Before Midnight

"He said, 'I just wanted to make sure I wasn't leaving this here on the table. It's the names of the women who fit the verses I just gave you.' Then he slipped the paper back in the wallet and put it in his pocket."

"Criminal!" Buff blurted.

"How soon after that did the meeting end?"

"Almost immediately. They were so anxious to take a look at the verses we couldn't have held them if we had wanted to, and we didn't."

Hansen leaned to Wolfe. "There it is. When Dahlmann's body was found he was fully dressed, in the same clothes. Everything was in his pockets, including a roll of bills, several hundred dollars, except one thing. The wallet was gone. We want--Lippert, Buff and Assa want you to find out which one of those five people took it, and today if possible. They're in New York. Four of them were going to take planes this morning, but we stopped them by telling them that the police will have to see them." He glanced at his wrist watch. "We have appointments at the District Attorney's office, but they can wait What do you need to get started fast?"

"Quite a little." Wolfe sighed. "Am I being engaged by the firm of Lippert, Buff and Assa? Is that correct?"

Hansen turned his head. "Oliver?"

"Yes," Buff said, "that's correct."

"I charge extravagantly. The amount of the fee is left open?"

"Yes."

"To hell with the fee," Assa said, a noble attitude.

"Where," Wolfe asked, "is Mr. Lippert?"

"There is no Lippert. He died ten years ago."

"Then he's through with perfume contests. – -You said, Mr. Hansen, that you want me to find out which of those five people took the wallet. I won't undertake it. It's too restricted. What if none of them did?"

"For God's sake." Hansen stared. "Who else?"

"I don't know. From what you have told me I think it highly probably it was one of them, indeed it seems almost conclusive, but I won't be bound like that. At least three others knew that paper was in the wallet: Mr. Heery, Mr. O'Garro, and Mr. Assa."

Assa snorted with impatience. O'Garro said, "You're absolutely right. And from a booth in the Churchill I phoned Hansen and Buff and told them about it. Hansen said nothing could be done. Buff wanted me to see Dahlmann and persuade him to destroy the paper, but I talked him out of it."

"All right," Hansen conceded, "it's immaterial anyway. Put it that the job is to find out who took the wallet and got the paper. Is that satisfactory?"

"It is," Wolfe agreed. "It is understood that I am not engaging to expose the murderer."