The Mother Hunt (Rex Stout Library)

I suppose I should feel flattered, he said. His thin tenor was quite a contrast to Bingham's full baritone. He turned his head to Bingham. I appreciate it, Leo, your thought that Carol considered me worthy of her confidence on so delicate a matter. Even though you put me last, with Manny Upton first. He switched to Wolfe. Since Bingham has accurately indicated the nature of my relations with Miss Mardus there seems to be nothing for me to say, except to answer for myself regarding the list and the picture. But on that too I have been anticipated. I can only parrot the others. Miss Mardus could not be guilty of sending anonymous letters. I believe that No, you asked them about last night. Customarily I spend weekends at my home in Westport, but one of my most important authors, at least important to me, arrives this afternoon from England, and I'm taking him to dinner and the theater this evening. I slept in my suite at Churchill Towers, and I was there when Bingham phoned. I didn't know about Miss Mardus until he told me. He pulled his feet back. Have you any questions?

Wolfe was frowning at him. What is the name of the important author?

Luke Cheatham.

He wrote No Moon Tonight.

Yes.

You publish him?

Yes.

Please give him my regards.

With pleasure. Certainly.

Wolfe looked at the clock. Twelve minutes to four. Plenty of time for a little speech. He surveyed them. Gentlemen, he said, we may not have mutual trust, but we have a mutual interest. Your professed reason for omitting the name of Carol Mardus from your lists and declining to identify her picture may or may not satisfy me, but it certainly wouldn't satisfy the police. They would suspect that for one of you it was false, and none of you can prove it genuine. So you don't want them to know what has been said here, or even that you have been here, and neither do I. That's our mutual interest. As for the outcome, we'll see. The man who killed Ellen Tenzer and Carol Mardus will inevitably be brought to account. For the reasons I gave you, I wish to be the instrument of his doom. With luck I will be.