hundred and was half -and put them in the box. She did that too, every day. is a competent woman, but she's extremely sentimental.' 'And she had no reason,' Wolfe inquired, 'for wishing 11 nephew dead?' 'Certainly not!'
'She has of course told the police?' 'Of course.'
'Was there anyone in the apartment other than you four r?*-you, your husband, your nephew, and Mrs. Kremp?'
'No. No one. The maid was away. My husband and I were jjlgping to the country for the weekend.'
'After Mrs. Kremp put the capsules in the box, and before jffyour nephew came from the shower to dress--did you enter your nephew's room during that period?' '< 'No. I didn't enter it at all.' v 'Did you, Mr. Rackell?' > 'I did not.' He sounded as mournful as he looked.
Wolfe's eyes went left to right, from Carol Berk at one end to Leddegard at the other. 'Then we have Arthur Rackell bathed and dressed, the pillbox in his pocket. The police are not confiding in me, but I read newspapers. Leaving the apartment, he went down in the elevator and out to the sidewalk, and the doorman got a taxi for him. He was alone in the taxi, and it took him straight to the restaurant. The capsules left in the bottle have been examined and had not been tampered with. There we are. Are you prepared to impeach Mrs. Kremp, or Mr. or Mrs. Rackell? Can you support the assumption that one of them murdered Arthur Rackell?'
'It's not inconceivable,' Delia Devlin murmured.
'No,' Wolfe conceded. 'Nor is it inconceivable that he
r7
chose that moment and method to kill himself, nor even that a capsule of poison got into the bottle by accident. But I exclude them as too improbable for consideration, and so will everyone else, including the police. The inquiring mind is rarely blessed with a certainty; it must make shift with assumptions; and I am assuming, on the evidence, that when Arthur arrived at the restaurant the capsules in the box in his pocket were innocent. I invite you to challenge it. If you can't the substitution was made at the restaurant, and you see how you stand. The police are after you, and so am I. One of you? Or all of you? I intend to find out.'
'You're scaring me stiff,' Fifi Goheen said. 'I'm frail and I may collapse.' She stood up. 'Come on, Leddy, I'll buy you a drink.'
Leddegard reached for her elbow and gave it a little shake. 'Hold it, Fee,' he told her gruffly. 'This guy has been known to do flips. Let's see. Sit down.'
'Blah. You are scared. You've got a reputation.' She jerked her arm loose and took two quick steps to the edge of Wolfe's desk. Her voice rose a little. 'I don't like the atmosphere here. You're too fat to look at. Orchids, for God's sake!' Her hand darted to the bowl of Miltonias, and with a flip of the wrist she sent it skidding along the slick surface and off to the floor.
There was some commotion. Mrs. Rackell jerked her feet back, away from the tumbling bowl. Carol Berk said something. Leddegard left his chair and started for Fifi, but she whirled away to Henry Jameson Heath, pressed her palms to his cheeks, and bent to him. She implored him, 'Hank, I love you! Do you love me? Take me somewhere and buy me a drink.'
Delia Devlin sprang up, hauled off, and smacked Fifi on the side of the head. It was not merely a tap, and Fifi, off balance, nearly toppled. Heath came upright and was between them. Delia stood, glaring and panting. They held the tableau long enough for a take, then Fifi broke it up by addressing Delia past Heath's shoulder.
'That won't help any, Del. Can he help it when he's with 18
|if he wishes it was me? Can I help it? This only makes it e. If he'll buy a new suit and quit bailing out Commies 1 out of jail, I may make him happy.' She touched i's cheek with her fingertips. 'Say when, Hank.' She ved around him to the desk and told Wolfe, 'Look, you The a drink.'
was there, retrieving the bowl. The water wouldn't hurt ? rug. Taking her arm firmly, I escorted her across to the by the big globe, which Fritz and I had outfitted, and t her to name it. She said Scotch on the rocks, and I made ample. The others, invited, stated their preferences, and ol Berk came to help me. Rackell, who had been between and Fifi, decided to move and went to Carol's chair, so we had finished serving she took his.
IThroughout the interlude two had neither moved nor oken--Mrs. Rackell and Wolfe. Now Wolfe sent his eyes
i left to right and back again.
'I trust,' he said sourly, 'that Miss Goheen has completed impromptu performance. I was trying to make it clear at you five people are in a fix. I'm not going to pester you Sut your positions and movements at the restaurant that !'%vening, what you saw or didn't see; if there was anything in to point or eliminate the police would have already acted [?.on it and I'm too far behind. I might spend a few hours dig: ging at you, trying to find a reason why one or more of you | Wanted Arthur Rackell dead, but the police have had four K days on that too, and I doubt if I could catch up. Since you jjs, were good enough to come here at Mrs. Rackell's request, I suppose you would be willing to answer some questions, but there doesn't seem to be any worth asking. Have you people been together at any time since Saturday evening?'
Glances were exchanged. Leddegard inquired, 'Do you mean all five of us?' 'Yes.'
'No, we haven't.'
'Then I should think you would want to talk. Go ahead. I'll drink some beer and eavesdrop. Of course at least one of
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you will be on guard, but the others can speak freely. You might say something useful.'
Carol Berk, now nearer me, let out a little snort. Fritz had brought a tray, and Wolfe opened a bottle, poured, waited for the foam to reach the right level, and drank. Nobody said a word.
Leddegard spoke. 'It doesn't seem to work. Did you expect it to?'
'We ought to make it work,' Fifi declared. 'I think he's damn considerate even if he is fat, and we should help.' Her head turned. 'Carol, let's talk.'
