Stories I’m Reading:ANTHONY BOUCHER “The Numbers Man.”

ANTHONY BOUCHER “The Numbers Man.” Short story. Reprinted in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. First published in Black Mask, July 1945 as “The Catalyst.” Both of two titles given this story are appropriate. Gregor Stolz is a catalyst, all right. The kind of guy who just happens to be around as a murder or strange death is about to happen, or even as a witness to the event itself. He is also a man fascinated by numbers, and it will do no harm if I were to tell you that the particular chapter in elementary mathematics is the one about the theory of the decimal system, or the use of using other bases other than ten to describe a number. The police detective who is invited to a dinner party knows Stolz well, or at least he knows the man’s reputation, and so when he learns that Stolz will be there, he knows exactly what is going to happen before the night is over. But can he prove anything ahead of time? No, not a thing. And sure enough another death happens. Is there enough evidence now?…