As Purcell's eyes left me a flush came to his cheeks. 'It's a habit,' he said, 'a very bad habit.'
'It is indeed.'
'I know. You notice my eyes stick out?'
'Not flagrantly.'
'Thank you, but they do. When I was a boy people said I stared. One person especially. She-' He stopped abruptly. In a moment he went on. 'That was long ago, but that's why I do it. I only do it when someone starts speaking. After I talk a little I'm all right. I'm all right now.'
'Then I'll proceed.' Wolfe propped his elbows on the chair arms and joined his fingertips to make a tent. 'You know that Miss Utley had a hand in the kidnaping.'
'No, sir, I don't. I mean I don't know it, and I guess I don't believe it. I heard what my sister said to Mr Goodwin and what he said to her, and that's all I know. The reason I don't believe it, kidnaping is so dangerous, if you get caught you don't stand any chance, and Dinah wasn't like that. She wasn't one to take big chances. I know that from how she played cards. Gin. She would hang onto a card she couldn't possibly use if she thought it might fill me. Of course everyone does that if you know it will, but she did it if she only thought it might. You see?'
Wolfe didn't, since he never plays cards, gin or anything else, but he nodded. 'But you do take chances?'
'Oh, yes, I'm a born gambler. Three times my sister has staked me to some kind of wild idea I had-no, four- and none of them panned out. I'll bet on anything. When I have anything to bet with.'
'Life needs some seasoning,' Wolfe conceded. 'As for Miss Utley, you are wrong. She was involved in the kidnaping. If I told you how that has been established to my satisfaction you would probably still be skeptical. But having come to indulge Mr Tedder, now that you're here you might as well indulge me. If Miss Utley was involved, at least one of the kidnapers is someone she knew, and therefore I want information about her friends and acquaintances. I suppose you know them, some of them?'
'Well.' Purcell shifted his weight in the chair. 'Now, that's funny. Dinah's friends. Of course she had friends, she must have, but I don't really know any. She often went out evenings, movies and shows and so on, but I don't know who she went with. That's funny. I thought I knew her pretty well. Of course for acquaintances, she met a lot of people-'
The phone rang. I took it and got a familiar voice. 'Archie? Fred. In a booth at the corner. Do I snatch a bite and come back or do I call it a day? I'm supposed to stay on him till he goes home. How long will he be there?'
'Hold it.' I turned to Wolfe. 'Fred. His subject has entered a building, a tumbledown dump that could be a den of vice. He wants instructions. Should he crash it?'
Wolfe shot me a mean glance. 'Tell him to quit for the day and resume in the morning.' To Purcell: 'You were saying?'
But Uncle Ralph waited until I had relayed the order, hung up, and swiveled. Good manners, even if he didn't belong. 'About Dinah's acquaintances,' he said, 'she met a lot of people there at the house, dinner guests and now and then a party, but that wouldn't be what you want. You want a different type, someone she might use for something dangerous like kidnaping.'
'Or someone who might use her.'
Purcell shook his head. 'No, sir. I don't think Dinah would take a chance at kidnaping, but if she did she would be in charge. She would be the boss.' He lifted a hand for a gesture. 'I said I'm an admirer of yours, Mr Wolfe, and I really meant it. A great admirer. I know you're never wrong about anything, and if you're sure Dinah was involved you must have a good reason. I thought I knew her pretty well, and naturally I'm curious, but of course if you're not telling anyone...'
'I have told someone.' Wolfe regarded him. 'I have told the police, and it will probably soon be public knowledge, so I may as well satisfy your curiosity. Miss Utley typed the notes-the one that your sister received in the mail and the two she found in telephone books. Indubitably.'
No perceptible reaction. You might have thought Purcell hadn't heard. The only muscles that moved were the ones that blinked his eyelids as he kept focused on Wolfe. Then he said, 'Thank you for telling me. That shows I'm not as big a ninny as some people think I am. I suspected something like that when they asked me if I knew who had taken the typewriter from my sister's study.'
'The police asked you?'
'Yes. I didn't tell them, because I- Well, I didn't, but I'll tell you. I saw Dinah take it. Tuesday evening. Her car was parked in front, her own car, and I saw her take the typewriter out of the house, so she must have put it in the car.'
'What time Tuesday evening?'
'I didn't notice, but it was before nine o'clock. It was about an hour after my sister had left in her car with the suitcase in it.'
'How did you know the suitcase was in it?'
'I carried it out for her and put it in the trunk. I saw her with it upstairs and offered to take it. She didn't tell me where she was going, and I didn't ask her. I thought something was wrong, but I didn't know what. I thought she was probably going wherever Jimmy was. He had been gone since Sunday, and I didn't think he was at Katonah, and my sister hadn't told us where he was.' Purcell shook his head. 'So Dinah typed the notes, and so she took the typewriter. I've got to thank you for telling me. So you're right about her, and I thought I knew her. You know, I was playing gin with her a week ago Thursday-no, Friday-and of course she had it all planned then. That's hard to believe, but I guess I've got to believe it, and I can see why you want to know about her friends. If I could tell you I would. Is it all right to tell my sister about her typing the notes?'
'Your sister has probably already been told by the police.' Wolfe palmed the chair arms. 'You haven't been much help, Mr Purcell, but you have been candid, and I appreciate it. Mr Tedder should thank you, and no doubt he will. I needn't keep you longer.'
'But you were going to explain about someone putting something in Jimmy's drink.'
'So I was. Wednesday evening in the library. You were there.'
