Before Midnight

"We know the situation," Hansen put in. "We want to know what you think you're doing."

"That's simple. I'm preparing to learn which of you four men killed Louis Dahlmann, and took the wallet, and killed Vernon Assa."

Three of them stared. Heery said, "Jesus. Is that simple?"

Hansen said, "I advise you, Mr. Wolfe, to choose your words--and also your acts with more care. This could cost you your license and much of your reputation, and possibly more. Let's have the facts. What is the object in the cabinet?"

"A bottle of cyanide of potassium, in the display of Allcoran Laboratories, with the cap seal broken and almost certainly some of the contents removed. That can be determined."

"There in that cabinet?" Hansen couldn't believe it.

"Yes, sir."

"A deadly poison there on public display?"

"Oh, come, Mr. Hansen. Don't feign an ignorance you can't possibly own. Dozens of deadly poisons are available to the public at thousands of counters, including cyanide with its many uses. You must know that, but if you want it on the record that you were astonished by my announcement you have witnesses. Shall I ask the others if they were astonished too?"

"No. – -I advise you, Oliver, and you too, Pat, to say nothing whatever and answer no questions. This man is treacherous."

Wolfe skipped the tribute. "That will expedite matters," he said approvingly. His eyes moved. "I must tell the police about that bottle of poison reasonably soon, so the less I'm interrupted the better, but if you all refuse to say anything whatever I'll be wasting my time and might as well phone them now. There are one or two things I should know--for example, can I narrow it down? Of course Mr. Buff and Mr. O'Garro were on these premises yesterday afternoon. Were you, Mr. Hansen?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Roughly, from four o'clock until after six."

"Were you, Mr. Heery?"

"I was here twice. I stopped in for a few minutes when I went to lunch, and around four-thirty I was here for half an hour."