Vassos about Ashby and his daughter'I didn't. I have never seen Vassos. I understand he always came around ten-thirty, and I am never there at that time. I'm out calling on customers. I was there Monday morning and was with Ashby a few minutes, but I left before ten o'clock.'
Wolfe grunted. 'Your observed presence there Monday morning is immaterial. Anyone could have got into Ashby's room unobserved by the door from the hall, including you. I'm not after-'
'Then why pick on us, if anyone could have got in?'
'I have two reasons: a weaker one, the attack on Miss Vassos' character, and a stronger one, which I reserve. I'm not after who told Vassos about Ashby and his daughter; I don't think anybody did; I'm after who told the police. Did you?'
'I answered their questions. I had to.'
'You know better than that if you're not a nincompoop. You did not have to. Telling them even about yourself and your movements was at your discretion; certainly you were under no compulsion to jabber about others. Did you?'
'I don't jabber. What I told the police is on record. Ask them.'
'I have. You just heard me ask Mr. Cramer. You have more than once asked a female employee of your firm to find out about the relations between Mr. Ashby and Miss Vassos. What did she tell you?'
'Ask her.'
'I'm asking you.'
'Ask her.'
'I hope I won't have to.' Wolfe's eyes went right. 'Miss Cox. What terms were you on with Mr. Vassos?'
'I wasn't on any terms with him.' Her head was up and her chin was pushing. It was a nice chin when she left it to itself. 'He was the bootblack.'
'He was also the father of one of your fellow employees. Of course you knew that.'
'Certainly.'
'Did you like him'Did he like you?'
'I never asked him. I didn't like him or dislike him. He was the bootblack, that's all.'
'Affable exchanges even with a bootblack are not unheard of. Did you speak much with him?'
'No. Hardly any.'
'Describe the customary routine. He would appear in the anteroom where you were stationed, and then?'
'He would ask me if it was all right to go in. He always went to Mr. Mercer's room first. If someone was in with Mr. Mercer, it depended on who it was. Sometimes he wouldn't want to be disturbed, and Pete would go to Mr. Busch first. Mr. Busch's room is across the hall from Mr. Mercer's.'
'Are the two doors directly opposite?'
'No. Mr. Mercer's door comes first on the left. Mr. Busch's door is nearly at the end of the hall on the right.'
'After he had finished with Mr. Mercer and Mr. Busch, Mr. Vassos would go to Mr. Ashby?'
'Yes, but that took him past the reception room and he would ask me on his way. If Mr. Ashby had an important customer with him he wouldn't want Pete butting in.'
'Are there any others in that office whom Mr. Vassos served?'
'No.'
'Never?'
'No.'
'Was the routine followed on Monday morning?'
'Yes, as far as I know. When Pete came there was no one in with Mr. Mercer and he went on in. Then later he came and put his head around the corner and I nodded, and he went on to Mr. Ashby's room.'
'How much later?'
'I never timed it. About fifteen minutes.'
'Did you see him enter at Mr. Ashby's door?'
'No, it's down the other hall. Anyway, I couldn't see him enter any of the doors because my desk is in a corner of the reception room.'
'What time was it when he put his head around the corner and you nodded him on to Mr. Ashby's room?'
'It was ten minutes to eleven, or maybe eight or nine minutes. The police wanted to know exactly, but that's as close as I could come.'
'How close could you come to the truth about Mr. Ashby and Miss Vassos?'
It took her off balance, but only for two seconds, and she kept her eyes at him. She raised her voice a little. 'You think that's clever, don't you?'
'No. I'm not clever, Miss Cox. I'm either more or less than clever. What did you tell the police about Mr. Ashby and Miss Vassos?'
'I say what Mr. Horan said. Ask them.'
'What did you tell them about Mr. Ashby and yourself'Did you tell
Wolfe grunted. 'Your observed presence there Monday morning is immaterial. Anyone could have got into Ashby's room unobserved by the door from the hall, including you. I'm not after-'
'Then why pick on us, if anyone could have got in?'
'I have two reasons: a weaker one, the attack on Miss Vassos' character, and a stronger one, which I reserve. I'm not after who told Vassos about Ashby and his daughter; I don't think anybody did; I'm after who told the police. Did you?'
'I answered their questions. I had to.'
'You know better than that if you're not a nincompoop. You did not have to. Telling them even about yourself and your movements was at your discretion; certainly you were under no compulsion to jabber about others. Did you?'
'I don't jabber. What I told the police is on record. Ask them.'
'I have. You just heard me ask Mr. Cramer. You have more than once asked a female employee of your firm to find out about the relations between Mr. Ashby and Miss Vassos. What did she tell you?'
'Ask her.'
'I'm asking you.'
'Ask her.'
'I hope I won't have to.' Wolfe's eyes went right. 'Miss Cox. What terms were you on with Mr. Vassos?'
'I wasn't on any terms with him.' Her head was up and her chin was pushing. It was a nice chin when she left it to itself. 'He was the bootblack.'
'He was also the father of one of your fellow employees. Of course you knew that.'
'Certainly.'
'Did you like him'Did he like you?'
'I never asked him. I didn't like him or dislike him. He was the bootblack, that's all.'
'Affable exchanges even with a bootblack are not unheard of. Did you speak much with him?'
'No. Hardly any.'
'Describe the customary routine. He would appear in the anteroom where you were stationed, and then?'
'He would ask me if it was all right to go in. He always went to Mr. Mercer's room first. If someone was in with Mr. Mercer, it depended on who it was. Sometimes he wouldn't want to be disturbed, and Pete would go to Mr. Busch first. Mr. Busch's room is across the hall from Mr. Mercer's.'
'Are the two doors directly opposite?'
'No. Mr. Mercer's door comes first on the left. Mr. Busch's door is nearly at the end of the hall on the right.'
'After he had finished with Mr. Mercer and Mr. Busch, Mr. Vassos would go to Mr. Ashby?'
'Yes, but that took him past the reception room and he would ask me on his way. If Mr. Ashby had an important customer with him he wouldn't want Pete butting in.'
'Are there any others in that office whom Mr. Vassos served?'
'No.'
'Never?'
'No.'
'Was the routine followed on Monday morning?'
'Yes, as far as I know. When Pete came there was no one in with Mr. Mercer and he went on in. Then later he came and put his head around the corner and I nodded, and he went on to Mr. Ashby's room.'
'How much later?'
'I never timed it. About fifteen minutes.'
'Did you see him enter at Mr. Ashby's door?'
'No, it's down the other hall. Anyway, I couldn't see him enter any of the doors because my desk is in a corner of the reception room.'
'What time was it when he put his head around the corner and you nodded him on to Mr. Ashby's room?'
'It was ten minutes to eleven, or maybe eight or nine minutes. The police wanted to know exactly, but that's as close as I could come.'
'How close could you come to the truth about Mr. Ashby and Miss Vassos?'
It took her off balance, but only for two seconds, and she kept her eyes at him. She raised her voice a little. 'You think that's clever, don't you?'
'No. I'm not clever, Miss Cox. I'm either more or less than clever. What did you tell the police about Mr. Ashby and Miss Vassos?'
'I say what Mr. Horan said. Ask them.'
'What did you tell them about Mr. Ashby and yourself'Did you tell
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