Before Midnight

"I couldn't reach Hansen so I got you." Buffs words were piling up. "A city detective is here, a Lieutenant Rowcliff, in my office. I came to another room to phone. He says that they have information that one of the contestants, Susan Tescher, received in the mail this morning a list of the answers to the five verses. Before he told me that he had asked me how many copies of the answers were in existence, and I told him what we have been telling them all along, just the one in the safe deposit box as far as we know. We haven't mentioned the copy Goodwin took. But with that woman getting a copy in the mail, the police--"

"One moment, Mr. Buff. Three of the other contestants also received copies in the mail, and I suppose--"

"Three others! Then what--who sent them?"

"I don't know. I didn't, and Mr. Goodwin didn't"

"Where's the copy he took?"

"In the inner compartment of my safe. That's where he put it, and it must still be there. Hold the wire a moment while he looks."

I put my receiver down, went to the safe, swung the outer door open, and got at the dial of the four-way combination of the inner door. It takes a little time. Opening the door, there on top of the stack of papers I saw the leaves from my notebook. I took them out, made sure all four were there, returned them, shut the door and the outer door, announced to Wolfe, "Intact," and went back to my chair and picked up the receiver.

Wolfe spoke. "Mr. Buff? Mr. Goodwin's copy has remained in my safe and is there now. Mrs. Wheelock and Mr. Younger have been to see me, and Mr. Heery has phoned me that Mr. Rollins was in his office. Have you heard from Mr. Heery?"

"Yes. He phoned Assa. We were just going to call you when this detective came. What's this about a meeting?"

"There will be ore at nine o'clock this evening, at my office, for all those concerned. Mr. Goodwin was going-"

"That can wait." Buff was sounding more like a top executive than he had before. "What about the police? We've lied to them. We've told them that we know of no copy except the one in the safe deposit box. I have just repeated it to this detective. He's waiting in my office. What about it?"