Isaac Asimov - Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Vol. 73, No. 3. Whole No. 424, March 1979

“What does he mean, Nicky?”

“I’ll explain later.”

But for Felix Poland the time for explanations was now. “You see this item in the ‘Mayfair Gossip’ column? The light’s dim so I’ll read it to you. ‘ Actress Hope Trennis is still mourning the apparent suicide of her best friend, Rena Poland. Trennis refuses to accept the verdict and tells friends that Rena wasn’t the sort to kill herself, saying, “If there was poison in that wine, her husband probably put it there.” ’ End of item, beginning of lawsuit. This is going to cost Hope Trennis and the London Free Press one million pounds!”

“Why did you have to get that particular paper?”

“They stopped the presses and yanked that item at the very beginning of the run. They insisted no copies were distributed, but when I heard about it I knew Hope would have one if anybody did. And just one is all I need to prove publication.”

“She must have known it was a foolish thing to keep. That’s why she told the butler to burn it.”

“The editor was asleep, allowing such an item to slip through in the first place. The British libel laws are quite strict, and no one is going to print that about me!”

Gloria and Nick got out of the cab at their hotel. “A pleasure doing business with you,” Nick said.

“And you, sir.”

Nick stood on the curb watching the taxi pull away. After all, his luck had held. Now if only he could explain it to Gloria...

In the elevator she said, “You always told me you worked for the government.”

“Sometimes I do.”

“Stealing things?”

“I—” The elevator doors slid open on their floor and he cut short the conversation. Eric Noble, the man from the BBC, was leaning against the wall by their door, obviously waiting for them. “How did you get here so fast?” Nick asked.

“My taxi driver knew a short cut. You lit your cigarette with matches from here, so I knew where to find you. These American-owned places always have free matches.”

“A regular detective!”

“That’s why I’m here. May we talk inside?”

Gloria produced her key and unlocked the door. Once inside, Nick asked, “Now what’s this all about?”

“Poland intends to sue Hope for libel, doesn’t he?”

“You’ll have to ask him.”

“He really did poison his wife, you know.”

“Then he won’t win his case, will he?”

“The libel laws here are tricky. Sometimes truth is no defense. But that’s beside the point. I’m a close friend of Hope’s and I want to protect her. I don’t want to see her dragged through a long libel action by that swine Poland.”

“And yet you didn’t sound the alarm when you found me at her safe.”

“You weren’t taking anything. Later, when I realized what happened while your wife diverted our attention, it was too late. Poland needed that paper, and you stole it for him.”

“What about his wife? Was she poisoned?”

Noble nodded. “Two months ago. She and Hope were great friends and she told Hope everything. Poland wanted a divorce so he could go off with some young bird from one of the gambling clubs. They had bad scenes over money and Rena wouldn’t consent to a divorce. Then one afternoon in his office she drank a glass of poisoned wine and died. The police decided it had to be suicide.”

“Why?”

“Because she was alone at the time. Poland was attending a meeting on the next floor, and I was at the meeting myself to vouch for it. She poured herself a glass of sherry from the decanter in his office. His secretary heard noises and rushed in to find Rena dying on the floor. The police found poison in the glass but not in the decanter. There was no way that Poland could have poisoned the drink before it was poured, and he was still in our meeting when the news reached him.”

“Yet Hope accused him.”

“She shouldn’t have said it, and the London Free Press shouldn’t have printed it. But she feels strongly on the subject. She knew Rena well enough to rule out suicide completely, so she knows Poland must have killed her somehow. If he wasn’t in charge of film distribution over here for her producer she never would have invited him tonight. Oddly enough, we were discussing the BBC showing of ‘100 Minutes’ in that meeting two months ago, the afternoon Rena died.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“Well, I had a couple of chaps with me, and so did Poland. The meeting was scheduled for three, and the wall clock was chiming the hour as he walked through the door. I remember checking my watch against it. Poland sat at the head of the conference table and we started our meeting. It was just ten minutes later when his secretary phoned from the floor below to say that Rena had been stricken. I went down with him, but by the time we arrived she was dead.”

“Did he marry the girl from the gambling club?”

“Not yet, but I expect he will after a decent interval.”

“All right,” Nick said. “I’ve listened to your story. Now what do you want of me?”

“Your help in preventing this lawsuit. I want you to go to Felix Poland tomorrow and persuade him to abandon it, or else I’ll have Hope file burglary charges against you.”

Gloria rushed to Nick’s side. “He’s no burglar!”

“When I caught him he seemed quite skilled at it.”

Nick weighed the possibilities. He was certain the burglary charge would never stand up, but Hope Trennis was an important woman with important friends. He didn’t want to be stuck in England for weeks or more while the charges were pending. “I’ll go see Poland,” he said. “That’s all I can promise.”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Agreed.”

“And don’t try sneaking out of the country.”

When they were alone, Gloria said, “Nicky, you haven’t been honest with me.”

“Let’s wait till this is over. Then I promise to tell you everything.”

In the morning Nick went to Felix Poland’s office. He was there shortly after ten o’clock, stopping only long enough to cash Poland’s check and have the money converted into American dollars for transfer to his New York bank. The film distribution office occupied two floors of one of London’s newer buildings. He found Poland on the lower floor, checking the ad layouts for a new American movie about to open in Leicester Square. The stout man seemed annoyed to see him again and sent his secretary scurrying from the office.

“Our business was concluded last night, Velvet. You have no reason to come here.”

Nick glanced around the office, taking in the expensive wood paneling and the little bar where some decanters stood. That would have been where Rena Poland poured her last glass of sherry. “I’m in a bit of difficulty,” Nick began. “Eric Noble caught me in the act, so to speak. He threatens to have me arrested if you institute that lawsuit.”

Felix Poland folded his hands before him on the desk. “That’s a danger in your trade, I suppose. I can hardly come to your aid.”

“Noble thinks you really did poison your wife.”

“Would I be foolish enough to drag this whole thing into court if I had?”

“A clever man would. Or a man who thought the law couldn’t touch him.”

“Scotland Yard investigated the case and cleared me without question. No one — not Hope Trennis or Eric Noble or Nick Velvet — can say differently. If anyone does, I’ll sue each one for a million pounds. Is that clear?”

“Certainly. But I was wondering about the exact circumstances of your wife’s death.”

Poland jabbed impatiently at the call button on his desk. When his dark-haired secretary appeared he told her, “Run through your testimony about my wife’s death, will you, Carol? Mr. Velvet here has a great curiosity.”