is my best friend.”
“And yet he puts diamonds on you. You must forgive my harping on the diamonds; I happen to dislike them. —Oh, yes, I meant to ask, do you know anyone else who is fond of Jordan almonds?”
“Anybody else?”
“Besides Mr. McNair.”
“No, I don’t.”
Wolfe poured more beer and, leaving the foam to settle, leaned back and frowned at his victim. “You know, Miss Frost, it is time something was said to you. In your conceit, you are assuming, for your youth and inexperience, a terrific responsibility. Molly Lauck died nine days ago, probably through bungling of someone’s effort to kill another person. During all that time you have possessed knowledge which, handled with competence and dispatch, might do something much more important than wreak vengeance; it might save a life, and it is even possible that the life would be one worth saving. What do you think; isn’t that responsibility pretty heavy for you? I have too much sense to try coercion. There’s too much egotism and too much mule in you. But you really should consider it.” He picked up his glass and drank.
She sat and watched him. Finally she said, “I have considered it. I’m not an egotist. I … I’ve considered.”
Wolfe lifted his shoulders an inch and dropped them. “Very well. I understand that your father is dead. I gathered that from the statement of your uncle, Mr. Dudley Frost, that he is the trustee of your property.”
She nodded. “My father died when I was only a few months old. So I’ve never had a father.” She frowned. “That is …”
“Yes? That is?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Nothing at all.”
“And what does your property consist of?”
“I inherited it from my father.”
“To be sure. How much is it?”
She lifted her brows. “It is what my father left me.”
“Oh, come, Miss Frost. Sizes of estates in trust are no secrets nowadays. How much are you worth?”
She shrugged. “I understand that it is something over two million dollars.”
“Indeed. Is it intact?”
“Intact? Why shouldn’t it be?”
“I have no idea. But don’t think I am prying into affairs which your family considers too intimate for discussion with outsiders. Your uncle told me yesterday that your mother hasn’t got a cent. His expression. Then your father’s fortune was all left to you?”
She flushed a little. “Yes. It was. I have no brother or sister.”
“And it will be turned over to you—excuse me. If you please, Archie.”
It was the phone. I wheeled to my desk and got it. I recognized the quiet controlled voice before she gave her name, and made my own tones restrained and dignified as she deserved. I don’t like hysterics any better than Wolfe does.
I turned to Helen Frost: “Your mother would like to speak to you.” I got up and held my chair for her, and she moved over to it.
“Yes, mother … Yes … No, I didn’t … I know you said that, but under the circumstances—I can’t very well tell you now … I couldn’t ask Uncle Boyd about it because he wasn’t back from lunch yet, so I just told Mrs. Lamont where I was going.… No, mother, that’s ridiculous, don’t you think I’m old enough to know what I’m doing?… I can’t do that, and I can’t explain till I see you, and when I leave here I’ll come straight home but I can’t tell now when that will be.… Don’t worry about that, and for heaven’ssake give me credit for having a little sense … No … Good-bye …”
She had color in her face again as she rose and returned to her seat. Wolfe had narrow eyes on her. He murmured sympathetically: “You don’t like people fussing about you, do you, Miss Frost? Even your mother. I know. But you must tolerate it. Remember that physically and financially you are well worth some fuss. Mentally you are—well—in the pupa stage. I hope you don’t mind my discussing you.”
“It would do me no good to mind it.”
“I didn’t say
“And yet he puts diamonds on you. You must forgive my harping on the diamonds; I happen to dislike them. —Oh, yes, I meant to ask, do you know anyone else who is fond of Jordan almonds?”
“Anybody else?”
“Besides Mr. McNair.”
“No, I don’t.”
Wolfe poured more beer and, leaving the foam to settle, leaned back and frowned at his victim. “You know, Miss Frost, it is time something was said to you. In your conceit, you are assuming, for your youth and inexperience, a terrific responsibility. Molly Lauck died nine days ago, probably through bungling of someone’s effort to kill another person. During all that time you have possessed knowledge which, handled with competence and dispatch, might do something much more important than wreak vengeance; it might save a life, and it is even possible that the life would be one worth saving. What do you think; isn’t that responsibility pretty heavy for you? I have too much sense to try coercion. There’s too much egotism and too much mule in you. But you really should consider it.” He picked up his glass and drank.
She sat and watched him. Finally she said, “I have considered it. I’m not an egotist. I … I’ve considered.”
Wolfe lifted his shoulders an inch and dropped them. “Very well. I understand that your father is dead. I gathered that from the statement of your uncle, Mr. Dudley Frost, that he is the trustee of your property.”
She nodded. “My father died when I was only a few months old. So I’ve never had a father.” She frowned. “That is …”
“Yes? That is?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Nothing at all.”
“And what does your property consist of?”
“I inherited it from my father.”
“To be sure. How much is it?”
She lifted her brows. “It is what my father left me.”
“Oh, come, Miss Frost. Sizes of estates in trust are no secrets nowadays. How much are you worth?”
She shrugged. “I understand that it is something over two million dollars.”
“Indeed. Is it intact?”
“Intact? Why shouldn’t it be?”
“I have no idea. But don’t think I am prying into affairs which your family considers too intimate for discussion with outsiders. Your uncle told me yesterday that your mother hasn’t got a cent. His expression. Then your father’s fortune was all left to you?”
She flushed a little. “Yes. It was. I have no brother or sister.”
“And it will be turned over to you—excuse me. If you please, Archie.”
It was the phone. I wheeled to my desk and got it. I recognized the quiet controlled voice before she gave her name, and made my own tones restrained and dignified as she deserved. I don’t like hysterics any better than Wolfe does.
I turned to Helen Frost: “Your mother would like to speak to you.” I got up and held my chair for her, and she moved over to it.
“Yes, mother … Yes … No, I didn’t … I know you said that, but under the circumstances—I can’t very well tell you now … I couldn’t ask Uncle Boyd about it because he wasn’t back from lunch yet, so I just told Mrs. Lamont where I was going.… No, mother, that’s ridiculous, don’t you think I’m old enough to know what I’m doing?… I can’t do that, and I can’t explain till I see you, and when I leave here I’ll come straight home but I can’t tell now when that will be.… Don’t worry about that, and for heaven’ssake give me credit for having a little sense … No … Good-bye …”
She had color in her face again as she rose and returned to her seat. Wolfe had narrow eyes on her. He murmured sympathetically: “You don’t like people fussing about you, do you, Miss Frost? Even your mother. I know. But you must tolerate it. Remember that physically and financially you are well worth some fuss. Mentally you are—well—in the pupa stage. I hope you don’t mind my discussing you.”
“It would do me no good to mind it.”
“I didn’t say
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