I won't have hysterics.”
“Good for you. You say Mr. Gebert died on the sidewalk on 73rd Street.
What killed him?”
1 don't know.”
She was sitting up straight, with her hands clasped in her lap. “He was getting in his car and he jumped back, and he came running down the sidewalk toward us…and he fell, and then Lew told me he was dead-”
“Wait a minute.
Please. It will be better to do this neatly.
I presume it happened after you left the chapel where the services were held.
Did all of you leave together?
Your mother and uncle and cousin and Mr. Gebert?”
She nodded. “Yes.
Perren offered to drive mother and me home, but I said I would rather walk, and my uncle said he wanted to have a talk with mother, so they were going to take a taxi.
We were all going slow along the sidewalk, deciding that-”
I put in,
“East?
Toward Gebert's car?”
“Yes.
I didn't know then…I didn't know where his car was, but he left us and my uncle and mother and I stood there while Lew stepped into the street to stop a taxi, and I happened to be looking in the direction Perren had gone, and so was my uncle, and we saw him stop and open the door of his car…and then he jumped back and stood a second, and then he yelled and began running toward us…but he only got about halfway when he fell down, and he tried to roll…he tried…”
Wolfe wiggled a finger at her.
“Less vividly, Miss Frost.
You've lived through it once, don't try to do so again.
Just tell us about it; it's history.
He fell, he tried to roll, he stopped. People ran to succor him. Did you? Your mother?”
“No. My mother held my arm.
My uncle ran to him, and a man that was there, and I called to Lew and he came and ran there too. Then mother told me to stay where I was, and she walked to them, and other people began to come.
I stood there, and in about a minute Lew came to me and said they thought Perren was dead and told me to get a taxi and go home and they would stay.
The taxi he had stopped was standing there and he put me in it, but after it started I didn't want to go home and I told the driver to come here.
I…I thought perhaps…”
“You couldn't be expected to think.
You were in no condition for it.” Wolfe leaned back.
“So. You don't know what Mr. Gebert died of.”
“No.
There was no sound…no anything…”
“Do you know whether he ate or drank anything at the chapel?” Her head jerked up. She swallowed.
“No, I'm sure he didn't.”
“No matter.” Wolfe sighed.
“That will be learned.
You say that after Mr. Gebert jumped back from his car he yelled.
Did he yell anything in particular?”
“Yes…he did. My mother's name.
Like calling for help.”
One of Wolfe's brows went up.
“I trust he yelled it ardently.
Forgive me for permitting myself a playful remark; Mr. Gebert would understand it, were he here.
So he yelled
'Calida.'
More than once?”
“Yes, several times. If you mean…my mother's name…”
“I meant nothing really.
I was talking nonsense.