not see another prospective client on the stoop. Inspector Cramer of Homicide West has been various things�a foe, a menace, a neutral, once or twice an ally, but never a client; and his appearance through the one-way glass, the set of his burly shoulders and the expression on his big round red face, made it plain that he hadn’t come to ante a retainer. I went and slipped the chain bolt on, opened the door the two inches it permitted, and spoke through the crack.
“Greetings. I don’t open up because Mr. Wolfe has company. Will I do?”
“No. I know he has company. Mrs. Thomas G. Yeager has been here nearly half an hour. Open the door.”
“Make yourself at home. I’ll see.” I shut the door, went to the office, and told Wolfe, “The tailor. He says his man brought the suit nearly half an hour ago, and he wants to discuss it.”
He tightened his lips and scowled, at me, then at her, and back at me. Whenever an officer of the law appears on the stoop and wants in, his first impulse is to tell me to tell him he’s busy and can’t be disturbed, and all the better if it’s Inspector Cramer. But the situation was already ticklish enough. If the cops had found a trail to that house and had followed it and found Fred Durkin there, the going would be fairly tough, and making Cramer pry his way in with a warrant would only make it tougher. Also there was Mrs. Yeager. Since Cramer knew she had been here nearly half an hour, obviously they had a tail on her, and it wouldn’t hurt to know why. Wolfe turned to her.
“Inspector Cramer of the police is at the door, and he knows you’re here.”
“He does not.” She was positive. “How could he?”
“Ask him. But it may be assumed that you were followed. You are under surveillance.”
“They wouldn’t dare! Me'I don’t believe it! If they-“
The doorbell rang. Wolfe turned to me. “All right, Archie.”
Nero Wolfe 34 - Too Many Clients
Chapter 9
At a meeting of those two, Wolfe and Cramer, naturally! I am not an impartial observer. Not only am I committed and involved; there is also the basic fact that cops and private detectives are enemies and always will be. Back of the New York cop are the power and authority of eight million people; back of the private detective is nothing but the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and while that’s a fine thing to have it doesn’t win arguments. But though I am not impartial I’m an observer, and one of the privileges of my job is to be present when Cramer walks into the office and aims his sharp gray eyes at Wolfe, and Wolfe, his head cocked a little to the side, meets them. Who will land the first blow, and will it be a jab, a hook, or a swing'
On this occasion I got cheated. That first quick impact didn’t take place because Mrs. Yeager didn’t let it. As Cramer crossed the sill into the office she was there confronting him, demanding, “Am I being followed around?”
Cramer looked down at her. He was polite. “Good morning, Mrs. Yeager. I hope you haven’t been annoyed. When there’s a murderer loose we don’t like to take chances. For your protection we thought it advisable�”
“I don’t need any protection and I don’t want any!” With her head tilted back the crease between her chins wasn’t so deep. “Did you follow me here?”
“I didn’t. A man did. We-“
“Where is he'I want to see him. Bring him in here. I’m telling you and I’m going to tell him, I will not be followed around. Protect me?” She snorted. “You didn’t protect my husband. He gets shot on the street and put in a hole and you didn’t even find him. A boy had to find him. Where’s this man?”
“He was merely obeying orders.” Cramer’s tone sharpened a
little. “And he followed you here, and maybe you do need protection. There are things to be protected from besides personal violence, like making mistakes. Maybe coming here was one. If you came to tell Nero Wolfe something you
“Greetings. I don’t open up because Mr. Wolfe has company. Will I do?”
“No. I know he has company. Mrs. Thomas G. Yeager has been here nearly half an hour. Open the door.”
“Make yourself at home. I’ll see.” I shut the door, went to the office, and told Wolfe, “The tailor. He says his man brought the suit nearly half an hour ago, and he wants to discuss it.”
He tightened his lips and scowled, at me, then at her, and back at me. Whenever an officer of the law appears on the stoop and wants in, his first impulse is to tell me to tell him he’s busy and can’t be disturbed, and all the better if it’s Inspector Cramer. But the situation was already ticklish enough. If the cops had found a trail to that house and had followed it and found Fred Durkin there, the going would be fairly tough, and making Cramer pry his way in with a warrant would only make it tougher. Also there was Mrs. Yeager. Since Cramer knew she had been here nearly half an hour, obviously they had a tail on her, and it wouldn’t hurt to know why. Wolfe turned to her.
“Inspector Cramer of the police is at the door, and he knows you’re here.”
“He does not.” She was positive. “How could he?”
“Ask him. But it may be assumed that you were followed. You are under surveillance.”
“They wouldn’t dare! Me'I don’t believe it! If they-“
The doorbell rang. Wolfe turned to me. “All right, Archie.”
Nero Wolfe 34 - Too Many Clients
Chapter 9
At a meeting of those two, Wolfe and Cramer, naturally! I am not an impartial observer. Not only am I committed and involved; there is also the basic fact that cops and private detectives are enemies and always will be. Back of the New York cop are the power and authority of eight million people; back of the private detective is nothing but the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and while that’s a fine thing to have it doesn’t win arguments. But though I am not impartial I’m an observer, and one of the privileges of my job is to be present when Cramer walks into the office and aims his sharp gray eyes at Wolfe, and Wolfe, his head cocked a little to the side, meets them. Who will land the first blow, and will it be a jab, a hook, or a swing'
On this occasion I got cheated. That first quick impact didn’t take place because Mrs. Yeager didn’t let it. As Cramer crossed the sill into the office she was there confronting him, demanding, “Am I being followed around?”
Cramer looked down at her. He was polite. “Good morning, Mrs. Yeager. I hope you haven’t been annoyed. When there’s a murderer loose we don’t like to take chances. For your protection we thought it advisable�”
“I don’t need any protection and I don’t want any!” With her head tilted back the crease between her chins wasn’t so deep. “Did you follow me here?”
“I didn’t. A man did. We-“
“Where is he'I want to see him. Bring him in here. I’m telling you and I’m going to tell him, I will not be followed around. Protect me?” She snorted. “You didn’t protect my husband. He gets shot on the street and put in a hole and you didn’t even find him. A boy had to find him. Where’s this man?”
“He was merely obeying orders.” Cramer’s tone sharpened a
little. “And he followed you here, and maybe you do need protection. There are things to be protected from besides personal violence, like making mistakes. Maybe coming here was one. If you came to tell Nero Wolfe something you
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