finale was merely that I had strolled away from the church, to Madison Avenue, and taken a taxi home.
I leaned back. 'That's it,' I said. 'I understand now why you came instead of inviting me down. Naturally you want the camera, and under the circumstances I don't blame you.' I swiveled and got the Centrex, in its leather case with the strap, from the desk, and swiveled back. 'Here it is. If you want to take it along I'd like a receipt.'
He said he certainly wanted to take it along, and I got at the typewriter and wrote a receipt, and he signed it. As I dropped it in a drawer he said that my signed statement should include a declaration that the camera I had given him was the one I had used in front of the church, and I said it would. When I turned back his eyes were leveled at me again.
'How well do you know Joseph Herrick?' he demanded.
'Not very well. I know he's been a Gazette photographer for several years. I've met him around a few times, that's all.'
'Do you know the other two men there with cameras'Or the girl?'
'No. Never saw any of them before. I don't know their names.'
'Did you know Mrs. Bynoe?'
'No. Never saw her either.'
'You weren't there for the purpose of aiming a camera at her?'
'At her'No.'
'What were you there for?'
I waved a hand. 'To take pictures. Like ten thousand of my fellow citizens.'
'They weren't all there in front of that church. You understand, Goodwin, the way it looks now, that needle was fired with some kind of a mechanism in one of those cameras that were focused on Mrs. Bynoe. You see things. Did you see anything peculiar about one of those cameras?'
'No. I'll give it a thought, but I'm sure I didn't.'
'Or anything peculiar about the manner or actions of any of those four people with cameras?'
'No. Again I'll give it a thought, but no. Of course I was taking pictures myself and I wasn't interested in them or their cameras.'
Cramer grunted. He regarded me for a long moment and then transferred to Wolfe. 'I'll tell you,' he said. 'I'll just tell you why I came here instead of sending for Goodwin and the camera. Mrs. Bynoe was wearing a bunch of orchids, and her husband says they were very special orchids. There is only one plant in the world, and he has it. While she was lying on the sidewalk, in convulsion, a man darted in from the crowd and snatched the orchids off her and ran. Frimm grabbed his arm but he jerked away. Of course he didn't stick the needle in her then, she was already dying, but that's not the point. The point is that I know how you are on orchids, and that Goodwin was around. The orchids alone, or Goodwin alone, I might pass, but the two together-that's why I'm here. I want to know if you have anything to say, and if so what, and I want to ask some questions.'
Wolfe's lips had tightened. 'Is it possible,' he inquired, 'that you are intimating that it was Mr. Goodwin who took the orchids?'
'No. I know he didn't. I have a description of the man who did. But you know damn well how it is when there's a smell of either you or Goodwin within a mile of a murder, and here is Goodwin and orchids. Have you anything to say?'
'Yes. I request you to leave my house.'
'After you answer some questions.' Cramer leaned forward. 'Have you any knowledge of the man who took the orchids from Mrs. Bynoe?'
Wolfe put his hands on the edge of his desk, pushed his chair back, and got his bulk upright, on his feet. 'Mr. Cramer,' he said coldly, 'your talent for making yourself offensive is extraordinary. Presumably investigating a murder, you invade my privacy in my home with the preposterous intent of involving me in the theft of a bunch of flowers.' He moved, walked halfway to the door, stopped, and turned. 'If you wished to question me about your murder I would listen, and would even answer. I know nothing whatever about it. I know nothing about Mrs. Bynoe and I know no one who does, and I have no inkling of any information that could possibly be relevant to her murder. Since
I leaned back. 'That's it,' I said. 'I understand now why you came instead of inviting me down. Naturally you want the camera, and under the circumstances I don't blame you.' I swiveled and got the Centrex, in its leather case with the strap, from the desk, and swiveled back. 'Here it is. If you want to take it along I'd like a receipt.'
He said he certainly wanted to take it along, and I got at the typewriter and wrote a receipt, and he signed it. As I dropped it in a drawer he said that my signed statement should include a declaration that the camera I had given him was the one I had used in front of the church, and I said it would. When I turned back his eyes were leveled at me again.
'How well do you know Joseph Herrick?' he demanded.
'Not very well. I know he's been a Gazette photographer for several years. I've met him around a few times, that's all.'
'Do you know the other two men there with cameras'Or the girl?'
'No. Never saw any of them before. I don't know their names.'
'Did you know Mrs. Bynoe?'
'No. Never saw her either.'
'You weren't there for the purpose of aiming a camera at her?'
'At her'No.'
'What were you there for?'
I waved a hand. 'To take pictures. Like ten thousand of my fellow citizens.'
'They weren't all there in front of that church. You understand, Goodwin, the way it looks now, that needle was fired with some kind of a mechanism in one of those cameras that were focused on Mrs. Bynoe. You see things. Did you see anything peculiar about one of those cameras?'
'No. I'll give it a thought, but I'm sure I didn't.'
'Or anything peculiar about the manner or actions of any of those four people with cameras?'
'No. Again I'll give it a thought, but no. Of course I was taking pictures myself and I wasn't interested in them or their cameras.'
Cramer grunted. He regarded me for a long moment and then transferred to Wolfe. 'I'll tell you,' he said. 'I'll just tell you why I came here instead of sending for Goodwin and the camera. Mrs. Bynoe was wearing a bunch of orchids, and her husband says they were very special orchids. There is only one plant in the world, and he has it. While she was lying on the sidewalk, in convulsion, a man darted in from the crowd and snatched the orchids off her and ran. Frimm grabbed his arm but he jerked away. Of course he didn't stick the needle in her then, she was already dying, but that's not the point. The point is that I know how you are on orchids, and that Goodwin was around. The orchids alone, or Goodwin alone, I might pass, but the two together-that's why I'm here. I want to know if you have anything to say, and if so what, and I want to ask some questions.'
Wolfe's lips had tightened. 'Is it possible,' he inquired, 'that you are intimating that it was Mr. Goodwin who took the orchids?'
'No. I know he didn't. I have a description of the man who did. But you know damn well how it is when there's a smell of either you or Goodwin within a mile of a murder, and here is Goodwin and orchids. Have you anything to say?'
'Yes. I request you to leave my house.'
'After you answer some questions.' Cramer leaned forward. 'Have you any knowledge of the man who took the orchids from Mrs. Bynoe?'
Wolfe put his hands on the edge of his desk, pushed his chair back, and got his bulk upright, on his feet. 'Mr. Cramer,' he said coldly, 'your talent for making yourself offensive is extraordinary. Presumably investigating a murder, you invade my privacy in my home with the preposterous intent of involving me in the theft of a bunch of flowers.' He moved, walked halfway to the door, stopped, and turned. 'If you wished to question me about your murder I would listen, and would even answer. I know nothing whatever about it. I know nothing about Mrs. Bynoe and I know no one who does, and I have no inkling of any information that could possibly be relevant to her murder. Since
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