Silence. After a moment I added, “And don’t try to avoid giving me a shock. Since you’re Homicide, someone is dead. Who?”
“Who do you think?”
“Huh-uh. I won’t try to guess because I might guess the right one and I’d be in the soup.”
“I want to be around when you are. Sidney Karnow was killed in his room at the Churchill this afternoon. He had been reported dead in Korea and had just turned up alive, and had learned that his wife had married Paul Aubry. As if I was telling you anything you don’t know.”
He couldn’t see my face through the crack, so I didn’t have to bother about managing it. I asked, “Karnow was murdered?”
“That’s the idea. He was shot in the back of the head.”
“Are you saying I knew about it?”
“Not so far. But you knew about the situation, since you were there with Aubry and the woman. I want ‘em, and I want ‘em now, and are they here? If not, where are they?”
“I see,” I said judiciously. “I admit you have given me a reason. Be seated while I go take a look.” I pushed the door shut, went back to the office and crossed to my desk, took a pencil and my memo pad, and wrote:
Stebbins. Says K. murdered. We were seen leaving hotel. Asks are they here and if not where.
I got up to hand it to Wolfe, and he took it in with a glance and slipped it into the top drawer of his desk. He looked at Caroline and then at Aubry. “You don’t need me,” he told them. “Your problem has been solved for you. Mr. Karnow is dead.”
They gawked at him.
“Of course,” he added, “you now have another problem, which may be even thornier.”
Caroline was stiff, frozen. “I don’t believe it,” Aubry said harshly.
“It seems authentic,” Wolfe declared. “Archie?”
“Yes, sir. Sergeant Stebbins of Homicide is out on the stoop. He says that Karnow was murdered, shot in the back of the head, this afternoon in his room at the Churchill. Mr. Aubry and Mrs. Karnow were seen leaving the hotel with me, and he wants to know if they’re here, and if not, where? He says he wants them.”
“Good God,” Aubry said. Caroline had let out a gasp, but no word. She was still rigid.
Her lips moved, and I thought she asked, “He’s dead?” but it was too low to be sure.
Wolfe spoke. “So you have another problem. The police will give you a night of it, and possibly a week or a month. Mr. Stebbins cannot enter this house without a search warrant, and if you were my clients I wouldn’t mind letting him wait on the stoop while we considered the matter, but since the job you gave me is now not feasible I am no longer in your hire. I have on occasion welcomed an opportunity to plague the police, but never merely for pastime, so I must bid you good evening.”
Caroline had left her chair and gone to Aubry with her hands out, and he had taken them and pulled her to him. Evidently the ban was off.
“However,” Wolfe continued, “I have a deep repugnance to letting the police take from my house people who have been moved to consult me and who have not been formally charged with a crime. There is a back way out, leading to Thirty-fourth Street, and Mr. Goodwin will take you by it if you feel that you would like a little time to discuss matters.”
“No,” Aubry said. “We have nothing to run from. Tell him we’re here. Let him in.”
Wolfe shook his head. “Not in my house, to drag you out. You’re sure you don’t want to delay it?”
“Yes.”
“Then Archie, will you please handle it?”
I arose, told them, “This way, please,” and headed for the door, but stopped and turned when I heard Caroline find her voice behind me.
“Wait a minute,” she said, barely loud enough for me to get it. She was standing facing Aubry, gripping his lapels. “Paul, don’t you think-shouldn’t we ask Mr. Wolfe-”
“There’s nothing to ask him.” Aubry was up, with an arm across her shoulders. “I’ve had enough of Wolfe. Come on, Caro mia. We don’t have to ask anybody anything.”
They came and followed me into the hall. As Aubry was getting his hat from the rack I opened the door, leaving the chain bolt on, and spoke to Purley. “What do you know, they were right here in the office. That’s a break for you. Now if-”
“Open the door!”
“In a moment. Mr. Wolfe is peevish and might irritate you, so if you’ll remove yourself, on down to the sidewalk, I’ll let them out, and they are yours.”
“I’m coming in.”
“No. Don’t even think of it.”
“I want you too.”
