'I didn't notice. They had scattered. Some of them were in the living room. Then Laura Jay told me Cal Barrow's rope was gone and I helped them look, and then people came.'
'When did you notice that Eisler wasn't around?'
'Some time later. Roger Dunning wanted someone to meet him and asked me where he was. I didn't know and didn't care. I supposed he had left without bothering to thank me for the meal. He would.' She tossed her head. 'That's four questions. What's the point?'
'Cal Barrow was looking for his rope and found Eisler's body on the floor of the shack with the rope around his neck. He came and got me. He's there guarding the door. Will you phone the police or do you want me to?' I glanced at my wrist: four minutes after six. 'It's already been sixteen minutes since I saw him and that's enough.'
'No,' she said.
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'Yes,' I said.
'Wade Eisler hung himself?'
'No. He's not hanging, he's on the floor. Also after the noose was pulled tight the rope was wound around his neck a dozen times. He didn't do that.'
'But how could--who would--wo.''
'Yes. It would be me to hand you something like this, hut at that I'm glad it is. I mean since it happened I'm glad I'm here. Do you want me to phone?'
She swallowed. 'No, I will. It's my house.' She touched my sleeve. 'I'm damn glad you're here.'
'Spring seven, three one hundred. I'll repeat that number: Spring seven--'
'You clown! All right, I needed it, that helped. I'll phone from the bedroom.'
She moved, hut I stopped her. 'Do you want me to collect the guests and tell them the cops are coming?'
'Oh my God. Here in my house--but of course that's routine. That's etiquette--when you're having a party and someone finds a body you collect the guests and make an announcement and say you hope they'll come again and--'
'You're babbling.'
'So I am.' She went, and I had to step to get to the door ahead of her.
Since a prowl car was certainly in the neighborhood there wasn't much time, and I went to the terrace and sang out, 'Everybody inside! Don't walk, run! Inside, everybody!' I entered the living room and mounted a chair. I wanted to see their faces. You seldom get anything helpful from faces, especially when there are more than twenty of them, but you always think you might. Those already inside approached, and those coming from the terrace joined them. I turned to the musicians and patted the air, and they broke off. Mel Fox said in a champagne-loud voice, 'She's gone and got a saddle for me.' Laughter. When you've been drinking champagne for an hour laughing comes easy.
I raised a hand and waggled it. 'I've got bad news,' I said. 'I'm sorry, but here it is. A dead body has been found on the premises.
144 3 at Wolfe's Door
The body of Wade Eisler. I have seen it. He was murdered. Miss Rowan is notifying the police and they will soon be here. She asked me to tell you. Of course nobody will leave.'
What broke the silence was not a gasp but a giggle, from Nan Karlin. Then Roger Dunning demanded, 'Where is he?' and Laura Jay moved, darting to the door to the terrace and on out, and the faces I had wanted to see turned away as Lily appeared through the arch.
She came on. She raised her voice. 'All right, I got you here and we're in for it. I don't go much by rules, but now I need one. What does the perfect hostess do when a guest murders another guest? I suppose I ought to apologize, but that doesn't seem . . .'
I had stepped down from the chair. It wasn't up to me to welcome the cops, it was Lily's house and she was there, and anyway it would only be a pair from a prowl car. The homicide specialists would come later. Circling the crowd, I made for a door at the other side of the room, passed through, and was in what Lily called the kennel because a guest's dog had once misused the rug there. There were book shelves, and a desk and safe and typewriter, and a phone. I went to the phone and dialed a number I could have dialed with my eyes shut. Since Wolfe's afternoon session up in the plant rooms with the orchids was from four to six, he would have gone down to the office and would answer it himself.
He did. 'Yes?'
'Me. Calling from the library in Miss Rowan's apartment. Regarding Wade Eisler. The one with a pudgy face and a scratch on his cheek. I gathered from your expression when he called you Nero that you thought him objectionable.'
'I did. I do.'
'So did somebody else. His body has been found in a storage room here on the roof. Strangled with a rope. The police are on the way. I'm calling to say that I have no idea when I'll be home, and I thought you ought to know that you'll probably be hearing from Cramer. A man getting croaked a few hours after he ate lunch with you--try telling Cramer you know nothing about it.'
'I shall. What do you know about it?'
'The same as you. Nothing.'
The Rodeo Murder 145
'It's a confounded nuisance, but it was worth it. The grouse was superb. Give Miss Rowan my respects.'
