The Doorbell Rang (The Rex Stout Library)

"Okay. I'm calling from a booth because our wire is tapped and Mr Wolfe doesn't want it known that he suggested calling on you. So don't ring our number. It's conceivable that you might get a call tomorrow afternoon from someone who says he's a reporter and wants to ask questions. I mention it now because I might forget to tomorrow. The idea is, this appointment, our coming to lunch tomorrow, was made last week. All right?"

"Yes, of course. But good heavens, if you know your phone is tapped-isn't that illegal?"

"Sure, that's why it's fun. We'll tell you about it tomorrow-I guess we will."

He said he would save his curiosity for tomorrow and would expect us by noon.

There is a TV set and a radio in the office, and when I got back I was expecting to see Wolfe there in his favorite chair, probably with the radio going, but the office was empty, so I proceeded to the rear and down to the basement and found him where I had left him. The television was still on, and Fritz was sitting watching it, yawning. Wolfe was leaning back with his eyes shut, and his lips were going, pushing out and then in, out and in. So he was working, but on what? I stood and looked at him. That's the one thing I never break in on, the lip operation, but that time I had to clamp my jaw to keep my mouth shut because I didn't believe it. There was absolutely nothing he could be hatching. Two full minutes. Three. I decided he was only practicing, it was a dry run, went to a chair, sat, and coughed loud. In a moment he opened his eyes, blinked at me, and straightened up.

I moved my chair closer. "All set," I said. "We're expected by noon, so we should roll by ten-thirty."

"You're not going," he growled. "I telephoned Saul. He'll come at nine."

"Oh. I see. You want me here in case Wragg sends them to confess."

"I want you to find Frank Odell."

"For God's sake. Is that what your lips squeezed out."