I was so glad to see that they were far from cocky that I had to see to it that my face didn't beam. I responded to their curt greeting in kind, and when they arranged the seating with me across a table from them I said grumpily as I sat,
“I hope this is going to get somebody something. I had a full day ahead, and now look at it.
Dykes grunted, not with sympathy and not with enmity, just a grunt. Archer opened a folder he had brought, selected from its contents some sheets of paper stapled in a corner, glanced at the top sheet, and gave me his eyes, which had swollen lids.
“This is that statement you made, Goodwin.
“About what? Oh, the Rackham case?
“For God's sake, Dykes said gloomily, “forget lo try to be cute just once. I've been up all night.
“It was so long ago, I said apologetically, “and I've been pretty busy.
Archer slid the statement across the table to me. “I think you had better read it over. I want to ask some questions about it.
I couldn't have asked for a better chance to get my mind arranged, but I didn't see that that would help matters any, since I hadn't the vaguest notion from which direction the blow was coming.
“May I save it for later? I inquired. “If you get me up a tree and I need time out for study, I can pretend I want to check with what I said here. I tapped the statement with a forefinger.
“I would prefer that you read it.
“I don't need to, really. I know what I said and what I signed. I slid it back to him. “Test me on any part of it.
Archer closed the folder and rested his clasped hands on it. “I'm not as interested in what is in that statement as I am in what isn't in it. I think you ought to read it because I want to ask you what you left out-of the happenings of that day, Saturday, April eighth.
“I can answer that without reading it. I left nothing out that was connected with Mrs Rackham.
“I want you to read what you said and signed and then repeat that statement.
“I don't need to read it. I left out nothing.
Archer and Dykes exchanged looks, and then Dykes spoke. “Look, Goodwin, we're not trying to sneak up on you. We've got something, that's all. Someone has loosened up. It looks like this is the day for it.
“Not for me. I was firm. “I loosened up long ago.
Archer told Dykes, “Bring her in. Dykes arose and left the room. Archer took the statement and returned it to the folder and pushed the folder to one side, then pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. The door opened and Dykes escorted Lina Darrow in. He pulled a chair up to the end of the table for her, to my left and Archer's right, so that the window was at her back. She looked as if she might have spent the night in jail, with red eyes and a general air of being pooped, but judging from the clamp she had on her jaw, she was darned determined about something. I got a glance from her but nothing more, not even a nod, as she took the chair Dykes pulled up.
“Miss Darrow, Archer told her, gently but firmly, “you understand that there is probably no chance of getting your story corroborated except through Mr Goodwin.
You haven't been brought in here to face him for the purpose of disconcerting or discrediting him, but merely so he can be informed first-hand. Archer turned to me. “Miss Darrow came to us last evening of her own accord. No pressure of any kind has been used with her. Is that correct, Miss Darrow? I wish you would confirm that to Mr Goodwin.
“Yes. She lifted her eyes to me, and though they had obviously had a hard night, I still insist they were fine. She went on, “I came voluntarily. I came because-the way Barry Rackham treated me. He refused to marry me. He treated me very badly. Finally-yesterday it was too much.
Archer and Dykes were both gazing at her fixedly. Archer prodded her. “Go on, please, Miss Darrow. Tell him the main facts.
She was trying the clamp on her jaw to make sure it was working right.
Satisfied, she released it. “Barry and I had been friendly, a little, before Mrs
Rackham's death. Nothing but just a little friendly. That's all it meant to me, or I thought it was, and I thought it was the same with him. That's how it was when we went to the country for the Easter week-end. She had told me we wouldn't do any work there, answer any mail or anything, but Saturday at noon she sent for me to come to her room. She was crying and was so distressed she could hardly talk.
Lina paused. She was keeping her eyes straight at mine. “I can rattle this off now, Mr Goodwin. I've already told it now.
“That always makes it easier, I agreed. “Go right ahead.
She did. “Mrs Rackham said she had to talk about it with someone, and she wanted to with her daughter-in-law, Mrs Frey, but she just couldn't, so there was only me. She said she had gone to see Nero Wolfe the day before, to ask him to find out where her husband was getting money from, and he had agreed to do it. Mr
Wolfe had phoned her that evening, Friday evening, and told her that he had already partly succeeded. He had learned that her husband was connected with something that was criminal. He was helping somebody with things that were against the law, and he was getting well paid for it. Mr Wolfe advised her to keep it to herself until he had more details. He said his assistant, Mr Goodwin, would come up Saturday afternoon, and might have more to report then.
