'Then you know it's a dead end. Close to the end is an alley that goes between walls to a little house. That's my husband's. I lived there with him about a year. I got there a little before eight, and turned around and parked in front of the alley. Judy had said she always waited for him there. He didn't come. I didn't want to go to the house, because as soon as he saw me he would shut the door on me, but when he hadn't come at half past eight I got out and went--'
'You're sure of the time?'
'Yes. I looked at my watch. Of course.'
'What does it say now?'
She lifted her wrist. 'Two minutes after eleven.'
'Right. You went through the alley?'
'Yes, to the house. There's a brass knocker on the door, no bell. I knocked with it, but nobody came. I knocked several times. I could hear the radio or television going inside, I could just barely hear it, so I knocked loud. He couldn't have recognized me through a window because it was too dark and I had the cap pulled down.
Method Three for Murder 79
Of course it could have been Morton, his man as he calls him, playing the radio, but I don't think so because he would have heard the knocker and come to the door. I finally gave up and went back to the cab, and as I was getting in I saw her. At first I thought it was a trick he had played, but when I looked closer I saw the knife, and then I recognized her, and she was dead. If I hadn't turned around and gripped the wheel as hard as I could I think I would have fainted. I never have fainted. I sat there-'
'Who was it?'
'It was Phoebe Arden. She was the reason my husband didn't want a divorce. I'm sure she was, or anyway one of the reasons. I think he thought that as long as he was still married to me she couldn't expect him to marry her, and neither could anyone else. But I wasn't thinking about that while I sat there, I was thinking what to do. I knew the right thing was to call the police, but I was driving Judy's cab, and, what was worse, I would have to admit I knew who she was, and they would find out about her and my husband. I don't know how long I sat there.'
'It must have been quite a while. You left the cab to go to the house at eight-thirty. How long were you gone?'
'I don't know. I knocked several times, and looked in at the windows, and then knocked some more.' She considered. 'At least ten minutes.'
'Then you were back at the cab at eight-forty, and from there to here wouldn't take more than ten minutes, and you got here at nine-twenty. Did you sit there half an hour?'
'No. I decided to get her--to get it out of the cab. I found that canvas under the panel. I thought the best place would be somewhere along the river front, and I drove there but didn't see a good place, and men tried to stop me twice, and once when I stopped for a light a man opened the door and when I told him I was making a delivery he almost climbed in anyway. Then I thought I would just leave the cab somewhere, anywhere, and I went to a phone booth to call Judy and tell her to say the cab had been stolen, but there was no answer. Then I thought of Nero Wolfe and you, and I drove here. I didn't have much time to make that up about the
8o
3 at Wolfe's Door
bet, just on my way here. I knew it wasn't much good while I was telling it.'
'So did I.' I was frowning at her. 'I want you to realize one thing. I believe you when you say you didn't kill her, but it doesn't follow that I swallow you whole. For instance, the divorce situation. If the fact is that your husband wanted one so he could marry Phoebe Arden, and you balked, that would make it different.'
'No.' She was frowning back. 'I've told you the truth, every word. I lied to you out there, but if I lied to you now I'd be a fool.'
'You sure would. How good a friend of yours is Judy Bram?'
'She's my best friend. She's a little wild, but I like her. I love her.'
'Are you sure she rates it?'
'Yes.'
'You'd better cross your fingers.' I turned to Wolfe. 'Since you're helping on this, and I fully appreciate it, our minds should meet. Do you accept it that she didn't kill her?'
'As a working hypothesis, yes.'
'Then isn't it likely that she was killed by someone who knew that Miss Holt would be driving the cab? Since Keams didn't show, taking her away from the cab, and the radio or television was on in the house?'
'Likely, but far from certain. It could have been impromptu. Or the embarrassment could have been meant for Miss Bram, not for Miss Holt.'
I returned to Mira. 'How close are Judy Bram and your husband?'
'Close?' The frown was getting chronic. 'They aren't close. If you mean intimate, I doubt if Judy has ever allowed any man to be intimate. My husband may have tried. I suppose he has.'
'Could Judy have had any reason to kill Phoebe Arden?'
'Good lord, no.'
'Isn't it possible that Judy, unknown to you, had got an idea that she would like to break the ice with your husband, and Phoebe Arden was in the way?'
'I suppose it is, if you want to say that anything is possible, but I don't believe it.'
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