'Who the devil is ringing that bell?' Wolfe demanded. 'Why don't you-'
I interrupted, grinning. 'That's Police Commissioner Hombert. With him are Inspector Cramer, District Attorney Skinner, and my old friend Purley Stebbins of the Homicide Squad. Is it too late for company?'
'Indeed.' Wolfe sat up and rubbed his nose. 'Bring them in.'
XV
THEY entered as if they owned the place. I tipped Purley a wink as he passed me, but he was too impressed by his surroundings to reciprocate, and I didn't blame him, as I knew he might get either a swell promotion or the opposite out of this by the time it was over. From the threshold I saw a big black limousine down at the curb, and back of it two other police cars containing city fellers. Well, well, I thought to myself as I closed the door, this looks pretty damned ominous. Cramer had asked me if Wolfe was in the office and I had waved him on, and now I brought up the rear of the procession.
I moved chairs around. Cramer introduced Hombert and Skinner, but Skinner and Wolfe had already met. At Cramer's request I took Purley Stebbins to the kitchen and told him to play checkers with Johnny Keems. When I got back Hombert was shooting off his mouth about defiance of the law, and I got at my desk and ostentatiously opened my notebook. Cramer was looking more worried than I had ever seen him. District Attorney Skinner, already sunk in his chair as if he had been there all evening, had the wearied cynical expression of a man who had some drinks three hours ago and none since.
Hombert was practically yelling. '… and you're responsible for it! If you had turned those three people over to us last night this wouldn't have happened! Cramer tells me they were here in this office! Walsh was here! This afternoon we had him at headquarters and your man wouldn't point him out! You are directly and legally responsible for his death!' The Police Commissioner brought his fist down on the arm of his chair and glared. Cramer was looking at him and shaking his head faintly.
'This sudden onslaught is overwhelming,' Wolfe murmured. 'If I am legally responsible for Mr. Walsh's death, arrest me. But please don't shout at me-'
'All right! You've asked for it!' Hombert turned to the inspector. 'Put him under arrest!'
Cramer said quietly, 'Yes, sir. What charge?'
'Any charge! Material witness! We'll see whether he'll talk or not!'
Cramer stood up. Wolfe said, 'Perhaps I should warn you, Mr. Hombert. If I am arrested, I shall do no talking whatever. And if I do no talking, you have no possible chance of solving the problem you are confronted with.' He wiggled a finger. 'I don't shout, but I never say anything I don't mean. Proceed, Mr. Cramer.'
Cramer stood still. Hombert looked at him, then looked grimly at Wolfe. 'You'll talk or you'll rot!'
'Then I shall certainly rot.' Wolre's finger moved again. 'Let me make a suggestion, Mr. Hombert. Why don't you go home and go to sleep and leave this affair to be handled by Mr. Cramer, an experienced policeman, and Mr. Skinner, an experienced lawyer? You probably have abilities of some sort, but they are obviously inappropriate to the present emergency. To talk of arresting me is childish. I have broken no law and I am a sufficiently respectable citizen not to be taken into custody merely for questioning. Confound it, sir, you can't go around losing your temper like this, it's outrageous! You are entangled in a serious difficulty, I am the only man alive who can possibly extricate you from it, and you come here and begin yelling inane threats at me! Is that sort of conduct likely to appeal either to my reason or my sympathy?'
Hombert glared at him, opened his mouth, closed it again, and looked at Cramer. District Attorney Skinner snickered. Cramer said to Hombert, 'Didn't I tell you he was a nut? Let me handle him.'
Wolfe nodded solemnly. 'That's an idea, Mr. Cramer. You handle me.'
Hombert, saying nothing, sat back and folded his arms and goggled.
Cramer looked at Wolfe. 'So you know about Walsh.'
Wolfe nodded. 'From the Gazette. That was unfortunate, the reporter happening on the scene.'
'You're telling me,' Cramer observed grimly. 'Of course the marquis isn't arrested. He can't be. Diplomatic immunity. Washington is raising hell because it got in the paper, as if there was any way in God's world of keeping it out of that lousy sheet once that reporter got away from there.' He waved a disgusted hand. 'That's that. The fact is, the Commissioner's right. You're responsible. I told you yesterday how important this was. I told you it was your duty as a citizen to help us protect the Marquis of Clivers.'
Wolfe lifted his brows. 'Aren't you a little confused, Mr. Cramer? Or am I? I understood you wished to protect Lord Clivers from injury. Was it he who was injured this evening?'
'Certainly it was,' Hombert broke in. 'This Walsh was blackmailing him!'
Cramer said, 'Let me. Huh?'
'Did Lord Clivers say that?' Wolfe asked.
'No.' Cramer grunted. 'He's not saying anything, except that he knew Walsh a long time ago and went there to see him this evening by appoint ment and found him lying there dead. But we didn't come here to answer questions for you, we came to find out what you know. We could have you pulled in, but decided it was quicker to come. It's time to spill it. What's it all about?'
'I suppose so.' Wolfe sighed. 'Frankly, I think you're wrong; I believe that while you may have information that will help me, I have none that will help you. But we'll get to that later. My connection with this affair arises from my engagement to press a civil claim on behalf of two clients, two young women. Also, to
