The Mother Hunt (Rex Stout Library)

Yes. It might. Apparently they don't know any of this at the District Attorney's office. I was there most of yesterday. Shouldn't you tell them?

I should, yes. I haven't. I shall when I can name X.

Then you're withholding evidence?

I'm doing something much worse; I'm conspiring to obstruct justice. So are Mr. Goodwin and Mrs. Valdon. That's why you must be detained until I can name X.

You sit there and calmly… Upton let it hang. It's unbelievable. Why me? Why are you telling me?

I needed to discuss it with you. I talked with Bingham and Krug and Haft on Saturday, and I wanted to talk with you. One of them advanced the opinion, not explicitly but by implication, that you had killed Carol Mardus. His point was that you would not have let her take a six months' vacation unless she confided in you the compelling reason for it, that you knew she was pregnant, and that therefore she had probably had your help in disposing of the baby. Hence the conclusion that you are X. Surely not wanton. When I said I wanted to discuss the likelihood that you're a murderer you said blah. I don't think you can dismiss it so cavalierly.

I still say blah. And I'm not going to conspire to obstruct justice. He stood up. I am going to see if you'll actually… He headed for the door.

Not having any great desire to dangle him, I merely beat him to the door and put my back to it. He made a grab for my arm, but missed and got the front of my jacket, and started pulling. That isn't good for a jacket, especially a light summer weight, and I got his wrists and twisted, maybe a little harder than necessary. He let go, so I did too, and the damn fool hauled off and swung. I sidestepped, whirled him around, pinned his arms from behind, hustled him across to a chair, and put him in it. That chair had been meant for him anyway. As I went to mine a ring came from the phone in the cabinet at the end of the room, but I ignored it.

Wolfe grunted. Very well, you've established that you're under duress. So you're not conspiring. We'll assume that you are not X. But surely Miss Mardus told you why she had to have six months off. You knew she was pregnant and intended to give birth. Didn't she tell you later, when she returned, who had helped her dispose of the baby? You must see, Mr. Upton, that that is a question you must answer.