The Father Hunt

lifer. So do I. I haven't the slightest notion. I have told you everything I know about him. I have seen him only once, here last evening, and I asked him no questions pertaining to Elinor Denovo's death. I asked him nothing about his attempts to see her in May. Now, of course, you will, because you need a motive, and it's possible that you will uncover one that will have a bearing on my problem. If you do, and if you can share it with me without hazard to your case, I'll try to erase from memory this morning's outrageous performance. It won't be easy -especially the sight of that creature at Mr. Goodwin's desk, deranging his and my belongings, while you stood and applauded."

"I did not applaud. Your usual exaggeration."

"You permitted."

"Oh, skip it. A cop gets habits like everybody else. He was looking for information, not evidence. Even if he had found Goodwin's signed confession that he had killed Elinor Denovo it wouldn't have been admissible evidence; ask the Supreme Court." Cramer looked at his watch and then at me. "How long has he been gone?"

"Maybe fifteen minutes," I told him. "When you get up don't put your hand on the right chair arm. It has four Floyd Vance prints on it."

"Thanks for telling me." He put both palms on the right chair arm and twisted around as he got to his feet. He faced Wolfe. "I want to be there when he brings him in. I admit you sound good, but you nearly always do sound good. I'm buying nothing, at least not until I see this Floyd Vance. If it goes one way you may hear from me, and if it goes another way you will hear from me. Have I ever thanked you for anything?"

"No."

"And I'm not thanking you now. Not yet." He turned and went. I stayed put.

Wolfe opened his desk drawer to take another look, and I attacked the mess Stebbins had made. Vandalism. There was no danger that he had taken anything important because no classified items were ever left in an unlocked drawer, and after getting things in order and back where they belonged I decided that he had taken nothing, except possibly a few of my calling cards. That suggested

the question, if it's illegal for a private detective to impersonate a cop why isn't it illegal for a cop to impersonate a private detective? I would ask Wolfe. He had shut the drawer and was leaning back, looking thoughtful but not concentrated. When I turned to him he nodded and said, "Phalaenopsis Aphrodite sanderiana."

I said, "If this is a quiz: rose, brown, purple, and yellow."