Death of a Doxy (Crime Line)

"Not guilty," Saul said. "You made it plain right away that you thought he killed her. You also made it plain -"

"You said Nero Wolfe wanted me to help nail him."

"I did not. I merely said he wanted you to help. You also made it plain that you would tell me nothing."

She glanced around, went to my chair at my desk, sat, and eyed Wolfe. It would have been quite a lifting job for both of us, so I went to the red leather chair and Saul moved up one of the yellow ones.

"So you think you're going to bounce him," she said. "Because he works for you. Nuts. Tell me how."

Wolfe shook his head. "I can't. I don't know. Manifestly you are satisfied that he's guilty, and of course you have told the police why, but it hasn't fully satisfied them. He is being held only as a material witness. If you care to, try to satisfy me. Why are you so sure?"

"Damn it, I warned her," she said.

"You warned her that Mr. Cather would kill her?"

"No, but I warned her there was no telling what he would do. I suppose you know he wanted to marry another girl?"

"Yes."

"So it was an ungodly mess, the kind people get into when a screw gets loose. They had a perfect setup, the damn fools. Whoever was paying her bills, she never told me who it was, he had a place with her in it whenever he needed a change, and you couldn't beat that. She had the place to herself most of the time, and she had a man who did her good, and you couldn't beat that. He had a woman who suited him, ready for him nearly any time, for nothing, and you couldn't beat that. A perfect setup. But she decides she has got to marry him, and he decides he has got to marry some other dame, and even she has got a good job – an airline stewardess. You know that?"

"Yes."

"So she could stay loose too if she had any brains. None of them had any brains. I warned Isabel she had better deal him out, he had the sweat up and might do anything, but she wouldn't listen. She put the sting on him, and he killed her. When people's brains quit working, just go somewhere else. But he killed her, and now he'll have to go somewhere else."

"You have told the police all this?"

"I sure have."

"What if he didn't kill her?"

"Nuts."

Wolfe regarded her. Since his eyes were used to seeing me when they aimed at that chair, he had to adjust. "Do you ever gamble?" he asked her. "Do you like to bet?"

"That's a silly question. Who doesn't?"

"Good. Saul, what odds will you give Miss Jackson that Orrie Cather didn't kill Isabel Kerr?"