Rex Stout - The Mother Hunt (Rex Stout Library)

How did she know that? Haft demanded.

Presumably by inference. Presumably she knew that her baby had been in the care of Ellen Tenzer. Presumably she read newspapers, and knew what had happened to Ellen Tenzer, and knew that Mr. Goodwin had gone to ask her about buttons on a baby's overalls, and knew that the police inquiry was centered on the baby she had recently boarded. As you see, I am being candid. I could simply say that Carol Mardus admitted this or that, and Mr. Goodwin would confirm it. I prefer to be open because I need your help.

Are you open? Bingham demanded.

Yes.

All this is straight the baby, Lucy Valdon, Carol here yesterday, Ellen Tenzer?

It is.

Have you told the police?

No. I'm. Why not?

I'm about to go into that. Wolfe's eyes went right and left. I have a proposal for you gentlemen. I'm assuming that you want the murderer of Carol Mardus brought to account, as I do. If I tell the police what I know I'll tell them all I know. I'll tell them of the lists of names you supplied me with of course including the detail that Mr. Upton refused to supply one and that the name of Carol Mardus appeared on none of them. I'll tell them of the pictures that were sent to you for identification, and that each of you reported that he recognized none of them, though the one of Carol Mardus was an excellent likeness. That will make it unpleasant for you, possibly even painful. The police are not witlings; they will know that each of you may have had a private reason for your reserve not relevant to their investigation; but they will also know that if one of you was involved with Carol Mardus regarding the baby, and if you killed Ellen Tenzer, you would certainly have omitted her name from your list and you would not have identified the picture. So they will be importunate with all of you.

You seem to be saying, Krug said dryly, that you are keeping all this from the police out of consideration for us.

Wolfe shook his head. Not likely. I owe you no consideration at all, and you owe me none. But perhaps we can be mutually helpful. I would prefer not to help the police get the murderer because I want to get him myself, and I intend to. He has dared me with flagrant impudence. My client, Mrs. Valdon, gave me information in confidence, and I'll reveal it only under compulsion.

Haft had removed the cheaters and was fingering the bows. You said you had a proposal.

Yes. I can save you gentlemen severe annoyance by not telling the police what I know. In return you will answer some questions. Many questions. You may refuse to answer any specific one, but a refusal is often more informative than a reply. The point is, all of you will remain until I have finished. It may take hours. I don't expect to get all that is in your minds and memories regarding Carol Mardus, but I'll get all I can.

You would probably get more, Krug said, if you took us separately.

Wolfe shook his head. This is better. What one omits another may supply. And it's safer, since it must be all or none. If one of you would rather answer to the police than to me, I withdraw the proposal. You, Mr. Krug?

I'll answer to the police anyway. I'm Carol's divorced husband. Of course the list and the picture would make it worse. And if you're as good as your reputation… I'll take you. I'll answer your questions.

Mr. Bingham?

I'm in. I may answer your questions.

Mr. Haft?

He had the cheaters back on. It seems to me all one-sided. You can tell the police about the lists and the pictures whenever you please.

True. You risk that. I know I won't, if all of you accept my proposal, but you don't. Your choice is between a certainty and a possibility.

Very well. I accept the proposal.

Wolfe swiveled to look up at the clock. Ten minutes to three. Good-by schedule. He couldn't possibly make it. He swiveled back. It will take a while, he said. Will you have something to drink?

They all would, and Wolfe rang for Fritz. Scotch and soda for Haft, bourbon and water for Krug, brandy with water on the side for Bingham, milk for me, and beer for Wolfe. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Haft got up and crossed over to the bookshelves and looked at titles. Bingham asked to use the phone and then decided not to. Krug sat fidgeting, staring here and then there, lacing and unlacing his fingers. When his bourbon and water came he took some, had trouble with the swallowing, and nearly coughed it out. Wolfe opened the bottle of beer, dropped the cap in the drawer they always go there so he can keep count poured, watched the foam go down to an inch, and drank.

He licked his lips and focused on the divorced husband. I have a suggestion, Mr. Krug. Tell me about Carol Mardus your association with her, her association with others, anything that you think might be material. I'll interrupt with questions only if I must.

Willis Krug took his time. He looked at Haft, not merely a glance, then at Bingham, and then at his glass, which was resting on his leg and had the fingers of both his hands curled around it. When he spoke his eyes stayed on the glass.

There are people, he said, quite a few people, who could probably tell you as much about Carol and me as I can. Maybe more for her part of it. We were married for exactly fourteen months. I wouldn't go through that again for… He raised his eyes to Wolfe. You know I was Dick Valdon's agent.

Wolfe nodded.

Carol sent him to me. I had never met her or heard of her. She was a reader on Distaff, and she had persuaded Manny Upton to take three of Dick's stories, and she thought he should have an agent and sent him to me, and I met her through Dick, and we were married about a year later. I knew she and Dick had been together. Everybody did. She had been with Manny Upton too. Everybody knew that too. I'm not speaking ill of the dead. She wouldn't think I was speaking ill of her if she were sitting here. She married me because she had been made fiction editor of Distaff, an important job, and she wanted well, I'll use her words. She said she wanted to go tame. She was good with words. She could have made it as a writer.

He took some bourbon and water and was careful with the swallowing. I thought she stayed tame for three or four months, but I didn't really know. I soon realized that with her, you would never really know. I'm not going to name names because that was more than five years ago, and it wouldn't mean anything about the time you're interested in. I don't mean I'm not interested. I am. There was a time when I might have strangled her myself if I if I had that in me. But that was long ago. You say you want to get the murderer all right, I want you to. Of course I do. One thing hard for me to believe, that she had a baby. The way you tell it, she must have. She had an abortion while she was married to me. If she had a baby, Dick Valdon must have been the father, I'm sure of that. No other man ever meant to her what Dick did. God knows I didn't. Are you sure about the baby? That she went to Florida and had a baby?

Yes.

Then Dick Valdon was the father.

Wolfe grunted. I'm obliged to you, sir, on behalf of my client. Naturally the father's identity is of interest to her. Go on.

That's all.

Surely not. When was the divorce?