the wind and the rain - 13. the call

by nick nelson

part 13 of ?

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waldo gazed uncertainly at the antique phone outside the dining room. the caller i d did not show a name, only a number he did not recognize. he picked up the receiver. waldo here. waldo! this is harold brown. how are you , old fellow? very well, harold. if you have any other questions, please call me back on my private and hopefully secure line - and waldo slowly repeated the number. would you like me to repeat that? of course not, as you know i have a great memory for numbers, as i have for names, people, places, and events, even so-called trivial ones. of course, how could i forget? waldo hung up the receiver with a slightly trembling hand. harold brown! how many years had it been? with a barely audible sigh, waldo decided to repair to the blue library to await harold’s call. but he had not gone three steps down the hall toward the great spiral staircase when the phone in his pocket vibrated. marlowe, the butler, watched waldo carefully to make sure he did not trip on the steps of the staircase. he considered asking him if he needed assistance but decided against it. when waldo was two thirds of the way up the staircase, marlowe took his own phone out of his pocket. next