The Doorbell Rang (The Rex Stout Library)

"Sure I do. Who doesn't? She sent a million people copies of Fred Cook's book, including our publisher and editor. It's the latest status symbol, and damn it, I didn't get one. Did you?"

"No. I bought mine. Do you know of any action the Bureau has taken in reprisal? This is a private and confidential conversation."

Lon smiled. "Any action they might take would also be private and confidential. You'll have to ask J. Edgar Hoover-unless you already know. Do you?"

"Yes."

Lon's chin jerked up. "The hell you do. Then the people who pay his salary should know."

Wolfe nodded. "That would be your view, naturally. You seek information in order to publish it; I seek it for my private interest. At the moment I seek it only to decide where my interest lies. I have no client and no commitment, and I should make it clear that even if I commit myself and go to work I shall probably never be able to give you any publishable information, no matter what the outcome is. If I can, I will, but I doubt it. Are we in your debt?"

"No. On balance, I'm in yours.

"Good. Then I'll draw on it. Why did Mrs Bruner send those books?"

"I don't know." He sipped brandy and moved his lips and cheeks to spread it around before swallowing. "Presumably as a public service. I bought five copies myself and sent them to people who should read them but probably won't. A man I know gave thirty copies as Christmas presents."

"Do you know if she had any private reason for animus against the FBI?

"No."

"Have you heard any suggestion of such an animus? Any surmise?"

"No. But evidently you have. Look, Mr Wolfe. Strictly off the record, who wants to hire you? If I knew that, I might be able to furnish a fact or two."

Wolfe refilled his cup and put the pot down. "I may not be hired," he said. "If I am, it's quite possible that you will never know who hired me. As for facts, I know what I need. I need a list of all the cases on which FBI agents have recently worked, and are now working, in and around New York. Can you supply that?"

"Hell no." Lon smiled. "I'll be damned. I was thinking-it was incredible, but I was thinking, or rather I was asking if it was possible that Hoover wanted you to work on Mrs Bruner. That would be an item. But if you- I'll be damned."

His eyes narrowed. "Are you going to perform a public service?"

"No. Nor, it may be, a private one. I'm considering it. Do you know how I can get such a list?"