living must have had lessons or practice, or both. His uppercut, with his right, was swift and sure, and had power. It caught Kearns right on the button and sent him straight up a good six inches before he swayed against the corner of Wolfe's desk.
vm
To do him justice, Kearns handled it as well as could be expected, even better. He surprised me. He didn't utter a peep. The desk saved him from going down. He stayed propped against it for three seconds, straightened with his hand on it for support, moved his head backward and forward twice, decided his neck was still together, and moved. His first few steps were wobbly, but*by the time he reached the door to the hall they were steadier, and he made the turn okay. I went to the hall and stood, as he got his hat from the shelf and let himself out, pulling the door shut without banging it, and re-entered the office as Irving was saying, 'I should beg your pardon. I do. I'm sorry.'
'You were provoked,' Wolfe told him. He gestured at the red leather chair. 'Be seated.'
'Hold it.' I was there. 'I guess I should beg your pardon, Mr. Irving, for not telling you he was here, and now I must beg it again. I have to tell Mr. Wolfe something that can't wait. It won't take long.' I went and opened the door to the front room. 'If you'll step in here.'
He didn't like the idea. 'My business is pressing,' he said.
'So is mine. If you please?'
'Your name is Archie Goodwint1'
'Yes.'
He hesitated a second, and then came, and crossed the sill, and
104 3 at Wolfe's Door
1 dosed the door. Since it and the wall were soundproofed, I didn't have to lower my voice to tell Wolfe, 'I want to report. I saw his wife.'
'Indeed. Will a summary do?'
'No.' I sat. 'It will for one detail, that eighty feet from where the cab was parked there is a stoneyard that would be perfect cover, you couldn't ask for better, but you must have my talk with Mrs. Irving verbatim.'
'Go ahead.'
I did so, starting with a description of her. It had been years since he had first told me that when I described a man he must see him and hear him, and I had learned the trick long ago. I also knew how to report conversations word for word--much longer ones than the little chat I had had with Mrs. Irving.
When I had finished he asked one question. 'Was she lying?'
'I wouldn't bet either way. If so she is good. If it was a mixture I'd hate to have to sort it out.'
'Very well.' He closed his eyes. In a moment they opened. 'Bring him.'
I went and opened the door to the front room and told him to come, and he entered, crossed to the red leather chair, sat, and aimed his eyes at Wolfe. 'I should explain,' he said, 'that I am here as a friend of Miss Mira Holt, but she didn't send me.'
Wolfe nodded. 'She mentioned your name last evening. She said you are an intelligent man.'
'I'm afraid she flatters me.' Evidently it was normal for him to sit still. 'I have come to you for information, but I can't pretend I have any special right to it. I can only tell you why I want it When I learned on the radio this morning that Miss Holt was in custody I started downtown to see her, to offer my help, but on the way I decided that it wouldn't be advisable because it might be misconstrued, since I am merely a friend. So I called on my lawyer instead. His name is John H. Darby. I explained the situation and asked him to see Miss Holt, and he arranged to see her and has talked with her, but she won't tell him anything. She even refused to authorize him to arrange bail for her. She says that Archie Good fe;
win and Nero Wolfe are representing her, and she will say nothing and do nothing without their advice.' y I touched my lips with a fingertip, the lips that Mira had kissed. I was blowing the kiss back to her. Not only had she put my name first, but also she had improved on my suggestion by combining method three and method one. She was a client in a thousand. She had even turned down two offers to spring her.
Tin not a lawyer,' Wolfe said, 'and neither is Mr. Goodwin.'
Tm aware of that. But you seem to have hypnotized Miss Holt. With no offense intended, I must ask, are you acting in her interest or in Waldo Reams'?'
Wolfe grunted. 'Hers. She hired us.'
I put in, 'You and Kearns agree. He thinks we hypnotized her too. Nuts.'
He regarded me. 'I prefer to deal with Mr. Wolfe. This is his office.'
'You're dealing with both of us,' Wolfe told him. 'Professionally we are indiscrete. What information do you want?'
'I want to know why you are taking no steps to get her released and what action you intend to take in her interest. I also want you to advise her to accept the services of my lawyer. He is highly' qualified.'
Wolfe rested his palms on the chair arms. 'You should know better, Mr. Irving; you're a man of affairs. Before I gave you an inch, let alone the mile you ask for, I would have to be satisfied that your interest runs with hers.'
'Damn it, I'm her friend! Didn't she say I am? You said she mentioned me.'
'She could be mistaken.' Wolfe shook his head. 'No. For instance, I don't even know what you have told the police.'
'Nothing. They haven't asked me anything. Why should they?'
'Then you haven't told them that Miss Holt told you on the phone Sunday evening that she was going to drive
