Death of a Doxy (Crime Line)

"The Archie Goodwin who works for Nero Wolfe?"

"I must be, since you called Nero Wolfe's number."

"Of course. My name is Jill Hardy. You probably – you may have heard it." Her voice was what Lily Rowan calls mezzotinto, good and full but with sharp edges.

"Yes, I believe I have."

"From Orrie Cather."

"Right."

"Then you know who I am. I'm calling – I have just seen the morning paper. Is it true about Orrie? He has been arrested?"

"You can call it that, yes. He is being held as a material witness. That means that the police think he knows things he hasn't told them, and they want him to."

"About a murder?"

"Apparently."

"They must be crazy!"

"That's quite possible. Are you at home, Miss Hardy?"

"Yes, at my apartment. Do you know -"

"Hold it, please. Since you say you just saw it in the paper, I assume the police haven't paid you a call yet. But they will. At least, they may. I need to ask a question. I sort of gathered from things Orrie said that you and he are planning to get married. I might have misunderstood…"

"You didn't. We're going to be married in May."

"Is it known? Have you told people?"

"I have told a few people – friends. I'm going to go on working for a while, and an airline stewardess is not allowed -"

"I know. But if Orrie has told his friends, and he told me, you'll have callers before long. If you want to have -"

"I want to know why he was arrested! I want to know – was he working for Nero Wolfe?"

"No. He hasn't been on a job for Mr. Wolfe for more than two months. If you -"

"Why should I have callers?"

"I'd rather not tell you on the phone. It's complicated. If you want to know about it before the police come to ask questions, why don't you come and ask me questions? Nero Wolfe's office, Nine-thirty-eight West Thirty-fifth Street. I'll be -"

"I can't. I'm due for a Rio flight at ten-thirty."

"Then I'll come and pick you up and we can talk on the way to the airport. I'm a good driver. What's the address?"

"I don't think -" Silence. "What if Orrie -" More silence. "I'll see." She hung up.

I had room for another brioche and slice of ham, and I didn't dawdle. It might take her only a couple of minutes. When Fritz brought coffee I told him that when you wanted to see someone and didn't know where she was all you had to do was send out waves, and he asked if we had a client.