her offered hand in both of his, murmuring something, gave her hand a pat and let it go, and shot a glance to right and left as he entered.
When Wolfe didn’t extend a hand of course he didn’t; he was a top executive.
They exchanged nods as I pronounced names, and he waited until Sally was seated,
in one of the yellow chairs I had moved up, to take the red leather one. As he sat he spoke, to her. “I came because I said I would, Sally, but I’m a little confused. After you phoned I called your mother, and apparently there’s a … a misunderstanding. She seems to think you’re making a mistake.”
Sally nodded. “Did she tell you what I - why I’m here?”
“Only vaguely. Perhaps you’ll tell me, so I’ll know why I’m here.” He was smiling at her, friendly but wanting to know. Cagey, but why not'A senior vice-president of a billion-dollar bank who is involved in a front-page murder case, even accidentally, isn’t going to get involved any deeper if he can help it. Also he was good at chess.
“I don’t think I’m making a mistake,” Sally said. The reason I’m here is …
because I …” She let it hang, turned her head to look at me, and then looked at Wolfe. “Will you tell him, Mr. Wolfe?”
Wolfe was leaning back, his eyes at Yerkes. “I presume, sir, you’re a man of discretion.”
“I like to think I am.” At Wolfe, the banker wasn’t smiling. “I try to be.”
“Good. The circumstances require it. It’s merely a difference of opinion, but it would be unfortunate if it were made public at the moment. You may have seen an item in a newspaper yesterday that I have been engaged to inquire into the murder of Paul Jerin.”
“It was called to my attention.”
“It was Miss Blount who engaged me, against the advice of her father and his attorney, and her mother agrees with them. She offered me a sizable fee and I took it. Knowing that her father is in serious jeopardy, she fears that his counsel is not up to the emergency, and she has a high regard for my talents,
possibly exaggerated. In making an inquiry I need to inquire, and you are one of those concerned in the matter. Mrs. Blount thinks her daughter has made a mistake in hiring me, but her daughter doesn’t and I don’t. My self-esteem rejects any supposition that I’ll be a hindrance. I may conceivably hit upon a point that Mr. Kalmus would miss - not that I challenge his competence, though he decries mine. Have I made it clear - why Miss Blount asked you to come?”
“Not entirely. Of course I have been questioned by law officers, and by Mr.
Kalmus, but I could contribute nothing useful.” Yerkes’s eyes went to Sally,
shifting around ninety degrees while his head hardly moved at all. It’s a good trick for a shoplifter or pickpocket because it helps on security, and it’s probably also good at directors’ meetings because it saves energy. He asked her,
“Why do you think Dan isn’t up to it, Sally'Any particular reason?”
Either Mrs. Blount hadn’t mentioned the problem of jealous daughters or he was being discreet. Sally did all right. “No,” she said, “not particular. I’m just… afraid.” “Well.” His quick keen eyes went back to Wolfe. “Frankly,
Wolfe, I’m inclined to agree with them. My bank doesn’t happen to use Kalmus’s firm, and neither do I personally, but he certainly is a reputable lawyer, and as far as I know an able one. What can you do that he can’t do?”
“I won’t know until I’ve done it.” Wolfe straightened up. “Mr. Yerkes. Do you think Mr. Blount killed that man?”
“Of course not. Certainly not.” But before he said it his eyes darted a glance at Sally, a dead giveaway. If he had really felt and meant that ‘of course not’
why glance at her'Either he simply didn’t mean it or he was an extremely smooth customer who knew more tricks than one and also knew more about the death of Paul Jerin than he was supposed to. He didn’t add one of the old
When Wolfe didn’t extend a hand of course he didn’t; he was a top executive.
They exchanged nods as I pronounced names, and he waited until Sally was seated,
in one of the yellow chairs I had moved up, to take the red leather one. As he sat he spoke, to her. “I came because I said I would, Sally, but I’m a little confused. After you phoned I called your mother, and apparently there’s a … a misunderstanding. She seems to think you’re making a mistake.”
Sally nodded. “Did she tell you what I - why I’m here?”
“Only vaguely. Perhaps you’ll tell me, so I’ll know why I’m here.” He was smiling at her, friendly but wanting to know. Cagey, but why not'A senior vice-president of a billion-dollar bank who is involved in a front-page murder case, even accidentally, isn’t going to get involved any deeper if he can help it. Also he was good at chess.
“I don’t think I’m making a mistake,” Sally said. The reason I’m here is …
because I …” She let it hang, turned her head to look at me, and then looked at Wolfe. “Will you tell him, Mr. Wolfe?”
Wolfe was leaning back, his eyes at Yerkes. “I presume, sir, you’re a man of discretion.”
“I like to think I am.” At Wolfe, the banker wasn’t smiling. “I try to be.”
“Good. The circumstances require it. It’s merely a difference of opinion, but it would be unfortunate if it were made public at the moment. You may have seen an item in a newspaper yesterday that I have been engaged to inquire into the murder of Paul Jerin.”
“It was called to my attention.”
“It was Miss Blount who engaged me, against the advice of her father and his attorney, and her mother agrees with them. She offered me a sizable fee and I took it. Knowing that her father is in serious jeopardy, she fears that his counsel is not up to the emergency, and she has a high regard for my talents,
possibly exaggerated. In making an inquiry I need to inquire, and you are one of those concerned in the matter. Mrs. Blount thinks her daughter has made a mistake in hiring me, but her daughter doesn’t and I don’t. My self-esteem rejects any supposition that I’ll be a hindrance. I may conceivably hit upon a point that Mr. Kalmus would miss - not that I challenge his competence, though he decries mine. Have I made it clear - why Miss Blount asked you to come?”
“Not entirely. Of course I have been questioned by law officers, and by Mr.
Kalmus, but I could contribute nothing useful.” Yerkes’s eyes went to Sally,
shifting around ninety degrees while his head hardly moved at all. It’s a good trick for a shoplifter or pickpocket because it helps on security, and it’s probably also good at directors’ meetings because it saves energy. He asked her,
“Why do you think Dan isn’t up to it, Sally'Any particular reason?”
Either Mrs. Blount hadn’t mentioned the problem of jealous daughters or he was being discreet. Sally did all right. “No,” she said, “not particular. I’m just… afraid.” “Well.” His quick keen eyes went back to Wolfe. “Frankly,
Wolfe, I’m inclined to agree with them. My bank doesn’t happen to use Kalmus’s firm, and neither do I personally, but he certainly is a reputable lawyer, and as far as I know an able one. What can you do that he can’t do?”
“I won’t know until I’ve done it.” Wolfe straightened up. “Mr. Yerkes. Do you think Mr. Blount killed that man?”
“Of course not. Certainly not.” But before he said it his eyes darted a glance at Sally, a dead giveaway. If he had really felt and meant that ‘of course not’
why glance at her'Either he simply didn’t mean it or he was an extremely smooth customer who knew more tricks than one and also knew more about the death of Paul Jerin than he was supposed to. He didn’t add one of the old
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