"In the first time-line," Golfin said, "the one I started out to
investigate, you were actually killed. I know now how it happened. You
see, Sarah Fish is a blackmailer. George Wile was one of her victims.
To get out of her clutches he had planned on killing her. It was a
perfect setup for him. Several of her blackmail victims were there.
All he had to do was stick her with the poisoned needle and sit back.
Nothing could be pinned on him. Motive? A dozen of those present had
equal motives.
"But you were there. A pickpocket. You lifted his wallet. He wouldn't
have felt your light touch ordinarily, but he was acutely conscious of
those spare poisoned needles. He had one in his fingers. Within a few
moments Sarah would have been killed. You changed things. He killed you
instead, and in the excitement stole back his wallet. And of course he
didn't go through with his original plan to kill Sarah Fish. And also
of course, the police never solved your murder. That's why I chose it
in my first attempt to change the past. It was an ideal mystery. I
could solve it and at the same time save your life.
"I went into the past and watched your every move. But George Wile was
too smart. Even watching I couldn't find out who had done it. So I went
back into the past again and began my great experiment, _an attempt to
alter what has already happened_.
"I succeeded--but not the way I had hoped. There is an inertia to
events. That inertia in events made you steal his wallet the second
time--and plant your own on him. You left before he discovered the
switch. He came after you to kill you here. It was then you gave me the
identity of your killer. After that I went back to my original point
again. At the proper time I did what you had done. I picked George
Wile's pocket. He felt me do it. Again--the inertia of events--he
tried to stick me with the poisoned needle. But I was ready for him. I
deflected his hand and shoved. He stuck himself."
* * * * *
Golfin grinned. "Sure I planted your wallet on him. But who can say
whether it was my own free will or the inertia of events that made me
do it? The morning papers will carry the story exactly the same as it
was in the first time-line. A tremendous inertia of a single event."
"But what about me?" I said wildly. "The police will check. They'll
know he isn't me."
Golfin shrugged. "I doubt it," he said. "My guess is that Sarah will
identify him as you and keep quiet. To protect her racket, George
will be buried as Ben Smith. George Wile's relatives will report him
missing. He'll never be found. 'Your' murder will remain unsolved."
"I'm getting out anyway," I said. "I don't want to chance it."
"Then why not come with me?" Golfin said. "Now that I know I can change
the past I'm going to start doing it in earnest."
"Go with you?" I said.
"You could work for me," Golfin said persuasively. "I would pay you
far more than you average picking pockets, and it would be far more
exciting work."
"Say...." I said thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea. I guess I owe
you something, too, for saving my life." I nodded. "Okay. But where do
we go?"
"Not where," Sam Golfin said. "To when. We're going to my present--a
future year not too far removed from 1954."
He took out his hypodermic gadget and came toward me. I retreated
a step, then stood still, the palms of my hands suddenly wet with
perspiration.
"Good boy," he said. "It won't hurt much."
* * * * *
I went into the drugstore and up to the cigar counter. "A pack of
Camels," I said to the cashier. I took out a three dollar bill and
handed it to him as he slid the pack toward me.
"Fifty cents out of three dollars," he said absently.