my money back without delay. He said he had not the money, and I knew he hadn't, since I m had within a year lent him considerable _ sums to tide him over. Nevertheless, I insisted that he must find it or suffer the consequences. I suspect that in the end I would have weakened as usual, and agreed to any sort of compromise, but unfortunately it is a trick of my temperament now and then to show the greatest determination of purpose when the resolution is most likely to falter.
Unfortunately also, Mr. Santini was about to return to Italy. Eugene demanded an interview with him; that, of course, was a bluff.
'It was arranged that I should call at five o'clock Wednesday afternoon with Mr. Santini and Paul Chapin. Paul was included on account of the inspection he had given the pictures in France. I surmised that Eugene had arranged for his support, but as it turned out that was probably incorrect. We arrived. Eugene's suavity -'
I interrupted, 'Just a minute, doctor.
Did Paul Chapin get to the gallery before you did?'
'No. We arrived together. I was in my car, and called for him at the Harvard , Club.'
'Had he been there earlier that afternoon?'.
'My dear sir.' Elkus looked sad at me.
'Okay. You wouldn't know that.
Anyway, the girl there says he hadn't.'
'So I understand. I was saying,
Eugene's suavity was painful, because of the nervousness it failed to hide. He mixed I highballs for us, jerkily, not himself. I was embarrassed and therefore brusque. I asked Mr. Santini to make a statement and he did so; he had written it down.
Eugene contradicted him. They argued;
Eugene was somewhat excited but Mr. |
Santini remained cool. Finally Eugene called on Paul for his views, in obvious expectation of support. Paul smiled around at us, the smile that comes from • his Malpighian capsules, and made a calm | brief statement. He said that three months after his inspection of the pictures – a month after they had been shipped to New York – he had learned definitely that they had been painted by Vasseult, the greatest forger of the century, in 1924.»
That was the man Mr. Santini had named.
I • Paul also said that he had kept silent about it because his affection for both Eugene and myself was so great that he could take no step that would injure either of us. 1' 'I feared Eugene would collapse. He was plainly as astonished as he was hurt. I was of course embarrassed into silence. I do not know whether Eugene had in desperation swindled me, or whether he ^ had himself been imposed upon. Mr. i Santini rose. I did likewise, and we left.
Paul Chapin came with us. If was noon the following day when I learned that Eugene had committed suicide by drinking nitroglycerin – apparently within a few minutes, at the most an hour, after we left. I learned it when the police arrived at my office to question me.'
I nodded, and sat and looked at him a while. Then all of a sudden I straightened up in my chair and shot at him, 'What made you think it was suicide?'
'Now, Mr. Goodwin.' He smiled at me, sadder than ever. 'Are all detectives alike? You know perfectly well why I I thought it was suicide. The police thought so, and the circumstances indicated it.'
'My mistake.' I grinned. 'I said no trick questions, didn't I? If you're willing to grant that a detective can have an idea in his mind, you know what mine is. Did Paul Chapin have any opportunity to put the nitroglycerin tablets in Dreyer's highball? That ignorant detective, and all the bright cops, seem to have the impression that you think he didn't.'
Dr. Elkus nodded. 'I labored to produce that impression. You know of course that Mr. Santini agreed with me.
We are perfectly certain that Paul had no such opportunity. He went to the gallery with us^ and we all entered the office together. Paul sat at my left, near the door, at least six feet away from Eugene.
He touched no glass but his own. Eugene prepared the drinks and handed them around; we had only one. Departing, Paul preceded me through the door. Mr.
Santini was ahead.' ^
'Yeah. That's on the record. But in a fracas like that, so much excitement, there must have been some moving around, getting up and sitting down, walking back and forth…' – 1 'Not at all. We were not excited, except possibly Eugene. He was the only one who left his chair.'
'Did he change his coat, or put it on or anything, after you got there?'
'No. He wore a morning coat. He did not remove it.'
'The bottle with what was left of the nitroglycerin was found in the pocket of his coat.'
'So I understand.'
I sat back and looked at him again. I would have given the roadster and a couple of extra tires to know if he was lying. He was as much out of my class as Paul Chapin was. There was no way for me to get at him that I could see. I said:
'Will you have lunch with Mr. Nero
Wolfe tomorrow at one o'clock?'
