In the Best Families

Soon he stopped, and I joined him. I would have Known it myself, with the help of a rope they had stretched from tree to tree, making a large semi-circle. We went up to the rope and stood looking.

“Where's Hebe? I asked.

“They had to come for me to get her. She's in Nobby's kennel. He won't be needing it. They took him away.

We agreed, without putting it in words, that there was nothing there we wanted, and resumed our way through the woods, keeping off the trail until we reached the scientist at the far end of the forbidden section, who not only challenged us but had to be persuaded that we weren't a pair of bloodthirsty liars. Finally he was big-hearted enough to let us go on.

I was glad they had taken Nobby away, not caring much for another view of the little hall with that canine corpse on the bench. Otherwise the house was as before. Leeds had stopped at the kennels. I went up to my room and was peeling off the pants I had pulled on over my pyjamas when I was startled by a sudden dazzling blaze at the window. I crossed to it and stuck my head out: it was the sun showing off, trying to scare somebody. I glanced at my wrist and saw 5.39, but as I said, maybe it wasn't a true horizon. Not lowering the window shade, I went and stretched out on the bed and yawned as far down as it could go.

The door downstairs opened and shut, and there were steps on the stairs. Leeds appeared at my open door, stepped inside, and said, Til have to be up and around in an hour, so I'll close your door.

I thanked him. He didn't move.

“My cousin paid Mr Wolfe ten thousand dollars. What will he do now?

“I don't know, I haven't asked him. Why?

“It occurred to me that he might want to spend it, or part of it, in her interest. In case the police don't make any headway.

“He might, I agreed. Til suggest it to him.

He still stood, as if there was something else on his mind. There was, and he unloaded it.

“It happens in the best families, he stated distinctly and backed out, taking the door with him.

I closed my eyes but made no effort to empty my head. If I went to sleep there was no telling when I would wake up, and I intended to phone Wolfe at eight, fifteen minutes before the scheduled hour for Fritz to get to his room with his breakfast tray. Meanwhile I would think of something brilliant to do or to suggest. The trouble with that, I discovered after some poking around, was that

I had no in. Nobody would speak to me except Leeds, and he was far from loquacious.