^^rfr.' Eowcliff turned to go.
'Wait a minute ' I objected, 'Seal what up? The 'office?' /.-. V :. - . '-:' ,v.;:
<*Ce3rtaiftiy/' KowcKff sneered.
I said firmly, to Cramer, not to ban, 'You don't mean it. We work there. We live there. All our stuff is
there.' - ,.- .', ... . '.. .-..-. - '
'Go ahead, Lieutenant,' Cramer told Roweliff, and he wheeled and went.
I set my jaw. I was full of both feelings and words, but I knew they had to be held in. This was not for me. This was far and away the worst Cramer had ever pulled. It was up to Wolfe. I looked at him. The blood had gone back down again; he was white With fury, and his mouth was pressed to so tight a line that there we^nolips.
'It's routine,' Cramer said aggressively. Wolfe said icily, 'That's a lie. It is not routine.' 'It's my routine--in a ease like this. Your office is not just an office. Ifs the place where more fancy tricks have been played than any other spot in New York. When a woman is murdered there, soon after a talk with Goodwin far which we have no word but his, I say sealing'it is routine.'
womb's head came forward an inch, his chin out. ?Nb; Mr. Cramer. Ffl te^ you what it is. It is the malefic spite of a sullen little soul and a crabbed and envious mind. It is the childish rancor of a primacy too often1 challenged and offended. It is the feeble wrig
The door came open to let Mrs. Orwin in.
Curtains for Three 179
Mrs. Carlisle the husband had come along. With .Orwin it was the son. His expression and manner * so different I would hardly have known him. Up his tone had been mean and his face had been Now his narrow little eyes were doing their st to look frank and cordial and one of the , He leaned across the table at Cramer, extending
Cramer? I've been hearing about you s! I'm Eugene Orwin.' He glanced to his right, already had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wolfe Mr. Goodwill--earlier today, before this terrible ; happened. It is terrible.' ifes,' Cramer agreed. 'Sit down.' will in a moment. I do better with words standI would like to make a statement on behalf of tier and myself, and I hope you'll permit it. I'm of the bar. My mother is not feeling well At st of your men she went in with me to idene body of Miss Brown, and it was a bad shock, e've been detained now more than two hours.' i mother's appearance corroborated him. Sitting i her head propped on a hand and her eyes closed, ily she didn't care as much about the impression made on the inspector as her son did. It was whether she was paying any attention to her son was saying.
|A statement would be welcome,' Cramer told him, es relevant.'
thought so,' Gene said approvingly. 'So many I have an entirely wrong idea of police methods! i you know that Miss Brown came here today mother's guest, and therefore it might be sup 180 Rex Stoat
posed that my mother knows her well But actually she doesn't. That's what I want to make clear.'
'Go ahead.'
Gene glanced at the shorthand dick. 'If it's taken down J3^c(ifld like to go over it when convenient.'
'You Sway.'
'Then here are the facts. In January my mother was in Florida. You meet all kinds hi Florida. My mother met a man who called himself Colonel Percy Brown^-a British colonel in the Reserve, he said. Later On he introduced his sister Cynthia to her. My mother saw a great deal of them. My father is dead, and the estate, a rather large one, is in her control. She lent Brown some money--not much; that was just an opener. A week ago--'
Mrs. Orwin's head jerked up. 'It was only five thousand dollars, and I didn't promise him anything,' she said wearily, and propped her head on her hand
'AHbright, Mother.' Gene patted her shoulder, 'A week ago she returned to New York, and they;came albn| f;The first time I met them I thought they were impostors. He didn't Sound like an Englishman, and certainly she didn't. They weren't very free with family details, but from them and Mother, chiefly Mother, I got enough to inquire about and sent a cable to London. I got a reply Saturday and another one this morning, and there was more than enough to confirm my suspicion, but not nearly enough to put it up to my mother. When she likes people she can be very stubborn about them--not a bad trait, not at all; I don't want to be misunderstood and I don't want her to be. I was thinking it over, what step to take next. Meanwhile, I thought it best not to let them be alone with her if I could help hv-as yon see, I'm being utterly
Curtains for Three 181
That's why I came here with them today--my is a member of that flower club; I'm no gar
myself.' lis tone implied a low opinion of male gardeners,
was none too bright if his idea was to get solid ; Wolfe as well as Cramer. le turned a palm up. 'That's what brought me My mother came to see the orchids, and she in! Brown and his sister to come simply because she
i-hearted. But actually she doesn't know them,
*'knows nothing about them, because what they ' told her is one thing and what they really are i? else. Then this happened, and in the past
*, after she recovered a little from the shock of ; taken in there to identify the corpse, I have ex
to her what the situation is.' s put his hands on the table and leaned on them, at Cramer. 'I'm going to be quite frank, In or. Under the circumstances, I can't see that it serve any useful purpose to let it be published thai woman came here with nay mother. What would it do? How would it further the cause of e? I want to make it perfectly dear that we have to evade our responsibility as citizens. Bat would it help to get my mother's name in the aes?' He straightened, backed up a step, and looked af
ately at Mother, frames in headlines aren't what I'm after' ner told him, 'but I don't run the newspapers. If re already got it I can't stop them. I'd like to say I your frankness. So you only met Miss i a week ago. How many times had you seen her
