Rex Stout - Death of a Dude

1 huckleberry pie

6 paper cups

2 knives

2 forks

4 spoons

1 opener combo

1 salt shaker

I said I hoped he was hungry too, and he said he had told Miss Rowan that he would also have me brought on Monday, if circumstances permitted.

"Of course," he said, "there will be people coming and going tomorrow and it would be a little complicated. Miss Rowan tried all morning to get Luther Dawson but couldn't reach him. He's not accessible weekends. He may not get to his office before noon tomorrow but Miss Rowan has his home telephone number, and it's about a three-hour drive here from Helena. But there will be a judge available tomorrow at any hour. You realize that my position is a little-well, difficult. In a court proceeding in this county I represent the people of the State of Montana, and Haight will insist that I ask for high bail. He may even want me to ask that you be held without bail, but of course I won't. I have explained the situation to Wolfe and Miss Rowan."

My mouth was busy with deviled egg. I had the caviar jar open and was working on the pвtй. I swallowed. "It's not the being in that hurts," I said, "it's the not being out. After being completely useless for two weeks, I could now do some detective work with a real chance of ringing the bell if I wasn't locked up." I slid some of the items toward him. "Help yourself to something. Everything."

"Thanks." He reached for a slice of bread and the caviar. "What would you do if you were out?"

"What Haight should be doing but probably isn't-and Welch too, instead of chaperoning me. Do you want me to describe it?"

"Yes."

I spread caviar on bread. "I have it all in order after the hours I've spent looking at it. How did they get out there back of Vawter's-Peacock and X? They arranged to meet there. In advance? No. After Peacock arrived, at nine minutes to eleven. They spoke, there on the dance floor, and arranged to meet outside. They left separately, not together, and-"

"That's merely assumptions."

"Certainly. That's all you ever have to start, assumptions. You assume the probables and file the possibles for later if they're needed. So three things happened there on the dance floor: Peacock and X spoke, and X left, and Peacock left. People saw those three things happen. Find those people. That's what I would be doing if I were loose. It's a kindergarten chore, but most detective work is. I said it's what Haight should be doing, but actually, if he keeps his eyes open when he's on duty, he shouldn't have to. If he stayed where he was when I went in to Mr Wolfe at a quarter past eleven, and that's another probable, he was right there, not ten steps away from the door they left by. The reason I assume they left separately, I certainly assume that when X left he did not intend that Peacock would be coming back. He had probably already been out there behind Vawter's for a look, and he may have had the rock in his hand when Peacock came. But those are just details to help pass the time when you're sitting on a stool in a cell. The question is, who was seen talking with Peacock on the dance floor? And who left the dance floor between eleven-fifteen and midnight?" I knifed a gob of pвtй onto a piece of bread and, having finished the whisky, poured milk.

Jessup was forking a second joint to a paper plate. "But," he objected, "many people leave, don't they?"

"I wouldn't say many. Sure, some go out and most of them come back in, but that doesn't queer it, it merely complicates it. May I have a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil? Anything-that scratch pad."

He handed me the pad and a pen from his pocket. I chewed bread and pвtй and drank milk, which was warm, while deciding how to put it, and then wrote:

NW: I am talking to and with Jessup, as instructed. I'm glad you're under house arrest because this jail is old and they use too much disinfectant. I suggest that you have Miss Rowan or someone at the ranch find and bring a girl named Peggy Truett. She was a friend of Peacock's and she probably knows things. She may even know who Peacock went out to meet. I hope Haight doesn't get to her before you get her to you. I also hope I won't have to go to St. Louis because now you have stirred him and we should get him right here. AG 8/11/69

I handed it to Jessup and said, "Read it, and the sooner he gets it the better."

He read it, and then read it again. "Why this? Why not phone him?"

I shook my head. "That line may be tapped. From what I have been told about Haight and his feelings about you, it could even be that yours is tapped."

"It's a hell of a situation, Goodwin."

"I agree."

He looked at the sheet. " 'Now you have stirred him.' Stirred him how?"

"My God, that's obvious. Of course Peacock might have got killed anyway-for instance, if he was on a blackmail caper and overplayed it-but maybe not. He would probably still be alive if Mr Wolfe hadn't started in on him. Of course Haight should have done that long ago, or you should."

He ignored the dig in his ribs. "Peggy Truett is the girl you were talking with when Peacock arrived."

"Right. I reserved nothing relevant. If you prefer to get at her yourself I suppose it's-"

"I don't." He looked at the sheet again. "You won't have to go to St. Louis. A man named Saul Panzer is going. In fact"-he looked at his watch-"he's there now if his plane was on time."

"Oh." I finished spreading an ample layer of caviar on a full slice of bread. "I don't think I mentioned him, but evidently Mr Wolfe did. He called him? When?"

"This morning. I drove him to Woody's. He told Panzer to put another man on the job in New York-I forget his name-"

"Orrie Gather, probably."

"That's it. And he told Panzer to take the first available plane to St. Louis and gave him instructions. I think Wolfe has decided-no, not decided, assumed-that one of the persons at Farnham's had a previous connection with Brodell. We went there when we returned from Woody's-Wolfe and Miss Rowan and I-and I asked them to allow Miss Rowan to take pictures of them. With her camera. I know nothing about cameras, but apparently she does."

I nodded. "She knows enough. Did any of them object?"

"No. Farnham didn't like it, but of course he wouldn't. She seemed quite expert. I brought the film and a man I know is developing it. I intended to take the prints to Miss Rowan later this evening, but with your message for Wolfe I'll go now. Or as soon as the prints are ready. I like Miss Rowan's conception of a snack. She seems to be aware that man cannot live by bread alone. She is leaving early in the morning for Helena to get the prints off to Panzer by air mail and to get Luther Dawson. She is not- You'll remember that at our previous encounter she ordered me to leave."

"She suggested that you go and sit in the car. This is good cheese. Have some."

"And if I didn't you would drag me. That episode is now forgotten by mutual consent. I'm going to repeat to you a confession that I made to her. Not for quotation. I think I funked it. I should have realized long ago that the conflict between Haight and me could be resolved only by the destruction, the political destruction, of one of us, and I should have seized the opportunity offered by his inefficient investigation of the murder of Philip Brodell. I said I'm stuck with you and Wolfe, and I'm glad I am. If we lose, it will finish me, but I don't think we will." He took some cheese.