It wasn’t precisely what I had expected, but I pretended it was by keeping nonchalant and casual.
He drank beer and wiped his lips and told me,
“I’m sorry, Archie, if this bores you.”
I said,
“Oh, I expect it. Just a matter of routine.”
He winked at me, and I turned and picked up my milk to keep from grinning back at him, and the telephone rang.
It was Inspector Cramer.
He asked for Wolfe and I passed the signal, and of course kept my own line.
Cramer said,
“What about this Clara Eox?
Are you going to bring her down here, or tell me where to send for her?”
Wolfe murmured into the transmitter,
“What is this, Mr. Cramer?
A new tacric?
I don’t get it.”
“Now listen, Wolfe!” Cramer sounded hurt and angry. “First you tell me you’ve got her hid because we tried to snatch her on a phony larceny charge.
Now that that’s out of the way, do you think you’re going to pull—”
“What?” Wolfe stopped him. “The larceny charge out of the way?”
“Certainly.
Don’t pretend you didn’t know it, since of course you did it, though I don’t know how.
You can put over the damnedest tricks.”
“No doubt.
But please tell me how you learned this.”
“Frisbie over at the District Attorney’s office.
It seems that a fellow named Muir, a vice-president up at that Seaboard thing where she worked, is a friend of Frisbie’s.
He’s the one that swore out the warrant.
Now he’s backed up, and it’s all off, and I want to see this Miss Fox and hear her tell me that she never heard of Harlan Scovil, like all the Mike Walshes we got.” Cramer became sarcastic. “Of course this is all news to you.”
“It is indeed.” Wolfe sent a glance at me, with a lifted brow. “Quite pleasant news.
Let’s see.
I suspect it would be too difficult to persuade you that I know nothing of Miss Fox’s whereabouts, so I shan’t try.
It is now six-thirty, and I shall have to make some inquiries.
Where can I telephone you at eight?”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Cramer sounded disgusted. “I wish I’d let the Commissioner pull you in, as he wanted to.
I don’t need to tell you why I hate to work against you, but have a heart.
Send her down here, I won’t bite her.
I was going to a show tonight.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Cramer.” Wolfe affected his sweet tone, which always made me want to kick him. “I must Erst verify your information about the larceny charge, and then I must get in touch with Miss Fox.
You’ll be there until eight o’clock.”
Cramer grunted something profane, and we hung up.
“So.” I tossed down my notebook. “Mr. Muir is yellow after all, and Mr. Perry is probably coming to find out how you knew he would be.
Shake-up in the Seaboard Products Corporation.
But where the devil is Johnny—ah, see that?
All I have to do is pronounce his name and he rings the doorbell.”
I went to the entrance and let him in.
One look at his satisfied handsomeness was enough to show that he had been marvelous all over again.
As a matter of fact, Johnny Keems unquestionably had an idea at the back of his head—and still has—that it would be a very fine thing for the detective business if he got my job.
Which doesn’t bother me a bit, because I know Wolfe would never be able to stand him.
He puts slick stuff on bis hair and he wears spats, and he would never get the knack of keeping Wolfe on the job by bawling him out properly.
I know what I get paid high wages for, though I’ve never been able to decide whether Wolfe knows that I know.
I took Johnny to the office and he sat down and began pulling papers out of his pocket.