If Death Ever Slept

“I ought to appreciate that,” Cramer said, hoarser than ever. “You’re home now. You’ve been home all night. You knew damn well the bullet would match, and you knew as soon as we checked it we’d be on you, and you didn’t want to be bothered until morning so you could spring this on me. In half an hour we’ll have a search warrant for your house, and we’ll have warrants for you and Goodwin as material witnesses.”

“Indeed. Then forgive me if I ring off. I have a call to make.”

“Yeah. You would. By God, you would. I let you have those reports and this is what I get for it. Who do you want there?”

“The five people named Jarrell, and Miss Kent and Mr. Foote. At eleven o’clock.”

“Sure, I know. Until eleven you’ll be up with your goddamn orchids. We mustn’t interfere with that.”

He hung up. So did we.

“You know,” I said, “I think the orchids irritate him. I’ve noticed it before. Maybe you should get rid of them. Do I answer the phone now?”

“Yes. Miss Bonner and Saul and Fred and Orrie are going to call between nine and nine-thirty. Tell them to come at eleven. If the Jarrells are to be properly impressed they should see all of them.”

“Okay. But it wouldn’t hurt if I knew in advance which one to keep an eye on. I know darned well it’s not Roger Foote.”

He looked up at the wall clock. “It’s early. Very well.”

Chapter 17

I HAD TURNED OVER the doorman-and-usher job to Saul and Orrie because I was otherwise engaged. Cramer, with Stebbins, had arrived twenty minutes early and insisted on seeing Wolfe, and I had taken them to the dining room and stayed to keep them company. They didn’t want my company, they wanted Wolfe’s, but I told them that if they climbed three flights to the plant rooms they would find the door locked. I offered to pass the time by telling them the story about the chorus girl and the anteater, but it didn’t seem to appeal to them.

When Wolfe opened the dining-room door and said, “Good morning, gentlemen,” and Cramer told him to come in and shut the door, a wrangle seemed unavoidable, but Wolfe avoided it by saying, “In the office, please,” and turning and going. Cramer and Stebbins followed, and I brought up the rear.