Over My Dead Body

"Where is it?" Neya Tormic's eyes were two йpйes going through him and her tone was a dagger whizzing at him. She was up and at the edge of his desk in one swift movement that reminded me of the lunge Miltan had made with his championship sticker to show me how it was done. She threw the dagger again at short range: "Where is it?"

She turned, because Carla was up too and had grabbed her arm. She shook herself loose, but Carla seized her elbow again and told her sharply, "Neya-Neya! Sit down! Neya-you know-"

Neya spouted a torrent at her that I would have had no symbols for if I had been at my notebook. Carla returned it, but not in a torrent; she was cool and controlled.

Wolfe said, "I understand Serbo-Croat."

They both said, "Oh!"

He nodded. "I used to knock around. I did some work for the Austrian Government when I was too young to know better. And I was in your country in 1921, and adopted a daughter-"

"I want that paper."

"I know you do, Miss Lovchen. But I won't even discuss it, let alone return it to you, unless you children sit down and behave yourselves. None of this jumping up and cater-wauling; I don't like it; besides, it won't do you any good. Sit down!"

They sat.

"That's better. I mentioned that paper only to show you how I knew you were lying when you said you aren't in this country on a political mission-and by the way, I suppose you lied to the police too? Of course you did. Now that the paper's been mentioned-where did you get it, Miss Lovchen?"

"I…" She fingered her skirt. "I got it."

"Where and how? Is it yours?"

"I stole it."

Neya snapped. "You did not! I stole it myself!"

Wolfe shrugged. "Split the honours. Who did you steal it from?"

"From the person who had it."

"From the Princess Vladanka Donevitch?"

"I won't tell you."

"Good. That's better than trying to lie. Is the princess in New York now?"

"I won't tell you anything about that paper."

"You are in danger. You are actually in peril of your life. Faber's unsupported alibi is the only thing between you and an indictment for murder. Do you want my assistance in the removal of that danger?"

"Yes." It looked for an instant as if she were going to smile at him, but she didn't. "Yes," she repeated, "I do."

"Are you prepared to pay me-my usual fee? Several thousand dollars, for instance?"

"My God, no." She glanced at Carla and back at him. "But… I might."

"But when you sent Miss Lovchen here in the first place, you expected me to help you because you are my adopted daughter, didn't you?"