usable on footprints or fingerprints, or getting the steak knife from the drawer, or alibis or time-tables, or something like shoes that had been worn in the woods, someone would have been arrested long ago. And they've had it for a month, so no kind of routine would be any good now, and that's all most detective work amounts to. Motive is no help, with four of you inheriting piles from two hundred grand up, and the other two possibly counting on marrying one of the piles. Only I must say, in the atmosphere here to-night, courtship doesn't seem to be on the programme.
“It isn't, Annabel asserted.
I glanced at Hammond and Pierce, but neither of them seemed to want the floor.
“So, I continued, “unless the cops have got a trap set that you don't know about, it's one of those things. You never can tell. It would be a waste of money to pay me to go over the ground the cops have covered- or any other detective except Nero Wolfe, and he's not around. There's only one way to use me, or anyhow only one way to start, and stand a chance of getting your money's worth, and that would be to give me a good eight or ten hours with each of you six people, each one separately. I have watched and listened to Nero Wolfe a good many years and I can now do a fair imitation. It might possibly turn out to be worth it to all of you-except one, as Mr Pierce would say.
I flipped a hand. “That's the best suggestion I can offer. With nothing like a guarantee.
Annabel said, “No one would tell you everything you asked. I haven't myself, to the police.
“Sure. I understand that. That's part of it.
“You would be working for me-for us. It would be confidential.
“Things that weren't used would be confidential. Nothing that was evidence would be.
Annabel sat and regarded me. She had had her fingers twisted tight together, and now she loosened them and then they twisted again. “I want to ask you something,
Mr Goodwin. Do you think one of us killed Mrs Rackham?
“I do now. I don't know what I would think after I had worked at it.
“Do you think you know which one?
“Nope. I'm impartial.
“All right. You can start with me. She turned her head. “Unless one of you would rather first?
No one moved or spoke. Then Calvin Leeds: “Count me out, Annabel. Not with
Goodwin. Let him tell us first where Nero Wolfe is and why.
“But Gal-you won't?
“Not with him I won't.
“Dana?
Hammond looked unhappy. He got up and went to her. “Annabel, this was a mistake.
The whole idea was no good. What can Goodwin do that the police couldn't do? I doubt if you have any conception of how a private detective works.
“He can try. Will you help, Dana?
“No. I hate to refuse, but I must.
“Oliver? Will you?
“Well. The statesman was frowning, not at her, at me. “This seems to me to be a case of all or none. I don't see how anything could be accomplished-
“Then you refuse me too?
“Under the circumstances I have no other course.
“I see. You won't even give me a straight no. Barry?
“Certainly not. Goodwin has lied to the police about my wife's visit to Wolfe. I wouldn't give him eight seconds, let alone eight hours.
Annabel left her chair and went towards the couch. “Lina, I guess it's up to the women. You and me. She was darned good to us, Lina-both of us. What about iti'
“Darling, Lina Darrow said. She sat up. “Darling Annabel. You know you don't like me.
“That isn't true, Annabel protested. “Just because-
“Of course it's true. You thought I was trying to squeeze you out. You thought I was making a play for Barry merely because I was willing to admit he might be human, so wait and see. You thought I was trying to snatch Ollie from you, when as a matter of fact-
“Lina, for God's sake, Pierce implored her.
Her fine dark eyes flashed at him. “She did, Ollie! When as a matter of fact she got bored with you, and I happened to be near. The eyes darted right to left, sweeping them. “And look at you now, all of you, and listen to you! You all think Barry killed her-all except one, you would say, Ollie. But you haven't got the guts to say so. And this Mr Goodwin of yours, darling Annabel, have you told him that what you really want him for is to find some kind of proof that Barry did it? No, I suppose you're saving that for later.
Lina arose, in no hurry, and confronted Annabel from springing distance. “I thought it would be something like this, she said, and left us, detouring around Leeds' chair and heading for the door to the reception
