Before Midnight

I had absent-mindedly folded the paper and put it in the envelope and was sticking it in my pocket. "Sure," I said, "take it." He took it. "It's somewhat of a problem. Let me think." I sat and thought a minute. "It looks to me," I said, "that you're probably right, the first thing to do is to check it. But the police are probably still tailing all of you. Have you been going to libraries the last few days?"

"No. I decided not to. I don't know my way around in any library here, and those two women, Frazee and Tescher, have got too big an advantage. I decided to fight it instead."

I nodded sympathetically. "Then if a cop tails you to a library now, only two days to the deadline, they'll wonder why you started in all of a sudden, and they'll want to know. The man I work for, Nero Wolfe, is quite a reader and he has quite a library. I noticed the titles of the books mentioned on that thing, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has all of them. Also it wouldn't hurt any for you to consult him about this."

"I'm consulting you."

"Yeah, but I haven't got the library with me. And if a cop tails you to his place it won't matter. They know he's representing Lippert, Buff and Assa about the contest, and all the contestants have been there except you."

'That's what I don't like. He's representing them and I'm fighting them."

"Then you shouldn't have showed it to me. I work for Mr. Wolfe, and if you think I won't tell him about it you'll have to take back what you said the other day about not making a fool of yourself for twenty-six years. Crap."

He looked pleased. "See," he said, "you remembered that."

"I remember everything. So the choice is merely whether I tell Mr. Wolfe or you tell him, and if you do you can use his library."

He was no wobbler. He went and opened a closet door and got out a hat and topcoat. As he was putting an arm in he said, "I don't suppose you drink in the morning."

"No, thanks." I was headed for the door. "But if you want one go ahead."

"I quit twenty-six years ago." He motioned for me to precede him, followed, pulled the door shut, and tried it to make sure it was locked. "But," he added, "now that I can afford little luxuries, thanks to my son-in-law, I like to have some around for other people." As we turned the corner of the hall he finished, "Some other people." On the way down in the elevator it occurred to me that he would want the verses to refer to, and I asked if he had them with him, and he said yes.