'Why-a man goes places, that's all.'
Wolfe shook his head. 'Not in an emotional vacuum. Was it greed or parsimony? Free horseback rides? I doubt it; your income is probably adequate. Mere convenience? No; it was out of your way, quite a bother. My guess, to employ the conventional euphemism, is love. Had you fallen in love with Miss Nichols?'
'No.'
'Then what? I assure you, doctor, I am doing this much more tactfully than the police would. What was it?'
A funny look appeared on Brady's face. Or a series of looks. First it was denial, then hesitation, then embarrassment, then do or die. All the time his eyes were straight at Wolfe. Suddenly he said, in a voice louder than he had been using, 'I had fallen in love with Miss Timms. Violently.'
'Oh!' Maryella exclaimed in amazement. 'You certainly never-'
'Don't interrupt, please,' Wolfe said testily. 'Had you notified Miss Timms of your condition?'
'No, I hadn't.' Brady stuck to his guns. 'I was afraid to. She was so-I didn't suppose-she's a terrible flirt-'
'That's not true! You know mighty well-'
'Please!' Wolfe was peremptory. His glance shot from right to left and back again. 'So all but one of you knew of Dr. Brady's procuring that box of material from the stable, and all withheld the information from me. You're hopeless. Let's try another one, more specific. The day Miss Huddleston came here, she told me that Miss Nichols had a grievance against her, and she suspected her of sending those anonymous letters. I ask all of you- including you, Miss Nichols-what was that grievance?'
No one said a word.
'I ask you individually. Miss Nichols?'
Janet shook her head. Her voice was barely audible. 'Nothing. It was nothing.'
'Mr. Huddleston?'
Daniel said promptly, 'I have no idea.'
'Miss Timms?'
'I don't know,' Maryella said, and by the way Wolfe's eyes stayed with her an instant, I saw that he knew she was lying.
'Dr. Brady?'
'If I knew I'd tell you,' Brady said, 'but I don't.'
'Mr. Huddleston?'
Larry was waiting for him with a fixed smile that twisted a corner of his mouth. 'I told you before,' he said harshly, 'that I don't know a damn thing. That goes right down the line.'
'Indeed. May I have your watch a moment, please?'
Larry goggled at him.
'That hexagonal thing on your wrist,' Wolfe said. 'May I see it a moment?'
Larry's face displayed changes, as Brady's had shortly before. First it was puzzled, then defiant, then he seemed to be pleased about something. He snarled:
'What do you want with my watch?'
'I want to look at it. It's a small favor. You haven't been very helpful so far.'
Larry, his lips twisted with the smile again, unbuckled the strap and arose to pass the watch across the desk to Wolfe, whose fingers closed over it as he said to me:
'The Huddleston folder, Archie.'
I went and unlocked the cabinet and got out the folder and brought it, Wolfe took it and flipped it open and said:
'Stay there, Archie. As a bulwark and a witness. Two witnesses would be better. Dr. Brady, if you will please stand beside Mr. Goodwin and keep your eyes on me? Thank you.'
Wolfe's eyes went through the gap between Brady and me to focus on Larry. 'You are a very silly young man, Mr. Huddleston. Incredibly callow. You were smugly gratified because you thought I was expecting to find a picture of Miss Nichols in your watch case and would be chagrined not to. You were wrong. Now, doctor, and Archie, please observe. Here is the back of the watch. Here is a picture of Miss Nichols, trimmed to six sides, and apparently to fit. The point could be definitely determined by opening the watch case, but I'm not going to, because it will be opened later and microscopically compared with the picture to prove that it did contain it- Archie!'
I bulwarked. I owed Larry a smack anyhow, for bad manners if nothing else, but I didn't actually deliver it, since all he did was shoot off his mouth and try to shove through Brady and me to make a grab for the watch. So I merely stiff-armed him and propelled him backwards into his chair and stood ready.
'So,' Wolfe went on imperturbably, 'I put the watch and picture inside separate envelopes for safekeeping. Thus. If, Mr. Huddleston, you are wondering how I got that picture, your aunt left it here. I suggest that it is time for you to help us a little, and I'll start with a question that I can make a test of. When did your aunt take that picture from you?'
Larry was trying to sneer, but it wasn't working very well. His face couldn't hold it because some of the muscles were making movements of their own.
