In the Best Families

New York, and there weren't more than five of them of whom he could say with certainty that they were in no way involved in X's activities. He said that none might be or that any might be. On another occasion I happened to be inquiring about Zeck of a newspaperman, and he had extravagant notions about Zeck's payroll. He mentioned, not by name, politicians, barflies, cops, chambermaids, lawyers, private ops, crooks of all types, including gunmen-maybe housewives, I forget. He did not specifically mention police inspectors.

“Just forgot, perhaps.

“I suppose so. Another thing, those five exceptions that Mr Wolfe made out of his three thousand acquaintances, he didn't say who they were, but I was pretty sure I could name three of them. I thought probably one of the other two was you, but I could have been wrong. You have made a point of how you would hate to see him break his neck where he hasn't got a chance. You took the trouble to come here with a personal message but don't want to be quoted, which means that if I mention this conversation to anyone but Mr Wolfe you'll call me a liar. And what's the message? That he should lay off Zeck, that's what it amounts to. If in earning the fee Mrs Rackham paid him he is liable to hurt somebody Zeck doesn't want hurt, he should return the fee. The way it looks from here, sending a message like that to the best and toughest detective on earth is exactly the kind of service Zeck would pay good money for. I wouldn't say-

I didn't get to say what I wouldn't say. Cramer, out of his chair and coming, had a look on his face that I had never seen before. Time and again I had seen him mad at Wolfe, and me too, but never to the point where the pink left his cheeks completely and his eyes looked absolutely mean.

He swung with his right. I ducked. He came up from beneath with his left, and I stopped it with my forearm. He tried with the right again, and I jerked back, stepped aside, and dived around the corner of Wolfe's desk.

I spoke. “You couldn't hit me in a year and I'm not going to plug you. I'm twenty years younger, and you're an inspector. If I'm wrong, some day I'll apologise. If I'm wrong.

He turned and marched out. I didn't go to the hall to help him on with his coat and open the door.

Chapter Ten

Three weeks went by.