“Why shouldn’t we prosecute?
Because she’s guilty!
She took it from my desk, knowing that Perry would protect her!
With her body, with her Qesh, with her surrender—”
“No, Mr. Muir.” Wolfe’s hand was up again. “Please.
I put the question wrong, I shouldn’t have asked why.
I want to know, are you determined to prosecute?”
Muir clamped his lips.
He opened them, and clamped them again.
At last he spoke,
“We were.
I was.”
“Was? Are you still?”
No reply.
“Are you still, Mr. Muir?”
“I … no.”
“Indeed.” Wolfe’s eyes narrowed. “You are prepared to withdraw the charge?”
“Yes … under certain circumstances.”
“What circumstances?”
“I want to see her.” Muir stopped because his voice was trembling again. “I have promised Perry that I will withdraw the charge provided I can see her, alone, and tell her myself.” He sat up and his jaw tightened. “That…those are the circumstances.”
Wolfe looked at him a moment and then leaned back.
He sighed.
“I think possibly that can be arranged.
But you must first sign a statement exonerating her.”
“Before I see her?”
“Yes.”
“No.
I see her first.” Muir’s lips worked. “I must see her and tell her myself.
If I had already signed a statement, she wouldn’t … no. I won’t do that.”
“But you can’t see her first.” Wolfe sounded patient. “There is a warrant in force against her, sworn to by you.
I do not suspect you of treachery, I merely protect my client.
You say that you have promised Mr. Perry that you will withdraw the charge.
Do so.
Mr. Goodwin will type the statement, you will sign it, and I will arrange a meeting with Miss Fox later in the day.”
Muir was shaking his head. He muttered,
“No. No … I won’t.”
All at once he broke loose worse than he had in Perry’s office the day before.
He jumped up and banged his hand on the desk and leaned over at Wolfe.
“I tell you I must see her!
You damn blackguard, you’ve got her here!
What for?
What do you get out of it?
What do you and Perry …”
I had a good notion to slap him one, but of course he was too old and too little.
Wolfe, leaning back, opened his eyes to look at him and then closed them.
Muir went on raving.
I got out of my chair and told him to sit down, and he began yelling at me, something about how I had looked at her in Perry’s office yesterday.
That sounded as if he might really be going to have a fit, so I took a step and got hold of his shoulders with a fairly good grip and persuaded him into his chair, and he shut up as suddenly as he had started and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping his face with his hand trembling.
As he did that and I stepped back, the doorbell rang.
I wasn’t sure about leaving Wolfe there alone with a maniac, but when I didn’t move he lifted his brows at me, so I went to see who the customer was.