The Rubber Band

"Then I shall certainly rot." Wolre's finger moved again. "Let me make a suggestion, Mr. Hombert. Why don't you go home and go to sleep and leave this affair to be handled by Mr. Cramer, an experienced policeman, and Mr. Skinner, an experienced lawyer? You probably have abilities of some sort, but they are obviously inappropriate to the present emergency. To talk of arresting me is childish. I have broken no law and I am a sufficiently respectable citizen not to be taken into custody merely for questioning. Confound it, sir, you can't go around losing your temper like this, it's outrageous! You are entangled in a serious difficulty, I am the only man alive who can possibly extricate you from it, and you come here and begin yelling inane threats at me! Is that sort of conduct likely to appeal either to my reason or my sympathy?"

Hombert glared at him, opened his mouth, closed it again, and looked at Cramer. District Attorney Skinner snickered. Cramer said to Hombert, "Didn't I tell you he was a nut? Let me handle him."

Wolfe nodded solemnly. "That's an idea, Mr. Cramer. You handle me."

Hombert, saying nothing, sat back and folded his arms and goggled.

Cramer looked at Wolfe. "So you know about Walsh."

Wolfe nodded. "From the Gazette. That was unfortunate, the reporter happening on the scene."

"You're telling me," Cramer observed grimly. "Of course the marquis isn't arrested. He can't be. Diplomatic immunity. Washington is raising hell because it got in the paper, as if there was any way in God's world of keeping it out of that lousy sheet once that reporter got away from there." He waved a disgusted hand. "That's that. The fact is, the Commissioner's right. You're responsible. I told you yesterday how important this was. I told you it was your duty as a citizen to help us protect the Marquis of Clivers."

Wolfe lifted his brows. "Aren't you a little confused, Mr. Cramer? Or am I? I understood you wished to protect Lord Clivers from injury. Was it he who was injured this evening?"

"Certainly it was," Hombert broke in. "This Walsh was blackmailing him!"

Cramer said, "Let me. Huh?"

"Did Lord Clivers say that?" Wolfe asked.