He released the chair arms and turned his hands over. “I know my people, Mr. Wolfe. Not only because they’re my color; I know them. In my position I have to. They were there in my room with me for nearly two hours, and we talked it out. When we got through I was absolutely certain that none of them was involved in the murder of Peter Vaughn or Susan Brooke, and I was certain that none of them had any suspicion of any of the others. I’m not saying I’m as good at it as you are, but I know them! Believe me, you’re wrong. See them and question them, all right, but you’re wrong!”
Wolfe wasn’t impressed, and neither was I. The executive director of the ROCC had made a lot of speeches to a lot of audiences; he had had a lot of practice saying things like “This is the truth if I ever spoke it.” Granting that he had spread the odds some on his own ticket, on the others he was merely taking the line that a man in his position had to take, though I admit he had done it better than some I had heard on other occasions.
“Admirable,” Wolfe said. “I like to hear words well used. As for my being wrong, only the event can answer. Will you please ask Mr. Faison to come?”
“Certainly.” Henchy levered on the chair arms to rise. “I was going to mention, about alibis. Of course I asked them. None of them has an alibi he could prove beyond question. Mr. Oster could have told you that, but he was agitated.”
Wolfe nodded. “I like your taste in words. ‘Agitated.’ He was indeed.”
I was at the door to the front room, and when I swung it open as Henchy came, the sound of Oster’s voice, in charge, was heard. It didn’t stop, so apparently Henchy summoned Faison by hand; anyhow, the fund raiser appeared and crossed to the chair his boss had vacated as I shut the door.
Wolfe scowled at him, and no wonder. What was there left to ask? Cass Faison’s grin wasn’t working, and from his expression it seemed doubtful if it would ever work again, but his coal-black skin still had its high gloss when the light hit it right.
Wolfe spoke. “No preamble is required, Mr. Faison, since Mr. Oster has described the situation. Mr. Henchy sent Mr. Vaughn to you?”
Faison nodded. “That’s right.”
“To your room?”
“Yes.”
“Were you alone with him?”
“Yes.”
“Had you ever seen him before?”
“No. None of us had ever seen him before.”
“How long was he with you?”
“Not more than three or four minutes. I wasn’t timing it. Possibly five.”
“What was said?”
“He said the same thing to all of us. He wanted to know how intimate Miss Brooke had been with Mr. Whipple. We all said the same thing to him. We said we didn’t know. He didn’t want to believe that. He said someone there must know. He was all — he was in a fret. I sent him to Mr. Ewing.”
Wolfe’s lips were tight. He turned to me. “This is farcical.”
“Yes, sir. They talked it out for two hours with Mr. Henchy.”
“Bring them.”
It occurred to me as I crossed to the door that I might as well get a little personal satisfaction. I would put Miss Tiger in the red leather chair. But Wolfe might himself interfere with that, so when I opened the door I asked Henchy to come and took him to the red leather chair, and then summoned the others. Since Saul had moved up enough chairs for all, I was free to enjoy the look on Oster’s face when he saw I had foxed him. That settled my relations with Harold R. Oster. We were enemies for life, and that suited me fine.
Wolfe took them in, from Henchy at the far left to Maud Jordan at the far right, nearest me. “I’m through,” he said. “I’m through with you for today, but not with the job I’m doing. The situation is unaltered. I have learned nothing whatever from Mr. Henchy, Mr. Oster, or Mr. Faison, except that you are presenting a solid front. You are maintaining that your exchanges with Mr. Vaughn yesterday were identical. I don’t believe it. I believe—”
“I’m not!” It was Maud Jordan.
Wolfe’s eyes went to her. “Not what, Miss Jordan?”
“What you said about identical exchanges. I know what that man, Vaughn, asked the rest of them, but he didn’t ask me anything. He merely said he wanted to see Mr. Henchy.”
“When he entered.”
“Yes.”
“And gave you his name.”
“Of course.”
“And when he departed?”
“He didn’t say anything.” She upped her chin and a half. “I want to say something now. You’re hounding these people, and I think it’s outrageous. You’re bullying them just because they’re Negroes. And who are you? Where were you born?”
She was only the switchboard, but nobody shushed her, not even a murmur or two. She was a volunteer, and she had given half a grand to the fund for Medgar Evers’s children. Wolfe’s head turned left. “Do you wish to support that indictment, Mr. Henchy?”
“No. I think you’re wrong, but no, I wouldn’t call it bullying.”
“Do you wish to add anything, Miss Jordan?”
“No. I mean what I said.”
“Mr. Ewing, I haven’t spoken with you. Have you anything to say?”
“No, only that I agree with Mr. Henchy. If you think one of us is a murderer, you’re wrong, but I wouldn’t call it bullying. I know what it will be like if the police find out he came there yesterday morning. Are you going to tell them?”
“Miss Tiger. Do you wish to say anything?”
“No,” she said, barely audible.
“Then we’re through. For today. I may see all of you again, and I certainly expect to see one of you; I would give something to know which one. To answer Mr. Ewing’s question, I shall not tell the police of Mr. Vaughn’s ill-fated visit. I bid you good afternoon merely as a civility.” He leaned back, laced his fingers at his center mound, and closed his eyes.
I was surprised at Oster. Not a word. He got up and headed for the hall. Saul Panzer, who was on a chair over by the bookshelves, followed him out, and as the others rose and moved, no one saying anything, I stayed put. Saul was there. I don’t especially mind holding a coat for a murderer, but I like to know when I’m doing it. I looked at my watch: 5:19. Wolfe could still have forty minutes with the orchids, but apparently he preferred to take a nap. I sat and watched his big chest rise and fall, expecting, and I admit hoping, to see the lip exercise start, but it didn’t. When the sounds from the hall ended with the closing of the front door and Saul came and took the yellow chair nearest me, he was still just sitting and breathing.
“In a way,” I told Saul, “I’m glad you’ve seen her. I’ll be doing a lot of talking about her in the future and you’ll appreciate it better. I’m sure you’ll agree that the best way to handle it is to cherish and covet her at a distance, but the question is what distance. A mile is a distance, but so is a yard or even an inch. I wish I knew more about poetry. If I could turn out—”
“Shut up!” Wolfe bellowed.
I turned and said, “Yes, sir. I was only remarking about the one single aspect of the party that struck me as worthy of remark. Was there any other?”
“No.” He had straightened up.
“Then there’s no argument. I might as well go on remarking about Miss Tiger. Two days ago I said there wasn’t one sensible thing anybody could do. Now it’s even worse; there’s not even one unsensible thing.”
“Confound it, don’t sit there inventing grotesque words!”