“If it would amuse them.
I hardly suppose they know where it is.”
“I see.
You're fancy free, huh?
Not a care in the world.
In that case, what are you doing sitting in here alone in the dark? – A little louder, Orrie.”
Gebert shrugged again.
“Your colleague-the little chap with the big nose-asked me to come in here.
He was very courteous to me when I was trying a window because I had no key.”
“So you wanted to be courteous to him.
That was darned swell of you. Then it's okay if I let the cops in and tell them we found you trying to break in?”
“I'm really indifferent about it.” I couldn't see his smile but I knew he was wearing it. “Really. I wasn't breaking in, I was only trying a window.”
I straightened up, disgusted.
He wasn't giving me anything at all to bargain with, and even if it was a bluff I guessed that he was sardonic enough to go right through with it.
Orrie stopped, and I grunted at him to carry on.
The conditions were bad for negotiation.
I leaned over him again:
“Look here, Gebert.
We've got your number-Nero Wolfe has-but we're willing to give you a chance.
It's midnight. What's wrong with this: I'll let the cops in and tell them they can look for the red box all they want to.
I happen to know they won't find it.
You are one of my colleagues.
Your name's Jerry.
We'll leave my other colleagues here and you and I will get in my car and go back to New York, and you can sleep in Wolfe's house-there's a good bed in the room above mine.
The advantage of that is that you'll be there in the morning to have a talk with Wolfe.
That strikes me as a good program.”
I could see him shaking his head.
“I live at the Chesebrough. Thanks for your invitation, but I prefer to sleep in my own bed.” “I'm asking you, will you come?” “To Mr. Wolfe's house to sleep? No.”
“All right.
You're crazy.
Surely you've got brains enough to realize that you're going to have to have a talk with somebody about your driving sixty miles to go through a window to get an umbrella.
Knowing Wolfe, and knowing the police, I merely advise you to talk with him instead of them.
I'm not trying to shatter your aplomb, I like it, I think it's attractive, but I'll be damned if I'm going to stand here and beg you all night.
In a couple of minutes I'll begin to get impatient.”
Gebert shrugged again.
“I confess I don't like the police.
I leave here with you incognito.
Is that it?”
“That's it.”
“Very well.
I'll go.”
“To Wolfe's for the night?”
“I tell you so.”
“Good for you.
Don't worry about your car; Saul will take care of it.
Your name's Jerry.
Act tough and ignorant, like me or any other detective. – Okay,
Orrie, choke it.
Come on.
Come on, Jerry.”