'Saul? He's not here. Been gone for hours.'
'Oh, I thought it was a party. Then Wolfe.'
Wolfe's voice came. 'Yes, Archie?'
'I'm in Keyes' office, sitting at his desk. I'm alone. I brought Pohl his lunch, and he owes me ninety-five cents. It just occurred to me that I've seen you go to great lengths to keep your clients from being arrested. Remember the time you buried Clara Fox in a box of osmundine and turned the hose on her? Or the time--'
'What about it?'
'They're scooping up all the clients, that's all. Broadyke has been collared for receiving stolen goods --the designs he bought from Talbott. Pohl has been pulled in for disturbing the peace, and Talbott for as Curtains for Three 119
, arid battery. Not to mention that Miss Keyes has had the daylights scared out of her.' 'What are you talking about? What happened?' I told him and, since he had nothing to do but sit I let Orrie answer the phone for him, I left nothing . When I was through I offered the suggestion that ght be a good plan for me to stick around and find twhat it was about Mr. Donaldson that made young
en tremble and turn pale at sound of his name. |?No, I think not,' Wolfe said, 'unless he's a tailor. , find out if he's a tailor, but discreetly. No disclo 8. If so, get his address. Then find Miss Rooney-- it, I'll give you her address--' |*I know her address.' Sl?Find her. Get her confidence. Get alone with her.
en up her tongue.' I^What am I after--no, I know what I'm aftei'. What ? you after?'
'I don't know. Anything you can get. Confound it, know what a case like this amounts to, there's ag for it but trial and error--' pMovement over by the door had caught my eye, I focused on it. Someone had entered and was ap
me.
)kay,' I told Wolfe. 'There's no telling where she at I'll find her if it takes all day and all night.' I f up and grinned at the newcomer and greeted her. P?*Hello, Miss Rooney. Looking for me?'
XI
i Audrey was all dressed up in a neat brown wool t with red threads showing on it in little knots, but didn't look pleased with herself or with anyone
120 Rex Stoat
else. You wouldn't think a face with all that pink skin could look so sour. With no greeting, not even a nod, she demanded as she approached, 'How do you get to see a man that's been arrested?'
'That depends,' I told her. 'Don't snap at me like that. I didn't arrest him. Who do you want to see, Broadyke?'
'No.' She dropped onto a chair as if she needed support quick. 'Wayne Safford.'
'Arrested what for?'
'I don't know. I saw him at the stable this morning and then I went downtown to see about a job. A while ago I phoned Lucy, my best friend here, and she told me there was talk about Vie Talbott selling those designs to Broadyke, so I came to find out what was happening and when I learned that Talbott and Pohl had both been arrested I phoned Wayne to tell him about it, and the man there answered and said a policeman had come and taken Wayne with him.'
'For why?'
'The man didn't know. How do I get to see him?'
'You probably don't.'
'But I have to!'
I shook my head. 'You believe you have to, and I believe you have to, but the cops won't. It depends on what his invitation said. If they just want to consult him about sweating horses he may be home in an hour. If they've got a hook in him, or think they have, God knows. You're not a lawyer or a relative.'
She sat and looked at me, sourer than ever. In a minute she spoke, bitterly. 'You said yesterday I may be nice.'
'Meaning I should mount my bulldozer and move heaven and earth?' I shook my head again. 'Even if you were so nice it made my head swim, the best I
Curtains for Three 121
do for you this second would be to hold your ad, and judging from your expression that's not at you have in mind. Would you mind telling me at you have got in your mind besides curiosity?' | She got up, circled two corners of the desk to reach i phone, put it to her ear, and in a moment told the emitter, 'This is Audrey, Helen. Would you get me o. Forget it.'
hung up, perched on a corner of the desk, and giving me the chilly eye again, this time slant; down instead of up. ?*It's me,' she declared. F^What is?' ? 'This trouble. Wherever I am there's trouble.'
I;''
*Yeah, the world's full of it. Wherever anybody is e's trouble. You get shaky ideas. Yesterday you scared because you thought they were getting f to hang a murder on you, and not one of them has i hinted at it. Maybe you're wrong again.'
3, I'm not.' She sounded grim. 'There was that aess of accusing me of stealing those designs. They I't have to pick me for that, but you notice they did. all of a sudden that's cleared up, I'm out of that, what happens? Wayne gets arrested for murder. , thing--' thought you didn't know what they took him
| 'I don't. But you'll see. He was with me, wasn't ' She slid off the desk and was erect. 'I think--I'm ty sure--
