Ludlow's dead body was discovered. Is that right?'
'Yes.'
'Did you kill Percy Ludlow?'
She said in a good clear voice, 'You've asked me that before, and I said 'no.' '
Carla Lovchen blurted, 'She can explain-'
'Shut up, please!-Do you still say no?'
'Yes.'
'Did you take this steel thing off of the end of the йpйe after it had gone through Ludlow's chest?'
'No.'
'Did you take it off the йpйe with this glove on your hand and then discover there was blood on the glove, and you would have to get rid of both of them?'
'No. I never-'
'When did you take this thing out of the cabinet in Miltan's office?'
'I didn't take it out.'
'You put these two things in Goodwin's pocket, didn't you?'
'Yes.'
'You had them then, didn't you?'
'Yes.'
'Where did you get them?'
'I found them in the pocket of my robe-the green robe I put on over my fencing costume.'
'What do you mean, you found them?'
'I just mean that. Isn't that a good word-found?'
'Sure, it's a swell word. It's a beaut. How and when and why did you find them?'
'Just a moment, Mr Cramer.' It was Wolfe, in a tone that meant business. 'Miss Tormic is a stranger in this country. Either I advise her to say nothing whatever and I get a lawyer for her, or I will tell her one or two things myself-at this point.'
'What do you want to tell her?'
'You will hear it.' Wolfe wiggled a finger. 'Miss Tormic. It is unlikely that you will be charged with murder as long as the alibi furnished by Mr Faber is unimpeached. That is, remains good. You can, however, be put under arrest as a material witness-a device to prevent you from running away-and then be released under a bond to appear when needed. You have been asked to give a circumstantial account of your connexion with the instrument of murder, which you have admitted was in your possession shortly after the crime was committed. Your words are being taken down by a stenographer. If you give that account, you will be committed to it as the truth, so it had better be the truth. If you refuse to give it, you will probably be arrested as a material witness. You must decide for yourself. Have I made it clear?'
'Yes,' she said, and smiled at him. 'I think I understand that all right. There's no reason why I shouldn't tell the truth; it's the only thing I can do-now.' She shifted her eyes to Cramer. 'It was in the office, when we were all in there, waiting for the police to come. I put my hand in the pocket of my robe and there was something in there. It's a big pocket, quite big. I started to pull it out to see what it was, but the feel of it told me it must be a fencing glove. I tried to think what to do. I knew it shouldn't be there-I mean I knew I hadn't put it there. For a minute I was scared, but I made myself think. Mr Ludlow had been killed in the fencing room where I had been fencing with him, and there I was with a wadded-up glove in my pocket, and if we were searched…' She upturned a palm. 'I looked around for a place to put it and saw Mr Goodwin's coat. I knew it must be his, because the others were all upstairs in their lockers, and I knew he had come there anyway to get me out of trouble-so I went over to it and when I thought no one was looking I took it out of my pocket and put it in his.'
'Very much obliged-'
'Shut up, Goodwin! Do you realize what you're trying to tell me, Miss Tormic?'
'I… I think I do.'
'You're trying to tell me that you had a bulky thing like that in your pocket and didn't know it.'
'So am I,' I put in. 'The same goes for me.'
'I know damn well it does! Did I ask you to close your trap? What about it, Miss Tormic?'
She shook her head. 'I don't know-of course I was excited. It's a loose robe and it's a big pocket. I had it on-you saw it.'
'Yeah, I saw it. So you admit you concealed evidence of a crime?'
'Is that… wrong?'
'Hell, no. Oh, my, no. And do you know who put it in your pocket?'
'No.'
'Of course you don't. Or when?'
