Not Quite Dead Enough (The Rex Stout Library)

“Please,” Wolfe said curtly, “don’t get started again. I sympathize with your resentment at the presence of the police, but it’s not my fault. None of this is my fault. I abandon any attempt to question you about Miss Amory, but I would like to ask you one or two things about Mr. Goodwin. Apparently you find him as vexatious as I do. Did I understand you to say that you went to Washington in search of him, and went to some trouble to get a seat on the airplane he was taking, and informed him of that fact?”

“Yes.”

“On Monday? Day before yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“Indeed.” Wolfe pursed his lips. “He said that meeting was accidental. I didn’t know he had a streak of modesty in him.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Lily said sarcastically. “He hasn’t. He wouldn’t think it was worth bragging about unless it was the three Soong sisters.”

Wolfe nodded. “It’s only that it gives me an idea. You say he hadn’t answered your telegrams. Possibly your pestering-that is, your recent efforts to communicate with me came from your desire, not so much to help Miss Amory as to learn the whereabouts of Mr. Goodwin. If you would care to answer that-”

“They did.”

“I see. And the phone ringing here Monday evening, that was you. And Tuesday? Yesterday? Was that also you?”

“Yes. You might as well-”

“Please. I can guess what all that frustration might have done to a woman of your temperament. It is only a guess, but it deserves a little investigation.” Wolfe raised his voice. “Mr. Cramer! Come here, please!”

By the time we got our heads turned Cramer was in the doorway.

“I knew it,” Lily said. “I knew darned well there were cops in there. But I didn’t know it was you. What do you think Dad would think of that?”

“I believe you know Miss Rowan,” Wolfe said. “I’ve got a little job for Sergeant Stebbins and those men out in front.” He paused. “No, the Sergeant had better stay here. Are those men any good?”

“Medium,” Cramer rumbled. “What-”

“They ought to do for this. Send them up to the Ritz. To interview Miss Rowan’s maid, elevator men, bellboys, the doormen, telephone girls, everybody. We want to know, to the minute if possible, what time Miss Rowan left there Tuesday afternoon. Especially if it was late in the afternoon, say approaching six o’clock- Did you wish to say something, Miss Rowan?”

“No,” Lily said. She was gawking at him incredulously.