“Not
“At twenty-nine Arbor Street?”
“Yes.”
“For how long? When?”
“For nearly a year. I left there-let’s see-about three months ago. I have a little apartment on East Forty-ninth Street.”
“Then you know the others too? Mr. Meegan and Mr. Chaffee and Mr. Aland?”
“I know Ross Chaffee and Jerry Aland, but no Meegan. Who’s he?”
“A tenant at twenty-nine Arbor Street. Second floor.”
She nodded. “Well, sure, that’s the floor I had.” She smiled. “I hope they fixed that damn table for him. That was one reason I left. I hate furnished apartments, don’t you?”
Wolfe made a face. “In principle, yes. I take it you now have your own furniture. Supplied by Mr. Kampf?”
She laughed-more of a chuckle-and her eyes danced. “I see you didn’t know Phil Kampf.”
“Not supplied by him, then?”
“A great big no.”
“By Mr. Chaffee? Or Mr. Aland?”
“No and no.” She went very earnest. “Look, Mr. Wolfe. A friend of mine was mighty nice about that furniture, and we’ll just leave it. Archie told me what you’re interested in is the murder, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to drag in a lot of stuff just to hurt me and a friend of mine, so we’ll forget the furniture.”
Wolfe didn’t press it. He took a hop. “Your appointment on a street corner with Mr. Talento-what was that about?”
She nodded. “I’ve been wondering about that. I mean what I would say when you asked me, because I’d hate to have you think I’m a sap, and I guess it sounds like it. I phoned him when I heard on the radio about Phil and where he was killed, there on Arbor Street, and I knew Vic still lived there and I simply wanted to ask him about it.”
“You had him on the phone.”
“He didn’t seem to want to talk about it on the phone.”
“But why a street corner?”
This time it was more like a laugh. “Now, Mr. Wolfe, you’re not a sap. You asked about the furniture, didn’t you? Well, a girl with furniture shouldn’t be seen places with a man like Vic Talento.”
“What is he like?”
She fluttered a hand. “Oh, he wants to get close.”
Wolfe kept at her until after one o’clock, and I could report it all, but it wouldn’t get you any further than it did him. He couldn’t trip her or back her into a corner. She hadn’t been to Arbor Street for two months. She hadn’t seen Chaffee or Aland or Talento for weeks, and of course not Meegan, since she had never heard of him before. She couldn’t even try to guess who had killed Kampf. The only thing remotely to be regarded as a return on Wolfe’s investment of a full hour was her statement that as far as she knew there was no one who had both an attachment and a claim to Bootsy. If there were heirs she had no idea who they were. When she left the chair to go the dog got up too, and she patted him, and he went with us to the door. I took her to Tenth Avenue and put her in a taxi, and returned.
I got a glass of milk from the kitchen and took it to the office. Wolfe, who was drinking beer, didn’t scowl at me. He seldom scowls when he is drinking beer.
“Where’s Bootsy?” I inquired.
“No,” he said emphatically.
“Okay.” I surrendered. “Where’s Jet?”
“Down in Fritz’s room. He’ll sleep there. You don’t like him.”
“That’s not true, but you can have it. It means you can’t blame him on me, and that suits me fine.” I sipped milk. “Anyhow, that will no longer be an issue after Homicide comes in the morning with a document and takes him away.”
“They won’t come.”
“I offer twenty to one. Before noon.”
He nodded. “That was roughly my own estimate of the probability, so while you were out I phoned Mr. Cramer. I suggested an arrangement, and I suppose he inferred that if he declined the arrangement the dog might be beyond his jurisdiction before tomorrow, though I didn’t say so. I may have given that impression.”
“Yeah. You should be more careful.”
“So the arrangement has been made. You are to be at twenty-nine Arbor Street, with the dog, at nine o’clock in the morning. You are to be present throughout the fatuous performance the police have in mind, and keep the dog in view. The dog is to leave the premises with you, before noon, and you are to bring him back here. The police are to make no further effort to constrain the dog for twenty-four hours. While in that house you may find an opportunity to flush something or someone more contributive than that volatile demirep. If you will
