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"Peebles," Hammersmith repeated. "As in Tamaqua Mining."
"Oh," Wheatley said.
That rang a bell, Hammersmith thought. I thought it would. Tamaqua Mining owned somewhere between ten and twelve percent of the known anthracite reserves of the United States. Anthracite coal was still an important part of petrochemicals, and according to Marion Claude Wheatley it would grow in financial importance. Miss Martha Peebles owned all of the outstanding shares of Tamaqua Mining, and Wheatley would know that.
After a moment Marion Claude Wheatley asked, "Is that in a trust?"
"No. She manages it herself. With Mawson, Payne, Stockton, McAdoo amp; Lester's assistance of course."
"You know her, then?" Wheatley asked.
Hammersmith was pleased they had found something to talk about. Making conversation with Wheatley was often difficult. Or impossible.
"No. I know the brother. Alexander Peebles, Jr."
Wheatley's face showed that he didn't understand.
"When the old man died, he, in the classic phrase, cut the boy off without a dime. There is an unpleasant story that the son, how should I phrase this delicately?"
"He's a fairy," Marion Claude Wheatley said. "Now that you mention it, I've heard that."
I don't think he would have used that word if he was queer himself.
"Not from me," Hammersmith said. "Anyway, he left everything to the daughter. There was a nasty law suit but he was up against Mawson, Payne, Stockton, McAdoo amp; Lester, and he lost. Then the sister set up a trust fund for him. With us. Specifically with me. We couldn't have Alexander Peebles, Jr., sleeping in the subway."
"And he invited you?"
"I don't know. I guess he's been told to show up and behave at the wedding. Brewster Payne's going to give her away, and I suspect he was responsible for the invitation."
"Who is she marrying?"
"The story gets curiouser and curiouser," Hammersmith said. "A cop."
"A cop?"
"Well, a captain. A fellow named Pekach. He's the head of Highway Patrol."
"Where did she meet him?"
"The story as I understand it is that her place in Chestnut Hill kept getting burglarized. She complained to the mayor, or Payne complained to the mayor for her, and the mayor sent the Highway Patrol:"
"Carlucci's Commandos," Wheatley interrupted. "That's what theLedger calls the Highway Patrol."
"Right. So, as the story goes, His Honor the Mayor sent the head commando, this Captain Pekach, to calm the lady down, and it was love at first sight."
"What does this lady look like?"
"Actually, she's rather attractive."
"Then why didn't you arrange for me to meet her?"
"You don't have a motorcycle and a large pistol. The lady probably wouldn't have been interested in you."
"I could have gone out and bought them," Marion Claude Wheatley said. "In a good cause."
He smiled at Hammersmith and Hammersmith smiled back. He was pleased that he had decided to take Wheatley to lunch. There was no longer a gnawing suspicion that Wheatley was queer. It could have been awkward at First Philadelphia if that had come out. Everyone knew that he relied heavily on Wheatley's advice, and there would have been talk if something embarrassing had developed.
EIGHT
