Over My Dead Body

Wolfe shook his head. "I furnish no details, Mr Barrett. You know them better than I do. The precise amount of the credits held by your firm, for instance, and the extent of its relations with the Donevitch gang. I don't need to supply details in order to blackmail you, which is all I'm after. I merely want to see Madame Zorka, and I'm sure you'll help me on that rather than have this Yugoslav foray exposed to a lot of disconcerting curiosity."

Barrett, motionless and silent, gazed at him. South-west of his ear, above the edge of his starched white collar, I could see the tendons on his neck standing out. Finally he squeaked again:

"Who are you working for?"

"For Miss Tormic."

"I ask you, who are you working for? Rome?"

"I am working on a murder case. My client is Neya Tormic. My only interest-"

"Oh, skip it. Do you think I'm a boob?" The international financier put the tips of eight fingers on the desk and gave them some weight. "Look here, I understand perfectly that no matter who you're working for, you wouldn't be tipping me off just for your health. If you'll put this damn pet gorilla of yours on a leash, I'm quite willing to discuss details and terms-subject, of course, to consultation with my associates-"

"Pfui." Wolfe was disgusted. "I might have known it would make you ugly. Now how the devil am I going to convince you that my only concern is the welfare of my client?"

"I don't know. If I were you I wouldn't try." Barrett's voice had lost its squeak and assumed a tone that might have sold me on the idea he was really tough if I hadn't already caught a glimpse of the yellow. "I don't know how far you're in, but I presume you know what you're doing. If you do I don't need to tell you that it's too dangerous a game for anybody to try any private hijacking."

"I said blackmail."

"All right, blackmail. Who are you selling out and what's your price?"

I let it pass. If he was going to wholesale his insults, it would save trouble to wait till he was finished and then collect in a lump sum.

Wolfe leaned back and sighed, "Will you sit down, sir?"

"I'm all right standing."