Trio For Blunt Instruments (4 page)

I ASKED PARKER ONCE how many law books he had in his office, and he said about seven hundred. I asked how many there were in print in the English language, and he said probably around ten thousand. So I suppose you can't expect to give a lawyer an order for a lawsuit the way you give a tailor an order for a suit of clothes. But they sure do make a job of it. Parker came on the dot at three, and they barely got it settled in time for Wolfe to keep his afternoon date with the orchids. At three minutes to four Wolfe got to his feet and said, 'Then tomorrow as early as may be. You'll proceed as soon as Archie phones you that he has explained the matter to Miss Vassos.'

Parker shook his head. 'The way you operate. You actually haven't mentioned it to her?'

'No. It would have been pointless to mention it until I learned if it was feasible.'

Wolfe went to the hall to take the elevator to the roof, Parker went along, and I went to hold his coat and let him out. Then I mounted two flights to the South Room and knocked on the door, heard a faint 'Come in,' and did so. Elma was sitting on the edge of the bed running her fingers through her hair. 'I guess I fell asleep,' she said. 'What time is it?'

I would have been willing to help her with the hair. Any man would; it was nice hair. 'Four o'clock,' I said. 'Fritz says you ate only two of his Creole fritters. You don't care for shrimps?'

'I'm sorry. He doesn't like me, and I don't blame him, I'm a nuisance.' She sighed, deep.

'That's not it. He suspects any woman who enters the house of wanting to take it over.' I pulled a chair around and sat. 'There have been developments. I went to see a cop, an inspector named Cramer, and you're right. They think your father killed Ashby and then himself. You are now Mr. Wolfe's client. That stack of bills in the safe is still your property, but I have taken a dollar from it as a retainer. Do you approve?'

'Of course-but take all of it. I know it's nothing& '

'Skip it. That's no inducement for him. And don't thank him. He would rather miss a meal than have anyone think he's a softy, that he would wiggle a finger to help anyone. Don't even hint at it. The idea is that Cramer has flouted him, his word, and therefore he will make a monkey of Cramer, and I admit that that may be the main point. So he has to prove that your father didn't kill Ashby, and the only way he can do that is to find out who did. The question is how. He would have to send me to that building to go over the set-up and see people, and to invite some of them to come to his office, since he never leaves the house on business, but he can't expect the impossible even of me. They would toss me out, and they wouldn't come. So he must-'

'Some of the girls might come. And Mr. Busch might.'

'Not enough. We need the ones who wouldn't. So he must drop a bomb. You are going to sue six people for damages, a million dollars each. Slander. He was going to have you sue the corporation too, but the lawyer vetoed it. The lawyer is preparing the papers and will go ahead as soon as you phone him to. His name is Nathaniel Parker and he's good. It isn't expected that any of the cases will ever get to a court or that you will collect anything, that's not the idea. The idea is that the fur will begin to fly. Do you want to consult anybody before you tell Parker to go ahead'Do you know a lawyer?'

'No.' Her fingers were clasped tight. 'Of course I'll do anything Mr. Wolfe says. Who are the six people?'

'One, John Mercer. Two, Andrew Busch. Three, Philip Horan. Four, Frances Cox. Five, Mrs. Ashby. Six, Inspector Cramer. Anything Cramer says in his official capacity is privileged, but there's a point of law. He may have said something to a reporter, and he told me you're a floozy, or implied it. At least it will be a threat to get him on the witness stand under oath and ask him who told him what about you and Ashby, and just having him summoned will be a pleasure for Mr. Wolfe and you might as well humor him. You're not listening.'

'Yes, I am. I don't think I- Can't you leave Mr. Busch out?'

'Why should we?'

'Because I don't think he said anything like that about me. I'm sure he wouldn't.'

'Neither did some of the others, probably. It's even conceivable that none of those five did. This is only to get in there, to get at them.'

She nodded. 'I know, I understand that, but I wouldn't want Mr. Busch to think that I think he might slander me. If what you want-if Mr. Wolfe wants to talk to him, I'm pretty sure he would come if I asked him.'

I eyed her. 'There seems to be an angle you didn't mention this morning. When you told me about Busch you didn't say he would come if you whistled.'

'I'm not saying it now!' She was indignant. 'All I'm saying, he's a nice man, and he's decent, and he wouldn't do that!'

'Have you seen much of him out of the office?'

'No. After Mr. Ashby, I decided I wouldn't make any dates with any man in the office, married or not.'

'Okay, we'll exclude Busch, with the understanding that you'll produce him if and when we need him.' I got up. 'We'll go down to the office and phone Parker, and then we'll go and get whatever you want for an indefinite stay. It may be two days and it may be two months. When Mr. Wolfe-'

'Stay here two months'I can't!'

'You can and will if necessary. If you got killed it would be next to impossible for Mr. Wolfe to get back at Cramer, and that would sour him for good and he would be unbearable. If you want to do things to your face and hair, not that I see anything wrong with them, I'll be down in the office.' I went.

Waiting to call Parker until she came down, since he would want to hear his client's voice as evidence that she existed, I had a notion to buzz the plant rooms and ask Wolfe if he wanted to see Andrew Busch at six o'clock, but since he would probably have insisted on Busch getting a summons along with the others I decided against it. I'm a softy. Elma came down much sooner than most girls would have after a nap, and I dialed and got Parker, told him it was all set but that Busch was to be crossed off, and put Elma on. He asked her if he was to proceed on her behalf as he had been instructed by Wolfe, and she said yes, and that was it. I told her I had another call to make, dialed the number of the Gazette, got Lon Cohen, and asked him if his offer of a grand for a piece on Pete Vassos was still open. He said he'd have to see the piece first.

'We haven't got time to write it,' I said. 'We're busy. But if you want something for nothing, Miss Elma Vassos, his daughter, has engaged the services of Nero Wolfe, the famous private detective, and is staying at his house, and is not accessible. On his advice, she has engaged Nathaniel Parker, the famous counselor, to bring an action against five people: John Mercer, Philip Horan, Frances Cox, Mrs. Dennis Ashby, and Inspector Cramer of the NYPD. She is asking for a million dollars for damages for slander from each of them. They will be served tomorrow, probably in time for your first edition. I'm giving you this, exclusive, on instructions from Mr. Wolfe. Parker has been told that you'll probably be phoning him for confirmation, and you'll get it. Yours truly. See you in court.'

'Wait a minute, hold it! You can't just-'

'Sorry, I'm busy. No use calling back because I won't be here. Print now, pay later.'

I hung up and went to the kitchen to tell Fritz we were leaving, and by the time I got to the hall rack Elma had her hat and coat on. Since her place was downtown we went to Eighth Avenue for a taxi. She was all right at walking. Walking with a girl, you can tell pretty well if you'd want to dance with her. Not if she keeps step, she may not have the legs for that, but if she naturally stays with you without doing a barnacle.

Another mark for her, she didn't apologize for the neighborhood she lived in as the cab turned into Graham Street and stopped in front of Number 314. At that, it wasn't as bad in the December dark as it would have been in daylight; no street is. Dirt doesn't look so dirty. But I must say the vestibule she led me into would have appreciated some attention, and when she used her key and we entered, the inside was no better. She said, 'Up three flights,' and went to the stairs, and I followed. I admit I thought she was overdoing it a little. She might at least have said something like, 'When I got a job I thought we ought to move, but my father didn't want to,' just casually. Not a word.

On the third landing she started down the hall toward the rear, stopped after a couple of steps, and said, 'Why, the light's on!'

I was at her elbow. I whispered, 'Which door?' She pointed to the right, to where a strip of light showed through the crack at the bottom of a door. I whispered, 'Is there a bell?' and she whispered back, 'It isn't working.' I went to the door and knocked on it, and after a short wait it opened, and facing me was a man about my height with a broad flat face and a lot of tousled brown hair.

'Good evening,' I said.

'Where's Miss Vassos?' he said. 'Are you a police- Oh! Thank God!'

Elma was there. 'But you-how did you-this is Mr. Busch, Mr. Goodwin.'

'I seem to be& ' he let it hang, apparently undecided how he seemed to be. He looked at me and back at her.

'I'll trade you even,' I said. 'I'll tell you why I'm here if you'll tell me why you're here. I came to carry a bag of clothes and accessories for Miss Vassos. She is staying at Nero Wolfe's house on Thirty-fifth Street. My name is Archie Goodwin and I work for him. Your turn.'

'Nero Wolfe the detective?'

'Right.'

He went to her. 'You're staying at his house?'

'Yes.'

'You were there last night and today?'

'Yes.'

'I wish you had let me know. I came here from the office, I just got here. I was here last night. I got the janitor to let me in; he's worried too. I was afraid you might-I'm glad to see-I thought perhaps& '

'I guess I should have phoned,' she said.

'Yes, I wish you had; then at least I would have known& '

He didn't sound much like Paladin. Or even an office manager. 'If you don't mind,' I said, 'Miss Vassos would like to come in and pack a bag. She has hired Nero Wolfe to find out who killed Dennis Ashby, and she'll stay at his house until he does. Of course, since you think her father killed Ashby, I don't suppose-'

'I don't think her father killed Ashby.'

'No'Then why did you tell the police that he had found out that Ashby had seduced her?'

He hauled off and swung at me. He meant well, but was so slow that I could have landed a poke while he was still on his backswing. Elma was quicker, jumping between us. He was going through with it anyhow, looping around her, and he would finally have reached the target if I had moved my head eight inches to the left and waited till he got there, but instead I caught his wrist and jerked it down and gave it a twist. That twist hurts, but he didn't squeak. Elma, between us, turned to face me, protesting, 'I told you he wouldn't!'

'I didn't,' he said.

'Do you know who did?'

'No.'

'Okay, you can come along for a talk with Nero Wolfe. You can carry her bag. If there are two, we'll each take one. Go ahead, Miss Vassos, I won't let him hurt me. If he gets me down I'll yell.'

She slipped in past him. Busch looked at his wrist and felt at it, and I told him it might swell a little. He turned and went inside, and I followed. It was a medium-sized room, very neat, good enough chairs and nice plain rugs, a TV set in a corner, magazines on a table, shelves with books. A framed picture on top of the book shelves looked familiar and I crossed over, and darned if it wasn't Wolfe on the cover of Tick magazine. That had been more than a year ago. I allowed myself a healthy grin as I thought of how Sergeant Stebbins, or anyone else from Homicide, had felt when he came to have a look at the home of a murderer and found a picture of Nero Wolfe in a place of honor. I would have liked to take it and show it to Wolfe. I had heard him quote what someone said, that no man is a hero to his valet, but apparently he could be to his bootblack.

When Elma came out of an inner room with a suitcase and a small bag, Busch, who had put his overcoat on, went to relieve her of the load. I looked at my watch: five fifty-five. Wolfe would be down from the plant rooms by the time we got there.

'I'll take one,' I offered. 'Better give the wrist a rest.'

'The wrist's all right,' he said, trying not to set his jaw.

A hero.

THERE CAN BE SUCH a thing as too damn much self-control. I should have resigned that day, for the forty-third time, when Wolfe glared at me and said, 'I won't see him.' It was inexcusable, being childish in front of a client. Leaving Busch in the front room, I had gone with Elma to the office, explained why I had told Parker to leave Busch out, reported the episode at Graham Street, said that I had checked with the janitor on the way out and he had admitted that he had let Busch into the Vassos apartment, and asked if he wanted Elma present while he talked with Busch; and he said, 'I won't see him.' Top that. He knew he was going to have to see a bunch of them and he was paying a lawyer to pull a stunt that would make them come, but that would be tomorrow and this was today and he was reading a book, and I hadn't phoned to warn him. I should have walked out on him, but there was Elma, so I merely said, 'He can have my room and I'll sleep here on the couch.'

His eyes narrowed at me. He knew I meant it and that I wouldn't back down, and that it was his fault for starting it in front of a witness. If I had just sat and met his gaze it would have had to end either by his firing me or my quitting, so I arose, said I would take Miss Vassos' luggage up to her room, shook my head no at her on my way to the hall, picked up the bag and suitcase, mounted the two flights, put them in the South Room, returned to the landing, and stood and listened.

That simplified it for him. With me there it would have been impossible; with me gone, all he had to do was to get her to say that it might help if he talked to Busch. Which he did. I could hear the voices, though not the words, for three minutes; then nothing; and then voices again, including Busch's. I descended. Of course I kept my eyes straight ahead as I entered and crossed to my desk, detouring around Busch, who was in one of the yellow chairs that had been drawn up to face Wolfe's desk. Wolfe was talking.

'& and I intend to do so. I'm not obliged to account for the springs of my interest. Call it pique. Mr. Vassos kept my shoes presentable and never failed me; it won't be easy to replace him; and whoever deprived me of his services will be made to regret it. Let's consider you, since you're here. Discovered by Mr. Goodwin and Miss Vassos in her apartment, you affected concern for her welfare. Real concern, or assumed?'

Busch was sitting straight and stiff, his palms on his knees. 'I don't have to account to you either,' he declared, louder than necessary. 'How do I know what you're going to do?'

'You don't. But you will. I won't debate it. Go. You'll be back.'

I gritted my teeth. He was taking the trick after all. He was putting him out, with a dodge that tied my tongue. If there had been a cliff handy I would have pushed him off. But it didn't work. Busch looked at Elma, who was in the red leather chair. That turned his head so I couldn't see his face, but there must have been a question on it, for she answered it.

'He's going to do what he says, Mr. Busch. He's going to make a monkey of an inspector named Cramer. If he wants you to tell him anything-and if you want to-'

'I want- Will you marry me?'

Her eyes widened. 'What?'

'Will you marry me?'

She stared, speechless.

'Effective, Mr. Busch,' Wolfe growled. His dodge wasn't going to work. 'For establishing briefly and cogently that your concern is real, admirable. Then you don't believe that Miss Vassos was seduced by Mr. Ashby?'

'No. I know she wasn't.'

'You told Mr. Goodwin that you don't know who told the police that she had been.'

'I don't.'

'But you knew that someone had.'

'I didn't exactly know. I knew that the police thought that, or suspected it, from questions they asked me.'

'Was that why you were so concerned for Miss Vassos' welfare that you went to her home last night and persuaded the janitor to let you in and repeated the performance today?'

'It was partly that, but I would have done that anyway. Yesterday she was worried about her father because he hadn't come home, and I tried to find out if he was in the building. Then last night the news came that he was dead, his body had been found. I phoned her home and there was no answer, and I went there, and there was no word from her today, and the police didn't know where she was, so I went again. I know what you're getting at, you want to know if I was there waiting for her because I was worried about her or because I wanted to kill her. Because someone must want to kill her, someone must have lied about her to her father and then lied to the police.'

Wolfe nodded. 'You're assuming that her father believed the lie and killed Ashby and then killed himself.'

'No, I'm not. I only know he might have. I haven't seen her, I haven't had a chance to talk with her. I could talk with her about this all right. From the way I'm talking to you, you probably think I'm a pretty good talker, that I don't have any trouble speaking my piece, but I've been wanting for more than a year to tell her how I feel, that I know how wonderful she is, that there's no girl on earth like her, that I have never-'

'Yes. You established that point by asking her to marry you. She has probably grasped it. As you will no doubt hear from her when you get a chance, she is certain that her father would not have believed such a lie about her, so he did not kill Ashby, so he did not kill himself. Therefore I need to know as much as possible about people's movements at the critical times. According to the medical examiner as reported in the paper, Peter Vassos landed at the bottom of that cliff and died between ten o'clock and midnight Monday evening. Since Miss Vassos certainly won't marry you if you killed her father, let's eliminate you. Where were you those two hours?'

'I was at home. I went to bed about eleven o'clock.'

'You live alone?'

'Yes.'

'Good. You have no alibi. A man with an alibi is suspect ipso facto. Now for Mr. Ashby. Where were you at ten thirty-five Monday morning?'

'In my room. My office.'

'Alone?'

'Yes. I've gone over this with the police. Miss Vassos had been there taking letters, but she left about a quarter past ten. Pete came about a quarter to eleven and gave me a shine. In between those two times I was alone.'

'You didn't leave your room?'

'No.'

'Was the door open and did you see anyone pass?'

'The door was open, but my room is at the end of the hall. I never see anyone pass.'

'Then you can't help much. But you do corroborate Mr. Vassos' account of his movements. If he came to your room at ten forty-five, shined your shoes, and went straight to Mr. Ashby's room, he entered it about ten fifty-two. He arrived here at three minutes past eleven. Do you know where he had been just before coming to you?'

'Yes, he had been in Mr. Mercer's room, giving him a shine.'

'And before that?'

'I don't know. That's what the police wanted to know. They think he had already been in Ashby's room, that he went in by the other door and killed him.'

'Did they tell you that?'

'No, but it was obvious from their questions-about him and about that other door.'

'Does your room also have a door into the outer hall?'

'No. Ashby's is the only one.'

Wolfe turned his head to look up at the wall clock. Half an hour till dinnertime. He looked at Busch. 'Now, sir. As I told you at the beginning, I have concluded that Mr. Vassos did not kill Mr. Ashby, and I intend to find out who did and expose him. On this perhaps you can help. Who is safe or satisfied or solvent because Ashby is dead'Cui bono?'

'I don't get- Oh.' Busch nodded. 'Of course. That's Latin. The police asked me too, but not like that. I told them I didn't know, and I don't. I saw very little of Ashby personally, I mean outside of business. I knew his wife when she worked there, her name was Snyder then, Joan Snyder, but I've only seen her a couple of times since she married Ashby two years ago. The way you put it, safe or satisfied or solvent because he's dead-I don't know.'

'What about people in the office?'

'Nobody liked him. I didn't. I don't think even Mr. Mercer did. We all knew he had saved the business, he was responsible for its success, but we didn't like him. I had complaints from the girls about him. They didn't like to go to his room. A few months ago one girl quit on account of him. When I took it up with Mr. Mercer he said Ashby had the defects of his qualities, that when he wanted something he never hesitated to go after it, and that was why the corporation's income was ten times what it had been four years ago. But when I say nobody liked him maybe I ought to say except one.' His eyes went to Elma and back to Wolfe.

'Miss Vassos?'

'Good Lord, no.' He was shocked. 'Because I looked at her'I just happened- I just wanted to. Miss Cox, Frances Cox, the receptionist. Ashby wouldn't have a secretary, and Miss Cox did the things for him that a secretary does, appointments and so on, except stenography. Maybe she liked him; I suppose she must have. There was a lot of office gossip about them, but you can't go by office gossip. If an office manager took all the gossip seriously he'd go crazy. Only one day last spring Ashby's wife-I told you she was Joan Snyder when she worked there-she came and asked me to fire her.'

'To fire Miss Cox?'

'Yes. She said she was a bad influence on her husband. I had to laugh, I couldn't help it-a bad influence on Dennis Ashby. I told her I couldn't fire her, and I couldn't. Ashby had had her salary raised twice without consulting me.'

Wolfe grunted. 'Another name Miss Vassos has mentioned. Philip Horan. Since he's a salesman, I presume he worked under Ashby?'

'Yes.'

'He had expected to get the promotion that Ashby had got?'

'Yes.'

'And he resented it?'

'Yes.'

'Then Ashby's death is no bereavement for him?'

'No.'

'You are suddenly laconic. Have I touched a nerve?'

'Well& I thought Phil Horan deserved to get that job, and I still think so.'

'And he'll get it now?'

'I suppose he will.'

'I won't ask if he might have killed Ashby to get it; you're partial and would of course say no.' Wolfe looked up at the clock. 'Have you ever sat at table with Miss Vassos, had a meal with her?'

'I don't see what bearing that has on-'

'None, but it's a civil question. Have you?'

'No. I asked her twice, but she declined.'

'Then it was foolhardy to ask her to marry you. You can't know what a woman is like until you see her at her food. I invite you to dine with us. There will be chicken sorrel soup with egg yolks and sherry, and roast quail with a sauce of white wine, veal stock, and white grapes. You will not be robbing us; there is enough.'

I didn't catch his response because I was commenting to myself. The rule no business at meals was strictly enforced, but I would have to work right through the soup and quail on to the cheese and coffee, as an expert, taking Busch in. When he left I would be asked if his concern for Miss Vassos was real or phony, yes or no. If I couldn't say, some good grub would have been wasted.

It was wasted.