I didn’t know he was here.”
“I suppose not.
But I thought possibly Scovil had arranged to meet you here.
When Scovil arrived it happened that there was another man in the office, one of my clients, and Scovil approached him and told him he wasn’t Mike Walsh.”
‘“Well, was he?
I’m Mike Walsh, look at me.
The only arrangement I had to meet him was at six o’clock, through Miss Fox.
Shut up about it.
I asked you where Harlan is.
I want to see him.”
“In time, sir. Miss Fox. Did you telephone Scovil here?”
She shook her head.
“No.
Oh, no.
I thought you said it was a man.”
“So it seemed.
Fritz might possibly have been mistaken.
Was it you who phoned. Miss Lindquist?”
“No.
I haven’t telephoned anyone in New York except Clara.”
“Well.” Wolfe sighed. “You see the little difficulty, of course.
Whoever telephoned knew that Scovil was in New York and knew he was at this office.
Who knew that except you three?”
Hilda Lindquist said,
“The Marquis of Clivers knew it.”
“How do you know that?”
“I don’t know it.
I see it.
Clara had been to see him and he had threatened to have her arrested for annoying him.
He had detectives follow her, and they saw her this noon with Harlan Scovil, and they followed Harlan Scovil here and then notified the Marquis of Clivers.
Then he telephoned—”
“Possible, Miss Lindquist.
I admit it’s possible.
If you substitute for the detective a member of the marquis’s entourage, even more possible.
But granted that we rather like that idea, do you think the police will?
A British peer, in this country on a government mission of the highest importance, murdering Harlan Scovil on Thirty-first Street?
I have known quite a few policemen, and I am almost certain that idea wouldn’t appeal to them.”
Mike Walsh said,
“To hell with the dumb Irish cops.”
Clara Fox asked,
“The detective that was here … the one that told you about… about the shooting.
Our names were on that paper.
Why didn’t he want to see us?”
“He did.
Badly.
But I observed that there were no addresses on the paper except my own, so he is probably having difficulty.
I decided not to mention that all of you happened to be here at the moment, because I wanted a talk with you and I knew he would monopolize your evening.”
“The detective at my apartment… he may have been there … about this …”
“No.
There had hardly been time enough.