Murder by the Book

"I think," Cramer growled, "I expected something like this and here it is. You want me to pay for information about a murder by promising to help you collect a fee, and you threaten to take it to the Bronx if I won't buy. If he won't buy either, then you withhold it? Huh?"

"I have no information to withhold."

"Goddam it, you said you-"

"I said I have reason to think the two deaths are con-nected. It's based on information, of course, but I have none that the police do not have. The Police Department is a huge organization. If your staff and the Bronx staff get together on this it's likely that sooner or later they'll get where I am. I thought this would save you time and work. I can't be charged with withholding information when I know nothing that the police don't know-collectively."

Cramer snorted. "Some day," he said darkly, and snorted again.

"I offer this," Wolfe said, "because you might as well have it, and because the case looks complex enough to need a lot of work and my resources are limited. I make the offer con-ditional because if with my hint you solve it in a hurry with-out further consultation with me, I don't want my client to refuse to pay my bill. I am willing to put it like this: if, when it's finished, you think it likely that the Wellman case would

not have been solved if Mr. Wellman had not come to me, you tell him so, not for publication."

Wolfe levered himself forward to reach for his glass and drink.

"I'll take it that way," Cramer stated. "Let's have it."

Wolfe wiped his lips with his handkerchief. "Also Mr. Goodwin is to be permitted to look over the two files-on Dykes and on Miss Wellman."

"I don't have the Wellman file."

"When I explain the connection you'll get it."

"It's against Department regulations."

"Indeed? I beg your pardon. It would be mutually helpful to share information, and it would waste my time and my client's money to collect again the facts you already have, but of course a violation of regulations is unthinkable."

Cramer glared at him. "You know," he said, "one of the many reasons you're hard to take is that when you're being sarcastic you don't sound sarcastic. That's just one of your offensive habits. Okay, I'll see you get facts. What's this connection?"

"With the condition as stated."

"Hell yes. I'd hate to see you starve,"

Wolfe turned to me. "Archie. That letter?"

I got it from under the paperweight and handed it to him.