The Doorbell Rang (The Rex Stout Library)

It was ten minutes past eleven, so Wolfe would be down from the plant rooms, but he wasn't in the office. There was noise in the kitchen, the radio going loud, and I went there. Wolfe was standing by the big table scowling at Fritz, who was bending over to sniff at a slab of smoked sturgeon. They didn't hear me enter, but Fritz saw me when he straightened up, and Wolfe turned and demanded, "Where have you been?"

I told him I had a report. He told Fritz to have the cutlets ready at a quarter past two, he wasn't going to wait longer than that, and headed for the office, and I followed. I turned the radio on. As I brought a yellow chair around I saw three screwdrivers on his desk pad-one from my desk drawer and two from the kitchen, and I had to grin. He had the tools ready, himself. As I sat I told him I had assumed that he would eat an early lunch. He said no, if a man has guests he should be at table with them.

"Then there's plenty of time," I said, "to discuss a brief report. With so much on your mind I could save it, but you'll like to know that I have clinched the alternative we prefer. I went for a walk and happened to pass Sixty-three Arbor Street, and I happened to have a key in my pocket that fitted the lock on Sarah Dacos's door, so I went in and looked around, and in a hatbox in a closet I found a revolver, an S and W thirty-eight. One cartridge had been fired. As you know, Cramer told me that Althaus had a permit for an S and W thirty-eight and it wasn't in his apartment, though there was a box of cartridges in a drawer. So she-"

"What did you do with it?"

"I moved it. It seemed out of place in a box with a lady's hat, so I put it under a box spring on a couch."

He took a deep breath, held it in a second, and let it out. "She shot him," he growled.

"Right. As I was saying when you interrupted."

"Will she find it?"

"No. If she misses it she won't even look. My understanding of attractive young women. She might lam. If she does I'll have a problem. If she's gone and I tell Cramer about the gun I'll be up a tree. If I don't tell him I'll lie awake nights."

He shut his eyes. In two moments he opened them. "You should have told me you were going."

"I should not. It was a personal errand in which a quart of milk was involved. Even if she stays put I'll have a problem, if tomorrow night is a turkey. If and if. Just now I wanted to ring Hewitt from a booth and ask him if the orchids are packed. Shall I?"

"No. He's busy. I believe guns can be identified?"