'Yes.'
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'Mr. Khoury?'
'I have nothing.'
'Indeed. Then why are you here?'
'I want to know what's in the box. If there's anything worth a quarter of a million to me, I'll buy it.'
'The deadline is midnight.' Wolfe glanced at the clock. 'You would have ninety minutes.'
'I don't think so. I don't think Mrs. Hazen knows about this. I think you're putting the screws on us without her knowledge. Whatever you're doing, I want to know what's in the box.'
'Well.' Wolfe's eyes left him to take in the others. 'This situation was not covered by the terms of my proposal. Two of you are prepared to comply with the terms and should not suffer for Mr. Khoury's dissent. As for you, Mrs. Talbot, I am willing to accept your declaration of good faith, that you have done your best. You will of course commit yourself in writing to pay the balance. As for you, Mr. Khoury, if you are willful so am I. Whatever the box contains that relates to you will be turned over to the police at midnight. Archie, get the box and the key.' Back to them: 'We have procured a key that will serve.'
Thinking it desirable to keep up appearances, I first got a Marley from the drawer and loaded it. Then to the cabinet for the key, and then to the safe. As I worked the combination my back was to them, but as I opened the door and took out the box I had an eye on them, not only for appearances. It was conceivable that Perdis or Khoury, or both, had come with the idea of getting something for nothing if a chance offered. All four of them had twisted around in their chairs to follow me, and they twisted back as I circled around to Wolfe's desk. As I was putting the box down the phone rang. It would. I was going to tell Wolfe to take it, but didn't have to.
He lifted the receiver. 'Yes?… Yes, Saul… indeed… That isn't necessary… Satisfactory… No, stay there, Archie is here… How sure are
128 Rex Stout
you?… Very satisfactory… No, call again in an hour or so.'
As he hung up there was a gleam in his eye. 'Open it,' he said. I inserted the key, fiddled with it a little, got it, lifted the lid all the way, stared a second for effect, and said, 'It's empty,' and when Perdis bounced up and came, my hand jerked up with the gun, not having been told that that part of the performance was over. I slipped the gun in my pocket and turned the box on its edge so that all could see the shiny inside. Perdis blurted at Wolfe, 'Damn you! You've got it! You had a key!' Mrs. Oliver squawked something. Anne Talbot lowered her head and covered her face with her hands. Jules Khoury stood up, vetoed whatever he had in- tended, and sat down again. He spoke. 'Use your head, Perdis. He didn't even know it was empty. Why would he-'
'You're wrong,' Wolfe snapped. 'I did know it was empty. I knew it last night when I made my proposal.'
They were speechless. Anne Talbot lifted her head. 'I made the proposal,' Wolfe said, 'not out of caprice, to plague you, but for a purpose, and the purpose has been served. You have the gun, Archie? Go and stand at the door. No one is to leave.'
I obeyed. Perdis, still on his feet, was in the way, so I detoured around back of the chairs. He was yapping, and Khoury was up again. Of course I hadn't the dim- mest idea what was coming next as I shut the door and put my back to it, gun in hand, but apparently Wolfe had. Ignoring them, he had lifted the receiver and was dialing. Since he hadn't consulted the book and there were only three phone numbers he bothered to keep in his head, I knew who he must be getting, even before he spoke and asked for Mr. Cramer. In a moment he had him.
'Mr. Cramer? The situation has developed as I ex- pected. How soon can you be here with Mrs. Hazen?… No. I will not. I told you more than half an hour ago that I would almost certainly call you… No. I told you that her presence would be
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essential. If you come without her you won't be admitted… Yes. I am prepared to suggest a substitute… Yes… Yes!'
Mrs. Oliver was on her feet too; they all were, except for Anne Talbot, and as Wolfe hung up Perdis said through his teeth, 'Damn you, you gave it to the po- lice!'
'No,' Wolfe said. 'Are you a dunce? Would I contrive such a hocus-pocus just to pass the time? Confound it, sit down! I have something to say that you would prefer to hear before Mr. Cramer arrives.'
'I'm leaving,' Mrs. Oliver said. 'This was all a trick and you'll regret it. I'm going.'
'No one is going. Mr. Goodwin wouldn't shoot you, but he wouldn't have to. Sit down.'
Khoury, with his chair right back of his knees, merely had to bend them. Perdis, going to his chair, jostled Mrs. Oliver and didn't apologize. She turned to face me at the door, decided that Wolfe was right, I wouldn't have to shoot, and sat.
'You heard me on the phone,' Wolfe told them. 'Mr. Cramer will be here shortly, and Mrs. Hazen will be with him. The nature of your peculiar relations with Mr. Hazen will have to be divulged to him, that can't be helped, but he doesn't have to know of your invasion of that house yesterday evening. It's only fair-don't in- terrupt me, there isn't much time-'
Perdis persisted. 'You have no evidence of our rela- tions with Hazen.'
'Pfui. Your bid to Mr. Goodwin? It's only fair that three of you should know about the box. All that I told you about it last evening was true-Mr. Hazen showing it to his wife and telling her that if he died she should get it and bum the contents, and Mr. Goodwin getting it from beneath the drawer after sending you from the room. Asked by Mr. Perdis if I had opened it, I said no. But Mr. Goodwin had, and it was empty.'
