Three at Wolfe's Door

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 Judith Bram's cab?"

It got him. He stared. He looked at me and back at Wolfe. "No," he said. "Even if she had, would I tell the police?"

KMethod Three for Murder 105

io6 3 at Wolfe's Door

"Do you -deny that she did?" "I neither" deny it nor affirm it."

Wolfe upturned a palm. "How the devil can you expect cando from me? D<9 you want me to suspect that Miss Holt lied when <&* told us of that phone call?" e "When did she tell you?" "Last everwng. Here. Not under hypnosis." He considered. "All right. She told me that." "And whcfni did you tell?" "No one." "You're certain?" "Of course? I'm certain."

"Then it v^on't be easy to satisfy me. Assuming that Miss Holt fulfilled her Intention and took the cab, and arrived with it at Mr. Reams' address at eight o'clock, and combining that assumption with the fact that at twenty minutes past nine the cab was standing in front of my house with a dead body in it, where are you? Miss Bram states that she told no one of the arrangement. Miss Holt states that she told no one but you. Is it any wonder that I ask where you ar^? And, specifically, where you were last evening from eight o'clock on?"

"I see." Irving took a breath, and another. "It's utterly preposterous. You actually suspect me of being involved in the murder of Phoebe Aider*-" "I do indeed."

"But it's preposterous! I had no concern whatever with Miss Arden. She meant nothing to me. Not only that, apparently whoever killed her managed to get Miss Holt involved--either managed it or pemiittect it. Would I do that?" He made his hands fists and raised them, s-took them. "Damn it, I have to know what happened! You kriow. Miss Holt told you. I have to know!"

"There are things I have to know," Wolfe said drily. "I mentioned one: yc*ur movements last evening. We have it from your wife, but I prefer it from you. That's the rule, and a good one: get the best available evidence."

Irving was staring again. "My wife? You have seen my wife?" "Mr. GoodWin has. He called at your home this morning to see

Method Three for Murder 107

[ you had gone. Your wife wished to be helpful. You know,

what she told him."

[ she tell him--" He stopped and started over. "Did she tell at a phone call she made yesterday afternoon?" nodded. "And one she received. She received one from ad made one to Miss Arden."

inclined his head forward to look at his right hand. Its i bent, slowly, to make a fist. Apparently something about Operation was unsatisfactory, for he repeated it several times, at it At length his head came up. "My lawyer wouldn't ijfbis," he said, "but I'm going to tell you something. I have to ct you to tell me anything. If I told you what I told my you would check it, and it won't check. I know Miss Holt Yjudy Bram's cab there last evening. I know she got there at nutes to eight and left at ten minutes to nine. I saw her." I. Where were you?"

in a cab parked on Carmine Street, around the corner (Ferrell Street. I suppose you know what her purpose was in ; Judy's cab?"

, To talk with her husband." I had tried to persuade her not to. Did she tell you that?"

a't like it. There isn't much that Kearns isn't capable of. I K mean violence; just some trick like getting her out of the cab I going off with it. I decided to be there, and I phoned my wife |;I would have to spend the evening with a business associate. I afraid if I took my car Miss Holt might recognize it, so I got jti with a driver I know. Carmine Street is one-way, and we 1 where we would be ready to follow when she came out of 1 Street. We were there when she arrived, at five minutes to When she came back, nearly an hour later, she was alone, i was no one in the cab. I supposed Kearns had refused to let !;drive him, and I was glad of it."

:then?"

i went to my club. If you want to check I'll give you the cab rs name and address. I rang Judy Bram's number, and I rang ' Holt s number three or four times, but there was no answer.

io8

3 at Wolfe's Door

I supposed they were out somewhere together. And this morning I heard the radio and saw the paper." He breathed. "I hope to heaven I won't have to regret telling you this. If it contradicts anything she told you she's right and I'm wrong. I could be lying, you know, for my own protection."

I was thinking, if so you're an expert.

Wolfe's eyes, at him, were half closed. "It was dark. How could you know there was no one in the cab?"

"There's a light at that corner. I have good eyes and so has the driver. She was going slow, for the turn."

"You didn't follow her?"

"No. There was no point in following her if Kearns wasn't with her."

"What would you say if I told you that Miss Holt saw you in your parked taxi as she drove by?"