Plot It Yourself

“No, sir,” Wolfe told him.

“What the hell,” Mortimer Oshin said, squashing a cigarette, “he couldn’t guarantee anything anyway, could he?”

“I would vote for proceeding on those terms,” Gerald Knapp said, “providing it is understood that we can terminate the arrangement at any time.”

“That sounds like a clause in a book contract,” Harvey said. “Will you accept it, Mr Wolfe?”

“Certainly.”

“Then you’re in favour, Mr Knapp?”

“Yes. It was our attorney who suggested coming to Nero Wolfe.”

“Miss Wynn?”

“Yes, if the others are. That was a good idea, having my apartment searched, and the one on Perry Street.”

“Mr Oshin?”

“Sure.”

“Mr Dexter?”

“With the understanding that we can terminate at will, yes.”

“Mr Imhof?”

Imhof had his head cocked. “I’m willing to go along, but I’d like to mention a couple of points. Mr Wolfe says he can’t give us any idea of how he’ll go about it, and naturally we can’t expect him to pull a rabbit out of a hat here and now, but, as he said himself, the first three cases are history and the fourth one soon will be. But Miss Wyim’s isn’t. It’s hot. The claim has just been made, and it was made by Alice Porter, the woman who started it. So I think he should concentrate on that. My second point is this, if he does concentrate on Alice Porter, and if he gets her, if he makes her withdraw the claim, I think Miss Wynn might feel that it would be fair and proper for her to pay part of Mr Wolfe’s fee. Don’t you think so, Amy?”

“Why-yes.” Her nose twitched. “Of course.”

“It might also,” Harvey put in, “be fair and proper for the Victory Press to pay part. Don’t you think so?”

“We will.” Imhof grinned at him. “Well contribute to the BPA’s share. We might even kick in a little extra.” He went to Wolfe. “How about concentrating on Alice Porter?”

“I may do that, sir. Upon consideration.” Wolfe focused on the chairman. “Who is my client? Not this committee.”

“Well…” Harvey looked at Gerald Knapp. Knapp smiled and spoke. “The arrangement, Mr Wolfe, is that the Book Publishers of America and the National Association of Authors and Dramatists will each pay half of any expenses incurred by this committee. They are your clients. You will report to Mr Harvey, the committee chairman, as their agent. I trust that is satisfactory?”

“Yes. This may be a laborious and costly operation, and I must ask for an advance against expenses. Say five thousand dollars?”

Knapp looked at Harvey. Harvey said, “All right. You’ll get it.”