'I thought not. When he asked me if I knew Mira Holt of course I said yes, and when he asked when I last saw her I told him. Since I had no idea what had happened I thought that was safest, but I said I hadn't told her she could take the cab and I knew she wouldn't take it without asking me. Does that finish with me?'
'It's a good start. How well do you know Gilbert Irving?'
That fazed her. Her mouth opened and she gawked with her big, brown, well-spaced eyes. 'Are my ears working?' she demanded. 'Did you say Gilbert Irving?'
'That's right.'
'1
88 3 o* Wolfe's Door
'Who let him in?'
'Mira mentioned him. How well do you know him?'
'Too well. I dream about a lion standing on a rock about to spring at me, and I suspect it's him. If my subconscious is yearning for him it had better go soak its head, because first he's married and his wife has claws, and second, when he looks at Mira or hears her voice he has to lean against something to keep from trembling. Did she tell you that?'
'No. Who is he? What does he do?'
'Something in Wall Street, but he doesn't look it. Why did Mira mention him?'
'Because I made her. She phoned him last evening and told him she was going to drive your cab and why. She wanted to know what he thought of it. I want to know what motive he might have for killing Phoebe Arden.'
She opened her mouth to reply, then decided to laugh instead. It was a real laugh, no giggle.
I raised a brow. 'Your subconscious taking over?' I inquired.
'No.' She sobered. 'I couldn't help it. It struck me, of course Gil killed her. He couldn't bear the thought of Mira's husband being unfaithful to her, it was an insult to her womanhood, so he killed Phoebe. Do you blame me for laughing?'
'No. I'll laugh too when I get around to it. Does anything else strike you? A motive for him you wouldn't laugh at?'
'Of course not. It's ridiculous. You're just floundering around. Have you finished with me?'
I looked at Wolfe. His eyes were closed. 'For now, yes,' I told her, 'unless Mr. Wolfe thinks I skipped something.'
'How can he? You can talk in your sleep, but you can't think.' She stood up. 'What are you going to do?'
'Find a murderer and stick pins in him. Or her.'
'Not sitting here you aren't. Don't bother, I know the way out. Why don't you go and tackle Wally Kearns? I'll go with you.'
'Thanks, I'll manage.'
'Where did he take Mira?'
'Either to Homicide West, two-thirty West Twentieth, or to the
Method Three for Murder 89
District Attorney's office, one-fifty-five Leonard. Try Twentieth Street first.'
'I will.' She turned and was off. I followed, to let her out, but she was a fast walker and I would have had to trot to catch up. When I reached the door she had it open. I stepped out to the stoop and watched her descend to the sidewalk and turn west. The floodlights and ropes and police cars were gone, and so was Judy's cab. My wrist watch said five minutes past midnight as I went in and shut the door. I returned to the office and found Wolfe on his feet with his eyes open.
'I assumed,' I said, 'that if you wanted something from her I hadn't got you would say so.'
'Naturally.'
'Have you any comments?'
'No. It's bedtime.'
'Yeah. Since you're with me on this, which I appreciate, perhaps I'd better sleep here. If you don't mind.'
'Certainly. You own your bed. I have a suggestion. I presume you intend to have a look at that place in the morning, and to see Mr. Kearns. It might be well for me to see him too.'
'I agree. Thank you for suggesting it. If they haven't got him downtown I'll have him here at eleven o'clock.' I made it eleven because that was his earliest hour for an appointment, when he came down from his two-hour session up in the plant rooms with the orchids.
'Make it a quarter past eleven,' he said. 'I will be engaged until then with Mr. Anderson.'
I opened my mouth and closed it again. 'Didn't you phone him not to come?'
'On the contrary, I phoned him to come. On reflection I saw that I had been hasty. In my employ, as my agent, you had made a commitment, and I was bound by it. I should not have repudiated it. I should have honored it, and then dismissed you if I considered your disregard of the rules intolerable.'
'I see. I can understand that you'd rather fire me than have me quit.'
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