Rex Stout - The Red Box

“I’ll try to. Tell me.”

“Not more than half a minute, I’m sure it wasn’t. I took another piece and was eating it, and Molly was looking into the box, saying something about taking the taste out of her mouth—”

She stopped because the door popped open. Llewellyn Frost appeared, carrying a paper bag. I got up and took it from him, and extracted from it the opener and glass and bottles and arranged them in front of Wolfe. Wolfe picked up the opener and felt of a bottle.

“Umph. Schreirer’s. It’s too cold.”

I sat down again. “It’ll make a bead. Try it.” He poured. Helen Frost was saying to her cousin:

“So that’s what you went for. Your detective wants to know exactly what I said, my exact words, and he asks Thelma if I handled the box of candy...”

Frost patted her on the shoulder. “Now, Helen. Take it easy. He knows what he’s doing...”

One bottle was empty, and the glass. Frost sat down. Wolfe wiped his lips.

“You were saying, Miss Mitchell, Miss Lauck spoke of taking the taste out of her mouth.”

The blonde nodded. “Yes. And then — well — all of a sudden she straightened up and made a noise. She didn’t scream, it was just a noise, a horrible noise. She got off the table and then leaned back against it and her face was all twisted... it was... twisted. She looked at me with her eyes staring, and her mouth went open and shut but she couldn’t say anything, and suddenly she shook all over and grabbed for me and got hold of my hair... and... and...”

“Yes, Miss Mitchell.”

The blonde gulped. “Well, when she went down she took me with her because she had hold of my hair. Then of course I was scared. I jerked away. Later, when the doctor... when people came, she had a bunch of my hair gripped in her fingers.”

Wolfe eyed her. “You have good nerves, Miss Mitchell.”

“I’m not a softy. I had a good cry after I got home that night, I cried it out. But I didn’t cry then. Helen stood against the wall and trembled and stared and couldn’t move, she’ll tell you that herself. I ran to the elevator and yelled for help, and then I ran back and put the lid on the box of candy and held onto it until Mr. McNair came and then I gave it to him. Molly was dead. I could see that. She was crumpled up. She fell down dead.” She gulped again. “Maybe you could tell me. The doctor said it was some kind of acid, and it said in the paper potassium cyanide.”

Lew Frost put in, “Hydrocyanic. The police say — it’s the same thing. I told you that. Didn’t I?”

Wolfe wiggled a finger at him. “Please, Mr. Frost. It is I who am to earn the fee, you to pay it. — Then Miss Mitchell, you felt no discomfort from your two pieces, and Miss Lauck ate only one.”

“That’s all.” The blonde shivered. “It’s terrible, to think there’s something that can kill you that quick. She couldn’t even speak. You could see it go right through her, when she shook all over. I held onto the box, but I got rid of it as soon as I saw Mr. McNair.”

“Then, I understand, you ran away.”

She nodded. “I ran to the washroom.” She made a face. “I had to throw up. I had eaten two pieces.”

“Indeed. Most efficient.” Wolfe had opened another bottle, and was pouring. “To go back a little. You had not seen that box of candy before Miss Lauck took it from under the coat?”

“No. I hadn’t.”

“What do you suppose she meant when she said she had swiped it?”

“Why — she meant — she saw it somewhere and took it.”

Wolfe turned. “Miss Frost. What do you suppose Miss Lauck meant by that?”

“I suppose she meant what she said, that she swiped it. Stole it.”

“Was that customary with her? Was she a thief?”

“Of course not. She only took a box of candy. She did it for a joke, I suppose. She liked to play jokes — to do things like that.”

“Had you seen the box before she produced it in that room?”

“No.”

Wolfe emptied his glass in five gulps, which was par, and wiped his lips. His half-shut eyes were on the blonde. “I believe you went to lunch that day with Miss Lauck. Tell us about that.”

“Well — Molly and I went together about one o’clock. We were hungry because we had been working hard — the show had been going on since eleven o’clock — but we only went to the drug store around the corner because we had to be back in twenty minutes to give Helen and the extras a chance. The show was supposed to be from eleven to two, but we knew they’d keep dropping in. We ate sandwiches and custard and came straight back.”

“Did you see Miss Lauck swipe the box of candy at the drug store?”

“Of course I didn’t. She wouldn’t do that.”

“Did you get it at the drug store yourself and bring it back with you?”

Miss Mitchell stared at him. She said, disgusted, “For the Lord’s sake. No.”

“You’re sure Miss Lauck didn’t get it somewhere while out for lunch?”

“Of course I’m sure. I was right with her.”

“And she didn’t go out again during the afternoon?”

“No. We were working together until half past three, when there was a let-up and she left to go upstairs, and a little later Helen and I came up and found her here. There in the restroom.”

“And she ate a piece of candy and died, and you ate two and didn’t.” Wolfe sighed. “There is of course the possibility that she had brought the box with her when she came to work that morning.”

The blonde shook her head. “I’ve thought of that. We’ve all talked about it. She didn’t have any package. Anyway, where could it have been all morning? It wasn’t in the restroom, and there wasn’t anyplace else...”

Wolfe nodded. “That’s the devil of it. It’s recorded history. You aren’t really telling me your fresh and direct memory of what happened last Monday, you’re merely repeating the talk it has been resolved into. — I beg you, no offense, you can’t help it. I should have been here last Monday afternoon — or rather, I shouldn’t have been here at all. I shouldn’t be here now.” He glared at Llewellyn Frost, then remembered the beer, filled his glass, and drank.

He looked from one girl to the other. “You know, of course, what the problem is. Last Monday there were more than a hundred people here, mostly women but a few men, for that show. It was a cold March day and they all wore coats. Who brought that box of candy? The police have questioned everyone connected with this establishment. They have found no one who ever saw the box or will admit to any knowledge of it. No one who saw Miss Lauck with it or has any idea where she got it. An impossible situation!”

He wiggled a finger at Frost. “I told you, sir, this case is not within my province. I can use a dart or a rapier, but I cannot set traps throughout the territory of the metropolitan district. Who brought the poison here? Whom was it intended for? God knows, but I am not prepared to make a call on Him, no matter how many orchid-growers are coerced into signing idiotic letters. I doubt if it is worthwhile for me to try even for the second half of your fee, since your cousin — your ortho-cousin — refuses to become acquainted with me. As for the first half, the solution of Miss Lauck’s death, I could undertake that only through interviews with all of the persons who were in this place last Monday; and I doubt if you could persuade even the innocent ones to call at my office.”

Lew Frost muttered, “It’s your job. You took it. If you’re not up to it—”

“Nonsense. Does a bridge engineer dig ditches?” Wolfe opened the third bottle. “I believe I have not thanked you for this beer. I do thank you. I assure you, sir, this problem is well within my abilities in so far as it is possible to apply them. In so far — for instance, take Miss Mitchell here. Is she telling the truth? Did she murder Molly Lauck? Let us find out.” He turned and got sharp. “Miss Mitchell. Do you eat much candy?”