The Second Confesion

“You're under obligation to me too. I'm your client.” “We know that. We haven't ignored it. It was eleven o'clock when Mr Goodwin found a corpse with marks of violence, and it was his legal duty to inform the authorities immediately. It is now well after midnight. We felt we owed you a chance to get your mind clear. Now I'm afraid I must insist.” “Damn it, I want to think!” “Call the police and think while they're on the way.” “No!” Sperling yanked a chair around and sat on its edge, close to Wolfe, facing him. “Look here. I hired you on a confidential matter, and I have a right to expect you to keep it confidential. There is no reason why it should be disclosed, and I certainly don't want it to be. It was a privileged-” “No, sir.” Wolfe was crisp. “I am not a member of the bar, and communications to detectives, no matter what you're paying them, are not privileged.” “But you-” “No, please. You think if I repeat the conversation I had with you and your family this afternoon it will give the impression that all of you, except one, had good reason to wish Mr Rony dead, and you're quite right. That will make it next to impossible for them to regard his death as something short of murder, and, no matter what your position in this community may be, you and your family will be in a devil of a fix. I'm sorry, but I can't help it I have withheld information from the police many times, but only when it concerned a case I was myself engaged on and I felt I could make better use of it if I didn't share it.