Champagne for One

"Yes, sir." Hackett had fully recovered from our brush in the hall and was back in character. "I have stated to the police that one of the glasses had been standing there three or four minutes."

"Please pour a glass now and put it in place."

The bottles in the cooler on the table were champagne, and good champagne-Wolfe had insisted on it. Fritz had opened two of them. Pouring champagne is always nice to watch, but I doubt if any pourer ever had as attentive an audience as Hackett had, as he took a bottle from the cooler and filled a glass.

"Keep the bottle in your hand," Wolfe directed him. "I’ll explain what I’m after and then you may proceed. I want to see it from various angles. You will pour another glass, and Mr Grantham will come and get the two glasses and go with them to Mr Panzer-that is to say, to Miss Usher. He will hand him one, and Mr Goodwin will be there and take the other one. Meanwhile you will be pouring two more glasses, and Mr Grantham will come and get them and go with them to Miss Tuttle, and hand her one, and again Mr Goodwin will be there and take the other one. You will do the same with Miss Varr and Miss Grantham. Not with Miss Yarmis and Mrs Robilotti, since they are there at the bar. That way I shall see it from all sides. Is that clear, Mr Hackett?"

"Yes, sir."

"It’s not clear to me," Cecil said. "What’s the idea? I didn’t do that. All I did was get two glasses and take one to Miss Usher."

"I’m aware of that," Wolfe told him. "As I said, I want to get various angles on it. If you prefer, Mr Panzer can move to the different positions, but this is simpler. I only request your cooperation. Do you find my request unreasonable?"

"I find it pretty damn nutty. But it’s all nutty, in my opinion, so a little more won’t hurt, if I can keep a glass for myself when I’ve performed." He moved, then turned. "What’s the order again?"

"The order is unimportant. After Mr Panzer, Misses Tuttle, Varr, and Grantham, in any order you please."

"Right. Start pouring, Hackett. Here I come."