Black Orchids

Dr. Brady said sharply, "I've been waiting here over half an hour. How long will this take? I'm due at my office at one o'clock."

I was at my desk and he was nearby, on one of the straight-backed chairs. Next to him was Maryella, in the wing chair that I like to read in, and on the other side of her was Larry. Then Daniel Huddleston; and ending the arc was Janet in the red leather chair, her shoulders sagging, looking as if she were only about half there. As far as that goes, none of them looked very comfortable, not even Maryella; she would glance at one of them and then look back at Wolfe, and set her teeth on her lip and clear her throat again.

Wolfe's half-open eyes were directed at Brady. "I'm afraid you may be a little late at your office, doctor. I'm sorry-"

"But what kind of a performance is this? You said on the telephone-"

"Please," Wolfe interrupted sharply. "I said that to get you here." His glance went around. "The situation is no longer as I represented it on the phone, to any of you. I told you that it was definitely known that Miss Huddleston had been murdered. Now we're a little further along. I know who murdered her."

They stared at him. Maryella's teeth went deeper into her lip. Janet gripped the arms of her chair and stopped breathing. Daniel leaned forward with his chin stuck out like a halfback waiting for a signal. Brady made a noise in his throat. The only one who uttered anything intelligible was Larry. He said harshly:

"The hell you do."

Wolfe nodded. "I do. That is one change in the situation. The other is that an attempt has been made to murder Miss Nichols. – Please! There is no cause for alarm. The attempt was frustrated-"

"When?" Brady demanded. "What kind of an attempt?"

"To murder Janet!" Maryella exclaimed incredulously.

Wolfe frowned at them. "This will go more quickly and smoothly with no interruptions. I'll make it as brief as possible; I assure you I have no wish to prolong the unpleasantness. Especially since I find less than enjoyable the presence in this room of an extremely unattractive person. I shall call that person X. As you all know, X began with an effort to injure Miss Huddleston by sending anonymous letters-"

"Nothing of the sort!" Larry blurted indignantly. "We don't know that one of us sent those letters! Neither do you!"