'You mean you can stand there and look me in the eye and lie like that?'
'I don't know, Mel, I never tried.'
'Listen, Laura,' Roger Dunning said, to her back. 'If it's on account of Cal, I don't think you have to. I've got a lawyer on it and he'll soon have him out on bail, thirty thousand dollars. He may be out already. They can't charge him with murder unless they can show some reason why he wanted to kill Eisler, and there wasn't any.'
'It's not just her,' Mel said. He had backed Nan up and moved in front of her. He turned to me. 'You're slick too, huh?'
'Not very,' I said. 'I manage somehow.'
'I bet you do. I bet you're pretty good at answering questions. What if I asked you where you was yesterday while someone was killing Eisler?'
'That's easy. I was driving a car. Driving Mr. Wolfe home and then back to Sixty-third Street.'
'Was anybody else along?'
'Nope. Just us two.'
'Did you see anybody on the way that knows you?'
'No.'
'Did anybody here see you except Wolfe?'
'No, I didn't come in. I wanted to get back in time for the roping--I mean the contest, not roping Eisler. You're asking pretty good questions, but you'll hit the same snag with me as with Cal Barrow. You'll have to show some reason why I wanted to kill Eisler.'
'Yeah. Or why Wolfe would want you to, the man you work
The Rodeo Murder 167
for. Or why that Miss Rowan would, the woman that's hired him.' He turned to Wolfe. 'You better look out with this Laura Jay. She ain't cut out for a liar.' He turned to Laura. 'I'll he having a talk with you, Laura. Private.' He turned to Roger Dunning. 'This lawyer you got to get bail for Cal, is he any good?'
Roger's long narrow face was even longer. 'I think he's all right. He seems to know his way around.'
'I want to see him. Come on, Nan. You come along. We're not going to get--'
The doorbell rang. Mel had Nan under control, so I went. A glance through the glass of the front door showed me a hundred and ninety pounds of sergeant out on the stoop--Sergeant Purley Stebbins of Homicide. I proceeded, put the chain bolt on, opened the door to the two-inch crack the chain permitted, and said politely, 'No dues today. Out of stock.'
'Open up, Goodwin.' Like a sergeant. 'I want Nan Karlin.'
'I don't blame you. She's a very attractive--'
'Can it. Open up. I've got a warrant for her and I know she's here.'
There was no use making an issue of it, since there had probably been an eye on the house ever since Cramer left. As for the warrant, of course the prints she had left at Eisler's apartment had caught up with her. But Wolfe doesn't approve of cops' taking anyone in his house, no matter who. 'What if you brought the wrong warrant?' I asked.
He got it from a pocket and stuck it through the crack, and I took it and looked it over. 'Okay,' I said, 'but watch her, she might bite.' Removing the chain, swinging the door open, and handing him the warrant as he crossed the sill, I followed him to the office. He didn't make a ceremony of it. He marched across to Nan, displayed the paper, and spoke. 'Warrant to take you as a material witness in the murder of Wade Eisler. You're under arrest. Come along.'
My concern was Laura. As like as not, she would blurt out that he should take Mel too because she had told him about it, so I lost no time getting to her, but she didn't utter a peep. She stood
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3 at Wolfe's Door
stiff, her teeth clamped on her lip. Wolfe let out a growl, hut no words. Nan gripped Mel's arm. Mel took the warrant, read it through, and told Stebbins, 'This don't say what for.'
'Information received.'
'Where you going to take her?'
'Ask the District Attorney's office.'
'I'm getting a lawyer for her.'
'Sure. Everybody ought to have a lawyer.'
'I'm going along.'
'Not with us. Come on, Miss Karlin.'
Wolfe spoke. 'Miss Karlin. You will of course be guided by your own judgment and discretion. I make no suggestion. I merely inform you that you are under no compulsion to speak until you have consulted an attorney.'
Stebbins and Mel Fox both spoke at once. Stebbins said, 'She didn't ask you anything.' Mel said, 'You goddam snake.' Stebbins touched Nan's elbow and she moved. I stayed with Laura as they headed out, Nan and Stebbins in front and Mel and Roger following; seeing them go might touch her off. She still had her teeth on her lip. When I heard the front door close I went and took a look and came back.
