And Harper resents it. The wife refuses to take his side against her brother. After seven or eight years of bickering, Van Amberg is getting the wife away from him. Harper wants her back. But he wants her because he wants control of that estate. Well?” His gaze focused on Barney. “Is that your idea of the situation?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then what do you think he ’s up to?”
Barney shook his head.
Babbing said: “I ’ve a notion it ’ll be interesting to find out.” He pressed a call button. When Archibald, his office manager, appeared, he gave him Harper’s card. “This man,” he said, “has separated from his wife. He seems to he using some rather questionable means to bring her back to him. I want to find out what he ’s up to—what his final purpose is. Never mind his office. Get a line on his house. On his servants. On his friends. On his evenings. And Arch: I want to get telephone connection with a man named Van
