Before Midnight

He probably had it. Either he had had a lucky hunch, or he knew a lot about flavors, or he had got the paper from Dahlmann's wallet and was preparing the ground for a later explanation of how and where he got the answers. I could certainly have impressed him by asking if the book he would go to first would be Jacques Casanova's Memoirs, but he might have suspected me if I had also told him her name was Christine and he should try Volume Two, pages one hundred seventy-two to two hundred one, of the Adventures edition.

Wolfe said abruptly, "Then I mustn't keep you, if you're going to work. I wouldn't care to stir the choler of a demon." He put his hands on the desk edge to push his chair back, and arose. "I hope to see you again, Mr. Rollins, but I shall try to interfere as little as may be with your labors. You will excuse me." He headed for the door and was gone.

Rollins looked at me. "What was that, pique? Or did I betray myself and he has gone for handcuffs?"

"Forget it." I stood up. "Don't you smell anything?"

He sniffed. "Nothing in particular. What is it?"

"Of course," I conceded, "you're not a bloodhound. It's shad roe in casserole with parsley, chervil, shallot, marjoram, bay leaf, and cream. That's his demon, or one of them. He has an assortment. You're going? If you don't mind, what was Number Nine? I think it was. It goes:

"By the law himself had earlier made

I could not be his legal wife;

The law he properly obeyed

And loved me all my life."

He had turned at the door, and his smile was super-superior. "That was palpable. Aspasia and Pericles."

"Oh, sure. I should have known."

We went to the hall and I held his coat. As I opened the door he inquired, "Wasn't that Miss Tescher here when I came?"

I told him yes.

"Who were the three men?"

"Advisers she brought along. You should have heard them. They talked Mr. Wolfe into a corner."

He thought he was going to ask me more, vetoed it, and went. I shut the door and started for the kitchen to tell Wolfe about Aspasia and Pericles, but the phone ringing pulled me into the office. I answered it, bad a brief exchange with the caller, and then went to the kitchen, where Wolfe was in conference with Fritz, and told him:

"Talbott Heery will be here at a quarter past nine."

Already on edge, he roared. "I will not gallop through my dinner!"

I told him, apologetically, that I was afraid he'd have to. He only had an hour and a half.

Chapter 9