The situation had aspects. Rose might come trotting downstairs any minute, and if she chose the minute that Cramer was in the hall, that would be the last we would see of Rose. But any delay in opening up would make Cramer suspicious. I swung the door open.
“Law and order forever,” I said cordially. “Come in.”
“Nuts,” he said, entering.
So for that incivility I let him hang up his hat and coat himself. By the time he had done that I had the door closed and was on the other side of him. He screwed up his face at me and demanded:
“Where is she?”
8
I grinned to the best of my ability. “Now wait a minute,” I said in a grieved tone. “I’ve been up less than an hour and my brain’s not warmed up. In the first place, how could I know she was married? In the second—”
He made a noise and moved. I moved, sort of backward. The maneuver ended with me covering the foot of the stairs, which was across the hall from the door to the office, and him pressing forward without actually touching me. There I stopped and he had to.
“I’m going up to see Wolfe,” he said as if he meant it. “I am aware that he spends the morning with his goddam posies and refuses to come down before eleven o’clock. So I’m going up. Stand aside.”
He moved again and we made contact (noun), but I merely held it. “This,” I said, “is pretty damn silly. I didn’t have to let you in and you know it, but I did. What do you think this is, the den of the White Slave King? This is Nero Wolfe’s home, and there’s his office where he receives callers, and for last year his income tax was eleven thousand four hundred and twelve dollars and eighty-three cents and he paid it last week. Do you remember what happened the time Purley took me down and charged me with interfering with an officer in the performance of his duty? Wasn’t that a picnic?”
He swung on his heel and tramped into the office. I followed, and shut the door, and stayed between him and it until he had sat down. Then, knowing I could move at least twice as fast as he could, I went to my desk.
“Now,” I inquired pleasantly, “where is who?”
He regarded me with a mean eye. “Last night,” he said, “one of Wolfe’s men took Anne Tracy from her home in Richdale. My man covering the house recognized him and phoned in. I had a man out front when they arrived here. Your man soon left, and so did the Updegraff boy, later, but she hasn’t left up to now. Where is she?”
So our little Rose was still safe. I locked my relief in my breast and looked crestfallen.
“I guess it’s your trick, Inspector,” I admitted. “Miss Tracy is upstairs in my bed. She spent the night there.”
He got red. He’s a terrible prude. “See here, Goodwin—”
“No no no no,” I said hastily. “Rinse your mind out. I slept here on the couch. And I doubt if she’s in my bed at that, because she’s probably up and dressed. She has a date at the D.A.’s office at ten o’clock, and it’s nine thirty now.”
“Then you admit she’s here.”
“Admit it? I’m proud of it.”
“Where is she, up with Wolfe?”
“I don’t know. I got up late. I just finished breakfast.”
“Find out. Tell her the appointment at the D.A.’s office is off. I want to see her as soon as I finish with you.”
I plugged in the plant room extension and gave it a buzz. In a minute Wolfe’s voice was in my ear:
“Archie? It’s about time. Get Mr. Hewitt—”
“Hold it,” I put in. “Reporting bad luck. Inspector Cramer is sitting here glaring at me. Johnny was spotted last night, and Miss Tracy is not to go to the D.A.’s office because Cramer wants to see her as soon as he gets through with me. He seems to be disgruntled about something.”
“Does he know who slept in the south room?”
“I think not. I’m sure not.”
“Very well. I’ll attend to that. Miss Tracy is here with me. She can go down whenever. Mr. Cramer is ready for her. Get Mr. Hewitt on the phone.”
“Right out loud?”
“Certainly.”
I disconnected and told Cramer, “Miss Tracy is up helping with the orchids and will be available when wanted. Excuse me.” I found Hewitt’s Long Island number and requested it, and finally got him via two butlers and a secretary, and put him through to Wolfe. Then I swiveled around and crossed my legs and clasped my hands back of my head.
“Okay, Inspector. I’m disengaged for the moment. What shall we talk about?”
“Murder.”
“Fine. Any particular murder?”
Cramer took a cigar from his pocket and put it in his mouth and took it out again. He was controlling himself. “I hand it to you,” he said. “For barefaced lying I’d play you on the nose. Up there yesterday. You didn’t know anyone or anything. But—” He put the cigar back in his mouth. “But you’ve been hanging around there all week. Every day. And then a man gets murdered and there you are. You and Nero Wolfe.”
I nodded sympathetically. “I admit it looks sinister. But as I told you yesterday, Wolfe sent me there to look at orchids.”
“There were no orchids in the Rucker and Dill exhibit.”
“No, but there was — you know what there was. You’ve seen her. And I’m only a man after all—”
“All right, clown it. Yesterday afternoon about twenty minutes past four you were seen by young Updegraff, with Wolfe and Lewis Hewitt, in the corridor back of the Rucker and Dill exhibit. What were you doing there?”
“Well.” I hesitated. “If I told you I was pulling the string that fired the shot that killed Harry Gould, would you believe me?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t. We were walking from one place to another place.”
“You didn’t mention yesterday that you were in that corridor at that time.”
“Excuse it. Oversight.”
“Maybe. What were you saying to Ruby Lawson yesterday?”
“Ruby—?” I frowned. “Oh. Her. You mean after I told Purley she was a Chinese spy. I was trying to date her up. You see, looking at Miss Tracy so much had aroused—”
“I’ll bet it had. Did you date her?”
“Yes.”
“When is it?”
“Not is it, was it. She didn’t keep it.”
“That’s too bad. What was in the note Miss Tracy’s father gave you to take to her?”
“Now, Inspector,” I said reprovingly. “I didn’t write the note and it wasn’t addressed to me.”
“Had you met her father before?”
“Never. Didn’t know him from Adam.”
“Wasn’t it peculiar that he entrusted a perfect stranger with an important message to his daughter at a time like that?”
“Not very. He saw me entering the office. People trust me on sight. It’s my face, especially my eyes.”
“I see. That talk Wolfe had to have with Lewis Hewitt. So important he had to have it then and there, murder or no murder.”
Cramer chewed his cigar.
“Yes, sir,” I said.
“So important he had to have you to take notes of it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’d like to see the notes you took.”
I shook my head regretfully. “Sorry, confidential business. Ask Wolfe.”
“I intend to. You won’t show me the notes?”
“Certainly not.”
“Very well. Now. Last but not least. Why did Wolfe send a man out to Richdale last night to get Anne Tracy?”
“Search me. I wasn’t here when he sent him.”