The other development, the major one, was that the client came within an ace of quitting. She phoned at a quarter after four on Monday, July 2. Of course I had kept in touch with her; when you’re spending more than three Cs a day of a client’s money and getting nothing for it, the least you can do is give her a ring, or drop in and say hello, it’s a fine day but I guess they need rain in the country. I had watched her feed the baby once, lunched with her once, dined with her twice, taught her to play pinochle, and listened to her playing the piano for a total of about six hours. Also we had done a little dancing, to records in the dining room, which wasn’t carpeted. She was plenty good enough to spend an evening with at the Flamingo or Gillotti’s, but that would have to wait, since it would have broken security. If you ask, would I have gone to so much trouble to keep a client patient if she had been cross-eyed or fat-ankled? the answer is no.
When I answered the phone at a quarter after four on July 2 and started the formula, Nero Wolfe’s she broke in, Can you come, Archie? Right away?
I could, sure. Why?
A man was here, a policeman. He just left. He asked when I hired Nero Wolfe, and he asked about the baby. Will you come?
What did you tell him?
Nothing, of course. I said he had no right to ask about my private affairs. That’s what you told me to say.
Right. Did you get his name?
He told me, but I was so I don’t know.
Was it Cramer?
Cramer… no. Rowcliff?
No.
Stebbins?
That sounds like it. Stebbins. Yes, I think so.
Big and solid with a broad nose and a wide mouth and trying hard to be polite?
Yes.
Okay. My favorite cop. At ease. Play the piano. I can do it in twenty minutes since I won’t have to bother about a tail.
You’re coming?
Certainly.
I hung up, got the house phone, buzzed the plant rooms, and after a wait had Wolfe’s voice: Yes?
Mrs. Valdon phoned. Purley Stebbins came and asked her about you and the baby. She told him nothing. She wants me to come and I’m leaving. Any instructions?
No. Confound it.
Yes, sir. Bring her?
Not unless you must. He hung up.
I went to the kitchen to tell Fritz the phone and the door were his until he saw me again, and was off. As I descended the stoop to the sidewalk and turned east I automatically glanced around, but actually I didn’t give a damn, now, if I had a shadow or not. Almost certainly there was an eye on the Valdon house anyway.
I walked it. The live minutes a hack might have saved didn’t matter, and my legs like to feel that they’re helping out. When I turned into Eleventh Street and neared the house, again I glanced around automatically, but again it didn’t matter. The fat was in the fire, and the problem was dodging the spatters. I mounted the four steps to the vestibule, but didn’t have to push the button, because the door was standing open and Lucy herself was there. She didn’t speak. When I had crossed the sill she closed the door, turned, and made for the stairs. I followed. Apparently she had forgotten the progress we had made in cordial relations. One flight up she entered the big room, shut the door when I was in, faced me, and said, He asked me if I knew Ellen Tenzer. Sure. Naturally.
You stand there and say naturally! I should never if I hadn’t gone to Nero Wolfe you know that, Archie!
Call me Mr. Goodwin.
Her big gray eyes widened.
The point is, I said, that mixing personal relations and business relations is bad for both. If you want to hold hands, fine. If you want to be a huffy client, okay. But it’s not fair for a huffy client to call me Archie.
I’m not huffy!
All right, crabby.
I’m not crabby. You know it’s true, if I hadn’t gone to Nero Wolfe and you hadn’t found that woman she wouldn’t have been murdered. I hate it! And now they know about Nero Wolfe and they know about the baby. I’m going to tell them everything. That’s why I asked you to come to tell me where I go and who I tell. The District Attorney? And I wanted to ask you will you go with me?
No. May I use your phone?
Why, yes, if What for?
To tell Mr. Wolfe he’s fired, so he can I didn’t say he’s fired!
I raised the brows. You’re rattled, Mrs. Valdon. We’ve discussed this several times, what would happen if they got to you and came at you. The understanding was that we would hang on unless it got too hot to handle, and you would let us decide if and when it did. You wanted me to explain the rules, about withholding evidence and obstructing justice and so on, and I did so. It was clearly understood that if and when it was decided to let go, Mr. Wolfe would do it. Now you have decided to let go, so I’ll phone him and tell him to go ahead. As for your firing him, call it something else if you prefer that you’re releasing him from his commitment. It does sound better. I’ll use the phone downstairs. I turned.
Fingers gripped my arm. Archie.
I turned back. Listen, I said, I’m not putting on an act. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to squat and take your shoes off and rub your cold feet.
Her arms went around my neck and she was against me.
So fifteen minutes later, or maybe twenty, we were seated on the couch with martinis and she was saying, What you said about mixing personal relations and business relations, you know that’s silly. We’ve been doing it for nearly a month, and here we are. I started the first time you were here, exchanging sips with you and telling you I wasn’t trying to flirt with you. Why didn’t you laugh at me?
I did. I told you oysters flirt and you walked out.
She smiled. I’m going to admit something.
Good. We’ll take turns.
When I said that, I honestly thought I wasn’t trying to flirt with you. How can you stand a woman as stupid as that?
I can’t. I couldn’t.
What? She frowned. Oh. Thank you very much, but I am. When you were talking about phoning Nero Wolfe, of course I should have been thinking about what was going to happen, whether I should ask you not to, what I was going to do all that but I was thinking he’ll never kiss me again. I’ve always known I’m not very smart. For instance, when you asked me just now if that man gave me any hint how he found out I had hired Nero Wolfe if I had been smart I would have got a hint out of him. Wouldn’t I?
No. Not out of Purley Stebbins. Sometimes he has trouble deciding what to say next, but he always knows what not to say. I took a sip. Since we’re back on business, let’s get it clear. I may be under a false impression. Are you still a client?
Yes.
You’re absolutely sure you want to stick it out?
Here. She put a hand out and I took it. That was how our cordial relations had started, three weeks back, when I had spent a long evening with her, making up her list and picking the four men to be asked to help. When a handshake goes beyond routine even one second, it’s a test. If you both decide it’s enough at the same instant, fine. But if she’s through before you are, or vice versa, look out. You don’t fit. Lucy and I had been simultaneous the first time. We were this time too.
Okay, I said. It’s quite a limb we’re out on. I don’t have to describe it, you know it as well as I do. Your part may be tough, but it’s simple. You simply say nothing and answer no questions whatever, no matter who asks them. Right?
Right.
If you are invited to call at the District Attorney’s office, decline the invitation. If Stebbins or someone else calls here, see him or not as you please, but tell him nothing, and do not try to drag hints out of him. As for how they got onto your hiring Nero Wolfe, and the baby, it doesn’t matter how. My guess would be Manuel Upton, but I wouldn’t give a nickel to know: If it was Upton, some of the questions you won’t answer may be about the anonymous letters. They could turn out to by the toughest item for Mr. Wolfe and me, but we knew that. He told four men they were in his safe. If a court orders him to produce them and he says they never existed, we could be charged with destroying evidence, which is worse than withholding evidence. That would be very funny and I must remember to laugh.