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And I spent the whole day, from ten to six, driving to Lewis Hewitt's place on Long Island, helping to select and clean and pack ten dozen yearling plants, and driving back again. I did no visible fuming, but you can imagine my state of mind, and on my way home, when a cop stopped me as I was approaching Queens boro Bridge, and actually went so low as to ask me where the fire was, I had to get my tongue between my teeth to keep myself from going witty on him.

While I was lugging the last carton of plants up the stoop I had a surprise. A car I had often seen before, with PD on it, rolled up to the curb and stopped behind the sedan, and Inspector Cramer emerged from it.

"What has Wolfe got now?" he demanded, coming up the steps to me.

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"A dozen zygopetalum," I told him coldly, "a dozen enanthera, a dozen odontoglossum--"

"Let me by," he said rudely.

I did so.

What I should have done, to drive it in that I was ow a delivery boy and not a detective, was to go on ilping Theodore get the orchids upstairs, and I set teeth and started to do that, but it wasn't long efore Wolfe's bellow came from the office. "Archie!"

I went on in. Cramer was in the red leather chair jth an unlighted cigar tilted toward the ceiling by the ip of his teeth. Wolfe, his tightened lips showing that s was enjoying a quiet subdued rage, was frowning at

"I'm doing important work," I said curtly. "It can wait. Get Mr. Skinner on the phone. If he left his office, get him at home." I would have gone to much greater lengths if ler hadn't been there. As it was, all I did was 51 crossed to my desk and sat down and started i dial. "Cut it!" Cramer barked savagely.

I went on dialing. "I said stop it!"

"That will do, Archie," Wolfe told me. I turned from i phone and saw he was still frowning at the inspec but his lips had relaxed. He used them for speech, [don't see, Mr. Cramer, what better you can ask than : choice I offer. As I told you on the phone, give me word that you'll cooperate with me on my terms,

II shall at once tell you about it in full detail, includ of course the justification for it. Or refuse to give your word, that's the alternative, and I shall ask r. Skinner if the District Attorney's office would like cooperate with me. I guarantee only that no harm

132 Rex Stout

will be done, but my expectation is that the case will be closed. Isn't that fair enough?"

Cramer growled like a tiger in a cage having a chair poked at him.

"I don't understand," Wolfe declared, "why the devil I bother with you. Mr. Skinner would jump at it."

drainer's growl became words. "When would it be --tonight?"

"I said you'd get details after I get your promise, but you may have that much. It would be early tomorrow morning, contingent upon delivery of a package I'm expecting--by the way, Archie, you didn't put the car in the garage?"

"No, sir."

"Good. You'll have to go later, probably around midnight, to meet an airplane. It depends on the airplane, Mr. Cramer. If it arrives tomorrow instead of tonight, we'd have to postpone it until Saturday morning."

"Where? Here in your office?"

Wolfe shook his head. "That's one of the details you'll get. Confound it, do I mean what I say?"

"Search me. I never know. You say you'll take my word. Why not take my word that I'll either do it or forget I ever heard it?"

"No. Archie, get Mr. Skinner."

Cramer uttered a word that was for men only. "You and your goddam charades," he said bitterly. "Why do you bother with me? You know damn well I'm not going to let you slip it to the D.A.'s office, because you may really have it. You have before. Okay. On your terms."

Wolfe nodded. The gleam in his eye came and went so fast that it nearly escaped even me.

Curtains for Three 133

"Your notebook, Archie. This is rather elaborate, ad I doubt if we can finish before dinner."

XIV

I'll explain gladly," I told Officer Hefferan, "if you'll end from that horse and get level with me. That's democratic way to do it. Do you want me to get a ' neck, slanting up at you?" I yawned wide without covering it, since there was kthiiig there but nature and a mounted cop. Being up dressed and breakfasted and outdoors working at yen in the morning was not an all-time record for 9t but it was unusual, and I had been up late three (its in a row: Tuesday the congregation of clients, inesday the festivities with Lily Rowan, and sday the drive to La Guardia to meet the air le, which had been on schedule. Hefferan came off his high horse and was even with 8. We were posted on top of the little knoll in Central rk to which he had led me the day I had made his ijuaintance. It promised to be another warm October y. A little breeze was having fun with the leaves on i trees and bushes, and birds were darting and hop ag around, discussing their plans for the morning. "All I'm doing," Hefferan said to make it plain, "is eying orders. I was told to meet you here and listen you."

I nodded. "And you don't care for it. Neither do I, stiff-backed Cossack, but I've got orders too. The ip is like this. As you know, down there behind that est"--I pointed--"is a tool shed. Outside the shed eyes' chestnut horse, saddled and bridled, is being Bid by one of your colleagues. Inside the shed there

134 Rex Stout

are two women named Keyes and Rooney, and four men named Pohl, Talbott, Safford, and Broadyke. Also Inspector Cramer is there with a detachment from his squad. One of the six civilians, chosen by secret ballot, is at this moment changing his or her clothes, putting on bright yellow breeches and a blue jacket, just like the outfit Keyes wore. Between you and me and your horse, the choosing was a put-up job, handled by Inspector Cramer. Dressed like Keyes, the chosen one is going to mount Keyes' horse and ride along that stretch of the bridle path, with shoulders hunched and stirrups too long, catch sight of you, and lift his or her crop to you in greeting. Your part is to be an honest man. Pretend it's not me telling you this, but someone you dearly love like the Police Commissioner. You are asked to remember that what you were interested in seeing was the horse, not the rider, and to put the question to yourself, did you actually recognize Keyes that morning, or just the horse and the getup?"

I appealed to him earnestly. "And for God's sake don't say a word to me. You wouldn't admit anything whatever to me, so keep your trap shut and save it for later, for your superiors. A lot depends on you, which may be regrettable, but it can't be helped now.

"If it won't offend you for me to explain the theory of it, it's this: The murderer, dressed like Keyes but covered with a topcoat, was waiting in the park uptown behind that thicket at half-past six, when Keyes first rode into the park and got onto the bridle path. If he had shot Keyes out of the saddle from a distance, even a short one, the horse would have bolted, so he stepped out and stopped Keyes, and got hold of the bridle before he pulled the trigger. One bullet for one. Then he dragged the body behind the thicket so it couldn't be seen from the bridle path, since another

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ly-morning rider might come along, took off his top Dr maybe a thin raincoat--and stuffed it under jacket, mounted the horse, and went for a ride ough the park. He took his time so as to keep to eyes' customary schedule. Thirty minutes later, ap ng that spot"--I pointed to where the bridle emerged from behind the tree&--"he either saw i up here or waited until he did see you up here, and he rode on along that stretch, giving you the salute by lifting his crop. But the second he got of sight at the other end of the stretch he acted He got off the horse and just left it there, know t would make its way back to its own exit from the i, and he beat it in a hurry, either to a Fifth Ave bus or the subway, depending on where he was ied for. The idea was to turn the alibi on as soon as sible, since he couldn't be sure how soon the horse be seen and the search for Keyes would be But at the worst he had established Keyes as alive at ten minutes past seven, down here on the etch, and the body would be found way uptown." "I believe," Hefferan said stiffly, "I am on record as