Bertha Cool opened her purse, pulled out one of her agency cards, and put on her best smile. “Here,” she said, “is one of my cards. Cool and Lam, Confidential Investigators. I’m Bertha Cool.”
“You mean — that you’re a detective?”
“Yes.”
“How exciting!”
“Not very.”
“But don’t you— Oh, you must have unusual experiences. You must work at odd hours, have sleepless nights—”
“Yes,” Bertha interrupted, “we have unusual experiences and sleepless nights. I had an unusual experience yesterday and a particularly sleepless night. And now I’ve found you.”
“But why were you looking for me?”
Bertha Cool said, “I am going to collect some money for you. Will you give me fifty per cent of it if I collect it?”
“Money for what?”