If Death Ever Slept

I went to my desk, dialed, got Nora Kent, and told her that Mr. Wolfe wished to speak to Mr. Jarrell. She said he was engaged and would call back, and I said the sooner the better because it was urgent. Say two minutes. It wasn’t much more than that before the ring came, and Jarrell was on, and Wolfe got at his phone. I stayed at mine.

Jarrell said he had gone to another phone because two men from the district attorney’s office were with him, and Wolfe asked, “Have they mentioned Mr. Goodwin or me?”

“No, why should they?”

“They might have. Inspector Cramer of the Homicide Squad was here and just left. The entrance to your address is under surveillance and Mr. Goodwin was recognized when he came out this morning, and it has been learned that he has been there as your secretary since Monday, with Alan Green as his name. Mr. Goodwin told you what would happen if that were disclosed, and it has happened. I gave Mr. Cramer no information whatever except that Mr. Eber was not my client. Of course you-”

“Did you tell him what I hired you for?”

“You’re not listening. I said I gave him no information whatever. I didn’t even tell him that you hired me, let alone what for. Of course they’ll be at you immediately, since they know about Mr. Goodwin. I suggest that you reflect on the situation with care. Whatever you tell them, do not fail to inform me at once. If you admit that you hired me-”

“What the hell, I’ve got to admit it! You say they know about Goodwin!”

“So they do. But I mentioned to Mr. Cramer the possibility that someone else hired me to send Goodwin there to spy on you. Merely as a possibility. Please understand that I told him nothing.”

“I see.” Silence. “I’ll be damned.” Silence. “I’ll have to think it over and decide what to say.”

“You will indeed. It will probably be best for you to tell them that you hired me on a personal and confidential matter, and leave it at that. But on one point, between you and me, there must be no ambiguity. I am free to disclose what I know about your gun, and its disappearance, at any moment that I think is necessary or desirable. You understand that.”

“That’s not the way you put it. You said you’d have to report it if the possibility that my gun was used to kill Eber became a probability.”

“Yes, but the decision rests with me. I am risking embarrassment and so is Mr. Goodwin. We don’t want to lose our licenses. It would have been prudent to tell Mr. Cramer when he was here, but he provoked me.”