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says that's the one and not the other two. Would that be reliable?"
"It might be," said Russo, doubtfully. "I never tried anything like that."
"Can you reach your sister by telephone, Mr. Russo?"
"Yeah. Sure. She's at home right now, with my girlfriend."
"Then call her and ask her if the man's name was Bill. Then ask her if the man's name was
Joe. And then ask her if the man's name was Fred."
Russo looked toward the others. Halsted said, "There's a phone over there by the
cloakroom." He held up a dime.
Russo said, "I got a dime, thank you." He put it into the slot and dialled. "Hello, Josephine,
it's Frank. Listen, is Susan sleeping? - Can you get her to the telephone? - Well, I know, but
it's important. Tell her she'll make me happy if she comes to the telephone and it'll only take
a minute and then she can go back to the program. Okay?" He waited, and said, "She's
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watching television. - Hello, Susan, you okay? Yeah, this is Frank. I got to ask you a
question. Do you remember the guy who took you for a ride in his car. Yes, yes, that guy, but
don't tell me what he did. I know. I know. Okay, listen, Susan doll, this guy, was his name
Bill?"
He put his hand over the mouthpiece and said in a hoarse whisper to the Black Widowers
generally, "She says maybe. You can't tell from that."
"Try Joe," said Henry in a low voice.
"Susan," said Russo into the phone. "Maybe it was Joe. Do you think it was Joe, honey?"
Again his hand went over the mouthpiece and he shook his head. "She says maybe. She'll
say that to anything I try."
Henry said, "Now try Fred."
"Susan," said Russo. "What about Fred? Could it have been Fred?"
There was a pause and then he stared wildly over his shoulder at the Black Widowers.
"She's screaming, 'It's Freddie. It's Freddie. That's his name.' "He held the telephone
receiver in their direction and the sound of girlish squealing was clear.
"Thanks, Susan," Russo said into the mouthpiece. "You're a good girl. Now go and watch
television. - Yes, I'll be home soon."
He hung up the phone and said, "It's Fred all right. That was no "Maybe" just to be nice. That
was jumping up and down. How did you know?"
Henry smiled faintly. "It was just a guess. You see, there was an eighteenth - century
Prussian monarch, named Frederick the Great -"
At this, Avalon started suddenly and said, "Good God, Henry, why do these things occur to
you, when I miss them completely."
"I am sure, Mr. Avalon, that given another few minutes of thought, it would have occurred to
you, too."
"Hold on," said Russo, frowning, "what is all this? What's this Frederick the Great got to do
with anything?"
"Well," said Henry, "Frederick was a hardworking monarch who built a small castle in a
rural setting to which he could retire once in a while and be relatively free of the cares of the
state. It was rather like an American President taking off for Camp David for the weekend.
At this castle, Frederick would get together with scholars and writers and indulge in
intellectual conversations. He called this castle "Without Care" or 'Without Worry.' I thought
of that when you described how that man told your sister not to worry and then pointed out
the name of his house as though there were a connection."
Russo said, a look of honest bewilderment on his face, "He called his house "Don't
Worry'?"
"Not quite. Frederick the Great, although he ruled a German kingdom, spoke French, and
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he called his castle by the French phrase meaning 'without care.' He called it Sans Souci. I
imagine that this man who carried off your sister is named Frederick and that he has had
enough of an education to have heard of Sans Souci and had the affectation to copy the
great Frederick in this respect. I am sure, Mr. Russo, that if you go to Larchmont or the
neighboring towns and check the city or town directories for a house by that name owned by
someone whose first name is Frederick, you will find it."
Russo said, "Is this real? San Soosee? I never heard of it. But sure, Susan would think it
was Saint Suzie. And even if she wants to be called Susan, all her life she's been called
Suzie and she would get the two mixed up, and say it was Saint Susan." He looked up
grimly, and rubbed his right fist into the palm of his left hand. "I think I'm gonna find this guy."
"You may indeed do so," said Henry, "but if you do, may I make a suggestion?" "Sure."
"We of the Black Widowers can't encourage violence. If it should be that this Frederick is a
married man with a respectable position in the community, 1 would merely discuss the
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