He hung up and rubbed his nose with his forefinger. I blurted, "And whoever goes to get Zorka, she'll spill the entire bag of beans before they get here-"
"Let me alone, Archie. Take that confounded thing out of that idiotic cake and put it back in your pocket the way it was."
I gave up. And obeyed blindly. Talk about discipline.
Chapter Seven
Neva Tormic was the first to arrive for the party. It was close to midnight when I went to answer the bell, saving Fritz the trouble of putting his slippers in commission and glad of a chance to stretch my legs even that much.
"Hallo," I said in polite surprise, for three of them crossed the threshold, and I knew all of them. First Neya Tormic, then Carla Lovchen, and bringing up the rear, Sergeant Purley Stebbins. Purley and I had often been enemies, and even friends once or twice. While I helped with wraps he said:
"This other one coupled on and I would have had to use force to separate her. So I thought if she's not wanted we can do the separating here."
"Sure," I agreed, "let Cramer do it. He ought to be here any minute. You go on to the kitchen-you know the way-and Fritz'll give you a pork tenderloin sandwich with onion grass."
He looked wistful. "I guess I won't let her out of my sight-"
"Pooh! Pooh! My dear fellow, this is a conference, and Mr Wolfe and I are conferees. Breaded pork tenderloin and steaming black coffee?"
So he headed for the kitchen and I herded the Balkans into the office.
I was afraid Wolfe might be skittish, confronted with two Montenegrin females at once, but he stood up and greeted them like a man. I had chairs already arranged. It was the first time I had seen Neya in anything but her fencing costume with robe. She was natty in a dark-brown suit and brown oxfords, with no foreign touch as far as I could see, but my interest in women's clothes is not technical. Her eyes were as black as two prunes in a dish of cream, but there was a little flush on her cheeks, which may have been from the cold outdoors.
She said, with the eyes aimed at him, "You are Nero Wolfe."
Wolfe nodded just perceptibly. He was leaning forward with his elbows resting on the desk and his fingers linked together. Having seen him scrutinize a lot of people, I was aware that he was putting on a special and rare performance.
She said, "You sent a policeman to bring me here. I don't understand that."
"Inspector Cramer sent him."
"But you must have permitted it." There was a swift movement of her head; a characteristic arrested toss that I had observed that afternoon. "Or suggested it."
"Yes, Miss Tormic. I arranged it. A certain fact was exposed which required immediate action in order to save Mr Goodwin from arrest. He is my confidential assistant, and I wouldn't welcome the ignominy of bailing him out of jail. Or perhaps instead of a fact, it's a lie. We'll find out. I thought it better to do so in the presence of Inspector Cramer, and besides, I want to see how you behave under pressure."
"I can stand pressure."
"Good. We'll see."
She smiled at him. When her mouth was composed the don't-touch-me was in command, but when she smiled it was all come-hither. "Have you told him that I am your adopted daughter?"
Wolfe frowned and turned to me. "Is the man who brought them in the kitchen?"
"Yes, sir. It's Stebbins. You know Sergeant Stebbins."
He nodded. "Nevertheless, Miss Tormic, I think we'll discuss that later. I haven't told the police that you are my daughter. For the present, it is desirable that I should not be suspected of so intimate a prejudice. Do you agree to that?"
"I should think. " She hesitated. The smile had gone. "Of course, I'll do whatever you say; but. " She smiled again. "I'd like to have that paper back, the record of adoption which you signed. I want to hang on to that. I admit it's pure selfishness, because I know what it might mean to be the daughter of Nero Wolfe. I proved that by sending for you when I got into trouble. Of course, since I've never seen you since I was three years old, I can't be expected to show violent affection and throw my arms around you and kiss you-"
"No, indeed," Wolfe agreed hastily. "There's no question of. it's a matter of responsibility, and that's all. My responsibility. I was sane, in the legal sense, when I assumed it. As for the records of adoption, I would prefer, if you don't mind-but that's probably Mr Cramer. Unless it's Madame Zorka."
"Zorka!" exclaimed Carla Lovchen in surprise.
But it was Cramer, ushered in by Fritz. He glanced sharply around, offered a curt collective greeting, and, finding his usual chair occupied by Neya Tormic, took one at the left of Carla Lovchen.
"Where's the Zorka woman?" he demanded.
"Not here yet," I told him.
"Where's Stebbins?"
"In the kitchen eating our food."
He grunted and looked at Carla. "I told him to bring Miss Tormic."
Carla said, "I came along," in a tone that indicated an intention to stay.
"I see you did. Well, Mr Wolfe?"
"We'll wait for Madame Zorka. In the meantime, what did the commissioner learn from the Consul-General?"
Cramer glowered at him.
"Oh, come," Wolfe said testily, "don't degrade discretion into secretiveness. If either of these girls killed Mr Ludlow, they certainly knew who he was. The fact that you have found that out might frighten them into betraying something. If they didn't kill him, what's the difference?"
Cramer growled, "To-morrow's papers will have it anyway, I suppose. They always do. Ludlow was a confidential agent of the British Government."
"Indeed. What was he doing at the fencing studio? Working or playing?"
"The consul doesn't know. Ludlow reported direct to London. They're trying to get someone in London now. It's five o'clock in the morning there. I told you before that this looks-"
He stopped to let me answer the phone. It was a call for him, and I made room for him to take it at my desk.
After he had listened a while he used profanity again. That made it evident he had got more than a minor irritation, since he had old-fashioned ideas about swearing in front of ladies, and he had strong principles to which he steadfastly adhered when they didn't interfere with his work. Finally he cut the connexion, banging the thing into the cradle, went back and sat down, and sighed clear to his belt.
He glared at Wolfe and demanded, "What was the big idea of getting this Zorka down here? Spill it!"
Wolfe shook his head. "Wait till she gets here. Was that her on the phone? Isn't she coming?"
"Coming hell. She's skipped!"
"Skipped?"
"Gone! Left! Departed! And you knew she was going to! You had me send a man up there on a run-around! Damn you, Wolfe, I've told you twenty times that some day-"
"Please, Mr Cramer." Wolfe was frowning in distaste. "I beg you, sir. I don't make a game of run sheep run out of a murder. I hadn't the faintest notion that Madame Zorka intended to skip. She telephoned here-what time, Archie?"
I glanced at my pad. "Eleven twenty-one."
"Thank you. And told us something. Archie told her he would get Miss Tormic and call on her at her apartment, from where she was talking. Then we made a brief investigation and decided it would be better to have the matter discussed with you present. As you know, I never go out on business, so we asked you to bring them here. Since her phoning here was by her own volition, and since she expected Archie and Miss Tormic to call, it is odd that she should leave her apartment."
"Yeah. Especially with a bag and a suitcase."
Wolfe's brows went up. "But I presume you were having her followed?"