Champagne for One

I carried on for more than an hour, following Wolfe’s modus operandi more or less, but my pulse wasn’t pounding from the thrill of it. It seemed to me that it could have been handled just as well by putting one question: "Did you at any time, anywhere, when she was with you, including Canada, see or hear anyone who knew you?" and then make sure there were no gaps in his memory. As for chances that they had been seen but he hadn’t known it, there had been plenty. Aside from restaurants, he had had her in his car, in midtown, in daylight, seven times. The morning they left for Canada he had parked his car, with her in it, in front of his club, while he went in to leave a message for somebody.

But I carried on, and we were working on the third day in Canada, somewhere in Quebec, when the doorbell rang and I went to the hall for a look through the one-way glass and saw Inspector Cramer of Homicide.

I wasn’t much surprised, since I knew there had been a pointer for them if they were interested enough; and just as Laidlaw’s subconscious had made his decision in advance, mine had made mine. I went to the rack and got Laidlaw’s hat and coat, stepped back into the office, and told the client, "Inspector Cramer is here looking for you. This way out. Come on, move-"

"But how did-"

"No matter how." The doorbell rang. "Damn it, move!"

He came, and followed me to the kitchen. Fritz was at the big table, doing something to a duck. I told him, "Mr Laidlaw wants to leave the back way in a hurry, and I haven’t time because Cramer wants in. Show him quick, and you haven’t seen him."

Fritz headed for the back door, which opens on our private enclosed garden if you want to call it that, whose fence has a gate into the passage between buildings which leads to Thirty-fourth Street. As the door closed behind them and I turned, the doorbell rang. I went to the front, not in a hurry, put the chain bolt on, opened the door to the two-inch crack the chain allowed, and spoke through it politely.

"I suppose you want me? Since you know Mr Wolfe won’t be available until six o’clock."

"Open up, Goodwin."

"Under conditions. You know damn well what my orders are: no callers admitted between four and six unless it’s just for me."

"I know. Open up."