If Death Ever Slept

“And you have told me that you know your daughter-in-law took it. Anyway, one of them lied, and I told them so. You’ll know what I want to ask about when you hear me. Will you come?”

He balked for another five minutes, among other things demanding to know what the circumstance was that had made Wolfe write the letter, but only because he was used to being at the other end of the whip and it was a new experience for him. He had no choice and knew it.

Wolfe hung up, shook his head like a bull trying to chase a fly, and rang for beer.

Chapter 12

WOLFE STARTED IT OFF with a bang. He surveyed them with the air of a judge about to impose a stiff one, and spoke, in a tone that was meant to be offensive and succeeded.

“There is nothing to be crafty about so I won’t try. When you were here on Friday my main purpose was to learn which of you had taken Mr. Jarrell’s gun; today it is to learn which of you used it to kill Mr. Eber and Mr. Brigham. I am convinced that one of you did. First I’ll- Don’t interrupt me!”

He glared at Jarrell, but it was more the voice than the glare that stopped Jarrell with only two words out. Wolfe doesn’t often bellow, and almost never at anyone but Cramer or me, but when he does he means it. Having corked the client, who was in the red leather chair, he gave the others the glare. In front were Susan, Wyman, Trella, and Lois, as before. With Brigham no longer available and me back where I belonged, there were only two in the rear, Nora Kent and Roger Foote. “I will not be interrupted.” It was as positive as the bellow, though not so loud. “I have no more patience for you people-including you, Mr. Jarrell. Especially you. First I’ll explain why I am convinced that one of you is a murderer. To do so I’ll have to disclose a fact that the police have discovered but are keeping to themselves. If they learn that I’ve told you about it and are annoyed, then they’ll be annoyed. I am past regard for trivialities. The fact is that the bullets that killed Eber and Brigham came from the same gun. That, Mr. Jarrell, is the circumstance I spoke of on the phone.”

“How do-”