The Rodeo Murder

VII

At 10:39 Wednesday morning, standing at the curb on Leonard Street waiting for an empty taxi, I said to Nathaniel Parker, the lawyer, “It’s a dirty insult. Did you say five hundred?”

He nodded. “It is rather a slap, isn’t it? As your attorney, I could hardly suggest a higher figure. And of course the cost will be much — here comes one.” He stepped off the curb and raised an arm to stop an approaching cab.

The insult, having my bail set at a measly five C’s, one-sixtieth of Cal Barrow’s, was merely an insult. The injuries were what I would some day, preferably that one, get even for. I had spent fourteen hours in a detention room with too much heat and not enough air; I had asked for corned-beef sandwiches and got ham and rubbery cheese; I had been asked the same question over and over by four different county and city employees, none of whom had a sense of humor; I had been served lukewarm coffee in a paper thing that leaked; I had not been allowed to use the phone; I had been told three times to take a nap on a bumpy couch and had been roused for more questions just as I was fading out; and I had been asked to sign a statement that had four mistakes in content, three misspelled words, and five typographical errors. And at the end of it all, which must have cost the taxpayers at least a thousand bucks, counting overhead, they were exactly where they had been when they started.

After climbing out of the taxi in front of the old brownstone and thanking Parker for the lift, I mounted the stoop, let myself in, and headed for the office to tell Wolfe that I would be available as soon as I had showered, shaved, brushed my teeth, cleaned my nails, brushed my hair, dressed, and had breakfast. It was five minutes past eleven, so he would be down from the plant rooms.

But he wasn’t. The overgrown chair behind his desk was empty. Four of the yellow chairs were grouped in front of his desk, facing it, and Fritz was emerging from the front room carrying two more of them. On the couch at the far side at right angles to my desk two people sat holding hands — Cal Barrow and Laura Jay. As I entered Cal jerked his hand away and stood up.

“We came a little early,” he said. “We thought you might tell us what’s up.”

“Roping contest,” I said. “I run down the block and you snare me from the stoop. Orchids for prizes.” I turned to Fritz. “There’s a mermaid in the sink.” I wheeled and went to the kitchen, and in a moment he came.

“Where is he?” I demanded.

“In his room with Saul and Fred. Your tie’s crooked, Archie, and your—”

“I fell off a horse. Having a party?”

“Yes. Mr. Wolfe—”

“What time?”

“I was told they would come at half past eleven. The lady and gentleman on the couch—”

“Came early to hold hands. Excuse my manners, I spent the night with louts and it rubbed off on me. I’ve got to rinse it off. Could you possibly bring up toast and coffee in eight minutes?”

“Easy. Seven. Your orange juice is in the refrigerator.” He went to the range.

I got the glass of juice from the refrigerator, got a spoon and stirred it, took a healthy sip, and headed for the hall and the stairs. One flight up the door of Wolfe’s room was at the left, but I kept going and mounted another flight to my room, which was to the right, at the front of the house.

Ordinarily, what with my personal morning fog, it takes me around forty minutes to get rigged for the day, but that time I made it in thirty, with time out for the juice, toast and jam, and coffee. When Fritz came with the tray I asked him to tell Wolfe I was there, and he said he had done so on his way up, and Wolfe was pleased. I don’t mean Wolfe said he was pleased; Fritz said he was. Fritz thinks he is a diplomat. At 11:42, cleaner and neater but not gayer, I went down to the office.

They were all there, all of Lily’s Monday luncheon guests but Wade Eisler. Lily was in the red leather chair. Cal and Laura were still on the couch, but not holding hands. The other six were on the yellow chairs, Mel Fox, Nan Karlin, and Harvey Greve in front, and Roger Dunning, his wife, and Anna Casado in the rear. Saul Panzer and Fred Durkin were off at the side, over by the big globe.

Wolfe, at his desk, was speaking as I entered. He stopped to dart a glance at me. I halted and inquired politely, “Am I intruding?”

Lily said, “You look pretty spruce for a man who spent the night in jail.”

Wolfe said, “I have told them why you were delayed. Now that you’re here I’ll proceed.” As I circled around the company to get to my desk he went on, to them, “I repeat, I have been employed by Miss Rowan and am acting in her interest, but I am solely responsible for what I am about to say. If I defame I alone am liable; she is not. You are here at my invitation, but you came, of course, not to please me but to hear me. I won’t keep you longer than I must.”

“We have to be at the Garden by a quarter after one,” Roger Dunning said. “The show starts at two.”

“Yes, sir, I know.” Wolfe’s eyes went right and then left. “I think it likely that one of you won’t be there. I am not prepared to say to one of you, ‘You killed Wade Eisler and I can prove it,’ but I can offer a suggestion. All of you had the opportunity and the means; you were there, the steel rod was there, the rope was there. None of you was eliminated with a certainty by a check of your movements. I made no such check, but the police did, and at that sort of thing they are inimitable. So it was a question of motive, as it often is.”

He pinched his nose with a thumb and forefinger, and I suppressed a grin. He is convinced that when a woman is present, let alone four of them, the air is tainted with perfume. Sometimes it is, naturally, but not then and there. I have a good nose and I hadn’t smelled any on the cowgirls, and you have to get a good deal closer to Lily than Wolfe was to catch hers. But he pinched his nose.

He resumed. “From the viewpoint of the police two facts pointed to Mr. Barrow: it was his rope, and he found the body. Rather, it seemed to me, they pointed away from him, but let it pass. He had a motive, but no one knew it but Miss Jay and Mr. Goodwin. If the police had known it he would have been charged with murder. I learned of it only yesterday, and I ignored it because Mr. Goodwin told me to. He was convinced that Mr. Barrow was innocent, and he is not easy to convince. Mr. Barrow, you and I are in his debt — you because he saved you from a mortal hazard, and I because he saved me from wasting time and trouble on you.”

“Yes, sir,” Cal said. “That’s not all I owe him.” He looked at Laura, and for a second I thought he was going to take her hand in public, but he reined in.

“I also learned yesterday,” Wolfe went on, “that Miss Karlin had had a motive, and, according to Miss Jay, that Mr. Fox had had one. But later Miss Jay recanted. Miss Jay, did you tell Mr. Fox of Miss Karlin’s experience at Eisler’s apartment?”

“No. I must have been—”

“The ‘no’ is enough. But you did phone the police yesterday that you saw Mr. Goodwin on Miss Rowan’s terrace at half past three Monday afternoon?”

“What?” Laura stared. “I never phoned the police anything!”

“You must have. It is of no consequence now, but—”

“I phoned the police,” Ellen Dunning said. “I phoned them and told them that because it was true, and I thought they ought to know.”

“But you didn’t identify yourself.”

“No, I didn’t. I was afraid to. I didn’t know what they might do because I hadn’t told about it before. But I thought they ought to know.”

I wouldn’t have dreamed that the day would ever come when I would owe Laura an apology.

“I doubt,” Wolfe said, “if you have earned their gratitude. Certainly not mine or Mr. Goodwin’s. To go back to Mr. Fox — by the way, Miss Karlin, you were released on bail this morning?”

“Yes,” Nan said.

“You were questioned at length?”

“I certainly was.”

“Did they worm it out of you that you had told Mr. Fox of your visit to Eisler’s apartment?”

“Of course not! I hadn’t told him! He didn’t know about it until yesterday!”

Wolfe’s eyes moved. “Do you confirm that, Mr. Fox?”

“I sure do.” Mel was on the edge of his chair, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, his head tilted up. “If this is the suggestion you said you’d offer you can stick it somewhere.”

“It isn’t. I’m merely clearing away the brush. Even if you and Miss Karlin are lying, if she did tell you, it can’t be proven. Therefore it is impossible to establish a motive for you. No, that is not my suggestion. I only—”

“Wait a minute,” Roger Dunning blurted. “I’ve held off up to now, but I might have known I couldn’t forever. I told Mel about it — about Nan going to Eisler’s place and what he did.”

“When?”

“I told him Sunday night. I thought he ought to know because I knew he—”

“You’re a dirty liar. Get on your feet.” Mel was on his. Dunning’s chair was right behind his, and Mel had turned to face him.

“I’m sorry, Mel,” Dunning said. “I’m damn sorry, but you can’t expect—”

“On your feet!”

“That won’t help any, Mel. That won’t—”

Mel smacked him on the jaw with his open hand, his right, and his left was on the way to countersmack him as his head swayed, but Saul Panzer and Fred Durkin were there. I was up, but they were closer. They got his arms and backed him up and turned him, and Wolfe spoke.

“If you please, Mr. Fox. I’ll deal with him. I know he’s lying.”

Mel squinted. “How the hell do you know he’s lying?”

“I know a cornered rat when I see one. Move your chair and sit down. Saul, see if Mr. Dunning has a weapon. We don’t need any melodrama.”

Dunning was on his feet, focused on Wolfe. “You said Miss Rowan’s not responsible,” he said, louder than necessary. “You said you are.” He turned to Lily. “You hired him. I advise you to fire him quick.”

Lily looked at me. I shook my head. Fred moved behind Dunning and took his arms, and Saul went over him. Mel Fox moved his chair away and sat. Cal said something to Laura, and Anna Casado spoke to Harvey Greve. Saul turned and told Wolfe, “No gun.” Dunning said to his wife, “Come on, Ellen, we’re going.” She reached and grabbed his sleeve.

Wolfe spoke. “You are not going, Mr. Dunning. When you do go you will be under escort. I repeat, I can’t say to you, ‘You killed Wade Eisler and I can prove it,’ but I do say that the probability of your guilt is so great that I stake my reputation on it. I must confess that this is impetuous, but your motive couldn’t be established without warning you; and I wished to gratify a caprice of my client, Miss Rowan, who invited me to her table for a memorable meal. She wants to deliver you to the District Attorney. Mr. Panzer and Mr. Durkin will go along to give him some information they have gathered. You are going willy-nilly. Do you want to challenge me here and now?”

Dunning turned his head to see where his chair was, and sat. He pulled his shoulders up and lifted his chin. “What information?” he asked.

“I’ll tell you its nature,” Wolfe said. “I doubt if the District Attorney would want me to give you the particulars. But first, what fixed my attention on you? You did — something that you said when you were here yesterday morning. I didn’t worm it out of you, you volunteered it, that on Monday at Miss Rowan’s place you noticed that Mr. Eisler wasn’t on the terrace and you looked around for him, inside and outside. I asked you when, and you said — I quote you verbatim: ‘It wasn’t long after Miss Rowan went in for some more coffee — maybe three minutes, maybe more than that.’ That was entirely too pat, Mr. Dunning. You were accounting for your absence in case it had been remarked on by anyone, and more important, you were accounting for your appearance in the rear of the penthouse in case you had been observed. And you did it gratuitously; I hadn’t asked for it.”

“I said it because it was true.” Dunning licked his lips.

“No doubt. But it suggested the question, what if, instead of looking for him, you were killing him? What if, having got the rope from the closet and concealed it under your jacket, you got Eisler to go with you to that shack on some pretext, or to meet you there? That attracted me. Of the persons there you were the only one whose absence during that period could be established; you yourself avowed it. But then the question, what impelled you? Had you had a cogent motive? To avenge his misconduct with Miss Karlin or with another woman or women?”

Wolfe shook his head. “That seemed unlikely, though not impossible. More probably it had been some other factor of your relations with him. But when I put Mr. Panzer and Mr. Durkin on your trail I told them to explore all avenues, and they did so. They found no hint that you had a personal interest in any of the young women Mr. Eisler had pestered, but they gathered facts that were highly suggestive. By the way, a detail: on the phone last evening I asked Miss Rowan if you knew of that shack in the rear of the penthouse, and she said that you not only knew of it, you had been in it. You went there on Sunday to make sure that the terrace would be cleared of obstructions so the ropes could be manipulated, and she took you to the shack to see the grouse that were hanging there. Is that correct, Miss Rowan?”

Lily said yes. She didn’t look happy. Since it was beginning to look as if she was going to get her money’s worth, she should have been pleased, but she didn’t look it.

“That’s a lie,” Dunning said. “I didn’t know about that shack. I never saw it.”

Wolfe nodded. “You’re desperate. You knew I wouldn’t arrange this gathering unless I had discovered something of consequence, so you start wriggling; you try to implicate Mr. Fox, your word against his, and you deny you knew of the shack, your word against Miss Rowan’s. Indeed, you started wriggling yesterday, when you had your wife phone the police in an effort to implicate Mr. Goodwin. Probably you have learned that something has been taken from your hotel room. Have you inspected the contents of your suitcase since ten o’clock last evening? The old brown one in the closet that you keep locked?”

“No.” Dunning swallowed. “Why should I?”

“I think you have. I have reason to believe that an envelope now in my safe came from that suitcase. I have examined its contents, and while they don’t prove that you killed Wade Eisler they are highly suggestive of a possible motive. I said I’ll tell you the nature of the information I have but not the particulars. However, you may have one detail.” His head turned. “Mr. Greve. You told Mr. Panzer that in the past two years you have purchased some three hundred horses, two hundred steers and bulls, and a hundred and fifty calves, in behalf of Mr. Dunning. Is that correct?”

Harvey didn’t look happy either. “That’s about right,” he said. “That’s just rough figures.”

“From how many different people did you buy them?”

“Maybe a hundred, maybe more. I scouted around.”

“How did you pay for them?”

“Some I gave them a check, but mostly cash. They like cash.”

“Your own checks?”

“Yes. Roger made deposits in my account, eight or ten thousand dollars at a time, and I paid out of that.”

“Did Mr. Dunning tell you not to divulge the amounts you paid for the animals?”

Harvey screwed up his mouth. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I. I am earning a fee. You are exposing a man who made you a party to a swindle and who is almost certainly a murderer. Did he tell you not to divulge the amounts?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Has anyone asked you to?”

“Yes. Wade Eisler. About ten days ago. I told him Roger had all the records and he’d have to ask him.”

“Did you tell Mr. Dunning that Mr. Eisler had asked you?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a lie,” Dunning said.

Wolfe nodded. “Again one person’s word against yours. But I have the envelope, and I have the names of three other men who have made purchases for you under similar arrangements, and Mr. Durkin and Mr. Panzer have spoken with them. Two of them were asked for figures recently by Wade Eisler, as was Mr. Greve. I don’t know how much you cheated Eisler out of, but from the contents of the envelope I surmise that it was many thousands.” His head turned. “Saul and Fred, you will escort Mr. Dunning to the District Attorney’s office and deliver the envelope and the information you have collected. Archie, get the envelope from the safe.”

I moved. As I passed behind Dunning’s chair he started up, but Saul’s hand on one shoulder and Fred’s on the other stopped him. As I opened the safe door Wolfe said, “Give it to Saul. Miss Rowan, do you want Mr. Goodwin to phone the District Attorney to expect you?”

I had never seen Lily so completely got. “Good lord,” she said, “I didn’t realize. You couldn’t drag me. I wish I hadn’t... No, I don’t... but I didn’t realize how — how hard it is.”

“You’re not going?”

“Of course not!”

“You, Mr. Greve? You might as well. If you don’t you’ll be sent for later.”

“Then I’ll go later.” Harvey was on his feet. “We’ve got a show on.” He looked at Cal and Mel. “What about it? Think you can handle a calf if I hold his tail?”

“But we can’t,” Nan Karlin said. “Just go and — we can’t!”

“The hell we can’t,” Cal Barrow said. “Come on, Laura.”