“I'm Archie Goodwin. You know me.”
“Certainly.” Gebert's voice sounded purely conversational “You're the fellow who doesn't like scenes.”
“Right. That's why I'm out here when I ought to be in bed. Why are you out here?”
“I drove out to get my umbrella which I left here last fall.”
“Oh. You did. Did you find it?”
“No. Someone must have taken it.”
“That's too bad. Listen to me a minute. Out on the porch is an army of state police and New York detectives and a Putnam County prosecutor. How would you like to have to tell them about your umbrella?”
I saw the outline of his shoulders move with his shrug. “If it would amuse them.
I hardly suppose they know where it is.”
“I see. You're fancy free, huh? Not a care in the world. In that case, what are you doing sitting in here alone in the dark? – A little louder, Orrie.”
Gebert shrugged again. “Your colleague-the little chap with the big nose-asked me to come in here. He was very courteous to me when I was trying a window because I had no key.”
“So you wanted to be courteous to him. That was darned swell of you. Then it's okay if I let the cops in and tell them we found you trying to break in?”
“I'm really indifferent about it.” I couldn't see his smile but I knew he was wearing it. “Really. I wasn't breaking in, I was only trying a window.”
I straightened up, disgusted. He wasn't giving me anything at all to bargain with, and even if it was a bluff I guessed that he was sardonic enough to go right through with it. Orrie stopped, and I grunted at him to carry on. The conditions were bad for negotiation. I leaned over him again:
“Look here, Gebert. We've got your number-Nero Wolfe has-but we're willing to give you a chance. It's midnight. What's wrong with this: I'll let the cops in and tell them they can look for the red box all they want to. I happen to know they won't find it. You are one of my colleagues. Your name's Jerry. We'll leave my other colleagues here and you and I will get in my car and go back to New
York, and you can sleep in Wolfe's house-there's a good bed in the room above mine. The advantage of that is that you'll be there in the morning to have a talk with Wolfe. That strikes me as a good program.”
I could see him shaking his head. “I live at the Chesebrough. Thanks for your invitation, but I prefer to sleep in my own bed.”
“I'm asking you, will you come?”
“To Mr. Wolfe's house to sleep? No.”
“All right. You're crazy. Surely you've got brains enough to realize that you're going to have to have a talk with somebody about your driving sixty miles to go through a window to get an umbrella. Knowing Wolfe, and knowing the police, I merely advise you to talk with him instead of them. I'm not trying to shatter your aplomb, I like it, I think it's attractive, but I'll be damned if I'm going to stand here and beg you all night. In a couple of minutes I'll begin to get impatient.”
Gebert shrugged again. “I confess I don't like the police. I leave here with you incognito. Is that it?”
“That's it.”
“Very well. I'll go.”
“To Wolfe's for the night?”
“I tell you so.”
“Good for you. Don't worry about your car; Saul will take care of it. Your name's Jerry. Act tough and ignorant, like me or any other detective. – Okay,
Orrie, choke it. Come on. Come on, Jerry.”
I opened the door to the lighted room and they followed me in. I collected Saul and Fred and briefly explained the strategy, and when Saul objected to letting the cops in I agreed with him without an argument. Our trio was supposed to resume operations in the morning, and in the meantime they had to have some shut-eye. It was settled that no one was to be permitted to enter, and excavations by strangers outdoors were barred. They were to send Fred to the village to get grub, and to phone the office, in the morning.
I went to a window and pushed my nose against the glass and saw that the party was still gathered about the steps. At a nod from me Saul unlocked the door and swung it open, and Gebert and I passed through to the porch. In our rear, Saul and Fred and Orrie occupied the doorsill. We clattered to the edge:
“Lieutenant Rowcliff? Oh, there you are. Jerry Martin and I are going back to town. I'm leaving three men here, and they still prefer privacy. They need some sleep and so do you. Just as a favor, I'll tell you straight that Jerry and I haven't got the red box on us, so there's nothing to gnash your teeth about.
–Okay, Saul, lock up, and one of you stay awake.” The door shut, leaving the porch in the dark again, and I turned. “Come on, Jerry. If anyone jostles you, stick a hatpin in him.”
But the instant the door had closed someone had got smart and clicked on a flashlight and aimed it at Gebert's face. I had his elbow to urge him along, but there was a stir in front of us and a growl: “Now you don't need to run.” A big guy was standing in front of Gebert and holding the light on him. He growled again, “Look here, Lieutenant, look at this Jerry. Jerry hell. This is that guy that was at Frost's apartment when I was up there this morning with the inspector. His name's Gebert, a friend of Mrs. Frost's.”
