Rex Stout - The Rodeo Murder

Dunning shook his head. “I can’t make it close. The police wanted me to and I did the best I could, but all I can say, it wasn’t long after Miss Rowan went in for some more coffee — maybe three minutes, maybe more than that. Then when I went back in after looking outside Cal Barrow said his rope was gone and he was looking for it, and I wondered if Eisler had took it but I couldn’t guess why.”

“How many people did you tell about Miss Karlin’s experience at Eisler’s apartment?”

“How many?” Dunning frowned. “No people at all. What good would that do?”

“You told no one?”

“No.”

“And you haven’t told the police?”

“No.” He licked his lips. “I figured it would just sick them on Nan, and I couldn’t see any sense in that. What you asked her about her and me, there’s nothing to that, she’s just one of the girls, but I know her pretty well and she wouldn’t kill a man just because he had pawed at her. I’d like to ask you a question. You say Miss Rowan has hired you to investigate?”

“Yes.”

“You weren’t there when it happened, and neither was Goodwin. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“But Miss Rowan was, and she hires you. She’s paying you. So you’re not going to investigate her , naturally. I got the idea there yesterday that she didn’t like Eisler any too well. I don’t suppose you’re interested in that? I suppose you think it has to be one of us, the boys and girls and me?”

Wolfe grunted. He turned his head. “Archie. I haven’t asked you. Did Miss Rowan kill Mr. Eisler?”

“No, sir.”

“Then that’s settled. Mr. Dunning, obviously it was one of you. By the way, Miss Karlin, I haven’t asked you: did you kill Mr. Eisler?”

“No.”

“Mr. Fox. Did you?”

“No.”

“When did you first learn of Miss Karlin’s visit to Eisler’s apartment Sunday night?”

“Today. Two hours ago. Roger told me after you phoned him. If I’d known about it Sunday night or yesterday morning Eisler wouldn’t of got killed there yesterday because he wouldn’t of been there. He would of been in bed or maybe in the hospital.”

“Then it’s a pity you didn’t know.”

“Yeah. Roger told me because you told him to bring me along, he didn’t know why and I don’t either, but I can make a guess. You’re a friend of Harvey Greve’s.”

“Mr. Goodwin is.”

“Yeah. So Harvey tells him things. He tells him about Nan and me, that we’re fixing to get hitched, which we are, and you—”

“Not Harvey,” Nan said. “Laura. Laura told him. Because they’ve arrested Cal.”

“All right, maybe Laura.” Mel stayed at Wolfe. “So that looks like a good setup. Eisler went after my girl and I killed him. So you tell Roger to bring me along. I understand you’re about as slick as they come, you can bend a loop around a corner, but let’s see you try. Here’s Roger says he didn’t tell anybody about Nan going there. Here’s Nan says she didn’t tell anybody but Laura and Roger. So I didn’t know about it unless Eisler told me himself, and that don’t seem practical, and he’s dead. So here I am and it’s your move.”

“ You did know about it! ”

It was Laura Jay’s voice and it came from the waterfall that covered the hole, which was only a couple of arms’ lengths from Roger Dunning, and he jerked around. I bounced up and started for the hall, but had got only halfway when here came Laura.

She went straight to Mel and stopped, facing him, and spoke. “You knew about it because I told you.” She turned to Wolfe: “Yesterday. I told him yesterday morning. I thought he—”

She was interrupted. Nan flew at her and smacked her on the side of the head.

Somehow when two women tie into each other it’s harder to separate them than it is two men. It’s not just that you don’t want to hurt a woman if you can help it; they’re actually more wriggly and you’re more apt to get scratched or bit; and when it’s two active cowgirls it’s a real problem. However, I had help. Roger and Mel were closer than I was, and Roger had Laura’s shoulders, and Mel had Nan around the waist, when I reached them. They yanked them apart, and I merely stepped in between. Laura wriggled free from Roger, but I was there. Mel had Nan wrapped up.

“Pfui,” Wolfe said. “Miss Jay, your talent for turmoil is extraordinary. Archie, put her—”

“She’s a liar,” Nan said. She was panting a little, and her eyes were blazing. “I knew it was her. I knew she—”

“Hold it, Nan,” Mel commanded her. His eyes were narrowed at Wolfe. “So you had it rigged good, huh? So you had her all primed, huh?”

“I did not.” Wolfe was emphatic. “This is becoming farcical. You were right, up to a point, Miss Karlin. Miss Jay, concerned on account of Mr. Barrow, came to see Mr. Goodwin, to tell him of your experience at Eisler’s apartment. She stated that you made her promise not to tell Mr. Fox, and that she had kept the promise. Thinking it well to have her at hand, I had her shown to a room upstairs and told her to stay there. Her abrupt entry surprised me as much as you. Miss Jay, did you tell Mr. Goodwin that you had not told Mr. Fox?”

“Yes.” Laura’s chin was up.

“But you now say you had?”

“Yes.”

“Precisely where and when?”

“Yesterday morning at the hotel. In the lobby after breakfast.”

“You had breakfast with Mr. Barrow. Was he present?”

“No. He went to buy some cigarettes, and I saw Mel there and went and told him.”

“Look here, Laura,” Mel said. “Look at me.”

Her head came around, slowly, and she met his eyes, straight.

“You know darned well that ain’t so,” he said. “This slicker talked you into it. He told you that was the way to get Cal out of trouble. Didn’t he?”

“No.”

“You mean you can stand there and look me in the eye and he like that?”

“I don’t know, Mel, I never tried.”

“Listen, Laura,” Roger Dunning said, to her back. “If it’s on account of Cal, I don’t think you have to. I’ve got a lawyer on it and he’ll soon have him out on bail, thirty thousand dollars. He may be out already. They can’t charge him with murder unless they can show some reason why he wanted to kill Eisler, and there wasn’t any.”

“It’s not just her,” Mel said. He had backed Nan up and moved in front of her. He turned to me. “You’re slick too, huh?”

“Not very,” I said. “I manage somehow.”

“I bet you do. I bet you’re pretty good at answering questions. What if I asked you where you was yesterday while someone was killing Eisler?”

“That’s easy. I was driving a car. Driving Mr. Wolfe home and then back to Sixty-third Street.”

“Was anybody else along?”

“Nope. Just us two.”

“Did you see anybody on the way that knows you?”

“No.”

“Did anybody here see you except Wolfe?”

“No, I didn’t come in. I wanted to get back in time for the roping — I mean the contest, not roping Eisler. You’re asking pretty good questions, but you’ll hit the same snag with me as with Cal Barrow. You’ll have to show some reason why I wanted to kill Eisler.”

“Yeah. Or why Wolfe would want you to, the man you work for. Or why that Miss Rowan would, the woman that’s hired him.” He turned to Wolfe. “You better look out with this Laura Jay. She ain’t cut out for a liar.” He turned to Laura. “I’ll be having a talk with you, Laura. Private.” He turned to Roger Dunning. “This lawyer you got to get bail for Cal, is he any good?”

Roger’s long narrow face was even longer. “I think he’s all right. He seems to know his way around.”