“Indeed. You egad me, do you?” He straightened up in his chair. “Not disturb me?
Ha!
What else have you done but that during the past eight years?
Who is it that violently disrupts any private plans which I may venture, on rare occasions, to undertake?” He wiggled a whole hand at me. “You were not going upstairs.
You were going to sneak out of this house and rush through the city streets in a desperate endeavor to conceal the chicanery you practiced on me.
You were going to try to get Helen Frost and bring her here.
Did you think I was not aware of your mendacity, there in the kitchen?
Have I not told you that your powers of dissimulation are wretched?
Very well. I have three things to say to you.
The first is a reminder: we are to have rice fritters with black currant jam, and endive with tarragon, for lunch.
The second is a piece of information: you will not have time to lunch here.
The third is an instruction: you are to proceed to the McNair establishment, get Miss Frost, and have her at this office by two o'clock.
Doubtless you will find opportunity to get a greasy sandwich somewhere.
By the time you arrive here with Miss Frost I shall have finished with the fritters and endive.”
I said,
“Okay. I heard every word.
The Frost girl has a stubborn eye.
Have I got a free hand?
Strangle her?
Wrap her up?”
“But, Mr. Goodwin.” It was a tone he seldom used; I would call it a sarcastic whine. “She has an appointment here for two o'clock.
Surely there should be no difficulty.
If only common courtesy-”
I beat it to the hall for my hat.
Chapter Seven
On the way uptown in the roadster I reflected that there was one obvious lever to use on Helen Frost to pry her in the direction I wanted her; and I'm a great one for the obvious, because it saves a lot of fiddling around.
I decided to use it.
The only parking space I could find was a block away, and I walked from there to the McNair entrance. The uniformed doorman stood grinning at a woman across the street who was trying to feed sugar to a mounted cop's horse. I went up to him:
“Remember me?
I was here this morning.”
Being accosted by a gentleman, he started to straighten up to be genteel, then recollected that I was connected with the police, so he relaxed.
“Sure I remember.
You're the one that passed out the candy.”
“Right.
Attention, please.
I want to speak to Miss Helen Frost privately, but I don't want to make any more fuss in there.
Has she gone to lunch yet?”
“No.
She doesn't go until one o'clock.”
“Is she inside?”
“Sure.” He glanced at his watch. “She won't go for nearly half an hour.”
“Okay.” I nodded thanks and moseyed off.
I had a notion to hunt up some oats for a gobble, but decided it would be better to stick around.
I lit a cigarette and strolled to the corner of Fifth Avenue, and across the street, and back toward Madison a ways.
Apparently the public was still interested in the place where the beautiful model was poisoned, for I noticed people slowing up and looking at the McNair entrance as they passed by, and now and then some stopped.
The mounted cop was hanging around.
I went on sauntering in the neighborhood, not getting far away.
At five minutes after one she came out, alone, and headed east.
I tripped along, and crossed the street, and got behind her.
A little before she got to Madison I snapped out: