The Rubber Band

Wolfe was saying, "It was ingenious and daring for Mr. Perry to arrange for Mr. Goodwin and me to furnish his alibi. But of course, strictly speaking, it was not an alibi he had in mind; it was a chronology of events which would exclude from my mind any possibility of his connection with Mr. Walsh's death. Such a connection was not supposed to occur to anyone, and above all not to me; for it is fairly certain that up to the time of his arrival here today Mr. Perry felt satisfactorily assured that no one had the faintest suspicion of his interest in this affair. There had been two chances against him: Harlan Scovil might have spoken to Mr. Goodwin between the time that Mr. Perry left here Monday afternoon and the time he phoned to summon Mr. Goodwin to his office; or Mr. Walsh might have communicated with me between five and six yesterday. But he thought not, for there was no indication of it from us; and he had proceeded to kill both of them as soon as he could reasonably manage it. So he arranged-"

Skinner growled, "Get on. He may not have had an alibi in mind, but he seems to have one. What about it?"

"As I say, sir, that was my difficulty. It will be resolved for you shortly. I thought it better- ah! Get it, Archie."

It was the phone. I swiveled and took it, and found myself exchanging greetings with Mr. Panzer. I told Wolfe, "Saul."

He nodded, and got brisk. "Give Mr. Skinner your chair. If you would please take that receiver, Mr. Skinner? I want you to hear something. And you, Mr. Cramer, take mine- here- the cord isn't long enough, I'm afraid you'll have to stand. Kindly keep the receiver fairly snug on your ear. Now, Mr. Skinner, speak into the transmitter, 'Ready.' That one word will be enough."

Skinner, at my phone, croaked, "Ready." The next development was funny. He gave a jump, and turned to glare at Wolfe, while Cramer, at Wolfe's phone, jerked a little too, and yelled into the transmitter, "Hey! Hey, you!"

Wolfe said, "Hang up, gentlemen, and be seated. Mr. Skinner, please! That demonstration was really necessary. What you heard was Saul Panzer in a telephone booth at the druggist's on the next comer. There, of course, the instrument is attached to the wall. What he did was this."

Wolfe reached into his pocket and took out a big rubber band. He removed the receiver from his French phone, looped the band over the transmitter end, stretched it out, and let it Sip. He replaced the receiver.