'Miss Quon, if you don't mind moving, Mr. Cramer likes that chair. Good evening, Miss Dickey. Mr. Kiernan, Mr. Stebbins. If you will all be seated-'
'Panzer!' Cramer barked. Saul, who had started for a chair in the rear, stopped and turned.
'I'm running this,' Cramer declared. 'Panzer, you're under arrest and you'll stay with Stebbins and keep your mouth shut. I don't want-'
'No,' Wolfe said sharply. 'If he's under arrest take him out of here. You are not running this, not in my house. If you have warrants for anyone present, or have taken them by lawful police power, take them and leave these premises. Would you bulldoze me, Mr. Cramer'You should know better.'
That was the point, Cramer did know him. There was the stage, all set. There were Mrs. Jerome and Leo and Cherry and Emil Hatch, and the empty chairs, and above all, there was the fact that he had been expected. He wouldn't have taken Wolfe's word for that; he wouldn't have taken Wolfe's word for anything; but whenever he appeared on our stoop not expected I always left the chain-bolt on until he had stated his business and I had reported to Wolfe. And if he had been expected there was no telling what Wolfe had ready to spring. So Cramer gave up the bark and merely growled, 'I want to talk with you.'
'Certainly.' Wolfe indicated the red leather chair, which Cherry had vacated. 'Be seated.'
'Not here. Alone.'
Wolfe shook his head. 'It would be a waste of time. This way is better and quicker. You know quite well, sir, it was a mistake to barge in here and roar at me that you are running my house. Either go, with whomever you can lawfully take, or sit down while I tell you who killed Kurt Bottweill.' Wolfe wiggled a finger. 'Your chair.'
Cramer's round red face had been redder than normal from the outside cold, and now was redder still. He glanced around, compressed his lips until he didn't have any, and went to the red leather chair and sat.
Nero Wolfe 30 - And Four To Go
Chapter 8
WOLFE SENT HIS EYES around as I circled to my desk. Saul had got to a chair in the rear after all, but Stebbins had too and was at his elbow. Margot had passed in front of the Jeromes and Emil Hatch to get to the chair at the end nearest me, and Cherry and Al Kiernan were at the other end, a little back of the others. Hatch had finished his Korbeloff and put the glass on the floor, but Cherry and the Jeromes were hanging on to their tall ones.
Wolfe's eyes came to rest on Cramer and he spoke. 'I must confess that I stretched it a little. I can't tell you, at the moment, who killed Bottweill; I have only a supposition; but soon I can, and will. First some facts for you. I assume you know that for the past two months Mr. Goodwin has been seeing something of Miss Dickey. He says she dances well.'
'Yeah.' Cramer's voice came over sandpaper of the roughest grit. 'You can save that for later. I want to know if you sent Panzer to meet-'
Wolfe cut him off. 'You will. I'm headed for that. But you may prefer this firsthand. Archie, if you please. What Miss Dickey asked you to do last Monday evening, and what happened.'
I cleared my throat. 'We were dancing at the Flamingo Club. She said Bottweill had been telling her for a year that he would marry her next week, but next week never came, and she was going to have a showdown with him. She asked me to get a blank marriage license and fill it out for her and me and give it to her, and she would show it to Bottweill and tell him now or never. I got the blank on Tuesday, and filled it in, and Wednesday I gave it to her.'
I stopped. Wolfe prompted me. 'And yesterday afternoon?'
'She told me that the license trick had worked perfectly. That was about a minute before Bottweill entered the studio. I said in my statement to the District Attorney that she told me Bottweill was going to marry her, but I didn't mention the license. It was immaterial.'
'Did she tell you what had happened to the license?'
So we were emptying the bag. I nodded. 'She
'Panzer!' Cramer barked. Saul, who had started for a chair in the rear, stopped and turned.
'I'm running this,' Cramer declared. 'Panzer, you're under arrest and you'll stay with Stebbins and keep your mouth shut. I don't want-'
'No,' Wolfe said sharply. 'If he's under arrest take him out of here. You are not running this, not in my house. If you have warrants for anyone present, or have taken them by lawful police power, take them and leave these premises. Would you bulldoze me, Mr. Cramer'You should know better.'
That was the point, Cramer did know him. There was the stage, all set. There were Mrs. Jerome and Leo and Cherry and Emil Hatch, and the empty chairs, and above all, there was the fact that he had been expected. He wouldn't have taken Wolfe's word for that; he wouldn't have taken Wolfe's word for anything; but whenever he appeared on our stoop not expected I always left the chain-bolt on until he had stated his business and I had reported to Wolfe. And if he had been expected there was no telling what Wolfe had ready to spring. So Cramer gave up the bark and merely growled, 'I want to talk with you.'
'Certainly.' Wolfe indicated the red leather chair, which Cherry had vacated. 'Be seated.'
'Not here. Alone.'
Wolfe shook his head. 'It would be a waste of time. This way is better and quicker. You know quite well, sir, it was a mistake to barge in here and roar at me that you are running my house. Either go, with whomever you can lawfully take, or sit down while I tell you who killed Kurt Bottweill.' Wolfe wiggled a finger. 'Your chair.'
Cramer's round red face had been redder than normal from the outside cold, and now was redder still. He glanced around, compressed his lips until he didn't have any, and went to the red leather chair and sat.
Nero Wolfe 30 - And Four To Go
Chapter 8
WOLFE SENT HIS EYES around as I circled to my desk. Saul had got to a chair in the rear after all, but Stebbins had too and was at his elbow. Margot had passed in front of the Jeromes and Emil Hatch to get to the chair at the end nearest me, and Cherry and Al Kiernan were at the other end, a little back of the others. Hatch had finished his Korbeloff and put the glass on the floor, but Cherry and the Jeromes were hanging on to their tall ones.
Wolfe's eyes came to rest on Cramer and he spoke. 'I must confess that I stretched it a little. I can't tell you, at the moment, who killed Bottweill; I have only a supposition; but soon I can, and will. First some facts for you. I assume you know that for the past two months Mr. Goodwin has been seeing something of Miss Dickey. He says she dances well.'
'Yeah.' Cramer's voice came over sandpaper of the roughest grit. 'You can save that for later. I want to know if you sent Panzer to meet-'
Wolfe cut him off. 'You will. I'm headed for that. But you may prefer this firsthand. Archie, if you please. What Miss Dickey asked you to do last Monday evening, and what happened.'
I cleared my throat. 'We were dancing at the Flamingo Club. She said Bottweill had been telling her for a year that he would marry her next week, but next week never came, and she was going to have a showdown with him. She asked me to get a blank marriage license and fill it out for her and me and give it to her, and she would show it to Bottweill and tell him now or never. I got the blank on Tuesday, and filled it in, and Wednesday I gave it to her.'
I stopped. Wolfe prompted me. 'And yesterday afternoon?'
'She told me that the license trick had worked perfectly. That was about a minute before Bottweill entered the studio. I said in my statement to the District Attorney that she told me Bottweill was going to marry her, but I didn't mention the license. It was immaterial.'
'Did she tell you what had happened to the license?'
So we were emptying the bag. I nodded. 'She
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