Rex Stout - In the Best Families

That, Wolfe said, “will take more than me. I am by no means up to that. And not only my capacities, but the circumstances themselves, restrict me to a much more modest ambition. I can get you one of the things you want, removal of all suspicion from the innocent, but the other, having Mrs Rackham's bequest to her husband set aside, is beyond me.

They all frowned at him, in their various fashions. Hammond, the banker, protested, “That doesn't seem to make sense. What accomplishes one accomplishes the other. If you prove that Rackham killed his wife-

“But I can't prove that. Wolfe shook his head. “I'm sorry, but it can't be done. It is true that Rackham deserved to die, and as a murderer. He killed a woman here in New York three years ago, a woman named Delia Montrose-one of Mr

Cramer's unsolved cases; Rackham ran his car over her. That was how Zeck originally got a noose on Rackham, by threatening to expose him for the murder he did commit. As you know, Mr Archer, I penetrated some distance-not very far, but far enough-into Zeck's confidence, and I learned a good deal about his methods. I doubt if he ever had conclusive evidence that Rackham had killed

Delia Montrose, but Rackham, conscious of his guilt, hadn't the spine to demand a showdown. Murderers seldom have. Then Rackham got a spine, suddenly and fortuitously, by becoming a millionaire; he thought then he could fight it; he defied Zeck; and Zeck, taking his time, retorted by threatening to expose

Rackham for the murder of his wife. The threat was dangerous and effective even without authentic evidence to support it; there could of course be no authentic evidence that Rackham killed his wife, because he didn't.

They all froze, still wearing the frowns. Knowing Wolfe as I did, I had suspected that was coming, so I was taking them all in to get the impact, but there wasn't much to choose. After the first shock they all began to make noises, then words came, and then, as the full beauty of it hit them, the words petered out.

All but Archer's. “You have signed a statement, he told Wolfe, “to the effect that Zeck told Rackham he could produce evidence that would convict him of murder, and that Rackham thereupon shot Zeck. Now you say, in contradiction-

There is no contradiction, Wolfe declared. “The fact of Rackham's innocence would have been no defence against evidence manufactured by Zeck, and Rackham knew it. Innocent as he was-of this murder, that is-he knew what Zeck was capable of.

“You have said that you think Rackham killed his wife, but that you have no proof.

“I have not, Wolfe snapped. “Read your transcripts.

“I shall. And you now say that you think Rackham did not kill his wife?

“Not that I think he didn't. I know he didn't, because I know who did. Wolfe flipped a hand. “I've known that from the beginning. That night in April, when

Mr Goodwin phoned me that Mrs Rackham had been murdered, I knew who had murdered her. But I also knew that the interests of Arnold Zeck were involved and I dared not move openly. So I-but you know all about that. Wolfe turned to me. “Archie.

Precautions may not be required, but you might as well take them.

I opened a desk drawer and got out the Grisson.38. My favourite Colt, taken from me in Zeck's garage antechamber, was gone forever. After a glance at the cylinder I dropped the Grisson in my side pocket and as I did so lifted my head to the audience. As if they had all been on one circuit, the six pairs of eyes left me and went to Wolfe.

“I don't like this, Archer said in a tight voice. “I am here officially, and I don't like it. I want to speak to you privately.

Wolfe shook his head. “It's much better this way, Mr Archer, believe me. We're not in your county, and you're free to leave if it gets too much for you, but-

“I don't want to leave. I want a talk with you. If you knew, that night, who had killed Mrs Rackham, I intend to-

“It is, Wolfe said cuttingly, “of no importance what you intend. You have had five months to implement your intentions, and where are you? I admit that up to three days ago I had one big advantage over you, but not since then-not since I told you of the package I got with a cylinder of tear gas in it, and of the phone call from Mr Zeck. That brought you even with me. It was after noon on a

Friday that Mrs Rackham left here after hiring me. It was the next morning,

Saturday, that I received that package and the phone call from Zeck. How had he learned about it? Apparently he even knew the amount of the cheque she had given me. How? From whom?

I was not really itching to shoot anybody. So I got up and unobtrusively moved around back of them, to the rear of the chair that was occupied by Calvin Leeds.

Wolfe was proceeding.

“It was not inconceivable that Mrs Rackham had told someone else about it, her daughter-in-law or her secretary, or even her husband, but it was most unlikely, in view of her insistence on secrecy. She said she had confided in no one except her cousin, Calvin Leeds. Wolfe's head jerked right and he snapped, “That's correct, Mr Leeds?

Being back of Leeds, I couldn't see his face, but there was no difficulty about hearing him, since he spoke much too loud.

“Certainly, he said. “Up to then-before she came to see you-certainly.

“Good, Wolfe said approvingly. “You're already drawing up your lines of defence. You'll need them.

“What you're doing, Leeds said, still too loud, “if I understand you-you're intimating that I told Zeck about my cousin's coming here and hiring you. You're intimating that in front of witnesses.

“That's right, Wolfe agreed. “But it's not vital to me; I mention it chiefly to explain why I suspected you of duplicity, and of being involved in some way with

Arnold Zeck even before Mr Goodwin left here that day to go up there. It draws attention to you, no doubt of that; but it is not primary evidence that you murdered your cousin. The proof that it was you who killed her was given to me on the phone that night by Mr Goodwin.

There were stirrings and little noises. Leeds ignored them.

“So, he said, not so loud now, “you're actually accusing me before witnesses of murdering my cousin?

“I'm accusing you of that, yes, sir, but also I'm accusing you of something much worse than that. Wolfe spat it at him. “I'm accusing you of deliberately and ruthlessly, to protect yourself from the consequences of your murder of your cousin for the money you would inherit from her, thrusting that knife into the belly of a dog that loved you and trusted you!

Leeds started up, but hadn't got far when my hands were on his shoulders, and with plenty of pressure. He let down. I moved my hands to the back of his chair.

Wolfe's voice was cold and cutting. “No one could have done that but you, Mr

Leeds. In the woods at night, that trained dog would not have gone far from its mistress. Someone else might possibly have killed the dog first and then her, but it wasn't done that way, because the knife was left in the dog. And if someone else, permitted to get close to her, had succeeded in killing her with a sudden savage thrust and then defended himself against the dog's attack, it is not believable that he could have stopped so ferocious a beast by burying the knife in its side without himself getting a single tooth mark on him. You know those dogs; you wouldn't believe it; neither will I.