36 Rex Stout
'Entirely. I have one once in a while, all alone.'
'What did you go for?'
'You don't need to answer, my dear,' Arnold told her.
She ignored him. 'They told me what had happened at the conference, and I was mad. I thought it was a holdup--but I wasn't going to tell Alberto that. I thought I could talk him out of it.'
'You went to appeal to him for old times' sake?'
She looked pleased. 'You have the nicest way of putting things! Imagine a girl my age having old times!'
'I'm glad you like my diction, Miss James.' Wolfe was furious. 'Anyhow, you went. Arriving at a quarter past six?'
'Just about, yes.'
'Did you see Mion?'
'No.'
'Why not?'
'He wasn't there. At least--' She stopped. Her eyes weren't glistening quite so much. She went on, 'That's what I thought then. I went to the thirteenth floor and rang the bell at the door to the studio. It's a loud bell--he had it loud to be heard above his voice and the piano when he was practicing--but I couldn't hear it from the hall because the door is soundproofed too, and after I had pushed the button a few times I wasn't sure the bell was ringing so I knocked on the door. I like to finish anything I start, and I thought he must be there, so I rang the bell some more and took off my shoe and pounded on the door with the heel. Then I went down to the twelfth floor by the public stairs and rang the bell at the apartment door. That was really stupid, because I know how Mrs. Mion hates me, but anyway I did. She came to the door and said
Curtains for Three 37
she thought Alberto was up in the studio, and I said he wasn't, and she shut the door in my face. I went home | and mixed myself a drink--which reminds me, I must admit this is good scotch, though I never heard of it ^before.'
She lifted her glass and jiggled it to swirl the ice. 14<Any questions?'
'No,' Wolfe growled. He glanced at the clock on the wall and then along the line of faces. 'I shall cer| tainly report to Mrs. Mion,' he told them, 'that you were not grudging with the facts.'
'And what else?' Arnold inquired.
'I don't know. We'll see.'
That they didn't like. I wouldn't have supposed | anyone could name a subject on which those six characters would have been in unanimous accord, but Wolfe turned the trick in five words. They wanted a verdict; failing that, an opinion; failing that, at least a hint. Adele Bosley was stubborn, Rupert the Fat was |: so indignant he squeaked, andJudge Arnold was next door to nasty. Wolfe was patient up to a point, but finally stood up and told them good night as if he meant it. The note it ended on was such that before going not one of them shelled out a word of appreciation for all the refreshment, not even Adele, the expert on public relations, or Doc Lloyd, who had practically emptied the bourbon bottle.
With the front door locked and bolted for the night, I returned to the office. To my astonishment Wolfe was still on his feet, standing over by the bookshelves, glaring at the backbones.
'Restless?' I asked courteously.
He turned and said aggressively, 'I want another bottle of beer.'
'Nuts. You've had five since dinner.' I didn't
38 Rex Stout
bother to put much feeling into it, as the routine was familiar. He had himself set the quota of five bottles between dinner and bedtime, and usually stuck to it, but when anything sent his humor far enough down he hiked to shift the responsibility so he could be sore at me too.
It was just part of my job. 'Nothing doing,' I said firmly. 'I counted 'em. Five. What's the trouble, a whole evening gone and still no murderer?'
'Bah.' He compressed his lips. 'That's not it. If that were all we could close it up before going to bed. It's that confounded gun with wings.' He gazed at me with his eyes narrowed, as if suspecting that I had wings too. 'I could, of course, just ignore it-- No. No, in view of the state our clients are in, it would be foolhardy. We'll have to clear it up. There's no alternative.'
'That's a nuisance. Can I help any?'
'Yes. Phone Mr. Cramer first thing in the morning. Ask him to be here at eleven o'clock.'
My brows went up. 'But he's interested only in homicides. Do I tell him we've got one to show him?'
'No. Tell him I guarantee that it's worth the trouble.' Wolfe took a step toward me. 'Archie.'
'Yes/sir.'
'I've had a bad evening and 111 have another bottle.'
'You will not. Not a chance.' Fritz had come in and we were starting to clear up. 'It's after midnight and you're in the way. Go to bed.'
'One wouldn't hurt him,' Fritz muttered.
'You're a help,' I said bitterly. 'I warn both of you, I've got a gun in my pocket. What a household!'
