"I'm getting a lawyer for her."
"Sure. Everybody ought to have a lawyer."
"I'm going along."
"Not with us. Come on, Miss Karlin."
Wolfe spoke. "Miss Karlin. You will of course be guided by your own judgment and discretion. I make no suggestion. I merely inform you that you are under no compulsion to speak until you have consulted an attorney."
Stebbins and Mel Fox both spoke at once. Stebbins said, "She didn't ask you anything." Mel said, "You goddam snake." Stebbins touched Nan's elbow and she moved. I stayed with Laura as they headed out, Nan and Stebbins in front and Mel and Roger following; seeing them go might touch her off. She still had her teeth on her lip. When I heard the front door close I went and took a look and came back.
I expected to find Wolfe scowling at her, but he wasn't. He was leaning back with his eyes closed and his lips moving. He was pushing out his lips, puckered, and then drawing them in--out and in, out and in. He only does that, and always does it, when he has found a crack somewhere, or thinks he has, and is trying to see through. I am not supposed to interrupt the process, so I crossed to my desk, but didn't sit, because Laura was still on her feet, and a gentleman should not seat himself when a lady or a wildcat is standing.
Wolfe opened his eyes. "Archie."
"Yes, sir."
"It would help to know whether Miss Jay had told Mr. Fox or not. Is there any conceivable way of finding out?"
I raised a brow. If that was the crack he had been trying to see through he was certainly hard up for cracks. "Not barehanded,"
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I said. "It would take a scientist. I know where you can get one with a lie detector. Or you might try a hypnotist."
"Pfui. Miss Jay, which is it now, now that Miss Karlin is in custody? Had you told Mr. Fox?"
"Yes."
"Yesterday morning in the hotel lobby?"
"Yes."
"I suppose you understand what that will let you in for--or rather, I suppose you don't. You will be--"
The phone rang. I got it. "Nero Wolfe's office, Archie Goodwin speaking."
"This is Cal, Archie. Do you know where Laura is?"
"I might have an idea. Where are you?"
"I'm at the hotel. I'm out on bail. They say she went out this morning and she hasn't been back, and she's not at the Garden. I thought maybe she might have been to see you."
"Hold the wire a minute. I'll go to another phone."
I got my memo pad, wrote on it, Cal Barrow out on hail looking for Laura, get him here & you can check her, tore off the sheet, and handed it to Wolfe. He read it and looked up at the clock. His afternoon date with the orchids was at four.
"No," he said. "You can. Get her out of here. Of course you must see him first."
I resumed at the phone. "I think I know where to find her. It's a little complicated, and the best way--"
"Where is she?"
"I'll bring her. What's your room number?"
"Five-twenty-two. Where is she?"
"I'll have her there in half an hour, maybe less. Stay in your room."
I hung up and faced Laura. "That was Cal. He's out on bail and he wants to see you. I'll take--"
"Cal! Where is he?"
"I'll take you to him, but I'm going to see him first. I don't ask you to promise because you'd promise anything, but if you try any tricks I'll show you a new way to handle a calf. Where's your jacket?"
170 3 at Wolfe's Door
"It's upstairs."
"Go get it. If I went for it you might not be here when I came back."
VI
The Paragon Hotel, around the corner from Eighth Avenue on 54th Street, not exactly a dump but by no means a Waldorf, is convenient for performers at the Garden--of course not including the stars. When Laura and I entered there were twenty or more cow persons in the lobby, both male and female, some in costume and some not. We went to the elevator, and to my surprise she stuck to the program as agreed upon in the taxi, getting out at the fourth floor to go to her room. I stayed in, left at the fifth, found Room 522 and knocked on the door, and it opened before I was through knocking.
"Oh," Cal said. "Where is she?"
He was still in the same outfit he had worn yesterday--bright blue shirt, blue jeans, and fancy boots. His face wasn't any fresher than his clothes.
"She's in her room," I said. "She wanted to fix her hair. Before she joins us I want to ask you something. Do I see a chair in there?"
"Why sure. Come on in and sit." He gave me room and I entered. There were two chairs, about all there was space for, what with the bed and chest of drawers and a little table. I took one. Cal stood and yawned, wide.
"Excuse me," he said. "I'm a little short on sleep."
"So am I. Some things have been happening, but Laura can tell you about them. Miss Rowan has hired Nero Wolfe to investigate, and he knows about what you told me yesterday. Laura can tell you how he found out. I haven't told the cops or anyone else."
He nodded. "I figured you hadn't or they would have asked me. I guess you've got your tongue in straight. I'm mighty glad. I guess I picked the right man to tell."
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"Frankly, you could have done worse. Now you can tell me something else. Yesterday morning you met Laura downstairs and had hreakfast with her. Remember?"
"Sure I remember."
"Mel Fox says that when you and Laura went into the lobby after breakfast you left her and went to the cigar counter to buy cigarettes, and he went and had a little talk with you. Remember that?"
"I don't seem to." He frowned. "I didn't buy no cigarettes. I got a carton here in my room. Mel must of got mixed up."
"I'd like to be sure about this, Cal. Go back to it, it was only yesterday. You and Laura had breakfast in the coffee shop?"
"Yes."
"Then you went into the lobby together. If you didn't leave her to buy cigarettes, maybe it was to buy a paper. The newsstand is--"
"Wait a minute. We didn't go into the lobby. We left the coffee shop by the street door. We went down to the Garden to look at some things."
"Then it might have been when you came back. You went into the lobby then."
"We didn't come back. When we left the Garden we went up to that Miss Rowan's. I guess you might tell me why this is so particular. What does Mel say we talked about?"
"You'll know pretty soon. I had to be sure--"
There was a knock at the door, and he lost no time getting to it. It was Laura. She was running true to form. We had agreed on fifteen minutes, and it had been only ten. The reunion was mighty dramatic. Cal said, "Well, hello." Laura said, "Hello, Cal." He stood aside so she wouldn't have to brush against him as she entered. I arose and said, "You fudged a little but I expected you to." Cal shut the door and came and said, "Gosh, you look like you got throwed by a camel."
I took command. "Look," I told them, "when I leave you'll have all the time there is, but now I've got some talking to do and you can listen. Sit down."
"You've already talked," Laura said. "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing yet but I'm going to. If you don't want to listen I know
172 3 at Wolfe's Door
who will--Inspector Cramer if I phone him and say I'm ready to unload. Sit down!"
Laura sat in the other chair. Cal sat on the edge of the bed. "I guess you got the drop on us, Archie," he said. "I hope you don't feel as mean as you sound."
"I don't feel mean at all." I sat. "I'm going to tell you a love story. I take valuable time to tell it because if I don't God only knows what Laura will be up to next. Yesterday she told you a colossal lie. Today she told me she killed Wade Eisler. Then she shut up, both of you! Then she pointed a loaded gun at my back and would have plugged me if she hadn't been interrupted. Then she told another lie, trying to frame Mel Fox for the murder. That's-"
"No!" Laura cried. "That was the truth!"
"Nuts. You and Cal didn't go to the lobby after breakfast. You went to the Garden and from there to Miss Rowan's. You didn't tell Mel Fox what you said you did. You were framing him, or trying to."