"Why would her name appear?" James demanded Iliis trained baritone.
Wolfe turned up a palm. "It would be evidence. It be established that just before you struck Mr. i you said to him, 'You let my daughter alone, you
�vl ' n
I put my hand in my pocket. I have a rule, justified experience, that whenever a killer is among those ent, or may be, a gun must be handy. Not regard the back of the third drawer of my desk, where r are kept, as handy enough, the routine is to trans one to my pocket before guests gather. That was spocket I put my hand in, knowing how cocky James But he didn't leave his chair. He merely blurted, ;'s a lie!"
IWblfe grunted. "Ten people heard you say it. That I indeed be publicity, if you denied it under oath (all ten of them, subpoenaed to testify, contradicted I honestly think it would be better to discuss it i me." H*What do you want to know?" Judge Arnold de
|fThe facts. First, the one already moot. When I lie to know it. Mr. Grove, you were present when famous blow was struck. Have I quoted Mr. i correctly?"
22 Rex Stout
James was born, but her smooth tanned skin and pretty mouth without too much lipstick and nice brown eyes were good scenery.
Rupert Grove didn't shake hands, which didn't upset me. He may have been a good manager for Alberto Mion's affairs, but not for his own physique. A man can be fat and still have integrity, as for instance Falstaff or Nero Wolfe, but that bird had lost all sense of proportion. His legs were short, and it was all in the middle third of him. If you wanted to be polite and look at his face you had to concentrate. I did so, since I needed to size them all up, and saw nothing worthy of recording but a pair of shrewd shifty black eyes.
When these two were seated and provided with liquid, Wolfe fired the starting gun. He said he was sorry it had been necessary to ask them to exert themselves on a hot evening, but that the question at issue could be answered fairly and equitably only if all concerned had a voice in it. The responding murmurs went all the way from acquiescence to extreme irritation. Judge Arnold said belligerently that there was no question at legal issue because Albert Mion was dead.
"Nonsense," Wolfe said curtly. "If that were true, you, a lawyer, wouldn't have bothered to come. Anyway, the purpose of this meeting is to keep it from becoming a legal issue. Four of you telephoned Mrs. Mion today to ask if I am acting for her, and were told that I am. On her behalf I want to collect the facts. I may as well tell you, without prejudice to her, that she will accept my recommendation. Should I decide that a large sum is due her you may of course contest; but if I form the opinion that she has no claim she will bow to it. Under that responsibility I need all the facts. Therefore --"
"You're not a court," Arnold snapped.
Curtains^ Three
23
"No, sir, I'm not. If you prefej. m a court you,u et it." Wolfe's eyes moved. "Mislosiey, would your uployers welcome that kind of Pl^ty? dj. Lioyd mild you rather appear as an ex^ on the ^tness
id or talk it over here? Mr. Gi^ how would your Bent feel about it if he were alive! ^ j^es, what do ">u think? You wouldn't relish t, pubiicity either> uuld you? Particularly since yo� daughter's name ould appear?"
"Why would her name appeal?' Jameg demanded
his trained baritone.
Wolfe turned up a palm. "It vniy be evidence. It ould be established that just befo^ yOU struck Mr Son you said to him, Tou let my^ghter aime^ you
-.tard.'"
I put my hand in my pocket. I ^ a ^ justified experience, that whenever a % jg f^^g those sent, or may be, a gun must be^y Not rggaj^j. the back of the third drawer fmy ^^ where y are kept, as handy enough, t.h^]Liine ^ ^ trans. one to my pocket before guestej.^^ That wag s pocket I put my hand in, knowi^ cocky Jameg
- But he didn't leave his chair. \ mereiy blurted it's a lie!"
Wolfe grunted. "Ten people heq you ^y it rj^ old indeed be publicity, if you 4^ it ^^ oath I all ten of them, subpoenaed to ^ contradicted I honestly think it would bel^ to discuss it me."
"What do you want to knowf y^ A^y de inded.
'The facts. First, the one alreadjllnoot ^^^ j Ue like to know it. Mr. Grove, yous^ present when famous blow was struck. \ j nuoted Mr. lames correctly?"
24 Rex Stout
"Yes." Grove's voice was a high tenor, which pleased me.
"You heard him say that?"
"Yes."
"Miss Bosley. Did you?"
She looked uncomfortable. "Wouldn't it be better to--"
"Please. You're not under oath, but I'm merely collecting facts, and I was told I lied. Did you hear him say that?"
"Yes, I did." Adele's eyes went to James. "I'm sorry, Gif."
"But it's not true!" Clara James cried.
Wolfe rasped at her, "We're all lying?"
I could have warned her, when she gave me that glance in the hall, to look out for him. Not only was she a sophisticated young woman, and not only did she glisten, but her slimness was the kind that comes from not eating enough, and Wolfe absolutely cannot stand people who don't eat enough. I knew he would be down on her from the go.
But she came back at him. "I don't mean that," she said scornfully. "Don't be so touchy! I mean I had lied to my father. What he thought about Alberto and me wasn't true. I was just bragging to him because--it doesn't matter why. Anyway, what I told him wasn't true, and I told him so that night!" "Which night?"
"When we got home--from the stage party after Rigoletto. That was where my father knocked Alberto down, you know, right there on the stage. When we got home I told him that what I had said about Alberto and me wasn't true."
"When were you lying, the first time or the second?"
Curtains for Three 25
"Don't answer that, my dear," Judge Arnold broke , lawyering. He looked sternly at Wolfe. "This is all elevant. You're welcome to the facts, but relevant s. What Miss James told her father is immaterial." Wolfe shook his head. "Oh no." His eyes went from lit to left and back again. "Apparently I haven't ie it plain. Mrs. Mion wants me to decide for her tier she has a just claim, not so much legally as orally. If it appears that Mr. James' assault on Mr. i was morally justified that will be a factor in my sion." He focused on Clara. "Whether my question i relevant or not, Miss James, I admit it was embar- \ and therefore invited mendacity. I withdraw it. this instead. Had you, prior to that stage party, given your father to understand that Mr. Mion had iuced you?"
"Well--" Clara laughed. It was a tinkly soprano rather attractive. "What a nice old-fashioned ay to say it! Yes, I had. But it wasn't true!'1 "But you believed it, Mr. James?" Gifford James was having trouble holding himself , and I concede that such leading questions about his ghter*s honor from a stranger must have been hard take. But after all it wasn't new to the rest of the audience, and anyway it sure was relevant. He forced IWmself to speak with quiet dignity. "I believed what tmy daughter told me, yes."
Wolfe nodded. "So much for that," he said in a re jBeved tone. "I'm glad that part is over with." His eyes Irtaoved. "Now. Mr. Grove, tell me about the conference |!ia Mr. Mion's studio, a few hours before he died."
Rupert the Fat had his head tilted to one side, with hbs shrewd black eyes meeting Wolfe's. "It was for the ^purpose," he said in his high tenor, "of discussing the demand Mion had made for payment of damages."
26 Bex Stout
"You were there?"
"I was, naturally. I was Mion's adviser and manager. Also Miss Bosley, Dr. Lloyd, Mr. James, and Judge Arnold."
"Who arranged the conference, you?"
"In a way, yes. Arnold suggested it, and I told Mion and phoned Dr. Lloyd and Miss Bosley."