“Had you put it in the closet yourself?”
“Yeah. On the shelf with my hat on top. The hat was there but the rope was gone.”
“Did you tell someone right away?”
“I looked all over the closet and then I told Laura and she told Miss Rowan. Miss Rowan asked everybody and she helped Laura and me look some, but people started coming.”
“At the time you missed the rope had anybody already come? Was anyone here besides those who ate lunch with us?”
“No, sir.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure enough to put a no on it. They ain’t much a man can be dead sure of. It might be someone came I didn’t see, but I was right there and I’d have to—”
“Save it.” I glanced at my watch: five minutes to six. “At the time you missed the rope where was Wade Eisler?”
“I don’t know.”
“When did you see him last?”
“I can’t say exactly. I wasn’t riding herd on him.”
“Did you see him after you missed the rope? Take a second. This is important. Take ten.”
He screwed up his lips and shut his eyes. He took the full ten seconds. His eyes opened. “No, sir, I didn’t.”
“Sure enough to put a no on it?”
“I already did.”
“Okay. Do you know if anyone else was worked up about Wade Eisler?”
“I wouldn’t say worked up. I guess nobody wanted him for a pet.”
“As it looks now, someone who ate lunch with us killed him. Have you any idea who?”
“No, sir. I don’t expect to have none.”
“That’s noble. Don’t be too noble. There’s plenty more, but it will have to wait. If I leave you here while I go in and tell Miss Rowan and call the cops will you stay put and keep your hands off of that rope?”
“No, sir. I’m going to see Laura. I’m going to tell her if they ask her anything she better leave it out about last night.”
“You are not.” I was emphatic. “You’ve got no brand on her, you said so. You may think you know how she’ll take a going-over by experts, but you don’t. Every move anybody makes from now on will get on the record, and if you go and call her away from that baboon she’s sitting with, what does she say and what do you say when they ask you why? She’ll either leave it out or she won’t, and you’ll only make it worse if you tell her to. If you won’t promise you’ll stick here I’ll just open the door and yell for Miss Rowan, and she can call the cops.”
His jaw was working. “You said you believed me.”
“I do. If I change my mind I’ll let you know first. What you told me and what you asked me to do, I said I’d keep it in and I will, provided you do too. We were discussing the saddle. Well?”
“I figure to keep everything in. But if I could just tell her—”
“No. She probably won’t spill it, but if she does and says she told you about it that won’t break any bones. You left it out because you didn’t want to cause her trouble. Everybody leaves things out when cops ask questions. Do I yell for Miss Rowan?”
“No. I’ll stay hitched.”
“Come outside and stand at the door. You’ve already touched the knob twice and that’s enough. If anyone comes keep them off.” Using my handkerchief again, I opened the door. He stepped out and I pulled the door shut as I crossed the sill. “Be seeing you,” I said, and went.
I entered at the rear and glanced in at the kitchen on the chance that Lily was there. No. Nor the living room. The piano and fiddles were playing “These Fences Don’t Belong.” I found her on the terrace, caught her eye and gave her a sign, and she came. I headed for the dining room, and when she had followed me in I closed the door.
“One question,” I said. “That’s all there’s time for. When did you last see Wade Eisler?”
She cocked her head and crinkled her eyes, remembering. I have mentioned a part of her that wasn’t mine; this was a part of her that was mine. No what or why; I had asked her a question and she was digging up the answer. She took longer than Cal had. “It was soon after you left,” she said. “He put his cup down and I asked him if he wanted more coffee and he said no. Someone did want some and the pot was nearly empty and I went to the kitchen for more. Felix and Robert were arguing about when the champagne should be put on ice, and I sent Freda to the terrace with the coffee and stayed there to calm them down. Who’s worrying about Wade Eisler?”
“Nobody. How long did you stay in the kitchen?”
“Oh, ten minutes. Felix can be difficult.”
“Eisler wasn’t there when you went back?”
“I didn’t notice. They had scattered. Some of them were in the living room. Then Laura Jay told me Cal Barrow’s rope was gone and I helped them look, and then people came.”
“When did you notice that Eisler wasn’t around?”
“Some time later. Roger Dunning wanted someone to meet him and asked me where he was. I didn’t know and didn’t care. I supposed he had left without bothering to thank me for the meal. He would.” She tossed her head. “That’s four questions. What’s the point?”
“Cal Barrow was looking for his rope and found Eisler’s body on the floor of the shack with the rope around his neck. He came and got me. He’s there guarding the door. Will you phone the police or do you want me to?” I glanced at my wrist: four minutes after six. “It’s already been sixteen minutes since I saw him and that’s enough.”
“No,” she said.
“Yes,” I said.
“Wade Eisler hung himself?”
“No. He’s not hanging, he’s on the floor. Also after the noose was pulled tight the rope was wound around his neck a dozen times. He didn’t do that.”
“But how could — who would — no!”
“Yes. It would be me to hand you something like this, but at that I’m glad it is. I mean since it happened I’m glad I’m here. Do you want me to phone?”
She swallowed. “No, I will. It’s my house.” She touched my sleeve. “I’m damn glad you’re here.”
“Spring seven, three one hundred. I’ll repeat that number: Spring seven—”
“You clown! All right, I needed it, that helped. I’ll phone from the bedroom.”
She moved, but I stopped her. “Do you want me to collect the guests and tell them the cops are coming?”
“Oh my God. Here in my house — but of course that’s routine. That’s etiquette — when you’re having a party and someone finds a body you collect the guests and make an announcement and say you hope they’ll come again and—”
“You’re babbling.”
“So I am.” She went, and I had to step to get to the door ahead of her.
Since a prowl car was certainly in the neighborhood there wasn’t much time, and I went to the terrace and sang out, “Everybody inside! Don’t walk, run! Inside, everybody!” I entered the living room and mounted a chair. I wanted to see their faces. You seldom get anything helpful from faces, especially when there are more than twenty of them, but you always think you might. Those already inside approached, and those coming from the terrace joined them. I turned to the musicians and patted the air, and they broke off. Mel Fox said in a champagne-loud voice, “She’s gone and got a saddle for me.” Laughter. When you’ve been drinking champagne for an hour laughing comes easy.
I raised a hand and waggled it. “I’ve got bad news,” I said. “I’m sorry, but here it is. A dead body has been found on the premises. The body of Wade Eisler. I have seen it. He was murdered. Miss Rowan is notifying the police and they will soon be here. She asked me to tell you. Of course nobody will leave.”
What broke the silence was not a gasp but a giggle, from Nan Karlin. Then Roger Dunning demanded, “Where is he?” and Laura Jay moved, darting to the door to the terrace and on out, and the faces I had wanted to see turned away as Lily appeared through the arch.