“They do for a fact.”
“If you’ve heard anything about any of my legal activities and came to me because it had been rumored I could beat the Blue Sky Act. Well, I want to know about it. I’d be willing to be generous — you know, grateful.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
His eyes narrowed. “I take it,” he said sarcastically, “the idea just popped into your head. You said to yourself, ‘Now, I want to approach Crumweather and get him to talk. What’s the best way to get him to open up? Ah, I have it. Tell him I want to beat the Blue Sky Act.’ ”
“That’s right.”
“Bunk!”
I puffed at my cigarette.
He studied me for a while, and then said, “You know, Donald — I’m going to call you Donald because you seem like a boy to me, not that I’m commenting on your immaturity, but simply because I’m a much older man, and I’ve taken a fatherly interest in you.”
“Have you?”
“I have indeed. You know you have a very shrewd mind. There’s something about you that appeals to me. I’ve investigated your past a bit— You’ll understand my interest in you?”