Rex Stout - Nero Wolfe Read Online Free PDF Page B

be able to present them with an exposed murderer. Confound it! There is still a chance. Archie, come with me. Fritz, Felix, Zoltan, remain with these women. If one or more of them insist on leaving do not detain them by force, but have the names and the times of departure. If they want to eat feed them. I’ll be—”
    â€œI’m going home,” Fern Faber said stubbornly.
    â€œVery well, go. You’ll be got out of bed by a policeman before the night’s out. I’ll be in the dining room, Fritz. Come, Archie.”
    He went and I followed, along the pantry corridor and through the two-way door. On the way I glanced at my wrist watch: ten past eleven. I rather expected to find the dining room empty, but it wasn’t. Eight of them were still there, the only ones missing being Schriver and Hewitt, who were probably upstairs. The air was heavy with cigar smoke. All of them but Adrian Dart were at the table with their chairs pushed back at various angles, with brandy glasses and cigars. Dart was standing with his back to a picture of honkers onthe wing, holding forth. As we entered he stopped and heads turned.
    Emil Kreis spoke. “Oh, there you are. I was coming to the kitchen but didn’t want to butt in. Schriver asked me to apologize to Fritz Brenner. Our custom is to ask the chef to join us with champagne, which is barbarous but gay, but of course in the circumstances …” He let it hang, and added, “Shall I explain to him? Or will you?”
    â€œI will.” Wolfe went to the end of the table and sat. He had been on his feet for nearly two hours—all very well for his twice-a-day sessions in the plant rooms, but not elsewhere. He looked around. “Mr. Pyle is still alive?”
    â€œWe hope so,” one said. “We sincerely hope so.”
    â€œI ought to be home in bed,” another one said. “I have a hard day tomorrow. But it doesn’t seem …” He took a puff on his cigar.
    Emil Kreis reached for the brandy bottle. “There’s been no word since I came down.” He looked at his wrist watch. “Nearly an hour ago. I suppose I should go up. It’s so damned unpleasant.” He poured brandy.
    â€œTerrible,” one said. “Absolutely terrible. I understand you were asking which one of the girls brought him the caviar. Kreis says you asked him.”
    Wolfe nodded. “I also asked Mr. Schriver and Mr. Hewitt. And Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Brenner, and the two men who came to help at my request. And the women themselves. After more than an hour with them I am still at fault. I have discovered the artifice the culprit used, but not her identity.”
    â€œAren’t you a bit premature?” Leacraft, the lawyer, asked. “There may be no culprit. An acute and severe gastric disturbance may be caused—”
    â€œNonsense. I am too provoked for civility, Mr.Leacraft. The symptoms are typical of arsenic, and you heard Mr. Pyle complain of sand, but that’s not all. I said I have discovered the artifice. None of them will admit serving him the first course. The one assigned to him found he had already been served and served me instead. There is indeed a culprit. She put arsenic in the cream
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, served it to Mr. Pyle, returned to the kitchen for another portion, and came and served it to someone else. That is established.”
    â€œBut then,” the lawyer objected, “one of them served no one. How could that be?”
    â€œI am not a tyro at inquiry, Mr. Leacraft. I’ll ravel it for you later if you want, but now I want to get on. It is no conjecture that poison was given to Mr. Pyle by the woman who brought him the caviar; it is a fact. By a remarkable combination of cunning and luck she has so far eluded identification, and I am appealing to you. All of you. I ask you to close your eyes and recall the scene. We are here at table, discussing the orchids—the spots and streaks.