Rex Stout: In the Best Families

She laughed. “Duke isn't loose, he's with me. He wouldn't have touched you. He would have stopped three paces off, springing distance, and waited for me. Don't you like dogs?

“It depends on the dog. You might as well ask if I like lemon pie. With a dog who thinks of space between him and me only in terms of springing distance, my attitude is strictly one of trepidant vigilance.

“My Lord. She blinked long lashes over dark blue eyes. “Do you always talk like that? The eyes went to Hammond. “Did you get that, Dana?

“I quite agree with him, Hammond declared, “as you know. I'm not afraid to say so, either, because it shows the lengths I'll go to, to be with you. When you opened his kennel and he leaped out I could feel my hair standing up.

“I know, Annabel Frey said scornfully. “Duke knows too. I guess I'd better put him in. She left us, speaking to the dog, who abandoned his pose and trotted to her, and they disappeared around a corner of the building. There was a similarity in the movements of the two, muscular and sure and quick, but sort of nervous and dainty.

“Now we can relax, I told Hammond.

“I just can't help it, he said, irritated. “I'm not strong for dogs anyhow, and with these… He shrugged. “I'd just as soon go for a walk with a tiger.

Soon Annabel rejoined us, with a crack about Hammond's hair. I suggested that if they had something to do I could wait for Leeds without any help, but she said no.

“We only came to see you, she stated impersonally. “That is, I did, and Mr

Hammond went to the length of coming along. Just to see you, even if you are

Archie Goodwin, I wouldn't cross the street; but I want to watch you work. So many things fall short of the build-up, I want to see if a famous detective does. I'm sceptical already. You look younger than you should, and you dress too well, and if you really thought that dog might jump you, you should have done something to-where did that come from? Hey!

Sometimes I fumble a little drawing from my armpit, but that time it had been slick and clean. I had the barrel pointed straight up. Hammond had made a noise and an involuntary backward jerk.

I grinned at her. “Showing off. Okay? Want to try it? Get him and send him out from behind that same bush, with orders to take me, and any amount up to two bits, even, that he won't reach me. I returned the gun to the holster.

“Ready?

She blinked. “You mean you would?

Hammond giggled. He was a full-sized middle-aged man and he looked like a banker, and I want to be fair to him, but he giggled. “Look out, Annabel, he said warningly. “He might.›

“Of course, I told her, “you would be in the line of fire, and I've never shot a fast-moving dog, so we would both be taking a risk. Only I don't like you being sceptical. Stick around and you'll see.

That was a mistake, caused by my temperament. It is natural and wholesome for a man of my age to enjoy association with a woman of her age, maid, wife, or widow, but I should have had sense enough to stop to realise what I was getting in for. She had said that she had come to watch me work, and there I was asking for it. As a result, I had to spend a solid hour pretending that I was hell bent to find out who had poisoned one of Leeds' dogs when I didn't care a hang. Not that I love dog poisoners, but that wasn't what was on my mind.

When Calvin Leeds showed up, as he did soon in an old station wagon with its rear taken up with a big wire cage, the four of us made a tour of the kennels and the runs, with Leeds briefing me, and me asking questions and making notes, and then we went in the house and extended the inquiry to aspects such as the poison used, the method employed, the known suspects, and so on. It was a strain. I had to make it good, because that was what I was supposed to be there for, and also because Annabel was too good-looking to let her be sceptical about me. And the dog hadn't even died! He was alive and well. But I went to it as if it were the biggest case of the year for Nero Wolfe and me, and Leeds got a good fifty bucks' worth of detection for nothing. Of course nobody got detected, but

I asked damn' good questions.

After Annabel and Hammond left to return to Birchvale next door, I asked Leeds about Hammond, and sure enough he was a banker. He was a vice-president of the

Metropolitan Trust Company, who handled affairs for Mrs Rackham-had done so ever since the death of her first husband. When I remarked that Hammond seemed to have it in mind to handle Mrs Rackham's daughter-in-law also, Leeds said he hadn't noticed. I asked who else would be there at dinner.

“You and me, Leeds said. He was sipping a highball, taking his time with it. We were in the little living-room of his little house, about which there was nothing remarkable except the dozens of pictures of dogs on the walls. Moving around outside, there had been more spring to him than to lots of guys half his age; now he was sprawled on a couch, all loose. I was reminded of one of the dogs we had come upon during our tour, lying in the sun at the door of its kennel.

“You and me, he said, “and my cousin and her husband, and Mrs Frey, whom you have met, and Hammond, and the statesman, that's seven-

“Who's the statesman?

“Oliver A. Pierce.

“I'm intimate with lots of statesmen, but I never heard of him.

“Don't let him know it. Leeds chuckled. “It's true that at thirty-four he has only got as far as state assemblyman, but the war made a gap for him the same as for other young men. Give him a chance. One will be enough.

“What is he, a friend of the family?

“No, and that's one on him. He chuckled again. “When he was first seen here, last summer, he came as a guest of Mrs Frey-that is, invited by her-but before long either she had seen enough of him or he had seen enough of her. Meanwhile, however, he had seen Lina Darrow, and he was caught anyhow.

“Who's Lina Darrow?

“My cousin's secretary-by the way, she'll be at dinner too, that'll make eight.

I don't know who invited him-my cousin perhaps-but it's Miss Darrow that gets him here, a busy statesman. Leeds snorted. “At his age he might know better.

“You don't think much of women, huh?

“I don't think of them at all. Much or little. Leeds finished his drink. “Look at it. Which would you rather live with, those wonderful animals out there, or a woman?

“A woman, I said firmly. “I haven't run across her yet, there are so many, but even if she does turn out to be a dog I hope to God it won't be one of yours. I want the kind I can let run loose. I waved a hand. “Forget it. You like 'em, you can have 'em. Mrs Frey is a member of the household, is she?

“Yes, he said shortly.

“Mrs Rackham keeping her around as a souvenir of her dead son? Being neurotic about it?

“I don't know. Ask her. Leeds straightened up and got to his feet. “You know, of course, that I didn't approve of her going to Nero Wolfe. I went with her only because she insisted on it. I don't see how any good can come of it, but I think harm might. I don't think you ought to be here, but you are, and we might as well go on over and drink their liquor instead of mine. I'll go and wash up. He left me.