Frost flushed.
He opened his mouth, but Wolfe was in ahead:
“Miss Mitchell didn't beg off.
Of course, she has good nerves.”
The sylph leveled her eyes at him.
“There's nothing wrong With my nerves.
But this cheap-oh, well.
I eat candy. I much prefer caramels, and since I work as a model and have to be careful too, I confine myself to them.”
“Chocolate caramels?
Nut caramels?”
“Any kind.
Caramels. I like to chew them.”
“How often do you eat them?”
“Maybe once a week.”
“Do you buy them yourself?”
“No.
I don't get a chance to.
My cousin knows my preference, and he sends me boxes of Carlatti's.
Too often.
I have to give most of them away.”
“You are very fond of them?''
She nodded.
“Very.”
“You find it hard to resist them when offered?”
“Sometimes, yes.”
“Monday afternoon you had been working hard?
You were tired?
You had had a short and unsatisfactory lunch?”
She was tolerating it.
“Yes.”
“Then, when Miss Lauck offered you caramels, why didn't you take one?”
“She didn't offer me caramels.
There weren't any in that-” She stopped.
She glanced aside, at her cousin, and then put her eyes at Wolfe again.
“That is, I didn't suppose-”
“Suppose?” Wolfe's voice suddenly softened. “Miss Mitchell couldn't remember what was on the lid of that box.
Can you, Miss Frost?”
“No. I don't know.”
“Miss Mitchell has said that you didn't handle the box. You were at the mirror, fixing your hair; you didn't even look at it.
Is that correct?” She was staring at him.
“Yes.”
“Miss Mitchell has also said that she replaced the lid on the box and kept it under her arm until she handed it to Mr. McNair. Is that correct?”
“I don't know. I…I didn't notice.”
“No. Naturally, under the circumstances.
But after the box was given to Mr. McNair, from that time until he turned it over to the police, did you see it at all?
Did you have an opportunity to inspect it?”
“I didn't see it. No.”
“Just one more, Miss Frost-this finishes the demonstration: you are sure you don't know what was on that lid?
It was not a brand you were familiar with?”
She shook her head.