Read Online Rex Stout - Nero Wolfe 17 by Three Doors to Death - Free Book Online Page A

documentation, minute and exhaustive inquiry, having people followed around—those are not for me. If this murderer can be identified and exposed by such activities as a thorough examination of all entrances and exits of people at that building last evening, which is possible but by no means assured, the police will do the job. They’re fairly good at it. I haven’t the patience. But I think we might start by clearing up one point: how you spent your time last evening from eight o’clock to midnight. I take it you have told the police, so I hope you will have no objection to telling me in my capacity as Miss Nieder’s servant.”
    Wolfe’s eyes fastened on Demarest. “Will you begin, sir?”
    The lawyer was smiling. “If your man had asked that question this afternoon it might have simplified matters. I didn’t mention it because I saw Miss Nieder wanted us here.”
    “It’s been mentioned now.”
    “And now I’ll simplify it. You want it all, of course. Yesterday afternoon there was a showing of the Daumery and Nieder fall line to buyers. You know about that, since your man was there. It brought a situation to a climax. For two years now—it began even before Paul Nieder’s death—Mr. Roper here has been getting increasingly jealous of Miss Nieder’s talent as a creative designer. The reactions to this new line have made it evident that she is vastly superior to him—entirely out of his class. What happened at the buyers’ show yesterday enraged him. He wanted to quit. Daumery and Nieder still need him and can use him; his services are valuable within the limits of his abilities. It was desirable to calm him down. Mr. Daumery thought it proper to inform me of the matter and ask my help, since I legally represent a half-share in the firm. Last evening, Tuesday, Mr. Daumery, Miss Zarella, and Mr. Roper dined with me in a restaurant and then we all went to Mr. Daumery’s apartment to continue our discussion. Mr. Roper wanted a new contract. My wife was with us. We were together continuously, all five of us, from half-past seven to well after midnight.”
    Demarest smiled. “It does simplify things, doesn’t it?”
    It simplified me all right. The best my head could do was let in a wild idea about the four of them taking turns with the window pole, presumably with Mrs. Demarest along to keep count of the jabs. That littlespeech by that lawyer was one of the few things that made me let my mouth hang open in public.
    “It does indeed,” Wolfe agreed without a quiver. His eyes moved. “You verify that, Mr. Daumery? All of it as told?”
    “I do,” Bernard said.
    “Do you, Miss Zarella?”
    “Oh, yes!”
    “Do you, Mr. Roper?”
    “I do not,” Roper declared, his grease oozing bitterness. “To say that Miss Nieder is vastly my superior is absolutely absurd. I have in my possession three books of clippings from
Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamor—”
    “No doubt,” Wolfe conceded. “We’ll allow your exception to that part. Do you verify Mr. Demarest’s account of what happened last evening?”
    “No. There wasn’t the slightest necessity of ‘calming me down,’ as he put it. I merely wanted—”
    “Confound it, were you four people together, with Mrs. Demarest, from seven-thirty till after midnight?”
    “Yes, we were.”
    Wolfe grunted. In a moment he grunted again and turned to me.
    “Archie. Miss Nieder’s glass is empty. So is Mr. Demarest’s. See to it, please.”
    He leaned back, shut his eyes, and began making little circles on the arm of his chair with the tip of his forefinger. He was flummoxed good, his nose pushed right in level with his face.
    I performed as host. Since Demarest’s requirement was another Tom Collins it took a little time, but Polly Zarella took none at all since she had shownherself capable of pouring the Tokay herself. Apparently the statement about Cynthia’s superiority, out loud for people to hear, had made Roper thirsty, for this