Lew Frost escorted this specimen forward, then dropped it and went to his cousin.
“Helen!
You shouldn't have done this-”
“Now, Lew, for heaven's sake, why did you come here?
Anyway, it's your fault that I had to come.”
She saw the plump one.
“You too, Bennie?” She looked mad and grim.
“Are you armed?”
Lew Frost turned to Wolfe, looking every inch a football player.
“What the hell are you trying to pull?
Do you think you can get away with this kind of stuff?
How would you like it if I pulled you out of that chair-”
His plump friend grasped his arm, with authority. He was snappy:
“None of that, Lew.
Calm down.
Introduce me.”
Our client controlled himself with an effort.
“But, Ben… all right.
That's Nero Wolfe.” He glared at Wolfe. “This is Mr. Benjamin Leach, my attorney.
Try some tricks on him.”
Wolfe inclined his head.
“How do you do, Mr. Leach.
I don't know any tricks, Mr. Frost.
Anyway, aren't you getting things a little complicated?
First you hire me to do a job for you, and now, judging from your attitude, you have hired Mr. Leach to circumvent me.
If you keep on with that-”
“Not to circumvent you.” The lawyer sounded friendly and smooth. “You see, Mr. Wolfe, I'm an old friend of Lew's.
He's a little hot-headed.
He has told me something about this business…the, er, unusual circumstances, and I just thought it would be all right if he and I were present at any conversations you may have with Miss Frost.
In fact, it would have been quite proper if you had arranged for us to be here from the beginning.” He smiled pleasantly. “Isn't that so? Two of you and two of us?”
Wolfe had on a grimace. “You speak, sir, as if we were hostile armies drawn up for battle. Of course that's natural, since bad blood is for lawyers what a bad tooth is for a dentist.
I mean nothing invidious; detectives live on trouble too. But they don't stir it up where there is none-at least, I don't. I don't ask you to sit down, because I don't want you here. I fancy that on that point we shall have to consult-yes, Fritz?”
Fritz had knocked and entered, and now walked across to the desk with his company gait, bearing the pewter tray. He bent at the waist and extended it.
Wolfe picked up the card and looked at it.
“Still not the right one.
Tell him…no.
Show him in.”
Fritz bowed and departed. The lawyer wheeled to face the door and Llewellyn turned his head, but Miss Frost just sat.
The newcomer entered, and at sight of his thin nose and slick hair and dark darting eyes I squelched a grin and muttered to myself,
“Still more fuss.”
I stood up.
“Over here, Mr. Gebert.”
Lew Frost took a step and busted out at him,
“You?
What the hell do you want here?”
Wolfe spoke sharply,
“Mr. Frostl This is my officer
The lawyer took hold of our client-his too, of course-and held on.
Perren Gebert paid no attention to either of them.
He went past them before he stopped to incline his torso in Wolfe's direction.