Wolfe nodded. “I would agree. A sure bet, I think, that if we had the contents of the red box we would know who tried to kill Mr. McNair a week ago Monday, and who did kill him yesterday.” Wolfe compressed his lips a moment and then added, “Killed him here.
In my office.
In my presence.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Cramer poked his cigar in the tray. “For you that's what makes it a crime instead of a case.” He turned abruptly to me:
“Would you get my office on the phone?”
I swiveled to my desk and pulled the instrument across and dialed. I got the number, and the extension, and asked them to hold it, and vacated my chair.
Cramer went over and got in it.
“Burke?
Cramer.
Got a pad?
Put this down: red leather box, don't know size or weight or old or new.
Probably not very big, because the chances are it contains only papers, documents.
It belonged to Boyden McNair.
One: Give ten men copies of McNair's photograph and send them to all the safe deposit vaults in town.
Find any safe deposit box he had, and as soon as it's found get a court order to open it.
Send Haskins to that bird at the Midtown National that's so damn cocky.
Two: Phone the men that are going through McNair's apartment and his place of business and tell them about the box and the one who finds it can have a day off.
Three: Start all over again with McNair's friends and acquaintances and ask if they ever saw McNair have such a box and when and where and what does it look like.
Ask Collinger, McNair's lawyer, too.
I was so damn sure-I didn't ask him that.
Four: Send another cable to Scotland and tell them to ask McNair's sister about the box.
Did an answer come to the one you sent this morning?…No, hardly time.
Got it?…Good.
Start it quick.
I'll be down pretty soon.”
He rang off.
Wolfe murmured,
“Ten men…a hundred…a thousand…Really, Mr. Cramer, with such an outfit as that, you should catch at least ten culprits for every crime committed.”
“Yeah. We do.” Cramer looked around. “Oh, I guess I left my hat in the hall.
I'll let you know when we find the box, since it's your property.
I may look into it first, just to make sure there's no bombs in it.
I'd hate like the devil to see Goodwin here get hurt. You going to do any exploring?”
Wolfe shook his head.
“With your army of terriers scratching at every hole? There would be no room.
I'm sorry, sir, for your disappointment here; if I knew where the red box was you would be the first to hear of it.
I trust that we are still brothers-in-arms?
That is to say, in this present affair?”
“Absolutely.
Pals.”
“Good.
Then I'll make one little suggestion. See that the Frosts, all of them, are acquainted with the terms of Mr. McNair's will immediately.
You needn't bother about Mr. Gebert; I surmise that if the Frosts know it he soon will.
You are in a better position than I am to do this without trumpets.”
“Right.
Anything else?”
“That's all.
Except that if you do find the box I wouldn't advise you to tack its contents to your bulletin board.
I imagine they will need to be handled with restraint and delicacy.
The person who put those coated poison tablets in die bottle of aspirin is fairly ingenious.”
“Uh-huh.