A Right to Die

'No. You're leaving, if not the house, the room. You-'

'I'm staying in this chair.'

Wolfe's head turned. 'Archie, you'll need Saul to help remove him; he's of a size. Since it must be done by force, put him out of the house.'

'You wouldn't,' Oster said.

I was up. 'I have the build for it,' I said, 'but you'll be surprised to feel Saul Panzer in action. He's the Little White Whosis.' I moved.

'Now wait a minute,' Henchy said. 'Harold, I don't like this. I don't think it's necessary.' To Wolfe: 'What were you going to say?'

'That Mr. Oster can describe the situation to the others, including what Mr. Vaughn said to Mr. Goodwin on the telephone. He can also learn if any of them have alibis-from eight o'clock last evening to two o'clock this morning-that can be verified.' He turned to Oster. 'Not difficult for a member of the bar.'

I thought, He meant it, that their skin colors weren't factors. He was being as crusty with him as he would have been with a paleface. Oster thought he had something to say, first to Wolfe and then to Henchy, but apparently decided it would be more dignified to go without an exit line. A straight course to the connecting door to the front room would have taken him close to where I stood, and he made a point of circling wide. Also more dignified. When he was out and the door shut, I went back to my desk and notebook.

Wolfe said, 'I'm obliged to you, Mr. Henchy. I don't like turmoil in my house.'

The executive director nodded. 'I don't like it anywhere. Many people wouldn't believe that, a man in my position, but I don't like it. I like restraint. I like peace, and maybe I'll get some before I die. I guess you want two things from me: what I said to Mr. Vaughn and where I was last evening.'

'Not necessarily where you were, unless you have an alibi that can be established.'

'I haven't, not for the whole time from eight o'clock to two. I know a little about alibis; I've had experience. As for Mr. Vaughn, I don't think I had ever seen him before. I see many people. I won't try to tell you what I said to him yesterday word for word because I'm not good at that. I didn't say much; it was really just one thing. Not about Susan's-Miss Brooke's-who killed her. He only asked about her and Dunbar, whether they were planning to marry. Of course I knew they were, but I didn't tell him that. I said I knew nothing about it, that I never meddied in the personal affairs of members of the staff. That's all there was to it.'

'Can't you give me your exact words?'

He frowned and took five seconds. He shook his head. 'I wouldn't want to try to. But it was just what I said. He wasn't with me more than four or five minutes. He wanted to see someone else, and I sent him to Mr. Faison.'

'Why Mr. Faison?'

'Well, he insisted on seeing someone, and Susan had worked under him.' Henchy's head turned for a glance at me and returned to Wolfe. 'Tell me something. I know about your reputation. Is it possible that you honestly believe that one of us killed him? And killed Susan Brooke?'

'I think it likely, yes.'

'Well, we didn't.'

Wolfe nodded. 'You would say that, naturally.'

'Not just 'naturally.'' His hands were cupped over the ends of the chair arms, gripping them. 'This is the truth if I ever spoke it, if anyone on our staff is a murderer I want him punished to the full extent. It will make it harder for us, it already has, Dunbar in jail, but if we expect to be treated like good citizens we must be good citizens. But you're wrong, I'm positive you're wrong. At noon today Mr. Ewing heard about the murder of Peter Vaughn on the radio and came and told me, and I got them in my room, all of them who spoke with Vaughn yesterday, and I put it to them straight. I told them the police might never learn that Vaughn had been there, but if they did, there was to be no covering up. I told them that if one of them was involved in any way, I wanted to know it then and there. I told them that if any one of them had the slightest suspicion about another one, he was to speak up, then and there.'

He released the chair arms and turned his hands over. 'I know my people, Mr. Wolfe. Not only because they're my color; I know them. In my position I have to. They were there in my room with me for nearly two hours, and we talked it out. When we got through I was absolutely certain that none of them was involved in the murder of Peter Vaughn or Susan Brooke, and I was certain that none of them had any suspicion of any of the others. I'm not saying I'm as good at it as you are, but I know them! Believe me, you're wrong. See them and question them, all right, but you're wrong!'

Wolfe wasn't impressed, and neither was I. The executive director of the ROCC had made a lot of speeches to a lot of audiences; he had had a lot of practice saying things like 'This is the truth if I ever spoke it.' Granting that he had spread the odds some on his own ticket, on the others he was merely taking the line that a man in his position had to take, though I admit he had done it better than some I had heard on other occasions.

'Admirable,' Wolfe said. 'I like to hear words well used. As for my being wrong, only the event can answer. Will you please ask Mr. Faison to come?'

'Certainly.' Henchy levered on the chair arms to rise. 'I was going to mention, about alibis. Of course I asked them. None of them has an alibi he could prove beyond question. Mr. Oster could have told you that, but he was agitated.'

Wolfe nodded. 'I like your taste in words. 'Agitated.' He was indeed.'

I was at the door to the front room, and when I swung it open as Henchy came, the sound of Oster's voice, in charge, was heard. It didn't stop, so apparently Henchy summoned Faison by hand; anyhow, the fund raiser appeared and crossed to the chair his boss had vacated as I shut the door.

Wolfe scowled at him, and no wonder. What was there left to ask? Cass Faison's grin wasn't working, and from his expression it seemed doubtful if it would ever work again, but his coal-black skin still had its high gloss when the light hit it right.

Wolfe spoke. 'No preamble is required, Mr. Faison, since Mr. Oster has described the situation. Mr.