Some Buried Caesar

Waddell sat back, pulled at his ear, and said nothing. Fi- nally he turned to the stenographer and told him, "Give me that notebook and beat it." That command having been obeyed, he sat again a minute and then looked at Barrow and demanded sourly, "What about it. Captain? What the hell are we going to do?"

"I don't know." Barrow compressed his Ups. "I know what I'd like to do."

"That's a big help. You've had 6 or 8 men on this thing and they haven't dug up a single solitary fragment, and this smart elephant knows who did it and will have conclusive evidence within 24 hours. So he says." Waddell suddenly jerked up his chin and whirled to Wolfe: "Who knows it be- sides you? If Lake or any of his deputies have been holding out on me-"

"No," Wolfe assured him. "That's all right. They're in the boat with you and Captain Barrow, with no hooks and no bait."

"Then when did you pick it up? Where have you been? Goodwin certainly didn't help any, since we collared him soon after Bronson's body was found. By God, if this is a stall…"

Wolfe shook his head. "Please. I've known who killed Clyde Osgood since Monday night; I knew it as soon as I saw the bull's face; and I knew the motive. Your incredulous stare only makes you look foolish. Likewise with Mr. Bronson; the thing was obvious."

"You knew all about it when you were sitting there in that chair Tuesday afternoon? Talking to me, the district attorney?"

"Yes. But there was no evidence-or rather, there was, but before I could reach it it had been destroyed. Now I must find a substitute for it, and shall."

"What was the evidence that was destroyed?"

"Not now. It's nearly 11 o'clock, and Mr. Goodwin and I must be going. We have work to do. By the way, I don't want to be annoyed by surveillance. It will be futile, and if we're followed I shall consider myself released from the bargain."

"Will you give me your word of honor that you'll do lust what you've agreed to do, with no reservations and no quib- bling?"

"Not a word of honor. I don't like the phrase. The word "honor' has been employed too much by objecnoname people and has been badly soiled. I give you my word. But I can't sit here talking about it all day. I understand that my assistant has been legally committed, so the release must be legal too."