Death of a Doxy (Crime Line)

I would have gone to hold his coat if he hadn't made that crack. It had missed her by a yard, not a foot. When I heard the front door close, I went to the hall for a look. He was out. I turned and called Julie, and she came around the alcove corner. There was a funny look on her face, as if she was trying to say the alphabet backward and didn't know how to start. She stopped and fastened the look on me, and I took her arm and steered her into the office. She went to the red leather chair, sank into it, and told Wolfe, "You knew that would happen. You knew it."

He scowled at her. "I did not. I am not a Chaldean. It was Archie, not I, who gave her the idea. 'Give an entirely different reason' was his suggestion, and she seized it. Brilliantly. Archie. What exactly did I say to X?"

"You said, quote, 'As for Mr. and Mrs. Fleming, the best I could possibly do would be to create a situation which would make it highly unlikely that they would ever disclose it.' End quote. And that he would be the judge of the situation."

"I called her a beetle," Julie said. "My God, she must be… first her sister, and now her husband. What are you doing, Archie?"

I had got a quarter from my pocket and tossed it up. "I'm deciding something that can't be decided any other way." I bent over for a look. "Tails. She shot him."

Chapter 17

One day last week I got a letter:

Dear Archie –

Thanks for telling me about Orrie Cather marrying that airline girl. You know what I think of that but I wish them well, I really do. Why not? I say that to people sometimes, I wish you well, and you ought to see them stare.

In a class one day last week we were supposed to say something about imagination and invention and I cleaned it up. I said nearly everything Nero said that day at dinner and it made their eyes pop. They don't know any better. I'm not sure anybody here knows any better about anything, but I'm giving it a whirl and we'll see. Somebody here must know something I want to know but I haven't seen any sign of it yet. How is Fritz? Tell him I can still taste that hedgehog omelet. And the sauce with the sweetbreads.

Write if you want to. I wish you well.

J

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21/08/2007

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