And something did. I had abandoned the idea of making some sense out of the crossing lines and overlapping colours, given up trying to get a rise out of Purley, and was exchanging hostile glares with Nancylee, when the door from the square hall opened and a lady entered. She darted a glance around and told Purley Inspector Cramer had sent for her. He crossed to the far door which led to Miss Eraser's bedroom, opened it, and closed it after she had passed through.
I knew her by sight but not her name, and even had an opinion of her, namely, that she was the most presentable of all the female dicks I had seen. With nothing else to do, I figured out what Cramer wanted with her, and had just come to the correct conclusion when the door opened again and I got it verified.
Cramer appeared first, then Deputy Commissioner O’Hara. Cramer spoke to Purley: “Get 'em all in here.” Purley flew to obey. Nat Traub asked wistfully: “Have you made any progress, Inspector?” Cramer didn't even have the decency to growl at him, let alone reply. That seemed unnecessarily rude, so I told Traub: “Yeah, they've reached an important decision. You're all going to be frisked.” It was ill-advised, especially with O’Hara there, since he has never forgiven me for being clever once, but I was frustrated and edgy. O’Hara gave me an evil look and Cramer told me to close my trap.
The others came straggling in with their escorts. I surveyed the lot and would have felt genuinely sorry for them if I had known which one to leave out. There was no question now about the kind of strain they were under, and it had nothing to do with picking a sponsor.
Cramer addressed them: “I want to say to you people that as long as you co-operate with us we have no desire to make it any harder for you than we have to. You can't blame us for feeling we have to bear down on you, in view of the fact that all of you lied, and kept on lying, about the bottle that the stuff came out of that killed Orchard. I called you in here to tell you that we're going to search your persons. The position is this, we would be justified in taking you all down and booking you as material witnesses, and that's what we'll do if any of you object to the search. Miss Fraser made no objection. A policewoman is in there with her now. The women will be taken in there one at a time. The men will be taken by Lieutenant Rowcliff and Sergeant Stebbins, also one at a time, to another room.
Does anyone object?” It was pitiful. They were in no condition to object, even if he had announced his intention of having clusters of Meltettes tattooed on their chests. Nobody made a sound except Nancylee, who merely shrilled: “Oh, I never!” I crossed my legs and prepared to sit it out. And so I did, up to a point.
Purley and Rowcliff took Tully Strong first. Soon the female dick appeared and got Elinor Vance. Evidently they were being thorough, for it was a good eight minutes before Purley came back with Strong and took Bill Meadows, and the lady took just as long with Elinor Vance. The last two on the list were Nancylee in one direction and Nat Traub in the other.
That is, they were the last two as I had it. But when Rowcliff and Purley returned with Traub and handed Cramer some slips of paper, O’Hara barked at them: “What about Goodwin?” “Oh, him?” Rowcliff asked.
“Certainly him! He was here, wasn't he?” Rowcliff looked at Cramer. Cramer looked at me.
I grinned at O’Hara. “What if I object, Commissioner?” “Try it! That won't help you any!” “The hell it won't It will either preserve my dignity or start a string of firecrackers. What do you want to bet my big brother can't lick your big brother?” He took a step toward me. “You resist, do you?” “You're damn' right I do.” My hand did a half-circle. “Before twenty witnesses.”
He wheeled. “Send him down, Inspector. To my office. Charge him. Then have him searched.” “Yes, sir.” Cramer was frowning. “First, would you mind stepping into another room with me? Perhaps I haven't fully explained the situation-” “I understand it perfectly! Wolfe has co-operated, so you say-to what purpose?
What has happened? Another murder! Wolfe has got you all buffaloed, and I'm sick and tired of it! Take him to my office!” “No one has got me buffaloed,” Cramer rasped. “Take him, Purley. I'll phone about a charge.”
CHAPTER Twenty-Three
There were two things I liked about Deputy Commissioner O’Hara's office. First, it was there that I had been clever on a previous occasion, and therefore it aroused agreeable memories, and second, I like nice surroundings and it was the most attractive room at Centre Street, being on a corner with six large windows, and furnished with
