“So,” he murmured. He heaved a deep sigh. “Mr. Cramer. I remarked a while ago that we might as well pass the time.
We have done so.
That is always a triumph, to evade boredom.” He glanced at the clock. “Now we can talk business.
It is past noon, and we lunch here at one.
Can you have the Frost family here, all of them, at two o'clock?
If you will do that, I'll finish this case for you.
It will take an hour, perhaps.”
Cramer rubbed his chin.
He did it with the hand that held his cigar, and ashes fell on his pants, but he didn't notice it He was gazing at Wolfe. Finally he said:
“An hour. Huh?”
Wolfe nodded.
“Possibly more. I think not.”
Cramer gazed.
“Oh.
You think not.”
He jerked forward in his chair.
“What was in that package Goodwin just put in the safe?”
“Something that belongs to me. – Now wait!” Wolfe wiggled a finger. “Confound it, why should you explode?
I invite you here to observe the solution of the murders of Molly Lauck and Mr. McNair and Mr. Gebert.
I shall not discuss it, and I won't have you yelling at me.
Were I so minded I could invite, instead of you, representatives of the newspapers, or Mr. Morley of the District Attorney's office.
Almost anyone.
Sir, you are churlish. Would you quarrel with good fortune?
Two o'clock, and all the Frosts must be here.
Well, sir?” Cramer stood up.
“I'll be damned.” He glanced at the safe. “That's the red box.
Huh?
Tell me that.”
Wolfe shook his head.
“Two o'clock.”
“All right.
But look here.
Sometimes you get pretty fancy.
By God, you'd better have it.”
“I shall, at two o'clock.”
The inspector looked at the safe again, shook his head, stuck his cigar between his teeth, and beat it.
Chapter Eighteen
THE FROST tribe arrived all at the same time, a little after two, for a good reason: they were escorted by Inspector Cramer and Purley Stebbins of the Homicide Squad.
Purley rode with Helen and her mother in a dark blue town car which I suppose belonged to Helen, and Cramer brought the two men in his own bus.
Lunch was over and I was looking out of the front window when they drove up, and I stood and watched them alight, and then went to the hall to let them in.
My instructions were to take them directly to the office. I was as nervous as a congressman on election day.
I had been made acquainted with the high spots on Wolfe's program.
It was all well and good for him to get up these tricky charades as far as he himself was concerned, because he didn't have any nerves, and he was too conceited to suffer any painful apprehension of failure, but I was made of different stuff and I didn't like the feeling it gave me.
True, he had stated just before we went into lunch that we had a hazardous and disagreeable task before us, but he didn't seriously mean it; he was merely calling my attention to the fact that he was preparing to put over a whizz.
I admitted the visitors, helped get hats and topcoats disposed of in the hall, and led them to the office.
Wolfe, seated behind his desk, nodded around at them.
I had already arranged chairs, and now allotted them: Helen the closest to
Wolfe, with Cramer at her left and Llewellyn next to Cramer; Uncle Dudley not far from me, so I could reach him and gag him if necessary, and Mrs. Frost the other side of Dudley, in the big leather chair which was usually beside the big globe.
None of them looked very festive.
Lew looked as if he had the pop-eye and his face had a grey tinge, I suppose from the nitrobenzene he had got too close to.