The Mother Hunt (Rex Stout Library)

Then I think you know who killed Ellen Tenzer. Obviously there's a connection between her murder and whatever Mrs. Valdon hired you to do. I don't need to spell it all out the buttons, Anne Tenzer, the overalls, the baby Ellen Tenzer had boarded, the baby in Mrs. Valdon's house, Goodwin's going to Mahopac to see Ellen Tenzer, her sudden departure after he had seen her. Do you deny that there is a direct connection between Goodwin's seeing Ellen Tenzer and the murder?

No. Nor affirm it. I don't know. Neither do you.

Nuts. Cramer was getting hoarser. You can add as well as I can. If you mean neither of us can prove it, okay, but you intend to. I don't know what Mrs. Valdon hired you to do, but I know damn well you intend to tag that murderer, provided it wasn't her. I don't think it was, because I think you know who it was, and if it was her you would have got from under before now. I can tell you why I think you know.

Please do.

I'm damn sure you would like to know. Do you deny that?

I'll concede it as a hypothesis.

All right. You're spending Mrs. Valdon's money like water. Panzer and Durkin and Cather have been on the job for three weeks. They're here every day, and sometimes twice a day. I don't know what they're doing, but I know what they're not doing, and Goodwin too. They're absolutely ignoring Ellen Tenzer. None of them has been to Mahopac, or seen that Mrs. Nesbitt, or seen Anne Tenzer, or dug into Ellen Tenzer's record, or questioned her friends or neighbors, or contacted any of my men. They haven't shown the slightest interest in her, including Goodwin. But you would like to know who killed her. So you already know.

Wolfe grunted. That's admirably specious, but drop it. I give you my word that I haven't the faintest notion of who killed Ellen Tenzer.

Cramer eyed him. Your word?

Yes, sir.

That settled that. Cramer knew from experience that when Wolfe said my word it was straight and there was no catch in it. Then what the hell, he demanded, are Panzer and Durkin and Cather doing? And Goodwin?

Wolfe shook his head. No, sir. You have just said that you know what they're not doing. They're not trespassing in your province. They're not investigating a homicide. Nor Mr. Goodwin. Nor I.

Cramer looked at me. You're under bail.

I nodded. You ought to know.

You spent the night in Mrs. Valdon's house. Last night.

I raised a brow. There are two things wrong with that statement. First, it's not true. Second, even if it were true, what would it have to do with homicide?