Before Midnight

"It can't be done that way," Wolfe objected. "You know it can't. You have a valid point, but you admit you told them to come and hire me. There's a simple way out: get them on the phone and tell them you wish to replace them as my client, and if they acquiesce they can speak to me and tell me so."

Heery looked at him. He put his palms on the chair arms, and spread his fingers and held them stiff. "That would be difficult," he said. "My relations with them the past year or so, especially Buff, have been a little--" He let it hang, and in a moment finished positively, "No, I can't do that."

Wolfe grunted. "I might be willing to phone them myself and tell them what you want. At your request."

"That would be just as bad. It would be worse. You understand, I've got to avoid an open break right now."

"I suppose so. Then I'm afraid you'll have to accept the status quo. I have sympathy with your position, Mr. Heery. Your interest is as deeply engaged as theirs, and as you say, the money they pay me will have come from you. At a minimum you have a claim to get my reports firsthand. Do you want me to phone them for authority to give them to you? That shouldn't be an intolerable strain on the thread of your relations. I shall tell them that it seems to me your desire is natural and proper."

"It would be something," Heery said grudgingly.

"Shall I proceed?"

"Yes."

The phone rang. I answered it, exchanged some words with the caller, asked him to hold on, and turned to tell Wolfe that Rudolph Hansen wished to speak to him. He reached for his instrument, changed his mind, left his chair, and made for the door. As he rounded the corner of his desk he pushed air down with his palm, which meant that I was to hang up when he was on-presumably to leave me free to chat with the company. A faint squeak that came via the hall reminded me that I had forgotten to oil the kitchen door. When I heard Wolfe's voice in my ear I cradled the phone.

Heery and I didn't chat. He looked preoccupied, and I didn't want to take his mind off his troubles. We passed some minutes in silent partnership before Wolfe returned, crossed to his chair, and sat.

He addressed Heery. "Mr. Hansen was with Mr. Buff, Mr. O'Garro, and Mr. Assa. They wanted my report and I gave it to them. They have no objection to my reporting to you freely, at any time."

"That's damned sweet of them," Heery said, not appreciatively. "Did they have anything to report?"

"Nothing of any consequence."