Prisoner's Base

"I don't think that will help." Parker was a little chillier. "As Mrs. Jaffee's attorney, I have advised her to discuss the matter with no one-except with Mr. Wolfe, of course, if she sees fit. She is here in Mr. Wolfe's office with me now. As I said, I called you as a matter of professional courtesy, and also because I believe, as I hope you do, that a meeting of minds is always preferable to a meeting of fists or weapons."

"No judge would grant such an injunction."

"That remains to be seen." Parker was close to icy. "I have been discussing it with Mr. Wolfe, who referred Mrs. Jaffee to me. He thinks there should be no delay, and I am leaving now for my office to draft the application, but I told him I thought an effort should be made to protect all interests without going to court. He said he believed any such effort would be fruitless, but he is willing that it be tried, conditionally. The conditions are that it occur this evening, at his office, and that all those involved be present."

"At Wolfe's office?" Helmar was outraged again.

"Yes."

"Never. Never! He's a murderer himself!"

"I think, counselor, you're a little free with words. I know you have been under a strain, but what if you were seriously challenged?"

"All right. But don't think you can get me to agree to come to Wolfe's office. I won't!"

Nevertheless, he did. He didn't come right out and say it, even after he had fully realized that his choice was between that and a summons from a judge to appear and wrangle in public, but he pleaded that he couldn't possibly commit his four associates to such a meeting without consulting them, and he wasn't sure how soon he could get in touch with them. He wanted the afternoon until six o'clock, but Parker said nothing doing. The limit was three-thirty. Parker would proceed to draft the application and have everything in readiness, including a date with a judge, and he would keep the date if by half-past three he had not received word that the Softdown quintet would be at Wolfe's office at nine o'clock that evening.

Parker cradled the phone and straightened up, all seventy-six inches of him. "They'll come," he said confidently but not jubilantly. "Damn you, Wolfe. I have theater tickets."

"Use them," Wolfe told him. "I won't need you."