'Oh, no. No, indeed.'
'Exactly what did she want you to do?'
Wolfe smiled the same smile. 'That's why I came to that conclusion. She left it very vague about what I was to do. I couldn't possibly tell you.'
'Try telling me what you told Goodwin to do when you sent him up there.'
Wolfe frowned and called on me. 'Do you remember, Archie?'
'Sure I remember.' I was eager to help. 'You told me to keep a sharp lookout and report everything that happened.' I beamed at Cramer. 'Talk about the dancers of Bali! Did you ever sit and watch six beautiful girls prancing -'
'You're a goddam liar,' he rasped at Wolfe.
Wolfe's chin went up an eighth of an inch. 'Mr. Cramer,' he said coldly, 'I'm tired of this. Mr. Goodwin can't throw you out of here once you're in, but we can leave you here and go upstairs, and you know the limits of your license as well as I do.'
He pushed back his chair and was on his feet. 'You say I'm lying. Prove it. But for less provocation than you have given me by your uncivilized conduct in my dining room, I would lie all day and all night. Regarding this murder of a bearded stranger, where do I fit, or Mr. Goodwin? Pah. Connect us if you can! Should you be rash enough to constrain us as material witnesses, we would teach you something of the art of lying, and we wouldn't squeeze out on bail; we would dislocate your nose with a habeas corpus ad subjiciendum.'
His eyes moved. 'Come, Miss Nieder. Come, Archie.'
He headed for the door to the hall, detouring around the red leather chair, and I followed him, gathering Cynthia by the elbow as I went by. I presumed we were bound for the plant rooms, which were three flights up, and as we entered the hall I was wondering whether all three of us could crowd into Wolfe's personal elevator without losing dignity. But that problem didn't have to be solved. I was opening my mouth to tell Wolfe that Cynthia and I would use the stairs when here came Cramer striding by. Without a glance at us or a word he went to the front door, opened it, crossed the sill to the stoop, and banged the door shut.
I stepped to the door and put the chain bolt in its slot. Any city employee arriving with papers would have only a two-inch crack to hand the papers through.
Wolfe led us back to the office, motioned us to our chairs, sat at his desk, and demanded of Cynthia, 'Did you kill that man?'
She met his eyes and gulped. Then her head went down, her hands went up, her shoulders started to shake, and sounds began to come.
VI
That was terrible. The only thing that shakes Wolfe as profoundly as having a meal rudely interrupted is a bawling woman. His reaction to the first is rage, to the second panic.
I tried to reassure him. 'She'll be all right. She just has to -'
'Stop her,' he muttered desperately.
I crossed to her, yanked her hands away, using muscle, pulled her face up, and kissed her hard and good on the lips. She jerked her face aside, shoved at me, and protested, 'What the hell!'
That sounded better, and I turned to Wolfe and told him reproachfully, 'You can't blame her. I doubt if it's fear or despair or anything normal like that. It's probably hunger. I'll bet she hasn't had a bite since breakfast.'
'Good heavens.' His eyes popped wide open. 'Is that true, Miss Nieder? Haven't you had lunch?'
She shook her head. 'They kept me there – and then I had to see you -'
Wolfe was pushing the button. Since it was only five steps from the office to the kitchen door, in seconds Fritz was there.
'Sandwiches and beer at once,' Wolfe told him. 'Beer, Miss Nieder?'
'I don't have to eat.'
'Nonsense. Beer? Claret? Milk? Brandy?'
'Scotch and water. I could use that.'
Which of course halted progress for a good twenty minutes. It wasn't only his own meals that Wolfe insisted on safeguarding from extraneous matters. When Fritz brought the tray Cynthia wasn't reluctant about the Scotch, but she needed urging on the sandwiches and got it from both of us. After a taste of the homemade pate no further urging was required. To make her feel that she could take her time Wolfe conversed with me about the plant germination records. Not about Cramer. His feelings about Cramer were much too warm and too recent. When she was through I put the tray on the table by the big globe, leaving her a glass full of her mixture, and then resumed my seat at my desk.
Wolfe was regarding her warily. 'Do you feel better?'
'Much better, yes. I guess I was pretty empty.'
'Good.' Wolfe leaned back and sighed. 'Now. You came to me as soon as the police let you go. Does that mean that you want my help in this new circumstance?'
