Silver Bones. That was the guy that done the crime.”
“Silver Bones?”
“Silver Bones. Indian, maybe.”
Merlin, stroked his grizzly cheeks. “Gees, Mister,” went on the prospective purchaser, “if you wanna save me an awful bawln’ out jes’ try an’ think. The old lady goes wile if everything don’t run smooth.”