She had slumped down on the bed, and was sitting there looking like she was about to cry. The hard facade was gone. “Geez, what’s gonna happen? I wasn’t lookin’ for any trouble. I’ve had enough problems with the cops, I don’t need this.” I said something I thought would be comforting, but it didn’t help, so I walked out and closed the door behind me.
Back in the office, Saul had poured himself a brandy, and he and Wolfe were talking. “Plotting for tomorrow?” I said, sliding into my chair.
“Yes, I was just telling Saul that I want everyone here tomorrow night at nine, including him and Fred. We’ll also need Miss Radovich,
Mr. Milner, Mrs. Forrester-Moore, and all those people from the Symphony that we’ve talked to, including of course Mr. Remmers. And the hallman, Mr. Hubbard. I’ve asked Saul to bring him here; can you arrange for the rest to be present?”
“All in a day’s work.” I shrugged. “I suppose you’ll want Cramer, too?”
Wolfe nodded. “I’ll call him myself and suggest he bring Sergeant Stebbins.”
For another half-hour Wolfe sketched the plan for tomorrow. We were interrupted once, by Fred calling in to report. I told him Saul had found our woman, and that he should stop by in the morning for a fill-in on the evening’s schedule. “Well, it’s been nice working for Mr. Wolfe again,” he said, “but Fanny’s going to be awfully happy when this one’s over.”
“Believe me, it’s almost over,” I said, hanging up and turning back to Wolfe.
20
It wasn’t hard following through on my assignments Wednesday morning. I started with Jason Remmers and got him at home. “Mr. Wolfe has an important announcement about the Stevens murder,” I said into the phone. “He asks if you could be in his office at nine tonight, and he wonders if you could ask Misters Meyerhoff, Hirsch, and Sommers to come again, as well.” Actually, Wolfe had asked me to get all the orchestra people, but I figured they’d take more from Remmers. He said he could make it that night, and that he’d call me back on the others. “It’s extremely important that everyone be there,” I stressed before we hung up.
Next was Lucinda. “You told me the other day that you always wanted to meet Nero Wolfe,” I said when she answered. “Now’s your chance. He thought you might like to be here at a gathering at nine tonight; it’s to do with Mr. Stevens’s murder.”
“Oh, Archie, I already have plans,” she said. “Do you know what he’s going to say?” I told her I didn’t have the foggiest idea. “Well... if you really want me to be there, all right, I’ll cancel my engagement. For you, Archie.” I said Wolfe and I both appreciated it, and that we’d see her at nine.
Of course Maria gave an emphatic yes when I called her at Lily’s. “You’ve found something out, haven’t you?” she asked.
“I can’t say for sure, but I do know that Mr. Wolfe wants several people to be present — including Gerald Milner.” She promised to bring him along and kept pressing me for more information until I politely ended the call.
At ten, Fred stopped in to get his instructions. He was a little unhappy that Saul had been the one to locate Mindy, but it was more than offset by his relief at being able to quit what he called “the great hooker hunt.”
Just after he left, Remmers called back, saying that all three from the Symphony would show up. “They don’t like it much though,” he said, “especially Charlie and Dave.” I told him that was life and said we’d see him at nine.
Wolfe came down from the plant rooms on schedule. He rang for beer, and after a quick shuffle through the mail, asked about my progress. When I said we’d lined up everyone for the evening, he told me to dial Inspector Cramer. “With pleasure,” I said, punching out the number from memory and staying on the line.
“Mr. Cramer? Good morning, this is Nero Wolfe. I wanted you to know that several people will be here at nine tonight, at which time I’ll be discussing the murder of Milan Stevens. I think you will want to be present as well.”
“Goddammit, I’ve told both you and Goodwin to butt out of this. As far as I’m concerned, the department’s finished its job on the case,” Cramer said.
“It’s your privilege to think that, of course. But I should tell you that whether you’re here or not, I plan to proceed. You can read about it in tomorrow’s Gazette, as Mr. Cohen will undoubtedly be interested in the results.”
Cramer spat a word. “Is this going to be one of your asinine charades in front of a big crowd?”
“I wouldn’t choose that phrasing, but if you’re asking if my office will be crowded, the answer is yes. Despite that, we’ll have room for you, and for Sergeant Stebbins as well, if you care to bring him.”
“I’ll bring whoever I damn well feel like!” he bellowed, hanging up.
“Count on Mr. Cramer being here — with a friend,” Wolfe said, leaning back and closing his eyes.
The day crawled by, maybe because I was checking my watch every two minutes or so. At four-ten, Saul called to say he’d found Tom Hubbard at home. “He was just as happy to see me as Mindy had been,” Saul said. “I laid out what we knew about last Wednesday, which got him. He told me he had to work tonight, but I said that if he didn’t come, the cops would probably show up later in the evening and drag him off anyway. That did it; while I was there, he called somebody to substitute, and I’m picking him up at eight.”
I gave Saul a “Satisfactory” and then called Lon to tell him we’d have something late tonight for tomorrow’s editions, an exclusive. He wanted it all right then, but I insisted that he’d probably have to wait until at least midnight. He said he’d be in his office all night, if necessary.
After dinner while Wolfe was sitting at his desk with coffee, I began setting up: extra ashtrays, chairs from the front room, a fully stocked bar on the small table in the corner. Fred had come at seven-thirty and was upstairs in the South Room with Mindy Ross, who’d gotten a fresh change of clothes, courtesy of a shopping trip Maria had made in the afternoon.
Saul arrived on schedule at eight-thirty with a jittery Tom Hubbard, who looked like he was going to pass out when he saw me. When he recovered, he tried to ask me what was going to happen, but I just nodded to Saul, who steered him into the front room and closed the door behind them. Now we were ready for company.
At eight-forty-three, the bell rang again. It was Inspector Cramer and Sergeant Purley Stebbins. “Ah, Inspector, you could make it after all,” I said as they tramped in. “And you brought a date. It’s been a while, Purley.” Stebbins, who’s worked with Cramer for eons and has had what he considers too many dealings with Wolfe and me in the past, nodded his long bony face but didn’t smile. But then, Purley Stebbins isn’t noted for his smiles, particularly when I’m around. At that, I guess you could say we’ve gotten along, more or less, through the years, considering our respective lines of work. He may not be the smartest man in the department, but you’ll never hear me knock his courage or his loyalty. If I had to pick one guy to be on my side in a bar brawl against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive line, it would be Purley, although I’d never give him the satisfaction of telling him that.
“You’re the first,” I said, leading them to the office and explaining the seating. “Mr. Wolfe will be in shortly, and so will some others, I hope.”
“Hah, he’s waiting till they’re all here so he can make one of his grand entries,” I heard Cramer say to Stebbins as I went back to the hall. And he was right: Wolfe had gone to the kitchen at eight-fifteen, ostensibly to help Fritz with the menu planning for the next week, and said he’d be back in when everyone was seated.