Murder by the Book

"I've reconsidered. You will give them dinner here. I'll arrange the menu with Fritz-perhaps Mondor patties, and duckling with cherries and grapes. For women, the Pasti Grey Riesling will be good enough; I'm glad to have a use for it."

"But you don't care for it."

"I won't be here. I shall leave at five minutes to six, dine with Marko, and spend the evening with him."

I have often stated, in these reports of Wolfe's activities, that he never leaves the house on business, but I suppose now I'll have to qualify it. Strictly speaking, I could say that his intention was not to leave the house on business, merely on account of business, but that would be quibbling.

I protested. "You ought to be here to look them over. They'll be expecting to see you. Mrs. Adams is forty-eight, about right for you, and she can't have a happy home life or she wouldn't be working. Besides, how do you-"

The phone rang. I got it and said who I was. A high soprano made me hold the receiver away from my ear.

"Mr. Goodwin, I simply had to call you! Of course it isn't proper, since I've never met you, but if I don't tell you my name and never see you I don't think it will be such a terrible misstep, do you? Those are the loveliest orchids I have ever seen! I'm going to a little party this evening, just a few of us at a friend's apartment, and I'm going to wear them, and can you imagine what they'll say? And can you imagine what I'll say when they ask me who gave them to me? I simply can't imagine! Of course I can say they're from an unknown admirer, but really I'm not the kind of girl who would dream of having unknown admirers, and I haven't the faintest idea what I'll say when they ask me, but I simply can't resist wearing them because…"

When I hung up, five minutes later, Wolfe muttered at me, "You didn't invite her."

"No," I assented. "She's a virgin. And as far as I'm concerned she always will be."

8