The Second Confesion

“Yes,” Wolfe said mildly, “I thought I saw he was like that Does your father know you're here?” “No. I-I didn't want to quarrel with him.” “It won't be easy to avoid it when he finds out. What made you decide to come?” “I wanted to yesterday, and I didn't. I'm a coward.” “A fool and a coward.” Wolfe shook his head. “Don't rub it in. And today?” “I heard someone say something. Now I'm an eavesdropper too. I used to be when I was a child, but I thought I was completely over it. Today I heard Connie saying something to Paul, and I stayed outside the door and listened.” “What did she say?” Gwenn's face drew together. I thought she was going to cry, and so she did. That would have been bad, because Wolfe's wits leave him when a woman cries.

I snapped at her. “What did you drive down here for?” She pulled out of it and appealed to Wolfe. “Do I have to tell you?” “No,” he said curtly.

Naturally that settled it. She proceeded to tell. She looked as if she would rather eat soap, but she didn't stammer any.

They were in their room and I was going by. But I didn't just happen to overhear it; I stopped and listened deliberately. She hit him or he hit her, I don't know which-with them you don't know who is doing the hitting unless you see it. But she was doing the talking. She told him that she saw Goodwin-” Gwenn looked at me. “That was you.” “My name's Goodwin,” I admitted.

“She said she saw Goodwin finding a stone by the brook and she tried to get it and throw it in the water, but Goodwin knocked her down. She said Goodwin had the stone and would take it to Nero Wolfe, and she wanted to know what Paul was going to do, and he said he wasn't going to do anything. She said she didn't care what happened to him but she wasn't going to have her reputation ruined if she could help it, and then he hit her, or maybe she hit him. I thought one of them was coming to the door and I ran down the hall.” “When did this happen?” Wolfe growled.