Read Online Rex Stout - Nero Wolfe 02 by The League of Frightened Men - Free Book Online Page A

satisfactorily performed, the members of the league will pay me, each the amount set after his name on the attached list; provided, that the members mil be severally and jointly responsible for the payment of the total amount.
    “I believe that covers it. Of course, should you wish to make it terminable after a stated period—”
    Nicholas Cabot cut in, “It’s preposterous. I won’t even discuss it.” Julius Adler said with a smile, “I think we should thank Mr. Wolfe’s secretary for adding it up and saving us the shock. Fifty-six thousand, nine hundred and fifteen dollars. Well!” His brows went up and stayed up. Kommers, who had spent at least ten bucks coming from Philadelphia, made his maiden speech, “I don’t know much about your abilities, Mr. Wolfe, but I’ve learned something new about nerve.” Others began to join in the chorus; they were just going to crowd us right in the ditch.
    Wolfe waited, and in about a minute put up his hand, palm out, which was a pretty violent gesture for him. “Please, gentlemen. There is really no ground for controversy. It is a simple matter: I offer to sell you something for a stated price on delivery. If you think the price exorbitant you are under no compulsion to buy. However, I may observe in that connection that on Saturday Miss Evelyn Hibbard offered to pay meten thousand dollars for the service proposed. There is no single item on that list as high as ten thousand dollars; and Miss Hibbard is not herself in jeopardy.”
    George Pratt said, “Yeah, and you turned her down so you could soak us. You’re just out to do all the good you can, huh?”
    “Anyhow, the memorandum is preposterous throughout.” Nicholas Cabot had gone to Wolfe’s desk and reached for the memorandum, and was standing there looking at it. “What we want is Paul Chapin put where he belongs. This attempt at evasion—”
    “I’m surprised at you, Mr. Cabot.” Wolfe sighed. “I phrased it that way chiefly because I knew two shrewd lawyers would be here and I wished to forestall their objections. Circumstances have got the idea of Paul Chapin’s guilt so firmly fixed in your mind that you are a little off balance. I could not undertake specifically to remove your apprehension by getting Mr. Chapin convicted of murder, because if I did so and investigation proved him innocent two difficulties would present themselves. First, I would have to frame him in order to collect my money, which would be not only unfair to him but also a great bother to me, and second, the real perpetrator of these indiscretions would remain free to continue his career, and you gentlemen would still be scared—or dead. I wished to cover—”
    “Rubbish.” Cabot pushed the memorandum impatiently away. “We are convinced it is Chapin. We know it is.”
    “So am I.” Wolfe nodded, down, and up, and at rest again. “Yes, I am convinced that it is Chapin you should fear. But in preparing this memorandum I thought it well to cover all contingencies, and you as a lawyer must agree with me. After all, what is really known? Very little. For instance, what if Andrew Hibbard,tormented by remorse, was driven to undertake vengeance on behalf of the man you all had injured?
Ye should have killed me.
What if, after killing two of you, he found he couldn’t stomach it, and went off somewhere and ended his own life? That would contradict nothing we now know. Or what if another of you, or even an outsider, proceeded to balance some personal accounts, and took advantage of the exudations of the Chapin stew to lay a false scent? That might be you, Mr. Cabot, or Dr. Burton, or Mr. Michael Ayers … anyone. You say rubbish, and really I do too, but why not cover the contingencies?”
    Cabot pulled the memorandum back beneath his eyes. Julius Adler got up and went to the desk and joined in the inspection. There was some murmuring among the others. Mike Ayers was sprawled in his chair with his hands deep in his pockets and his