'No. Nice odds, say ten to one.'
'Then I need to ask her something, after consideration. Will you please have her here in the morning at eleven?'
I told him yes, and he proceeded to his elevator. My bed would have to wait a little, until I had helped Fritz put the office in order, especially ashtrays and the remains of the liquid refreshments. He was already in there, and I went to join him.
Chapter 13
It was a hot night, and I had only a sheet over me, and it only up to my waist, so when the jangle of the phone roused me enough to realize what it was, my arm was free to reach and bring it to my ear. Awakened by it at night, I do not tell it, 'Nero Wolfe's residence, Archie Goodwin speaking.' For one thing, I am too indignant at the interruption, and for another, I am only one-fifth awake and not absolutely sure who or where I am.
'Yeah?' I said bitterly.
'Is this Nero Wolfe's house?'
The voice got me one-half awake. 'Yes. Archie Goodwin.'
'This is Sarah Jaffee. I'm awfully sorry, Mr. Goodwin, did I wake you up?'
'Not quite. Go ahead and finish it.'
'I guess I should have waited until morning, but I thought you might have found them and wondered whose they were. Did you find any keys?'
'No. Why, did you lose some?'
'Yes, two on a ring, to the door downstairs and my apartment. They were in my bag.'
'Where are you now?'
'I'm home in the apartment. I might-'
'How did you get in?'
'The elevator man. The night man has a key. I might have lost them in the Flamingo Club or the taxi, but I thought I ought to phone you in case you found them. I'm so sorry I bothered you. Good night.'
'Wait a minute.' I was sitting on the edge of the bed now, with the light on. The clock was ten minutes to two. I was fully awake, I didn't want to scare her stiff, but the situation did not seem ideal. 'Don't ring off,' I told her. 'Is Olga there?'
'No, she doesn't sleep here.'
'You went to the Flamingo Club with Parker?'
'Yes, we stopped for a drink and a dance.'
'When did you miss the keys?'
'While I was coming up in the elevator. I went to get them from my bag, and they weren't there.'
'Why not downstairs on the sidewalk?'
'I didn't look for them there. The night man was there with the door open.'
'And Parker didn't go up with you.'
'No.'
'Okay. Don't ring off. Keep that phone at your ear and mouth.'
'Why-what-'
'Nothing. A million to one it's nothing-you lost some keys, that's all. But after what happened Monday night I'm nervous about keys, and you might as well humor me. After the night man let you into the apartment, how long were you there before you phoned me?'
'I called you right away. I wanted to get you before you were asleep. What do you mean, you're nervous about keys? You don't-'
'I mean I like you to some extent in spite of the bum coffee Olga makes, and I'm coming up there right away just to make sure. Where's the phone you're talking from?'
'In the living room.'
'That's at the other end from the foyer?'
'Yes. Did you say you're coming up here?'
'Right. Will you take instructions from me?'
'I will if-yes. Of course.' Her voice was not steady.
'Then listen. This is almost certainly a false alarm, but listen anyway. Don't ring off. When I say, 'Go ahead,' you say this to me, quote, 'I don't think so, but if you'll hold the line I'll go to the foyer and see if it's there.' Unquote. Do you want me to repeat that?'
'No, you don't need to.'
